Be True to Me

by Adele Griffin

[Sam@WLABB]

Jean is determine to make this summer one of her best. She returns to Sunken Haven with a plan to win the heart of Gil, an island newcomer, and to reinvent herself. However, her plans are stymied, when Gil falls for Fritz, an island outsider. The tug of war over Gil fuels the rivalry, which meets a tragic ending.

This story takes place during the summer of 1976. I was only 4 years old, but I fondly remember the bicentennial. Griffin peppered the story with just enough references to bring me back.  I loved all the mentions of the music, the clothing, the hair, even the odd food we ate. It was a cool trip down memory lane.


Our celebratory block party. You can see a lot of Griffin's 70s references.

This story revolved around three characters: Jean, Gil, and Fritz. Both Jean and Gil were trying to reinvent themselves, while Fritz stayed true to her self.

Gil had recently been accepted into his wealthy uncle's world. He was constantly battling between his desire to please his family and the desires of his heart. This resulted in Gil making some poor decisions, and both Jean and Fritz being hurt in the process.

Jean was a spoiled, entitled, rich girl, who grabbed this opportunity to shine by both hands. She had a chance to enjoy a summer at Sunken Haven without the shadow of her sister looming over her, but Jean also made a myriad of poor decisions, and often tried to justify or dismiss them.

I should have hated both Gil and Jean, but I didn't. Griffin did such a good job with these multidimensional characters, that I would get angry with them, but then later, I would empathize with them. Jean was oppressed being the "Other Custis Sister", and Gil was constantly being reminded that he could be written off if he dared any missteps. I cannot say that these circumstances excused their poor behavior, but it helped me understand their motivations.

Fritz, on the other hand, was fantastic. She loved spending her summers with her best friend in Sunken Haven. She was confident in who she was and her abilities. But as the summer wore on, her confidence began to unravel. The damage inflicted by Jean's and Gil's actions had consequences. Her rose colored glasses were removed, and she began to see the people of Sunken Harbor in a new light. Regardless, she chose to stay true to herself through it all. But again, poor decisions were made.

I found the story quite compelling, and fought sleep to keep reading. Having the story told from Fritz's and Jean's point of view worked really well. I got to hear each of their sides of the story, and see the Sunkie world from two very distinct viewpoints. It was also interesting to see Gil through their eyes, as he was perceived quite differently by each of them, and that added yet another dimension to this story. Griffin did an incredible job relating this tale of what happens when we lose ourselves, and unfortunately for our protagonists, they were a little too late figuring out what was really important.

**I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Quotes are from an ARC and may change upon publication.

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