To Be Perfectly Honest: A Novel Based on an Untrue Story by Sonya Sones (review)

Colette, whom readers may remember as the heroine's friend in Sones' previous verse novel, One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (BCCB 7/04), takes center stage here as her movie-star mother insists that Colette and her seven-year-old brother, Will, accompany her on location for her latest movie. Colette has built up her defenses against her mother's reputation over the years by crafting a fabulous fictional life for herself—that is, she's a chronic liar. When she meets Connor, she lies about her mother's identity so that she can test whether he's actually interested in her rather than her mother's celebrity, but when she finds she's actually falling for him, she worries that her lies might destroy their relationship, especially because he seems so honest and open—"seems" being the operative word. Characterization is weak—Colette is all surface, Connor is a mean-spirited cliché, and Will's lisp is overplayed—and the plot becomes messagey when Colette is distressed to find a mirror of herself in Connor. The non-rhyming verse of varying forms and the well-paced plot make this a quick read, though; readers will relate to the ups and downs of a new romance, the disappointment of unanswered texts and a phone that won't ring, the elation of stolen kisses, and the angst of deciding how far to go physically. The celebrity angle adds another dimension to the appeal, making this a light-hearted take on disappointed romance for readers with active fantasy lives of their own.