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Truest
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Silas Hart has seriously shaken up Westlin Beck's small-town life. Brand new to town, Silas is different than the guys in Green Lake. He's curious, poetic, philosophical, maddening-- and really, really cute. But Silas has a sister-- and she has a secret. And West has a boyfriend. And life in Green Lake is about to change forever.
Truest is a stunning, addictive debut. Roman ...more
Truest is a stunning, addictive debut. Roman ...more
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Kindle Edition, 384 pages
Published
September 1st 2015
by Katherine Tegen Books
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Start your review of Truest

Aug 11, 2015
Sarah Elizabeth
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
contemporary,
young-adult,
death,
love-triangle,
netgalley-edelweiss,
r2r-read,
read-2015,
romance,
as
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
“That,” he whispered, “is how you should be kissed.”

This was a YA contemporary romance, which involved cheating.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of West, even if I liked her name. Whilst she might not have been aware that she was openly flirting with Silas, the way she spent so much time with him, and hugged him, and thought about him kissing her was a breach of trust, and no ma ...more
“That,” he whispered, “is how you should be kissed.”

This was a YA contemporary romance, which involved cheating.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of West, even if I liked her name. Whilst she might not have been aware that she was openly flirting with Silas, the way she spent so much time with him, and hugged him, and thought about him kissing her was a breach of trust, and no ma ...more

Jan 10, 2014
Jackie Sommers
rated it
it was amazing
· (Review from the author)
·
review of another edition
I thought it was pretty good. :-)

Sep 05, 2015
Kels
rated it
it was ok
Shelves:
yawn,
snooze-fest,
contemporary,
ya,
i-give-up,
bag-full-of-meh,
blah,
realistic-fiction,
romance,
slow-pace
I feel like every book that I decide to DNF I need to preface with saying this isn't a bad book, because mostly they aren't, and I step forward and admit that even though I feel like I'm pretty eclectic in my taste of books, my preferences tend to narrow when it comes to writing style. So here's my declaration: THIS ISN'T A BAD BOOK, but it's also not a book for me.
Short story is: I didn't like the writing style. It's just so PLAIN. And plain isn't always a bad thing, but most times it makes fo ...more
Short story is: I didn't like the writing style. It's just so PLAIN. And plain isn't always a bad thing, but most times it makes fo ...more

Warning...This is going to be more of a rant than a review.
Let me start with one quick point before I start my ranting ways. I’m all for jumping into a story with both feet, but this book felt like a few chapters were lopped off the top. I could have used a bit more set up and character introduction. It felt like I was playing catch up at page one. Wait, whoa—who is this now?
Truest focuses on Westlin Beck (aka West), a pastor’s daughter in a small Minnesota town. West has had her best friend an ...more

I am the authors,Jackie's mom. That being said I will give an honest review. This IS the best book I've ever read ! Seriously, I started reading and could not put it down. I liked that Wes and Silas were not the perfect people but had flaws like real people. Their conversations made me really feel like I was getting to know them. Best of all this book makes you think about more important things in life, that even in the darkest times there is hope! You need to read this book. I WANT a sequel alr
...more

4.5 stars
One thing that’s been true about me as a reader for a few years now is that I’m willing to try a lot of different sorts of books. There are some things that straight up don’t sound like Christina books that I’ll avoid, but I try bunches that I’m skeptical about. Often, this results in a DNF or a middling rating, but I’m glad I do step outside the books that are obviously me books because I would miss out on books like Truest. I don’t think Truest was even on my radar really, but it arri ...more
One thing that’s been true about me as a reader for a few years now is that I’m willing to try a lot of different sorts of books. There are some things that straight up don’t sound like Christina books that I’ll avoid, but I try bunches that I’m skeptical about. Often, this results in a DNF or a middling rating, but I’m glad I do step outside the books that are obviously me books because I would miss out on books like Truest. I don’t think Truest was even on my radar really, but it arri ...more

I initially picked this book up because of the cover. That gorgeous, beautiful cover that only gets more beautiful and more meaningful with every page I read. This is an outstanding debut, charming, funny, unbelievably moving and a deep sort of soul searching.
Westlin's summer isn't going as planned. Her boyfriend is working, her best friend is away at camp and her pastor father has roped her into letting the moody new boy in town, Silas Hart, be her business partner. But what starts as a forced ...more
Westlin's summer isn't going as planned. Her boyfriend is working, her best friend is away at camp and her pastor father has roped her into letting the moody new boy in town, Silas Hart, be her business partner. But what starts as a forced ...more

I was given an ARC by the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
What drew me in to Truest was first and foremost it's pretty cover. But immediately after that, I read the synopsis and fell in love with it. There was just something about the vagueness of the synopsis that felt like it was begging to be read. Although the mystery in the synopsis was not mysterious at all in the story itself, I found myself loving this book.
What drew me in to Truest was first and foremost it's pretty cover. But immediately after that, I read the synopsis and fell in love with it. There was just something about the vagueness of the synopsis that felt like it was begging to be read. Although the mystery in the synopsis was not mysterious at all in the story itself, I found myself loving this book.
"I don't have the luxury of seeing people's...more

This review was originally posted on One Curvy Blogger
WARNING! This review is physically killing me to write, so if its terrible and completely random, I apologize. Even weeks later, these feelings are spilling out of me and I can’t seem to put them into words to form a cohesive sentence. Just know that I freaking loved Truest even if my review is a jumbled mess. Got it?This freaking book. I just can’t ddhfdjvlhdjv
Though I have read several books since Truest (and some of them were wonderful ...more

Nov 03, 2015
Tanya (Girl Plus Books)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary,
young-adult
3.5 STARS? (Maybe? I'm honestly not sure.)
When I finish a book I know how I feel about it. I know that I like it or I love it or it wasn't for me or I had issues with it. Truest is a rare breed in that it has me stumped. I didn't love it but I didn't dislike it, either. There were moments that were overwhelmingly emotional and times that I had to force myself not to start skimming. I can't remember the last time I read a book that had me so conflicted.
In the summer before her senior year, Westli ...more
When I finish a book I know how I feel about it. I know that I like it or I love it or it wasn't for me or I had issues with it. Truest is a rare breed in that it has me stumped. I didn't love it but I didn't dislike it, either. There were moments that were overwhelmingly emotional and times that I had to force myself not to start skimming. I can't remember the last time I read a book that had me so conflicted.
In the summer before her senior year, Westli ...more

I received a free copy via Edelweiss for review purposes.
Truest follows West through her summer where she's been abandoned by her friend who has gone off to summer camp and her boyfriend who is working all summer to save up for a car. In desperate need of a partner for her car detailing summer job, West reluctantly agrees to let Silas help, splitting the earnings 50/50. As West begins to warm to Silas she learns his sisters secret. And Silas has a girlfriend, and she has a boyfriend.
There were ...more
Truest follows West through her summer where she's been abandoned by her friend who has gone off to summer camp and her boyfriend who is working all summer to save up for a car. In desperate need of a partner for her car detailing summer job, West reluctantly agrees to let Silas help, splitting the earnings 50/50. As West begins to warm to Silas she learns his sisters secret. And Silas has a girlfriend, and she has a boyfriend.
There were ...more

Truest is one of those books that I don't really have much to say about. It's a decent read and while reading it, I had an good time, but it was rather unmemorable. I can guarantee that a week from now, I'm going to forget everything about it. West, the protagonist, was a hard character to enjoy at first. She's in a relationship with a very sweet boy named Elliott, but she goes ahead and flirts a lot with the new boy in town, Silas. She and Silas were definitely a better pair because they had so ...more

Reread 9/15/18:
3.5 stars
A little less poignant and memorable than the first time around. I also found the MC, West, to hold some problematic viewpoints which were revealed towards the end. Similarly, I found it kind of odd that as the pastor's daughter, West didn't seem to have a very meaningful connection to her religion (or even soul-searching process). It seemed like faith was much more important to Silas than to her at any singular moment in the novel. This made the book feel like he playe ...more
3.5 stars
A little less poignant and memorable than the first time around. I also found the MC, West, to hold some problematic viewpoints which were revealed towards the end. Similarly, I found it kind of odd that as the pastor's daughter, West didn't seem to have a very meaningful connection to her religion (or even soul-searching process). It seemed like faith was much more important to Silas than to her at any singular moment in the novel. This made the book feel like he playe ...more

This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book! Even though I just finished it last night, I couldn't wait to come write my review. Usually I hold off on declaring books all-time favorites, but I think I'm going to break that rule too. There was just so much about Truest to love! On the surface, there's not a lot going on - this is definitely a character-driven book rather than a plot-driven book. But, man, did I love these characters!
When Silas comes to ...more
This book! Even though I just finished it last night, I couldn't wait to come write my review. Usually I hold off on declaring books all-time favorites, but I think I'm going to break that rule too. There was just so much about Truest to love! On the surface, there's not a lot going on - this is definitely a character-driven book rather than a plot-driven book. But, man, did I love these characters!
When Silas comes to ...more

Mar 31, 2015
Shannon (It Starts At Midnight)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-for-review,
2015
This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
Ah, Truest, how I adored thee. Ah, West, how I relate to thee. See, West is a bit lost in life. Things are okay, not great but not horrible either. She has a boyfriend who's nice enough, her own part-time car detailing gig, and a best friend who just went away to be a camp counselor. She lives with her family- her pastor dad, her kind of push-over mom, and her two siblings (who are adorable, by the by)- in a small Minnesota town, and she ...more
Ah, Truest, how I adored thee. Ah, West, how I relate to thee. See, West is a bit lost in life. Things are okay, not great but not horrible either. She has a boyfriend who's nice enough, her own part-time car detailing gig, and a best friend who just went away to be a camp counselor. She lives with her family- her pastor dad, her kind of push-over mom, and her two siblings (who are adorable, by the by)- in a small Minnesota town, and she ...more

I loved it. So bittersweet, and I was way too attached to all of the characters. AND YES TO A MINNESOTA AUTHOR!
Review--
Jackie Lea Sommers’ debut novel, a contemporary romance set against the familiar backdrop of small-town Central Minnesota, swept me off my feet. Not only did I read the book with growing admiration for Sommers’ ability to create such a vibrant story, but I was astonished by how close I grew to her characters. Just halfway through the book, two hundred pages in or so, I felt li ...more
Review--
Jackie Lea Sommers’ debut novel, a contemporary romance set against the familiar backdrop of small-town Central Minnesota, swept me off my feet. Not only did I read the book with growing admiration for Sommers’ ability to create such a vibrant story, but I was astonished by how close I grew to her characters. Just halfway through the book, two hundred pages in or so, I felt li ...more

I don’t often read a book in day. I’m a slow reader by nature, so when I do devour a book in twenty-four hours, you can guarantee that I found the story absolutely magical. These addictive books pull me in and make me forget about reality. For their pages are filled with characters I can’t let go of and worlds I continue dreaming about for days, weeks, years (cough…Harry Potter). Truest was one of these books.
In fact, I was on a weekend writing retreat when I started to read Truest. And instead ...more
In fact, I was on a weekend writing retreat when I started to read Truest. And instead ...more

Incredible!😩❤️
All the feels..i want to smile and cry at the same time.
A story of love and loss.
Tragedy and hope.
Heartwarming and heartbreaking. The perfect cocktail.
Silas and West. 2 lonely people looking for refuge from their troubled lives.
Both searching for understanding of their paths of life.
I stayed up all night to read this because I could not put down! Please forgive the rambling as I’m extremely sleep deprived and emotional...
Okay...Silas OMG I fell in love with Silas instantly.
He i ...more
All the feels..i want to smile and cry at the same time.
A story of love and loss.
Tragedy and hope.
Heartwarming and heartbreaking. The perfect cocktail.
Silas and West. 2 lonely people looking for refuge from their troubled lives.
Both searching for understanding of their paths of life.
I stayed up all night to read this because I could not put down! Please forgive the rambling as I’m extremely sleep deprived and emotional...
Okay...Silas OMG I fell in love with Silas instantly.
He i ...more

The summer before her senior year brings big changes to Westlin Beck. Her best friend Trudy is off being a camp counselor and her boyfriend Elliot is working full time on the family farm to save up enough money for a car. West is feeling kind of lost and at loose ends.
She tags along when her minister father brings communion to the new family in town. She takes one look at Silas and things start to change. First, her father invites him to join with West in her car detailing business. Then they s ...more
She tags along when her minister father brings communion to the new family in town. She takes one look at Silas and things start to change. First, her father invites him to join with West in her car detailing business. Then they s ...more

4/5 Stars
Summary:
This book follows West during her summer vacation right before her senior year of high school. Her best friend Trudy is off at an Adventure camp all summer and her boyfriend Elliot has a summer job and football practice that leaves West with nothing but time on her hands. Her father is the small towns Pastor and is constantly running off to help others. Unfortunately that means leaving West and the family to fend for themselves. West ends up befriending this wonderful new family ...more
Summary:
This book follows West during her summer vacation right before her senior year of high school. Her best friend Trudy is off at an Adventure camp all summer and her boyfriend Elliot has a summer job and football practice that leaves West with nothing but time on her hands. Her father is the small towns Pastor and is constantly running off to help others. Unfortunately that means leaving West and the family to fend for themselves. West ends up befriending this wonderful new family ...more

Wow! I loved this book so much. This novel made my top books of 2015 and I can't wait for more from Jackie Lea Sommers... Full review to come!
Full Review 12/22/15:
Wow, it is going to be hard to do Truest justice in this review! When a friend on twitter sent this to me, I was excited but had no real expectations. I knew I loved the cover, but had not heard a lot of buzz about the novel. However, Truest definitely made my top books of 2015!!!
Firstly, this charming debut has such a cute setting. Gr ...more
Full Review 12/22/15:
Wow, it is going to be hard to do Truest justice in this review! When a friend on twitter sent this to me, I was excited but had no real expectations. I knew I loved the cover, but had not heard a lot of buzz about the novel. However, Truest definitely made my top books of 2015!!!
Firstly, this charming debut has such a cute setting. Gr ...more

Beautifully written and intriguing! Westlin's story was one I couldn't put down and didn't want to end. And, Silas Hart just might be the most enigmatic and enchanting book boy since Augustus Waters.
I also have to say, without ruining any surprises or anything, that I have so much respect for how Jackie Lea Sommers handled faith and religion in this book. She treated it with care, as it should be, and realistically without any kind of mocking in her tone. I love how the characters search and qu ...more
I also have to say, without ruining any surprises or anything, that I have so much respect for how Jackie Lea Sommers handled faith and religion in this book. She treated it with care, as it should be, and realistically without any kind of mocking in her tone. I love how the characters search and qu ...more

Have you ever started reading a book late at night, in bed, with no expectations of how good or bad it will be? You're tired and just know you'll fall asleep within minutes, but then you get sucked into the story, and the next thing you know, you're at the end of the book, it's 5AM, and you're astonished by the brilliance you just consumed?
Truest just did this to me.
Last month I was at a YA convention, and Ms. Sommers was one of the authors in attendance. I had never heard of her or the book, bu ...more
Truest just did this to me.
Last month I was at a YA convention, and Ms. Sommers was one of the authors in attendance. I had never heard of her or the book, bu ...more

I saw this book on a fellow bloggers’ list of books to be released. The cover art intrigued me, so I did some Googling and found the author's website. I loved her blog. After reading her blog posts I knew I would enjoy her debut novel. So when I had a chance to read the novel before the release day, I said yes.
It was wonderful.
It made me think.
I preordered extra copies to give as gifts.
l told all my friends.
I told my library they had to order copies.
And now I am telling you. You have to read ...more
It was wonderful.
It made me think.
I preordered extra copies to give as gifts.
l told all my friends.
I told my library they had to order copies.
And now I am telling you. You have to read ...more

"Hey Saadia, now that you've recovered from this book, let's actually attempt to talk about this book!!"
Sure thing. But before I do, y'all need to here me out. I interpreted this book on a whole different level because some of the lines in this book shook me up real bad and I still can't stop constantly thinking about this book. Y'all might not even get what the heck I'm going to say about this book. Some of y'all will probably say "What?? That's not how I saw it as." Well, I died while reading ...more
Sure thing. But before I do, y'all need to here me out. I interpreted this book on a whole different level because some of the lines in this book shook me up real bad and I still can't stop constantly thinking about this book. Y'all might not even get what the heck I'm going to say about this book. Some of y'all will probably say "What?? That's not how I saw it as." Well, I died while reading ...more

Jan 10, 2014
Ashley Brooks
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Deep thinkers, lovers of YA, anyone who wants a summer read that's more than fluff
Truest is one of those books that will destroy you in the best way possible.
**Just finished my annual summer reread of Truest, and it still holds up as one of my all-time favorites.**
Get ready to spend the summer in Green Lake, Minnesota, with Westlin Beck and the new guy in town, Silas Hart. If that sounds like a recipe for summer romance, you'd be right. But Truest is so much more than that.
There's Silas's mysterious twin sister, Laurel. There's West's pretty amazing boyfriend, Elliot. There' ...more
**Just finished my annual summer reread of Truest, and it still holds up as one of my all-time favorites.**
Get ready to spend the summer in Green Lake, Minnesota, with Westlin Beck and the new guy in town, Silas Hart. If that sounds like a recipe for summer romance, you'd be right. But Truest is so much more than that.
There's Silas's mysterious twin sister, Laurel. There's West's pretty amazing boyfriend, Elliot. There' ...more

I was instantly caught up in this story! Sommers does an awesome job of developing fascinating characters, and puts them into highly entertaining circumstances. The characters feel full and real, and even the side characters were well-developed.
Themes of love and truth were tackled head-on in this story, while also causing the reader to think through both faith and philosophy.
"Truest," while having emotional depth, was also extremely funny. There were times when I was laughing out loud, and ther ...more
Themes of love and truth were tackled head-on in this story, while also causing the reader to think through both faith and philosophy.
"Truest," while having emotional depth, was also extremely funny. There were times when I was laughing out loud, and ther ...more

May 24, 2015
Desiree Anderson
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
non-fiction
Truest was wonderful and beautiful and special and fun and made me think about some of the basics of my faith. A great read no matter who you are!

"His first day felt about a million years long: every class period was like a Band-Aid, and every passing time was akin to ripping it off as I scanned every crowd for a familiar, ridiculously tall boy. I wondered if I would ever be able to act like a normal person around him again. My heart was branded with his initials."
I honestly think Truest is my biggest book surprise of 2017, I really didn't know what to expect when I started this book but it felt a little life affirming. I dare anyone to ...more
I honestly think Truest is my biggest book surprise of 2017, I really didn't know what to expect when I started this book but it felt a little life affirming. I dare anyone to ...more

This is the summer read I didn't know I was missing! I read 55% of the book, in one setting, until 3am.
The character, West is very relatable. She is spunky and indecisive. Her relationship with her father, long-time, small-town boyfriend, best friend, and the newcomers in town, all feel authentic. I love that none of the characters are flat stereotypes, like what you'd typically see in a high-school, small-town YA novel. Even when West makes cringe-worthy decisions, one can't help but rally her ...more
The character, West is very relatable. She is spunky and indecisive. Her relationship with her father, long-time, small-town boyfriend, best friend, and the newcomers in town, all feel authentic. I love that none of the characters are flat stereotypes, like what you'd typically see in a high-school, small-town YA novel. Even when West makes cringe-worthy decisions, one can't help but rally her ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Recent realistic YA novel w/ love triangle. [s] | 3 | 34 | Dec 16, 2016 06:50PM | |
Crazy for Young A...: Truest by Jackie Lea Sommers → Start Date: October 10, 2015 | 22 | 32 | Dec 07, 2015 05:47PM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: Truest by Jackie Lea Sommers - Starting August 8th 2015 | 10 | 19 | Aug 11, 2015 11:12AM |
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