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My Best Friend, Maybe

Caela Carter (Goodreads Author)

3.45 · Rating details · 1,259 ratings · 169 reviews

Colette has been bored and lonely ever since her best friend, Sadie, dumped her the summer before they stared high school. She tries to be perfect for everyone left in her life: her parents, her younger brothers, her church youth group, even her boyfriend, Mark. But Colette is restless. And she misses Sadie.

When Sadie tells Colette that she needs her old friend to join her ...more

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Hardcover, 352 pages

Published June 3rd 2014 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

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Average rating 3.45 ·

Rating details

· 1,259 ratings · 169 reviews

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Apr 02, 2014 Ash Wednesday rated it liked it

Shelves: welcome-to-the-jungle-beach-island, contemporary-romance, foreign-setting, netgalley, review, yuri, young-adult

3.5 STARS
Forgiveness is a divine act.

Well don’t I feel a little foolish right now.

Much as I can get hypercritical and nitpicky in certain estrogen cycles, I am not averse to give credit where credit is due. This was a pleasant surprise. This was one of those rare reads that I almost wrote off as something that was way off the mark when, as it turned out, I was really just an impatient grasshopper. And I’m not above and beyond admitting to that.

There are certain elements that I expect in rea ...more

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Feb 03, 2015 Melinda rated it did not like it

Shelves: young-adult

The plot in one sentence: Religious straight girl realizes lesbians are people too.

Maybe that's a little harsh, but not very. It's exhausting to read the protagonist's emotional development (during the moments she's not daydreaming about some boy's abs): "Oh, I guess [lesbian former best friend] falls in love with girls, just like I fall in love with boys." *eye roll*

Adding to that, the writing is painfully bad. It's laden with so many unnecessary adjectives it's actually distracting. And at 352 ...more

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Oct 10, 2013 Dahlia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014-releases, i-own-arc, quiltbag-ya, i-own-in-hardcopy, interracial-romance, fave-settings

I actually shocked myself by how much I loved this book. and a lot of it had to do with how much I connected to the aspect of growing up religious and realizing what a tough balance it can be to hold beliefs that both align with and deviate from your religion's, particularly while being an active member of a religious community, and vehemently disagreeing with other community members you otherwise love and respect. Yes, that's a long and convoluted sentence, but it's a tricky place to be, and I ...more

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May 16, 2014 Caitlynn Day rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book focuses on two girls, Colette and Sadie. They were childhood best friends until they eventually drift apart. The two haven't talked to each other for about three years and all of a sudden, Sadie's like "Ay yo, I need you to come on this vacation to Greece with me." And even though Sadie's supposed to go to Costa Rica with her boyfriend that summer, she's like "Ayyyyyyyy let's go." Colette's mom tells her she can't g I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book focuses on two girls, Colette and Sadie. They were childhood best friends until they eventually drift apart. The two haven't talked to each other for about three years and all of a sudden, Sadie's like "Ay yo, I need you to come on this vacation to Greece with me." And even though Sadie's supposed to go to Costa Rica with her boyfriend that summer, she's like "Ayyyyyyyy let's go." Colette's mom tells her she can't go with Sadie, but then Dad comes to the rescue and sneaks her out at night to the airport. They go to Greece, and Sadie's acting pretty weird around her. Wow, I wonder if she has some kind of big secret or something that she'll eventually reveal to Colette.

Okay, so first off, this book is too long. It was an extremely slow read for me, and to be honest, reading it felt more like a chore than anything. The first half explains how Sadie and Colette used to be best friends and then all of a sudden, Colette started "being mean" to her. The second half of the book is about their adventure in Greece. Sadie's being a jerk and they fight, and then they make up. And wow Sadie's older brother is super hot. Then we're back to another fight between Colette and Sadie. Wow.

Secondly, the characters. I found most of the characters to be flat and I couldn't relate to any of them. Really, the only character I ended up liking was Colette's dad because he's the kind of dad that tells lame dad jokes. I dig it. The main character, Colette, over-thought everything too much. It was infuriating to read. One minute she'd be like "Oh man I have a boyfriend, Mark. I can't think this other guy is cute or anything," and then the next she'd be like "lolololol forget that boring idiot at home. I like this guy now." I honestly think that she thought about her boyfriend, Mark, more times than he actually showed up in the book.
Then there's Sadie. It turns out that throughout the entire book, (view spoiler) ~~No, seriously why is Rose at the wedding?~~ (view spoiler)
Then there's Rose. There's not too much to say about Rose. The only thing we learn about her is that she's (view spoiler)

I'll let the book have this - it had a good message. Basically, Colette learning that she needed to be the person that she wanted herself to be, and that she shouldn't change for anyone. I'll admit, I did like that.

This book just wasn't able to capture my interest well. To be fair, I don't like or typically read books with a lot of teen girl drama junk. ...more

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Nov 07, 2013 Leah rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre-contemporary, genre-young-adult, for-review-arc, setting-america, setting-greece, pub-bloomsbury, 2013, lgbt, time-period-2000s

this review will go live on the blog 06/03

Newcomers to Carter's work take note: this is not an author who's afraid to tackle heavy subjects. Last year's Me, Him, Them, & It focused on pregnancy and now her latest, My Best Friend, Maybe sheds light on sexuality and what happens to a friendship when it's called into question.

Until three years ago Colette and Sadie were best friends and virtually inseparable. Then everything changed just before high school. Suddenly Sadie went out of her way to avo ...more

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Mar 13, 2014 Estelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: summer, friendship, young-adult, 2014-new-releases, ff-romance

4.5 stars. Wow. I loved all the complicated relationships in this book. And Greece! I need to go to Greece.

"There were a lot of things in the world that won't make sense, I decide. A lot of things religion can't explain. And maybe we're supposed to live in a world of mystery."

"Back then, only three days ago, the world was black and white and I was simply choosing black. Now, sunset, the sky explodes beyond the restaurant in a flurry of color and even though it's beautiful, it's complicated."

Full ...more

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Apr 28, 2014 Janet rated it it was amazing

Great characters and emotional connection!

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Jun 01, 2015 Star rated it did not like it

Shelves: hetero-romance, queer-baiting, young-adult, a-complete-disappointment

(edited 02/02/2017 I just saw this quote and it sums up the book perfectly: "The plot in one sentence: Religious straight girl realises lesbians are people too." -- so fucking true.)

So I was completely lied to regarding this book.
I was told that it was a lesbian story.
It is not.

I wasn't told that the main character, who narrates the story is straight and remains straight throughout the entire novel.

Absolutely disappointing in that regard.

The story does have a lesbian character - the "ex-best fr ...more

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May 20, 2014 Ashley rated it it was amazing

I decided to read this book on a three-hour plane ride and could not put the book down the whole time. It was the perfect length and the story was wonderful. It was definitely not what I expected (until I got about halfway into the book) but I loved the characters, the lessons they learned and how the story progressed. Also, Santorini is the number one destination I want to visit, so I loved that aspect, as well. Overall, I thought this was a great book for teens and has a great message on respe ...more

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Apr 18, 2015 H rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-2015, queer, young-adult

PRIDE MONTH REC #2: My Best Friend, Maybe. [beautiful Greece setting, strong friendships]
__________________

5 stars. Just WONDERFUL.

My dad called us mermaids, but I knew we were more than that. We were fish. We were best friends.

Sadie was mine and I was hers. I knew it the way I knew my backbone held me up.

I was wrong.

My Best Friend, Maybe reminded me so much of First There Was Forever because both are AMAZING portrayals of the complexities of female friendship. But what distinguishes My Best PRIDE MONTH REC #2: My Best Friend, Maybe. [beautiful Greece setting, strong friendships]
__________________

5 stars. Just WONDERFUL.

My dad called us mermaids, but I knew we were more than that. We were fish. We were best friends.

Sadie was mine and I was hers. I knew it the way I knew my backbone held me up.

I was wrong.

My Best Friend, Maybe reminded me so much of First There Was Forever because both are AMAZING portrayals of the complexities of female friendship. But what distinguishes My Best Friend, Maybe is that it goes far beyond exploring the reasons why a friendship suddenly ends. When Coley agrees to go with her former best friend Sadie to Greece, she confronts her growing discomfort with her religious upbringing as well as her identity as a girl on the cusp of adulthood. The startling truth of why Sadie asks her former friend to Greece in the first place allows Coley to gain a better understanding of the different forms of love - from friendship to romantic love.

She’s been lying. For so long.
Probably since we were little kids.
Forever.

“Coley?” she says. “What are you thinking?”

I stare at her. I’m thinking about her lying because it’s the part I can think about, the part I know is wrong. Because I can’t even try to think about everything else yet.

And yes, there is a little romance -- but it feels so natural and not at all trite. I think the following sentence from the book will assuage any fears of a typical romance-dominated YA contemporary: But it turns out even the perfect boy can’t guarantee a perfect day. YES GIRL YES. It is so refreshing to see the rejection of the "boy-arrives-now-our-issues-are-over" trope we see 24/7 in YA contemporary.

But we don’t have to be grown-ups today.

Today is a summer day. And there’s nothing in any part of the world as fun as a summer day with Sadie Pepper.

Even when we understand why a friendship fell apart, it doesn't mean that the remaining shards should be put together. We all grown up, and life throws us in a million different directions where 'You & I' may not even recognize why we became 'You & I.' It is gut-wrenchingly scary to realize when a friendship has run its course, but it is often what is right. My Best Friend, Maybe explores this heartbreaking reality with two wonderfully complex friends, set against the lush backdrop of a summer in Greece. ...more

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Nov 18, 2014 Livia rated it did not like it

Shelves: don-t-read, pointless, unstructured-writing

Disappointing and not what the summary made it out to be. Don't categorize a book as LGBT if there is no main gay relationship. The writing was choppy, the entirety of the book was unrealistic and felt forced and awkward. Nobody has conversations like that in real life and the character growth was awful, especially for the parents. We never even get a decent explanation for them anyway. Lastly, Sadie was one of the most detestable, irritating characters I've ever had the misfortune to read about ...more

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Jan 20, 2019 Nathalia Costa rated it did not like it

One of the worst book I’ve read. It took me too long to finish, because I kept feeling tired of the narrative and Colette and Sadie’s childish behavior. This is one of those times that I regret spending money on a book.

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May 10, 2014 Margo Berendsen rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, ya-contemporary, 2014-reads

Four really cool things about this book:

1) it's set in Santorini, Greece. Love love love love....

2) Amazing writing

3) A complicated friendship between two girls

4) Thoughtful handling of religious issues

I recently wrote about some of my favorite YA books centered on friendships instead of romantic relationships, or where the friendship is more than just a prop or plot device. This is a great addition to that list; and one of the more complicated friendships I’ve come across in fiction. Colette an ...more

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Apr 07, 2020 Maja Todorovska rated it liked it

I really wanted to like this book, but dear lord the characters are so unlikable. The main character. Colette is so bland, she might as well be white toast bread. She's grating every step of the way, and considering we see the book through her eyes (and mind) it's intolerable. The best friend, Sadie, is at best problematic (not a bad thing if properly examined), an at worst a step away from a manipulative psycho.
The plot is paper-thin, and while that wouldn't be a problem with strong characters ...more

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May 24, 2014 Brandi Kosiner rated it really liked it

I wanted to read this because it sounded like a nice summer read, and also based on friendship. I wanted to find out what happened between their friendship and what it is that Sadie has been keeping from Colette.
The story is mostly told in Collette's present, but she does have sections that go back to when her and Sadie were such close friends as kids. It is nice to get these glimpses of how they were together and that they had a long history as best friends. It also makes me relate with Colet I wanted to read this because it sounded like a nice summer read, and also based on friendship. I wanted to find out what happened between their friendship and what it is that Sadie has been keeping from Colette.
The story is mostly told in Collette's present, but she does have sections that go back to when her and Sadie were such close friends as kids. It is nice to get these glimpses of how they were together and that they had a long history as best friends. It also makes me relate with Colette even more because it shows me what she is missing in her life.
Where we start with Colette's story there is so much change going on. She is supposed to go on a summer mission trip with her straight and narrow chaste boyfriend Mark, who is graduating and going to college while she will be in her senior year. One of her current closest friends, Luisa is applying for a senior year abroad. So, after being dumped by Sadie (as she sees it) those are the closest people to her because even though she has a lot of people in her youth group and town that she knows she isn't really close to them.
When Sadie approaches her about the summer in Greece, Sadie says yes right away, surprising them both. But then she is waivering on if she can go, if her parents would approve, and what about her planned and fund raised trip to Costa Rica? She isn't sure about that status of her future with Mark. This began the process that continued through the book of Coley (her nickname) realizing who she really wants to be instead of playing a balancing act from the "Good Colette" that her parents and their high expectantions and moral/religious values weigh on her. On the other side she wants to break out the brave/fun Coley that says yes to trips and wants to get to the bottom of the seperation with Sadie.
I actually didn't guess Sadie's secret until a little before Coley herself found out. I guessed a lot of things, things that could actually make an interesting story if it were the secret, but finally all of the "you don't know" and the judging/downer/mean looks from others. Sadie's side of the story actually makes a lot of sense and I could see how she could have percieved everything that happened, but I also feel for Coley. Over time she lost her best friend and the fun and lightness from her life.
But she realizes that she needs to open up and let others in more, as well as make decisions for herself based on feelings, on facts and not on expectations. I ended up enjoying her talks with her father, because even though he has the same beliefs as her mom, I think that he goes about showing them better. Yes, there is talk of religion, but Coley isn't quite sure I don't think, she's just grown up with the background, and in church, so she is a little more towards the conservative because of her upbringing. But Coley's mom is the more vocal and pushes it to Coley as well. I know that, as a christian mom, she wanted to protect Coley, and wanted to pass along what she believes and values. But... the makes mistakes, but I also liked that she finally admitted she was wrong how she handled things and was more willing to actually listen to Coley. So, it is really one of the first times I can think of where a parent shows such growth.
The romance is nice, although at times, I think it is coming close to stepping into areas that make me a little mad. (There is semi-cheating, dishonesty/secrets.) I know that Mark is a good guy and he will be great boyfriend, but I just think that he and Coley hid too many things from each other, and they were just comfortable together, it was accepted, but I don't think that they were really in love, and didn't have the chemistry that Coley for sure desired. There is another guy that comes into the picture, and their chemistry and eye flirting as well as him being semi-forbidden made my toes curl, but I also think it taught Coley a lot.
I like the direction and the emphasis on friendship, and second chances, as well as actually verbalizing problems instead of making big decisions and actions based on assumptions. Where they ended up and how things looked for the future really fit the book, and I was satisfied with the wrap up. But mostly I love the hope for the future, for new things, maybe even a sequel, hint hint Ms Carter. But even if I don't get more of their stories or romance, then I like where it ended.

Bottom Line: Story of Colette discovering who she is as well as big emphasis on friendship and second chances. ...more

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May 05, 2014 Angie rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, recommendations, young-adult, read-2014, reviewed

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

I really liked My Best Friend, Maybe! I was very excited and very nervous for it, but thankfully it was great! Collette has been without her best friend Sadie for three years. Now, out of the blue, Sadie invites her to Greece with her family. Collette is confused, because why now? Maybe this is Sadie's way of apologizing, or maybe she has a more sinister reason. Collette flip-flops about going, since she's suppose to spend the summer in Costa Rica with her boy I received an ARC through NetGalley.

I really liked My Best Friend, Maybe! I was very excited and very nervous for it, but thankfully it was great! Collette has been without her best friend Sadie for three years. Now, out of the blue, Sadie invites her to Greece with her family. Collette is confused, because why now? Maybe this is Sadie's way of apologizing, or maybe she has a more sinister reason. Collette flip-flops about going, since she's suppose to spend the summer in Costa Rica with her boyfriend building houses with their youth group. But plans change, and Collette ends up on a plane to Greece, where she tries to put the past behind her. Easier said than done.

Based on the description, I was expecting My Best Friend, Maybe to end up with a romance between Collette and Sadie. I wanted this to happen! But, after meeting both girls, I'm glad it didn't, because it wouldn't make any kind of sense. Collette is a good, Christian girl (don't worry, the book isn't preachy at all). She gets good grades, is active in her church, and does what her parents say. Her boyfriend was the same way, but Collette realizes that that isn't who she is. She wants fun, something her mother believes will lead her down the sinful road to hell. She wants to find out who she is, and be herself, even though this vacation and being around Sadie is making it difficult, since everyone knows something that she doesn't.

I normally love misunderstandings in plots. However, I was a bit annoyed with the one in My Best Friend, Maybe. Everyone believes Collette is the one who abandoned Sadie because of who she is, but Collette has no idea what's going on. Sadie cries about it and pulls the "I thought you knew card" but then she goes on about how no one but her family knows, and that she tried to tell her a few times. Doesn't that imply that Collette didn't know? And yet she blames her anyway. I did like that Sadie eventually took responsibility for her part in ruining their friendship. Then the whole truth is revealed and I was all GASP! Some people are truly awful. I won't spoil it though.

My Best Friend, Maybe was great! It was fun, and sad, and heart warming. It covers a lot of different issues, but I don't think the author let any of them get away from her. Everything fit and wrapped up nicely. There's even a cute romance, and I loved watching Collette try to balance what she wants from that with the values she was raised with. It's always nice to read about characters with different beliefs than mine, as long as the narrative doesn't try to convert me. I do think that Sadie's sexuality could have been handled a little better, since she was very wishy-washy about whether she's out or not.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews. ...more

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Mar 06, 2014 Jessica rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs

I really wasn’t sure when I read the synopsis of this novel if I would be able to get through this novel without remembering how hard it is to lose your best friend, whether it be a childhood best friend, a high school best friend, or even a college best friend. Well, that all happens to people, and its one of the main reasons I did decide to read it. Because I’ve been through it, and that means that a large percentage of Carter’s readers would have or will go through that.

The story line is some ...more

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Apr 07, 2014 Jenna Cantino rated it really liked it

Shelves: teen-realistic-fic, teen-lgbtqai

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. Even though I had read spoilers before starting this book, I was still left guessing for almost 60% of the story. Now, I am not one that likes surprises or random twists and turns. And it did irk me that I couldn't just flip to the end to see what happens (well I suppose I could've kept pressing my kindle page flip button but no thanks). However, I liked how the story unfolded and wasn't just rushing to ...more

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May 13, 2014 Simi rated it really liked it

In My Best Friend, Maybe there are secrets and as you read you will be shocked at every page turn. Colette "Coley" has been missing Sadie since they were younger. Although she has new friends and a boyfriend, her minds still wanders toward Sadie. When Sadie asks her to come to Greece with her she thinks why and maybe their friendship will be renewed. What happens before and during the trip changes both of their lives forever. This was a good read but at times it felt down. It had really high mom ...more

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Oct 01, 2014 Katie Fritz rated it liked it

Colette has always been friends with Sadie. Until ninth grade, when suddenly, she just wasn't. Colette stayed the same while Sadie stopped talking to her, finding new friends and new boys to flirt with. Now after more than two years, Sadie comes up to her, asking her ex-best-friend to come to Greece with her. Sadie says she needs her. Now Colette has to agree, that word need messing up her plans with her boyfriend to go do charity work. So off she goes, against her parents will, to try to reconn ...more

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Jan 24, 2015 Tatiana rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Tatiana by: michelle

Shelves: young-adult

What the shit. It has been a very long time since I've been so agitated and frustrated with a book. I constantly wanted to throw this book at a wall because I just could not figure out what the fuck was going on. I mean, I had the barest bones of a theory but it was just endless levels of obsessed bafflement. It's extremely hard to be a productive employee under those conditions. And then everything became clear and went to hell and it was so painful in so many personal ways that I just didn't k ...more

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Jan 12, 2017 So Yeah rated it did not like it

If you're looking for a story of two girls fighting for love, you come to the wrong place. This book has nothing to offer but mediocre drama and weak characters. I felt like reading a long essay of a high school girl rather than a story. I didn't finish it.

Everything was so two-dimensional. And I hate flashbacks, they distract the flow of the story and this book has a million of them. It was an effort to read. The main character's full useless drama and shallow thoughts. To be honest, I feel lik ...more

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Jul 22, 2014 Maiyah rated it it was amazing

I can see why some people don't like this book, but for me it really doesn't matter. Some people don't like it when girls like other girls but I am fine with it. Anways... it was a great book that kept me reading and it was like real life stuff that actually happens, friends leaving you for no reason, and then randomly they come back, overall its an amazing book (view spoiler) ...more

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May 24, 2015 Gaby rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2015, young-adult, contemporary

Yay, I finished it! This book was a pleasant surprise, considering that it starts out very slow and it almost made me want to quit! I would safely say the 3rd half of this book is amazing. It has an unexpected plot twist that is truly worth powering through the tedious first part.

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Apr 21, 2014 Rena rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbt-ya, arcs, nook

I liked it, there were so many layers to this story, but I feel conflicted. More thoughts to come.

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May 24, 2016 Issa rated it did not like it

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ENDING?!

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Oct 25, 2018 Claire (Book Blog Bird) rated it it was ok

Uh, this was only okay. It was the story of a girl who fell out with her best friend a few years back and then all of a sudden her friend asks her to go on holiday with her.

This in itself is pretty unbelievable. If someone I hadn't spoken to for five years suddenly asked me on holiday to Greece with them and their family, there would be red flags all over the place. But our MC just agrees to it.

And okay, I could have probably overlooked this but there were quite a lot of other not-quite-believab ...more

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May 05, 2014 Liralen rated it liked it

Shelves: travel, fiction, lgbtq, reviewed, ya, z-2015

More or less typical YA friendship/love drama, set against the backdrop of a sparkling Greek coastline.

Let's be honest: I read it for the coastline, or at least for the travel aspect. (Currently seesawing wildly between nature-based nonfiction and YA travel books.) There are a number of interesting, clever twists to the story, though I do wish the location had played more of a role. Honestly, Sadie and Colette could just as easily have had their drama at home, and if anything, there would have b More or less typical YA friendship/love drama, set against the backdrop of a sparkling Greek coastline.

Let's be honest: I read it for the coastline, or at least for the travel aspect. (Currently seesawing wildly between nature-based nonfiction and YA travel books.) There are a number of interesting, clever twists to the story, though I do wish the location had played more of a role. Honestly, Sadie and Colette could just as easily have had their drama at home, and if anything, there would have been more conflict—dealing with parents and religion on top of working through their own history.

Sadie's mid-book admission was not as much of a surprise as it might have been, since the book is on various relevant lists (which was the entire reason I shelved it in the first place, so I can't complain), but it is treated differently than I might have expected. Colette proves herself well, in certain respects, and I almost wished that she had understood things earlier, and that Sadie's accusations had had more weight—not because I want to think less of any of the characters, or to make things harder for them, exactly, but because it would have given Colette more to wrestle with. I kept expecting her to really address her thoughts about religion, about Mark, about what she has been taught to believe. She starts that process in this book; she realises that bikinis are not the devil's clothing and that it is okay to want more than a chaste kiss now and then...but she has a lot further to go. (Granted, she wasn't going to sort everything out in a week, but...)

And then...Sadie. Her family is easy to like. Sadie herself I'm not so sure about. She's kind of the stereotypical crazy ex-girlfriend, except that there's another stereotypical crazy ex-girlfriend around, and...and it's two crazy ex-girlfriends too many.

So. Enjoyed it. Wanted more. Hell, I wanted Colette to follow up her Greece trip with a service project (Costa Rica, Appalachia, wherever) and be forced to consider some of those questions about faith/religion/belief/upbringing...and then I wanted Louisa to go off to boarding school in Japan, and for there to be a follow-up book from her perspective as she tries to deal with that and with shifting dynamics between her friendship and Sadie's friendship with Colette. (But then, I never said my book-wants were reasonable!) ...more

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Jan 22, 2014 Shane rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, realistic-fiction

My Best Friend, Maybe started out a bit slow, but after Colette got over certain guilt and made a decision, the story picked up for me. It turned out to be quite an interesting reading experience because I'm not sure I would have done the same thing had I been in her shoes. While reading, I kept thinking how I would have reacted when a friend who stopped speaking to me for years suddenly came up to me, wanting me to travel out of the country all because she "needed" me and I'm supposed to honor My Best Friend, Maybe started out a bit slow, but after Colette got over certain guilt and made a decision, the story picked up for me. It turned out to be quite an interesting reading experience because I'm not sure I would have done the same thing had I been in her shoes. While reading, I kept thinking how I would have reacted when a friend who stopped speaking to me for years suddenly came up to me, wanting me to travel out of the country all because she "needed" me and I'm supposed to honor some promise from way back.

First of all, I would demand answers, and that bugged me a bit about Colette's character because she didn't speak out enough about stuff that confused or annoyed her. On the other hand, it is sort of understandable when you get a sense of the way she grew up. She had to spend her life trying to be perfect and doing everything right in the eyes of her mother and everyone else. And when she finally went on the trip to Greece (the description was wonderful by the way) and started to question everything, she kind of started to have a mind of her own. Though it took too long, I'm glad she found her voice and demanded answers. Not only from Sadie but from her mother. Still, it was obvious and she seemed a bit naive at times.

I liked how the story depicted friendship and how the characters placed such a strong value on that. It was rather moving, on an emotional level, the way they reconnected and grew up from their misunderstandings. I'm happy they had a nice ending in spite of all the issues and giving a sense that it won't work out in previous scenes.

Of course, it wasn't just about Sadie and Colette's friendship and what caused it to stop for a while. There were other aspects of the story that impacted them. Like Colette's parents' marriage and the issues they were facing, as well as a teen girl coming to terms with her sexuality. It definitely had a lot going to hold your interest, not just two girls going back and forth with who's to blame.

Overall, it was a good story and I don't want to say more about it and risk spoiling it. But it is great writing and interesting themes that will have you thinking. Good job, Caela. I look forward to reading more of your work. ...more

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Nov 17, 2016 Thea rated it liked it

Shelves: really-liked, lgbtq-plus

I just stayed up way too late on a school night finishing this... yikes I make good decisions.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It was light, fun, and engaging to read but it had relatable themes to deepen it-- how to be true to yourself, the nature of best friendship, breaking away from your family/church's expectations of you, what it means to be a family, homophobia coming from religion. I liked how youthful and realistic the flashback scenes of Colette and Sadie's felt, and they really he I just stayed up way too late on a school night finishing this... yikes I make good decisions.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It was light, fun, and engaging to read but it had relatable themes to deepen it-- how to be true to yourself, the nature of best friendship, breaking away from your family/church's expectations of you, what it means to be a family, homophobia coming from religion. I liked how youthful and realistic the flashback scenes of Colette and Sadie's felt, and they really helped push the plot forward and explain what happened between them. They really worked for the book! I liked how well-rounded this book was-- Colette had her own conflicts and development, as did Sadie, and Colette and Sadie had the primary conflict of the book. All of the conflicts were intertwined together well and made it a page-turner! I especially liked how the plot climaxed and Sadie's secret was revealed (granted, I'd kinda guessed Sadie's secret was that's she's gay based on the flap, but the buildup to the reveal was so dramatic and interesting!). I felt that Sadie and Colette's sometimes strained friendship, and the feelings of missing a friend and wondering what went wrong, as well as Colette's feeling used in Sadie's request, were realistic and reminiscent some of my own experiences with friendship. I also loved the Greek setting (in some ways, this book reminds me of Love and Gelato and Anna and the French Kiss bc they all have exotic European settings but this one has a different focus and isn't written quite as well) and Sam/Colette (so cute!).

My main two complaints, in a list:
1. Colette and her family's religion. The exact denomination of Christianity they practice is never specified to my knowledge. But I think that identification would helped to reinforce the "very religious family" aspect of the book. Although that aspect was definitely present in Colette's thoughts and behaviors, it could have been pushed a little more heavily to better convey the point.
2. I wish Louisa had had a bigger purpose in the story. She was a nice character, and she even got her own conflict, but wasn't too important to the main plot and I wish she had a bigger purpose. ...more

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About Caela Carter

Caela Carter

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Caela Carter grew up in Basking Ridge, NJ and Baltimore, MD. She's been writing since she learned how to pick up a pen but before the writing thing got serious she spent six years teaching English to middle and high school students in Jacksonville, FL and Chicago, IL. Her debut novel, ME, HIM, THEM AND IT was published in 2013 by Bloomsbury. When she's not writing, Caela is a teacher of some aweso ...more