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To Be Honest
Maggie Ann Martin
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: August 21st 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Savannah is dreading being home alone with her overbearing mother after her sister goes off to college. But if she can just get through senior year, she’ll be able to escape to college, too. What she doesn’t count on is that her mother’s obsession with weight has only grown deeper since her appearance on an extreme weight-loss show, and now Savvy’s mom is pressuring her even harder to be constantly mindful of what she eats.
Between her mom’s diet-helicoptering, missing her sister, and worrying about her collegiate future, Savvy has enough to worry about. And then she meets George, the cute new kid at school who has insecurities of his own. As Savvy and George grow closer, they help each other discover how to live in the moment and enjoy the here and now before it disappears.

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My To Be Honest Challenge to You

When you have a book titled To Be Honest, you are bound to get some questions about what honesty means to you. Throughout the book, we see my main character, Savannah, grappling with honesty in many ways. We see her struggling to be honest with her mom about how her obsession with weight-loss is affecting her. We see her struggle to express her feelings for George, the cute kid who might be just as scared about how much he cares for her as she does him. We also see her struggle with being honest with herself on many occasions. I’d like for everyone who reads the book to understand why honesty is the best policy, and have some honesty action items that I’d like for everyone to take to heart.

Be honest about how people’s actions make you feel.

If something that someone said, even if that someone is a family member, makes you uncomfortable, say something. Everyone deserves to feel safe and heard.

Be honest about your limitations.

You know your personal limits. If you are not comfortable with something, take a moment to sit back and reflect if this conversation/ friendship/ moment is right for you. If it’s not, then get yourself out of that situation. Protect yourself.

Be honest about your fears.

Share your fears with people you trust (friends, family, even a super cool house plant). They are here to support you, and sometimes saying your fears out loud can help you evaluate them in a new way.

Be honest about your aspirations.

Never feel like you are dreaming too big, or let anyone tell you that your dreams are unrealistic. You want to be an artist but are afraid to tell your parents who expect something different from your future? Screw that. Follow your passions no matter what people say.

Be honest with yourself.

You know your worth. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you are not worthy of happiness, love, or respect.

I challenge you all to be honest in every aspect of your life. Let me know in the comments how you strive to be honest with yourself and those around you.

Author Bio:
Maggie Ann Martin hails from Iowa City, Iowa but moonlights as a New Yorker. She has a shiny new BA in English and Journalism from the University of Iowa, the most welcoming literary community in the world. When she is not writing, you can find her binge watching TV shows or passionately fangirling over fictional characters on the Internet. The Big F is her debut novel.