The Me I Meant To Be, written by Sophie Jordan, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary:  This book completes my Sophie Jordan YA Bookfest because I just finished all her YA novels.  I loved this one as much as I loved the other ones.  The main characters in this story are best friends, Willa and Flor.  Flor had a recent breakup with Zach Tucker and Willa is his next-door neighbor.  Willa has secretly been in love with Zach for years, but feels like he is out of her league.  Flor is a popular and gorgeous soccer player, whose home life is complicated.  Her tutor, Grayson, begins to catch on to how screwed up her home life is.  Flor and Willa, and the rest of their girl gang, decide to write a “girl code” document.  The most important thing on the list is that you can never date a boy that your friend dated or is interested in.  That is the most sacred rule of girl code.  The characters are all in their senior year of high school, but there are still a lot of complications happening.  The friendship unravels when Willa is forced to acknowledge her feelings for Zach.  She also has to let her mom know some hard truths about her own family. 

Straight Talk for Librarians:  This book is a great romance.  It is also a positive story about friendship, respect and strong female characters.  I love the friends to lovers trope and opposites attract.  The story explores age-gap dating - Flor’s dad is dating a woman half his age.  Readers will find a happily for now ending since it doesn’t go into the college years and beyond. It is for older high school readers as Zach and Willa are caught and cited for indecent exposure in a parking lot.  It turns into a mortifying experience, but leading up to it readers will find a topless scene. I would say it’s well within high school-appropriate content for most readers.  I enjoyed the relationship development between the couples and I love the elements of strong friendships, with a dose of forgiveness. I think it would be a good book club book and any sort of free choice pick.  I am a huge fan of Sophie Jordan books and I am sure this book will find its audience.  A good addition to most high school libraries.