The Me I Meant to Be

by Sophie Jordan
The Me I Meant to Be
Girl Code: Never date a friend’s ex. Willa Evans has no intention of breaking the code. So what if she’s always secretly loved her next-door neighbor Zach? As her best friend’s boyfriend, he was always off-limits and it needs to stay that way, even though they just broke up. Even though every time she turns around he’s there, tempting her…  No keeping secrets from your bestie. Flor Hidalgo has a lot on her plate: her breakup with Zach, her dad’s new dating life, and her struggling grades. So why can’t she stop thinking about her hot, know-it-all tutor? At least she’s got Willa, her constant in the chaos.  Breaking the code breaks friendships.   Two friends find themselves tempted by love that defies the rules in this steamy romance perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Simone Elkeles.

The Me I Meant to Be Details

TitleThe Me I Meant to Be
Author
ReleaseJan 1st, 2019
PublisherHMH Books for Young Readers
ISBN-139781328977069
Rating
GenreYoung Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction

The Me I Meant to Be Review

  • C.G. Drews
    January 1, 1970
    It definitely had cute moments, but overall it felt just too insipid for me. [awkward pause] It's dual-narrated story about Willa and Flor (besties) and how Willa breaks the girl-code and starts dating Flor’s ex. While Flor’s failing school, her dad is negligent and awful, and she’s falling for her hot tutor dude. SO. Honestly the entire premise is fluff and romance — which isn’t strictly my thing. But it was a surprise ARC and I was curious so \_(ツ)_/➸ I do like how the book calls out a lot of It definitely had cute moments, but overall it felt just too insipid for me. [awkward pause] It's dual-narrated story about Willa and Flor (besties) and how Willa breaks the girl-code and starts dating Flor’s ex. While Flor’s failing school, her dad is negligent and awful, and she’s falling for her hot tutor dude. SO. Honestly the entire premise is fluff and romance — which isn’t strictly my thing. But it was a surprise ARC and I was curious so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯➸ I do like how the book calls out a lot of problematic things! Like boys being entitled to girls’ bodies, about girls slut-shaming other girls, about how your friendships should be very very important (not just your romances).➸ Flor and Grayson = ok I loved these two’s storyline! Grayson is mysterious and turns up with bruises and is whip-smart and a tutor. Flor is good at soccer and super rich, but ignored by her dad and replaced by a simpering new step-mum, and she’s terrible at school. They had intriguing dynamics and lots of chemistry.➸ Willa and Zach = ok these were my problem two…Zach WAS entitled. He’s Flor’s ex but Willa’s always been in love with him. He’s the football golden boy and just…a jock jerk. There was nothing to him. Willa was the introvert who claimed she was a loser bECAUSE SHE DIDN’T HAVE A CAR (?!!?) and her storyline snowballed into being told to “live more”…aka being an introvert is bad. I’m mad ok.➸ I also realise Flor is brown on the cover, but I couldn’t find a single page where it referred to her being brown. Did I miss it?➸ It didn’t really focus on friendships by the end anyway. It was all boys boys boys.➸ The rich entitlement really got to me too. These kids were all. filthy. rich. And when Flor throws the line of “Wow highschool sucks, will we ever survive”, I couldn’t. Their lives were so privileged. 😐😐
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  • Stacee
    January 1, 1970
    I requested this one so long ago and now that it’s time to read it, I’m not sure why I wanted to read it. Willa and Flor were not the best MCs for me. There was a lot of potential, but I didn’t care for either of their inner monologues and struggled to care for their story line. I didn’t quite see why they were friends. As for the boys, they were sort of lackluster. Plot wise, it was fairly dramatic. There are a lot of things going on and some issues felt glossed over {like the sister clearly be I requested this one so long ago and now that it’s time to read it, I’m not sure why I wanted to read it. Willa and Flor were not the best MCs for me. There was a lot of potential, but I didn’t care for either of their inner monologues and struggled to care for their story line. I didn’t quite see why they were friends. As for the boys, they were sort of lackluster. Plot wise, it was fairly dramatic. There are a lot of things going on and some issues felt glossed over {like the sister clearly being depressed.} It felt like a much younger book than the stated ages of the characters and I just never really settled into it. Overall, it was sort of like a train wreck I couldn’t look away from. Something kept me reading, but I couldn’t tell you what it was. **Huge thanks to HMH Books FYR for providing the arc free of charge**
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  • Samantha (WLABB)
    January 1, 1970
    Rating: 4.5 StarsOh! Matters of the heart can be so complicated, especially when your heart is being torn in two. Willa's two best friends had dated, unsuccessfully, and though, in her mind, she knew she shouldn't want more with Zach, her heart wouldn't listen.• Pro: This story kept me in its clutches! I had to keep reading, because I was just too invested in the outcome to stop. • Pro: Jordan created some amazing chemistry between Flor & Grayson and Willa & Zach. There was no doubt in m Rating: 4.5 StarsOh! Matters of the heart can be so complicated, especially when your heart is being torn in two. Willa's two best friends had dated, unsuccessfully, and though, in her mind, she knew she shouldn't want more with Zach, her heart wouldn't listen.• Pro: This story kept me in its clutches! I had to keep reading, because I was just too invested in the outcome to stop. • Pro: Jordan created some amazing chemistry between Flor & Grayson and Willa & Zach. There was no doubt in my mind that these two couples should happen, and I was shipping them both immediately. • Pro: The heroes were both fabulous, but Zach really, really won my heart. The whole boy-next-door-bestie-to-more thing was totally working for me. At first, I just thought he was just a really smooth talker, but then I realized how he was simply speaking openly and honestly from his heart. I loved the way he put it all out there. There were swoons. • Con: Although I was not disappointed in the ending, I would have liked a little more time dedicated to that resolution. • Pro: Flor and Willa each had some family issues they were dealing with, but Flor's really broke my heart. I wanted to just go and mom hard on her, because her parents were the actual worst. The fact that I cared so much for her can be attributed to how well Jordan crafted these characters. • Pro: It may not have been under the best circumstances, but I sort of cheered when Willa finally stopped pretending and started being honest. She never wanted to make waves or cause any drama, and by avoiding these things, she kind robbed herself of some happiness. It was nice to see her go and grab something for herself, while still considering how it affected those around her. I also liked her realizing that she wasn't inferior to Flor, that she was desirable and worthy of attention. • Pro: Though Willa and Flor's friendship was tested by all the secrets they were keeping, I never doubted their love for one another, and I kept hoping they each could have everything they wanted without having to sacrifice each other. Overall: A fun twofer romance, which had me flipping the pages and grinning from ear-to-ear.*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
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  • ♡Julalicious Book Paradise♡
    January 1, 1970
    Original review on Julalicious Book ParadiseI didn’t know what to expect when I first started reading this book. I just knew that it was Sophie Jordan writing it and I needed to read it. So I started the story without any expectations really and I was sucked into this book fast.Willa and Flor’s friendship is your typical best friends’ relationship you can imagine; they do a lot together, tell each other almost anything and have each other’s back no matter what. Everything we are taught that best Original review on Julalicious Book ParadiseI didn’t know what to expect when I first started reading this book. I just knew that it was Sophie Jordan writing it and I needed to read it. So I started the story without any expectations really and I was sucked into this book fast.Willa and Flor’s friendship is your typical best friends’ relationship you can imagine; they do a lot together, tell each other almost anything and have each other’s back no matter what. Everything we are taught that best friends should do.So when Flor decides to do the Girl Code book after feeling the betrayal from another friend, Willa agrees though she isn’t so keen on the idea, but she knows her friend needs it. So from there, the story unravels where more codes are added and their friendship is tested in ways they didn’t expect.Willa has always seemed to put everyone’s needs in front of hers and so often, she hides her own desires so the others get what they want. Flor’s ex-boyfriend is part of the ones she hides, but when her friendship with him starts to change, she is more confused about what to do even though the temptation is harder to resist. Zach knows what he wants and that’s Willa and he’s done hiding it, but Willa just can’t seem to let herself accept that it could be true; scared mostly what that betrayal could cost her.Flor’s life isn’t as most expects. The image she projects to the world is different from what actually is, but she likes it like that. Even her friends don’t know everything so it becomes a surprise to her when she opens up to her tutor, a guy she had never really spoken to before. From there, her life is starting to head towards something she isn’t sure she’s ready to accept and she will fight to keep some kind of control about what she believes she wants which is whatever gives her a sense of comfort.This book tests the friendship between the two girls, but it’s also about how both girls are growing and are taken charge of what they actually want and need rather than just going for what people expects from them. The outcome isn’t always what you expect and the book is the proof of it.I really loved the way this book was written in a way that not everything is black or white because not every situation is the same. It’s something that both girls will go through and will have to decide what they want to do about these.I won’t lie that I would have wanted a bit more into the book because I felt like there were parts in the end that went to quickly and I feel like we could have gotten a little bit more of insight into the aftermath of everything that went down.But overall, this was just an awesome read and I recommend it to everyone who loves a good YA read.I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
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  • Jen Ryland
    January 1, 1970
    This is not as engaging as I hoped but I am going to press on for the good of my GR 2018 goal....UPDATE: Finally finished this. It had some good aspects but others I wasn't so crazy about. I liked Flor's story a lot - all the drama and tension was in her parts of the story. Willa and Zach were sort of blah (I was more interested in Willa's sister) and I didn't get Zach's appeal at all.This story was supposed to be about female friendship and "the girl code" but since most of the book is about ea This is not as engaging as I hoped but I am going to press on for the good of my GR 2018 goal....UPDATE: Finally finished this. It had some good aspects but others I wasn't so crazy about. I liked Flor's story a lot - all the drama and tension was in her parts of the story. Willa and Zach were sort of blah (I was more interested in Willa's sister) and I didn't get Zach's appeal at all.This story was supposed to be about female friendship and "the girl code" but since most of the book is about each of the girls hanging out with a guy, not each other, that part didn't ring that true to me.When I got to the part about (view spoiler)[ Grayson's secret fight club (hide spoiler)] I almost gave up. I didn't see that coming but only because it was so outlandish. That was (an equally ridiculous) plot on season four of the O.C. and seemed to belong in a completely different book. And after all that breaking of the girl code and stepmother drama and possible friend drama and poor Grayson ... the ending felt pretty unfinished.Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Check out my Bookstagram! Or check out my Jen In Ten reviews on Youtube - get the lowdown on current books in 10-30 seconds!Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
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  • Eileen (BookCatPin)
    January 1, 1970
    3.5 StarsThe Me I Meant to Be read like two love stories with some crossovers here and there. I liked that the book touched on a lot of possible teen issues but I wish they were more deeply explored.The book wasn't so much about friendship but seeing two different relationships play out. From a romance point of view I really enjoyed The Me I Meant to Be. But from a friendship viewpoint the story left a lot to be desired.Willa and Flor are best friends but they hardly had any scenes together. The 3.5 StarsThe Me I Meant to Be read like two love stories with some crossovers here and there. I liked that the book touched on a lot of possible teen issues but I wish they were more deeply explored.The book wasn't so much about friendship but seeing two different relationships play out. From a romance point of view I really enjoyed The Me I Meant to Be. But from a friendship viewpoint the story left a lot to be desired.Willa and Flor are best friends but they hardly had any scenes together. The ones where they were together barely lasted a few pages. Their physical interactions were quite minimal. Even though they were constantly on each other's minds I felt like their bff status was more in proclamation than anything else. This made their ultimate confrontation lacking in conviction.Having read Sophie Jordan's other works I knew she could write a tension-worthy romance. I got two in The Me I Meant to Be. Suppressed feelings and animosity made for some scandalicious and butterfly-inducing story. Both Willa and Zach and Flor and Grayson were every bit as swoony as I could ask for. I love how the two relationships played out. The Girl Codes at the beginning of each chapter were sensible however, these rules weren't very present in the story itself. I can tell they related to what was happening in the chapters but I wish they were better expanded on in the actual story.The Me I Meant to Be would also be a stronger book if the other issues in the story were more fully explored. I love that they were in the story but a lot of times they felt brushed over and even not resolved (view spoiler)[(the underage Fight Club) (hide spoiler)] or too easily cleared up (view spoiler)[(the misunderstanding between Flor and her dad's girlfriend) (hide spoiler)].Despite my mixed feelings for some things in The Me I Meant to Be I really liked the romances. The story is a quick one and not too serious.
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  • nick
    January 1, 1970
    3.5/5Sophie Jordan's books have this incredible addictive quality to them, so I'm always pulled towards her stories. I was in the mood for a dramatic type of contemporary YA when I stumbled upon The Me I Meant to Be. My interest was only heightened when I discovered the book is the story of two friends. As with Jordan's previous novels, this book was easy to dive into. The book told the story of Flor and Willa, two best friends and the emotional upheaval they face in their senior year of high sc 3.5/5Sophie Jordan's books have this incredible addictive quality to them, so I'm always pulled towards her stories. I was in the mood for a dramatic type of contemporary YA when I stumbled upon The Me I Meant to Be. My interest was only heightened when I discovered the book is the story of two friends. As with Jordan's previous novels, this book was easy to dive into. The book told the story of Flor and Willa, two best friends and the emotional upheaval they face in their senior year of high school. Flor and Zach used to be an item, only now they are broken up and Willa's feelings for him, that she had kept hidden for ages, were beginning to surface all over again. Willa, however, wants to stick by the girl code and not go after her best friend's ex, especially because the best friend wants Zach back. Obviously, that does not work out the way she wants to and things get even more muddled as she realizes that Zach might like her back too. On the other side of the story, Flor was dealing with some changes in her home with the introduction of her father's young new girlfriend just as she's trying to get over her breakup with Zach. The only positive in her life was the hot new secretive tutor helping her out, Grayson. I thought both of the romances were enjoyable. Jordan writes great chemistry between her couples and that was very much prevalent here. I was engaged enough in both of their stories, though I'll admit that there were moments of incredulity here and there. What I thought was lacking here though was a thorough exploration of Willa and Flora's friendship. With all that was going in the girls' lives, the focus was more on all the individual issues and I thought more attention should have been given to them, their history and their present. The Me I Meant to Be was a very compulsively readable novel and I recommend it if you're in the mood for something light, dramatic and has all the teenage angst.
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  • Trianna
    January 1, 1970
    This book was fun and cute to read. It is told in dual POV between two best friends, but I really preferred Flor's plot line. I liked Willa's family plot line, but her romantic one was annoying. I am not a huge fan the trope of best friends liking/dating the same guy and that is what Willa's plot revolves around. It was strange to me that Willa and Flor rarely hung out, for two people who are best friends it seemed odd. The ending felt off to me and is wrapped up in an odd way. But, it was a cut This book was fun and cute to read. It is told in dual POV between two best friends, but I really preferred Flor's plot line. I liked Willa's family plot line, but her romantic one was annoying. I am not a huge fan the trope of best friends liking/dating the same guy and that is what Willa's plot revolves around. It was strange to me that Willa and Flor rarely hung out, for two people who are best friends it seemed odd. The ending felt off to me and is wrapped up in an odd way. But, it was a cute and fun read. Especially Flor's plot line. I loved seeing her and Grayson's scenes. To be honest if the whole book was from her POV I might have liked it more. *Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review*
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  • Nancy The book junkie
    January 1, 1970
    Review to come!
  • Billie
    January 1, 1970
    This needed a lot more pages to reach truly satisfying conclusions for all the character relationships. Dana was not very kind or loving toward Flor and was obviously manipulating Flor's dad, but one brief conversation and Flor thinks Dana's not so bad? Willa's sister Chloe has serious issues (depression and possibly addiction), but she has one conversation with Willa and makes one trip to the grocery store and now everything's going to be okay? I'm not sure if this book was supposed to be about This needed a lot more pages to reach truly satisfying conclusions for all the character relationships. Dana was not very kind or loving toward Flor and was obviously manipulating Flor's dad, but one brief conversation and Flor thinks Dana's not so bad? Willa's sister Chloe has serious issues (depression and possibly addiction), but she has one conversation with Willa and makes one trip to the grocery store and now everything's going to be okay? I'm not sure if this book was supposed to be about the relationship between Willa and Flor or Willa and Zach or Flor and Grayson because they all felt a little perfunctory and superficial. There were consequences of certain actions that were smoothed over way too easily and quickly. This has the bones of a book that would be enjoyed by fans of Sarah Dessen or Stephanie Perkins or Huntley Fitzpatrick, but none of the depth.
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  • Anita (Anitareads)
    January 1, 1970
    4.5 stars
  • Debbie Gilvin
    January 1, 1970
    loved reading this book. it was a page Turner for sure, and I just fell in love with the characters, I'm really hoping for a sequel. if you like romance and a little bit of drama you should pick it up.
  • Ivy Valentiny
    January 1, 1970
    (3.5-3.75) Fans of Jenny Han and Maurene Goo this is a novel for you. Romance, friendship, and family are all major aspects of this story. Nicely pieced together.
  • Shoshana G
    January 1, 1970
    The Willa/Zach plot was very relatable and sympathetic. However, I found the Flor/Grayson stuff a little silly. His secret identity was ridiculous. Plus, Dana's villainy was over the top and the attempt near the end to rehabilitate her a little was too little too late. This was fine. I probably would've enjoyed it in middle school or early high school. There just wasn't much there.I read an e-ARC through NetGalley.
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  • Kristina Birch
    January 1, 1970
    So much more than a YA romance! The Me I Meant to Be is the story of Willa and Flor navigating their senior year of high school while also dealing with real life, family, and love. The Girl Code edicts that head each chapter are so spot on and are what took this from being “just a YA romance” to a book that will resonate with every reader regardless of age or gender identification. This story is very much the sum of its parts from the exploration of first and unexpected loves, to dealing with pa So much more than a YA romance! The Me I Meant to Be is the story of Willa and Flor navigating their senior year of high school while also dealing with real life, family, and love. The Girl Code edicts that head each chapter are so spot on and are what took this from being “just a YA romance” to a book that will resonate with every reader regardless of age or gender identification. This story is very much the sum of its parts from the exploration of first and unexpected loves, to dealing with parental disappointments, to the illusion of perfection and having it all, to knowing when relationships are too precious to give up on or too toxic to hold onto. Sophie Jordan’s voice is so resonate and fluid that regardless of the genre/sub-genre she’s writing in, you know it’s her and that you are going to get a story that makes you laugh, makes you want to cheer and cry alongside the characters, and makes you believe in love, whether it’s romantic love, friendship love, or familia love.
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  • Janelle Hackbarth
    January 1, 1970
    I got an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley next change for a review.What first drew me to this book is the two love stories in one concept. I liked the idea that Willa had to struggle with realizing she had feelings for her best friend's ex boyfriend; and that Flor was struggling between wanting her tutor or wanting to get back together with her ex.Willa felt relatable. She struggled with not just her feelings, but how her relationship was with her older sister, Chloe, after she (Chloe) I got an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley next change for a review.What first drew me to this book is the two love stories in one concept. I liked the idea that Willa had to struggle with realizing she had feelings for her best friend's ex boyfriend; and that Flor was struggling between wanting her tutor or wanting to get back together with her ex.Willa felt relatable. She struggled with not just her feelings, but how her relationship was with her older sister, Chloe, after she (Chloe) returned from breaking up with her husband with a daughter she struggle to raise, and her mom while her dad worked away from the family. I did kind of feel towards the end that her revelation for her feelings for Zach (the ex) was a little rushed because the book was coming to an end. I would have rather seen her resolve things with her best friend first. And her ending chapter felt like it was taken from an early 2000s movie.I kept wondering why Flor wanted to get back together with Zach. But I could understand and see her growing attraction to Grayson. He was the guy I liked more out of the two. He was a mystery that needed to be explored further, I feel. I did feel bad for Flor when it came to her relationship with her parents. Mom barely talks to her, and Dad's more involved in his new relationship with a woman closer to her age. I've had divorced parents most of my life, so I know the feeling.All in all, I would have preferred to see more of Flor and Willa's relationship with each other. Still, I feel the book was a cute little love story.
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  • Lisa Mandina
    January 1, 1970
    As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I have been a fan of the author, Sophie Jordan, for a long time, ever since I read her book, Uninvited. I've read several other books by her since then, but this was the first YA from her in awhile it seemed. While visiting the different publisher booths at ALA last summer, when I saw this one I immediately had to ask if they had a copy I could read. It was one of my unicorn ARCs that I was very happy to take home with me from New Orle As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. I have been a fan of the author, Sophie Jordan, for a long time, ever since I read her book, Uninvited. I've read several other books by her since then, but this was the first YA from her in awhile it seemed. While visiting the different publisher booths at ALA last summer, when I saw this one I immediately had to ask if they had a copy I could read. It was one of my unicorn ARCs that I was very happy to take home with me from New Orleans last June. I didn't get to it as soon as I'd hoped, before release date last week. But, I was lucky enough that when I did get to it, January 3rd, I had nothing else I had to do that day, and was able to basically just sit and read almost all day long. Which I did, and I finished it in one day. I could barely put it down to do anything else. The characters were perfect, so realistic in my opinion. And so much about the story itself. There was the usual slut-shaming that you see in real life, but what I liked is that the girls, well, Willa at least - especially, called people out about it. Something that needs to be done. But it wasn't all just about the romance. There were friendships to keep up with, both between the girls, Willa and Flor, and then also between Willa and Zach, Flor's ex, but one of Willa's best friends for longer than that. And it wasn't like their home lives were perfect. Flor had issues with her dad and his new girlfriend. Willa was dealing with her older sister who had moved home with a baby and major depression. Then there was a surprise about Flor's tutor towards the end that I didn't see coming. Some hints about his home life had played out on one of their study sessions, and it totally did not go where I was assuming it would go. A great, emotional read, highly recommended, and one I'll definitely be purchasing for my school library in the future.
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  • Karen Barber
    January 1, 1970
    Flor and Willa have been best friends for ever and know everything about each other, or at least they think they do.In love with her next door neighbour, Zach, Willa can’t reveal her feelings because he’s dated her best friend. Flor feels abandoned by her mother who barely talks to her and her father who’s got a new girlfriend. Failing school she gets a new tutor, Grayson, and...of course...he’s attractive and ends up helping her see a lot more about herself/her situation than she expected.A rea Flor and Willa have been best friends for ever and know everything about each other, or at least they think they do.In love with her next door neighbour, Zach, Willa can’t reveal her feelings because he’s dated her best friend. Flor feels abandoned by her mother who barely talks to her and her father who’s got a new girlfriend. Failing school she gets a new tutor, Grayson, and...of course...he’s attractive and ends up helping her see a lot more about herself/her situation than she expected.A realistic dynamic between the friends was presented, and though it was all quite apparent how it would go I was surprised this was targeted at middle-school readers.
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  • Take Me Away To A Great Read
    January 1, 1970
    The Me I Meant to Be by Sophie JordanPublished by: HMH TeenPub Date: January 1, 2019Rating: 4.5 StarsOne of the best YA contemporaries I read this year. I loved the struggles, friendships, romance and coming to realize what you really want and not settling. I only wish their had maybe been more of an epilogue.
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  • ♡Julalicious Book Paradise♡
    January 1, 1970
    Original review on Julalicious Book ParadiseI didn’t know what to expect when I first started reading this book. I just knew that it was Sophie Jordan writing it and I needed to read it. So I started the story without any expectations really and I was sucked into this book fast.Willa and Flor’s friendship is your typical best friends’ relationship you can imagine; they do a lot together, tell each other almost anything and have each other’s back no matter what. Everything we are taught that best Original review on Julalicious Book ParadiseI didn’t know what to expect when I first started reading this book. I just knew that it was Sophie Jordan writing it and I needed to read it. So I started the story without any expectations really and I was sucked into this book fast.Willa and Flor’s friendship is your typical best friends’ relationship you can imagine; they do a lot together, tell each other almost anything and have each other’s back no matter what. Everything we are taught that best friends should do.So when Flor decides to do the Girl Code book after feeling the betrayal from another friend, Willa agrees though she isn’t so keen on the idea, but she knows her friend needs it. So from there, the story unravels where more codes are added and their friendship is tested in ways they didn’t expect.Willa has always seemed to put everyone’s needs in front of hers and so often, she hides her own desires so the others get what they want. Flor’s ex-boyfriend is part of the ones she hides, but when her friendship with him starts to change, she is more confused about what to do even though the temptation is harder to resist. Zach knows what he wants and that’s Willa and he’s done hiding it, but Willa just can’t seem to let herself accept that it could be true; scared mostly what that betrayal could cost her.Flor’s life isn’t as most expects. The image she projects to the world is different from what actually is, but she likes it like that. Even her friends don’t know everything so it becomes a surprise to her when she opens up to her tutor, a guy she had never really spoken to before. From there, her life is starting to head towards something she isn’t sure she’s ready to accept and she will fight to keep some kind of control about what she believes she wants which is whatever gives her a sense of comfort.This book tests the friendship between the two girls, but it’s also about how both girls are growing and are taken charge of what they actually want and need rather than just going for what people expects from them. The outcome isn’t always what you expect and the book is the proof of it.I really loved the way this book was written in a way that not everything is black or white because not every situation is the same. It’s something that both girls will go through and will have to decide what they want to do about these.I won’t lie that I would have wanted a bit more into the book because I felt like there were parts in the end that went to quickly and I feel like we could have gotten a little bit more of insight into the aftermath of everything that went down.But overall, this was just an awesome read and I recommend it to everyone who loves a good YA read.I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
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  • Leah
    January 1, 1970
    Though this was an easy, one-sitting read, there was SO much either glossed over or completely ignored (view spoiler)[Jenna's sexuality, Willa's sister's drug problem, Flor's super neglectful and awful dad (hide spoiler)].
  • Sarah
    January 1, 1970
    I received this as an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.Told from alternate perspectives of Willa and Flor, these two are going to have to navigate their way through girl code, when the love of a boy comes into question. Willa has always lived next door to the extremely handsome and popular Zach. She never thought she could ever be in his league, so she just let her crush stay a crush and helped her best friend, Flor, date him. Now that Zach and Flor have broken up, Flor is tr I received this as an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.Told from alternate perspectives of Willa and Flor, these two are going to have to navigate their way through girl code, when the love of a boy comes into question. Willa has always lived next door to the extremely handsome and popular Zach. She never thought she could ever be in his league, so she just let her crush stay a crush and helped her best friend, Flor, date him. Now that Zach and Flor have broken up, Flor is trying to use Willa to help her get back together with Zach. Willa’s heart is torn, but girl code wins out. Until it doesn’t, Willa finds herself making out with Zach at a party and they are both forced to face their feelings for each other. This added romantic drama only makes things at home worse. Willa’s sister and niece are staying at her house because her sister left her cheating husband. Willa’s sister can’t get it together enough to take care of her kid, so Willa has been stepping up and dealing. Will Willa be able to finally do something for herself, for once? Flor is a beautiful rich soccer star, who is having trouble in one of her classes, so she hires a tutor, Jack. Flor is both infuriated and turned on by geeky Jack. Things become especially real, when Jack is sitting front to Flor’s family drama. Her mother left and her father is moving on with a younger woman, who is systematically replacing Flor. Life isn’t all rainbows and sunshine for Flor and only Jack can really see through the mask. Will Flor be able to move on from her relationship with Zach to see what she has in front of her?This was super cute. I enjoyed the story and liked the more challenging issues within each of the character’s storylines. I wish that the book was longer and that Flor’s story was further fleshed out. However, this was a nice romance book, and not a teen drama like it attempted to be. While it feels like a tween appropriate novel, it is not. The romance scenes get heated, like a public lewdness charge, so I just wanted to point that out for an future recommendations.
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  • Raquel
    January 1, 1970
    4.5 stars
  • Kim
    January 1, 1970
    I had a hard time putting this book down, it was reliving high school all over. It’s an honest real life story.
  • Shelee at Book Reader Chronicles
    January 1, 1970
    **4.5 Stars** The Me I Meant to Be perfectly captured the bonds of friendship with the realities of love and family in its dual intertwining stories. Jordan excelled at distinguishing both the voices and the different lives of Flor and Willa while keeping their journeys connected. Their struggles with balancing home life and the societal pressures of high school were illustrated so beautifully that they felt vivid and equally as painful, and I couldn’t help but fall into their imperfect lives.T **4.5 Stars** The Me I Meant to Be perfectly captured the bonds of friendship with the realities of love and family in its dual intertwining stories. Jordan excelled at distinguishing both the voices and the different lives of Flor and Willa while keeping their journeys connected. Their struggles with balancing home life and the societal pressures of high school were illustrated so beautifully that they felt vivid and equally as painful, and I couldn’t help but fall into their imperfect lives.The distinctive differences between Flor and Willa as heroines were always apparent, and yet I could see the basis for and the bond of their long-held friendship. Jordan did so well at creating the sources of contention and slowly elevating them as both girls started holding more to themselves, showcasing their wants and insecurities with brash honesty. The heartbreaking reality of this novel was that the painful elements of their home lives were not completely implausible, and I hurt while seeing both girls shouldering them alone unnecessarily. However, the most uplifting and beautiful moments involved the connections each grew with their love interests and how that built them back up and together as friends with one another. But, also, both love stories were beyond romantic and swoon-worthy in their own rights. The Me I Meant to Be was a brilliant coming-of-age story with depth and heart. I adored how the story shaped and matured each of them and how it spoke of what a true friendship is. I would’ve loved a deeper ending or a full epilogue, but aside from that I loved everything about this novel.**Received an early copy; this had no bearing on my opinions**
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  • Bickering Book Reviews
    January 1, 1970
    For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMlY5...This was a solid YA romance however the two parts of the book felt a little uneven with Flor's storyline needing more pages to better flush out the story. There is potential for this to be a great book but it just didn't quite get there.We received eARCs of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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  • Kelli Spear
    January 1, 1970
    The title doesn’t seem to really fit the story. It honestly should’ve been something to do with girl code, because that’s a lot of what this is about. At least from one girl’s point of view. Two female narrators who also happen to be best friends. Flor, the popular soccer star who’s just been dumped by one of the hottest football players, Zach. And Willa, cellist, next door neighbor and best friend of Zach, too. The story begins with another friend being interested in Zach and the mention of gir The title doesn’t seem to really fit the story. It honestly should’ve been something to do with girl code, because that’s a lot of what this is about. At least from one girl’s point of view. Two female narrators who also happen to be best friends. Flor, the popular soccer star who’s just been dumped by one of the hottest football players, Zach. And Willa, cellist, next door neighbor and best friend of Zach, too. The story begins with another friend being interested in Zach and the mention of girl code and how they should write the rules so everyone knows. Much of this is getting to know the girls individually. How they think, what they want, etc. And of course, Willa has been in love with Zach for years. And of course, he’s never seemed interested. She’s hidden this from her best friend and is instead intent on working to get them back together. Flor has a broken family. Despite being rich and popular, she’s still lonely. She believes she’s meant to be with Zach...until she sees her tutor in a new light. The narratives are good and different enough to feel like two separate girls. Initially, I found Flor’s story to be better, more compelling. There was more depth to be found. Willa crept up a little as she begin to admit things to herself and take chances. But I think her part is still cookie cutter romance. Not to say I didn’t like it, but it felt like a lot of other stories I’ve already read. Flor and Grayson were really cute. I could feel their attraction. And watching them get to know each other added to that. Whereas with Willa and Zach, most of that had taken place before we’d ever entered their lives. However, the author did a good job showing unacknowledged feelings between the two. It was believable. But, speaking of believable...there are some things that just aren’t. I don’t want to spoil it much, but I didn’t really buy into how Grayson spent some of his time outside of school. Though I did suspect it after once scene, I didn’t think I’d actually be right. Maybe that stuff does happen today, it just felt like a bit too much in this book where so much was already going on. Sort of just piling more crap on top of crap. This is also just too short. Things are being laid out and the next thing I know, I’m at 70% and things for both girls are going to either need to be wrapped up or saved for a sequel. I assumed it’d be the former and it was. There really wasn’t enough page left to solve two girls’ problems. So the ending was pretty rushed. I did enjoy how Zach and Willa solved theirs. It was very adorable. With Flor and Grayson, I was annoyed because she was angry over finding out about Willa’s betrayal...yet was ready to move on? That needed to happen sooner than it did. Otherwise Grayson seems like a rebound. Which, even though we know he’s not...her feelings needed to be taken care of prior to them deciding to be together. Overall, it’s a cute read. Light and fun. Nothing too poignant here, but I think most contemporary fans would like it well enough.
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  • Isabel
    January 1, 1970
    This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and was drawn in by Sophie B Jordan’s ability to make the reader feel the sexual tension and chemistry between characters. She writes some really steamy scenes!This book is about love and friendship and the complications that can arise when trying to abide by “girl code.” You will feel invested in both main characters, rooting for them as they stumble through life.
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  • Makenna Fournier
    January 1, 1970
    I definitely have mixed feelings on this book. On the positive side, this was a really fast paced book, it was very easy to fly through, and there were some things that I really liked, like how Willa stood up against slut shaming and the double standard that girls have for being interested in sex, I 100% am here for that. On the both positive and negative side was the dual point of view. What I was surprised by was the fact that I actually enjoyed both of them, which usually is not the case fo I definitely have mixed feelings on this book. On the positive side, this was a really fast paced book, it was very easy to fly through, and there were some things that I really liked, like how Willa stood up against slut shaming and the double standard that girls have for being interested in sex, I 100% am here for that. On the both positive and negative side was the dual point of view. What I was surprised by was the fact that I actually enjoyed both of them, which usually is not the case for me. The downside to that was that because I liked both of them, I would always be disappointed when they would change so quickly, and I would have rather just read two separate companion novels. Now, the negatives, there were a couple. The first thing that I didn't love was the different feelings I had for Flor. When I was reading her chapters I really liked her and was interested in her story, but when I read Willa's chapters and was seeing her from a outside perspective, I could not stand her. I also did not like Flor and Willa's friend group in general. I think the group just clashes with my personality, who I like to hang out with, and I would not be friends with any of them in a million years, so it's not a surprise I didn't like reading about them. And then finally, overall, I just wasn't a huge fan of the second half of the book. I stated to like certain characters less and it just wasn't as enjoyable as the first half.
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  • Jessica
    January 1, 1970
    Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! I am a sucker for these kinds of stories. I liked the characters and the split between the two narrators that showed their unique stories and how they also came together. I also really just liked Zach and Willa. I cannot say this book was perfect, though. I do not think the graphic make-out was necessary, and I think there is a lot of teenage annoyance in here, but I felt like they were pretty realistic overall. I can see teens liking this one. I did not like how Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! I am a sucker for these kinds of stories. I liked the characters and the split between the two narrators that showed their unique stories and how they also came together. I also really just liked Zach and Willa. I cannot say this book was perfect, though. I do not think the graphic make-out was necessary, and I think there is a lot of teenage annoyance in here, but I felt like they were pretty realistic overall. I can see teens liking this one. I did not like how Flor suddenly gave in to her family situation as being kind of ok (it is totally not) and the situation with her tutor's life outside tutoring (it was a huge stretch!) or how Willa was being a hypocrite and could also not make a real decision for goodness sakes. But again, I could handle it because. Teenagers. Do not look for anything crazy deep and profound. It is cute and has likable characters, and sometimes that is enough for me for a fun read.
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