The romance is healthy and gorgeous and fraught with poor timing and misunderstandings. Cass is the rich WASP boy from the mainland, and Gwen is the half-Portuguese daughter of a cleaning woman with a "reputation". And on Seashell Island, the haves and the have-nots lead very different lives with very different futures.
These two have nothing in common but In the beginning, I wasn't so sure about why we were being made to wait so long to learn their true back story, but I liked the way it slowly unfurled, and how you figured it out before you learned it.
But I believed this couple and rooted for them and swooned over then and for sure moaned, " Noooooo! Oh, and the "twist"? They're a loving, lopsided, diverse family, class tensions, identity issues, sexual issues, first love, true love, the future, the past.
So much. There's Gwen's beautiful relationship with her younger brother and with her same-age best-friend cousin, Nic, whom I also loved. There's Gwen's other best friend, Vivie, who's been in a relationship with Nic for nearly their whole lives. The cast is rich and full of personality, and best of all, they made me laugh.
They made me laugh and feel a lot. It's safe to say that Fitzpatrick is one of my favorite authors now. I just love the way she writes and the way she never fails to spear her words right through my feels. I love her characters. And most of all, I love that her books are summer books with substance and swoons. Man, I am killing it with the alliterations today. Sigh hi to Cass for me. Super sweet chick-lit.
My biggest issue is that I hate the miscommunication trope, so it annoyed me that it was so prevalent in this book, but the story itself was adorable. What I Thought Was True was one of my most anticipated books of !! Book Review: What I Thought Was True is an utterly charming young adult romance about what has happened and what's to come.
It's a story about juggling the feelings of first love. I was captivated from the first page until the last by the characters, the writing, and quiet love story. The scenes in were so vividly described. From the crackling of the seashells to the smell of salt in the air, I was transported to a plac What I Thought Was True was one of my most anticipated books of !! From the crackling of the seashells to the smell of salt in the air, I was transported to a place I've never been with characters I've never met and I long to go back.
Guinevere Castle has a name of fables and fairy tales but her life is anything but one. Gwen and her family are islanders and part of the working class who keeps the island looking pristine for the more affluent tourists who call Seashell Island home for just part of the year.
It's summer and for the first summer in a long time, Gwen has decided not to work at her father's restaurant. Looking for a change of pace and hopefully more free time , she takes a job watching over Mrs. Ellington, a wealthy woman who has just recently fallen and needs company during the day.
I loved Mrs. Nearly everyone around Gwen is tethered to the island, either by choice or by circumstance. Given her mother's grueling work schedule cleaning houses, she and Nic are often left in charge of Emory, who needs constant supervision due to developmental issues.
Gwen is uncertain about what she wants out of her future. She doesn't seem to want to leave the island but she years for something more. It's your whole life. We're suddenly this close, like Nic said, to the wrong move. Part of her internal conflict is her indecision about her future, the other part involves her heart. And though she'd rather not admit it, her heart is a little bit broken. And it's Cass Somers' fault. Or maybe it's hers.
One of the signs of a great novel is how the author crafts her characters, and this book is a prime example of characters done right. I could tell you a little bit about each of them.
I know that Grandpa Ben comes hope with lobsters and massive amounts of fish without a license. He enjoys playing bingo and smokes a pipe. Lucia works her fingers to the bone cleaning houses, and in the evenings her favorite thing to unwind is to curl up on Myrtle the family's ratty old sofa and read a trashy romance novel.
Ellington likes her tea prepared with silver service, lemon, and sugar. She spends her time with other ladies of the island who all love a good romance novel. Emory has trouble expressing himself with words, but he understand Dora the Explorer. Cass Somers is his version of Superman. I could go on and on. All of those people are just the secondary characters, and I cared about each and every one. They all played a pivotal part in the story.
I loved them all. The Funnies I chuckled so many times while I was reading this book. There were so many funny situations Gwen found herself in. But Gwen herself was had a really great sense of humor. He's also quiet and I can't see his face and that makes me even more nervous, so I that thing I do and blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.
Early on there was a scene that involved Mrs. Ellington, Gwen, Cass, and a bag of lobsters with an unwavering will to live. I think that scene is where I fell in love with Cass Somers and his caring heart.
The Love Story But I keep watching him, noticing the small confines of the sailboat and the strange stillness of this moment, things that I hadn't seen before. A tiny white scar that cuts through the left corner of his dark left eyebrow. Faint flecks of green in the deep blue of his eyes.
The light pulse beating at the base of his throat. I don't know how long it is that we just look. When I finally turn away, everything on the water seems just the same. Except my sense that something has shifted. This book was more than a love story, but it was the romance that sucked me in. I was completely wrapped up in all things Cass Somers. He was truly one of the sweetest heroes I have ever read. He wasn't perfect by any means, but he had had the best of intentions at all times. I love how Huntley Fitzpatrick peeled back the layers on the love story.
In the beginning, you learn that Gwen has a "reputation" on the island; one of the non-island boys even called her a "swim team tradition. Partridge likes to call him and every other working man "Jose.
These two have a past that is slowing unraveled throughout the novel, informing the reader exactly what happened between the two of them that led to the present awkward situation. The romantic tension in this book is what propelled me to keep going. Given what happened in the past, would Cass and Gwen finally get over that?
How do they move on? If you require a lot of action in terms of the plot, you may not enjoy this book as much as I did. But I don't really need dramatic plot turns and twists. This book was more of the quiet variety, focused on the characters, their choices, and how their choices affect them.
Lovers of young adult contemporary romance are sure to be swept away by the beauty of this book like I was. Apr 10, Shannon kitchandpages rated it liked it. What I Thought Was True has been sitting on my shelf for over a year, since it was released last spring, and I finally decided to pick it up with my book club this past week.
What I Thought was true takes p Actual rating: 3. What I Thought was true takes place in a classic beach-seaside location. You have the island kids, who live their year round and do not come from money and then you have the wealthy mainland kids who go to private school and have summer homes on the island.
Our main character, Gwen, is an island girl who has quite a mixed up junior year. She's been dealing with rumors, boys and drama and wants none of it over the summer. But one of the boys who she is trying to escape lands almost on her doorstep when he takes the job of yard boy on the island for the summer.
Gwen is not only trying to avoid the drama this boy brings, but she's also trying to figure out what she wants in life and wondering if she'll ever get off the island. I have to candid here and say that I almost did not finish this book for several reasons.
First of all, I didn't think the first pages were captivating and the world felt so foreign and unlike anything I've experienced that I wasn't sure if I was going to buy it for an entire book. Secondly, there was too much too fast. The story kind of catapults in with the assumption that the readers knows how it all works and I found that irritating and confusing.
And third, I wasn't quite in the mood for a YA contemporary when we started reading it for book club. So with all those reasons working against the book as I started, I am quite surprised to be sitting here giving you my mostly positive review of said book.
Now granted, was it my favorite book ever? No, it won't be on my favorites shelf and I don't know if I'll ever reread it but I did quite enjoy it once I got into the story. Huntley is really great at writing flawed and real characters.
I think a lot of girls and boys would relate to Gwen because she was very real. She was a girl who had made some mistakes and wasn't too bad or too good. She was dealing with stuff like a complicated family life and rumors at school. She wasn't portrayed at the most likable girl you ever met or as the badass that everyone is obsessed with -- she was just a girl, and I found that quite refreshing. I also really ended up liking so many of the side characters.
This is something that happened to me while reading My Life Next Door as well. I think Huntley is great at adding a lot of depth and warmth into her stories by having very vibrant and detailed side characters. They have their own stories and are not just their to serve the main character's story. This is something I really appreciate about her books. I also ended up liking all the twists and turns the plot went on. I liked how we had a possible couple who had a past and it didn't start picture perfect and didn't have a flat timeline.
Most relationships are bumpy, with lots of diversions and details, so I felt the authenticity in the romance. I did not like how unfinished I felt with many most of the characters though -- even though we got an epilogue that was intended to tie up a lot of loose ends from the initial story, I didn't feel like I had enough.
Either the story needed to have less or the book needs to be a series, but where it left off left me a bit unsettled. I did feel the story was a bit busy at times.
There are a lot of moving storylines and ideas and while I enjoyed so many of the side characters and their journeys, it did at times take away from the story of the main character.
I think the author has so many great ideas and sometimes it's hard to cram it in to just one book. I could imagine a Dawson's Creek type of series because we had teen leads that could make an awesome ensemble cast. Let me know if you've read the book and what you thought! Nov 27, Melannie : marked it as to-read Shelves: most-anticipated , Summary left me kind of confused but I will read it of course because Huntley's debut book was sooooo excellent this one can't be anything but : Summary left me kind of confused but I will read it of course because Huntley's debut book was sooooo excellent this one can't be anything but Sep 20, Book lover rated it really liked it Shelves: must-read.
I truly loved this book! Huntley Fitzpatrick is the only contemporary author I've read so far that in my opinion write that genre well. Very well. Oct 31, Danielle Love at First Page rated it it was amazing Shelves: cover-love , favorites-young-adult , amazing-writing , own-physical-book , genre-young-adult , contemporary , read-in , so-otp-it-hurts , sports.
If I could, I'd read a never-ending pile of summer romances written by her and be totally satisfied. Suffice it to say, the wait for her sophomore novel hasn't been easy, but thankfully I always had Jase to keep me company in the interim. And good company he is; I think I have all of his swoony scenes memorized by now.
Expectations for What 4. With promises of a flawed narrator trying to find her way, small coastal town charm, and a new boy crush, it was impossible for me not to be salivating. However, having high expectations can be a bit of a paradox. There is the excitement but also the trepidation. The verdict? While I don't think What I Thought Was True has quite the re-readability as its predecessor, it's certainly a more mature, bolder piece. Not flawless, but the pros easily outweight the cons. I admit it's not really fair to compare Fitzpatrick's books or to judge one by how it lives up to the other.
They are so different from each other Big, messy families - Gwen's a little more flawed than the Garretts but just as loveable. A romance that will make you sigh and blush, even though the dynamic between the girls and their love interests couldn't be more different.
Some truly laugh out loud moments. This isn't a short book, and there's not a whole lot of plot, yet that's not cause for boredom. There is plenty of character development and relationship dynamics that hold all of our attention. She'd like to forget the past spring, including the boy who hurt her, but it turns out he's to be the island's yard boy for the summer.
Meaning: she's going to see Cass on a daily basis. She's still attracted to him but can't forget about the way he seemingly treated her. The first half of the book has a slower, restless pace, and it's a little nerve-wracking as we're waiting for Gwen to fill us in on the whole story between her and Cass.
She also has a reputation for being "easy", which has been more hurtful than she'll ever let on. This summer she's agreed to help an elderly lady, basically to be her companion. I don't want to spend an entire paragraph on Mrs. Ellington, but she can't be ignored. Her style of speech is hilariously upper-crust, and she loves reading dirty romance novels. It's a subplot that provides most of the book's laughs and I greatly enjoyed it.
Gwen herself is a character I could easily relate to. I loved being inside of her head and seeing all the realizations she makes throughout the book. Not everything is "what she thought was true", but she's so gracious with others' faults and willing to admit her own. Some things Cass and I find endearing about her: she rambles; she's fierce but at the same time vulnerable; she has no problem kissing but holding hands is a Big Deal.
Earlier I called this book bold, and that's because Gwen is not at all shy about sex. She has hormones, people! Yes, she has made some decisions she feels ashamed about, either feeling like she's been used for sex or herself using sex as a weapon, but never once did I judge her or feel disconnected from her. Mostly my heart broke for her because she didn't see herself as worthy of more. Of course, there is one guy who sees her that way, who makes it a point that their relationship isn't about "a jumbo box of condoms".
Once we're told of their history through flashbacks, for a few pages there I was very nervous about Cass and his motives. I could understand why Gwen is so hesitant about starting something new with him again.
But Cass proves himself over and over again. Gwen wasn't the only one hurt in this ordeal, and I appreciate the fact that they were able to look at the choices they made and move forward together, neither taking the blame fully but both admitting their mistakes.
Cass is also an amazing guy; I wasn't sure if he would be able to compare to Jase, but he so does. For one, he has this cocky attitude that falls on the funny, sexy side of things rather than the annoying.
He hates lying, he studies maps, he's athletic a swimmer , he teaches Gwen's little brother how to swim SWOON , and he pursues Gwen despite their rocky history.
Their romance is very much push-and-pull for the first half of the book, but when they finally get it right fireworks start flying and cute times ensue. I pretty much highlighted every single one of their scenes once they started dating.
Cass and Gwen see each other completely - flaws and all - and love through those flaws. It's a relationship that feels as lasting as it is swoony. The X on a treasure map.
Gwen's relationship with her family is just as important as her romance with Cass. Her parents are divorced but both are very much a part of her life. Her dad especially has unexpected layers, considering that one page I was thinking he was an asshole and the next I wanted to cry a little bit for him. There's her cousin, Nic, who is her age and frustrated about some things going on in his life, and I'd be very happy to get a book about him in the future.
My favorite family member of hers, though, is Emory. He isn't autistic, but it's the easiest reference point. He's an exuberant eight-year-old who likes Superman, baths, and Cass. Super adorable. I'm still unsure about a certain plot line involving Nic and Nic's girlfriend of basically his whole life and Gwen's best friend, Vivien. I didn't care for how it played out, especially its resolution. But I suppose it adds some realism and some sadness. I'm not too bothered by it since it's separate from the main romance.
This review is already long enough, but I need to quickly comment on Fitzpatrick's writing, which is as lovely as ever.
Gorgeous, lazy, thoughtful prose that reminds you of summer and the ocean. She's gotten even funnier, too. It's so obvious how much care she puts into her characters; I think she may love them almost as much as me. This review can also be found at Love at First Page. Readers also enjoyed. Young Adult. Realistic Fiction. About Huntley Fitzpatrick. Huntley Fitzpatrick. Huntley Fitzpatrick grew up dreamy and distracted in coastal Connecticut.
She flourished in a family of bookworms where everyone always had their nose in a book. She kept an exhaustively thorough journal which frightened her boyfriends but has proved very useful in her career as a writer. Now she laughs with and eavesdrops on her six children who provide her with perspective and material. Books by Huntley Fitzpatrick. Related Articles. Interview with Huntley Fitzpatrick. A lot of mistakes that needed to be clarified and discussed weren't or dealt with an abundance of immaturity.
However, great ideas present about moving on from these and making a meaningful restart. A fair bit of teenage angst but hilarious teenage-typical thoughts italicised to balance this out. Amusing conversations provided by these cast of young characters.
A chunky book about growing up as a teenager while managing life with work, school, friends and family. Enjoyed seeing the range of Seashell teenagers and their own unique dreams and working towards those goals- both with successes and setbacks while maintaining responsibilities for their jobs, looking after their family members and maintaining friendships while life takes place around them.
Great overall theme of taking second chances for a better re-do. Thinking about it now, that's kind of a mirror of Gwen's wavering in her feelings for Cass. There's a few story lines going on at once and at times I felt in need of some more information, but it all comes together.
This book painted a picture of a seasonal resort town where there are clear lines of rich and working class. Having visited a few New England towns like this, I found that really interesting and true. Online stores:. I will definitely recommend this book to young adult, contemporary lovers. Your Rating:. Your Comment:. Read Online Download. It is a story about America, our past, our present and our future.
Beginning during a quiet period in our nation's history that sets the stage for upcoming turbulence, the story envelops and takes the reader through time, and through challenges that we all collectively share. While the author is coming of age, we are drawn to understand how our country comes of age during his lifetime. We all love, and lose, and win, and we all experience life individually and as part of multiple groups. We have differences, and we have commonalities that make us who we are.
We are America. He replaced these laws with the principle of mediation, which he used to redefine all the key terms of the discipline. In the s this highly controversial theory was attacked by a number of philosophers in Germany and Prussia.
These debates spilled over into Denmark in the late s and early s and represent one of the signal episodes in the Danish Hegel reception.
This volume includes the main texts in this controversy. The debate proper was initiated by the article "Rationalism, Supernaturalism" by the theologian Jakob Peter Mynster, who attacked Hegel's criticism of the law of excluded middle. The poet Johan Ludvig Heiberg, and the then young theologian Hans Lassen Martensen, then came to Hegel's defense with articles which responded to Mynster's charges.
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