What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick is set on a little summer island were there are two types of people, the island people who are there to make sure that the summer business goes off without a hitch and then there's the off island rich people who employ these people. This is what are main characters are, Gwen Castle (Guinevere) the girl from the island who comes from a family of fishermen and cleaners, while Cass Somers (Cassidy) is a rich off island boy who works as a yard boy on the island just for the summer.
But, these two character do not first meet within the chapters of this book. These characters have a history, which isn't shared with the reader until later in the story, which is a little frustrating at times as without the background it feels like they're being unnecessarily difficult with one another. Although it is clear that Gwen is attracted to Cass, but as a reader I had no reasons why it would be difficult for them to be together.
Gwen is different to all other female characters in contemporaries in my opinion, she's not a 'good' girl nor is she a 'bad girl' she's just simply a girl. She doesn't give off a pretence of being innocent but she doesn't think she's the baddest bitch in town she is a girl who is striving to be the best version of herself even though she knows she has made some mistakes. I admire this in Gwen's character Huntley does an amazing job of creating a character who is totally relatable as everyone is always trying to become someone who is better than who they once were, to better themselves.
Cass is a total sweetheart also, coming to Gwen's rescue, helping out with her adorable brother Em, but yet sometimes I think he is a little naive about life. His experiences are not as broad as Gwen's and I don't know how I feel about his tactics while trying to get Gwen to open up to him.
The progression of this couple was slow, but it needed to be as we only really find out about their past right before they get together. Although it's clear they both care for one another and are attracted to each other.
Huntley Fitzpatrick's secondary characters always impress me immensely I kind of wanted the book to be about Viv and Nic as I think they had a lot more to offer story wise, maybe she'll do this story in Viv's point of view. The dynamic between these two in the beginning of the book was perfect, but I would love to see what happens to them through their perspective rather than Gwen's.
Gwen's family is super cute, her Portuguese fisherman grandfather, her divorced parents and her adorable little bother Emory who cannot be diagnosed properly. Em has a disability, but no doctor can find out which, with in itself is interesting this young boy who is completely sweet, calling Cass 'Superman' and who just loves unconditionally. Even Gwen's employer for the summer a sharp older woman who has a sense of humour and a snappy personality.
What is a snappy summer read becomes a deep and more complex book as Huntley really portrays the difficult process of growing up, having sex and drawing an awareness to the power of actions and words have to hurt others. This book has authentic, unique characters yet are realistic and easy to relate to.
What I Thought Was True is a contemporary, stand alone. It's not a very heavy book, but it isn't extremely light and fluffy but I would consider it a summer read.
I did struggle with some parts of this book, at some points I thought that it could have been a lot shorter and that some scenes were too dragged out when they didn't need to be.
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I had some problems with this book. :/
I did not find the reasoning for Cass and Gwen not speaking a good enough reason. They had sex in a very visible car outside a crowded party that Cass was throwing. Cass throws the party in order to get closer to Gwen, as he's too nervous to ask her out on a date. I thought this notion was ridiculous, I understand anxiety but he somehow thought it was going to be easy now that they had sex in a car. But Gwen somehow doesn't have a problem with this until she steps out of the car and sees that some people have noticed what happens, and they taunt her. I understand being embarrassed, but it's more than that she seems to think it was Cass' fault and then she stops speaking to him.
I also know that not everyone loses their virginity under normal, right or luxurious conditions but Cass loses his in the front seat of said car, and then when they're done he says, 'Thank you.'. I literally cringed, I was like, 'Oh, Cass honey please stop'. What makes this even worse is she has no idea he is a virgin and our beloved Gwen is definitely not a virgin. She sees herself as a means to an end, as in Cass used her to take his virginity and I understand she's been burned before but I think she didn't give Cass a good enough chance, she jumps to conclusions, the wrong ones.
After this encounter Gwen shortly has sex with Cass' best friend, Spencer, which is a horrible idea but she seems to just go with it. Gwen definitely does not remain celibate while her and Cass spend time apart.
So they don't contact each other for what I think is about a year, but then Cass gets a job as a yard boy on the island them running into one another becomes inevitable which of course happens a lot.
Cass is the perfect gentleman to Gwen and I really do like them as a couple but I'm positive that they could have worked it out so much sooner and they wasted so much time playing games with one another. Cass hires Gwen as his tutor, which we actually don't see happen too often but from that moment on something sparks between them once again and the fact that Cass is super adorable teaching Gwen's brother Em to swim add significantly to the cute factor.
Sometimes I just felt like grabbing both of them and shaking them
But, this story is not only about the relationship between Gwen and Cass it also has some side character which I loved a little more then the main characters.
Nico and Vivienne have been in love with each other forever, and to everyone around them it seems like that's how it is going to stay. But Nic is in a battle with himself, wanting to prove to himself and his Uncle Mike (Gwen's father) that he is capable of looking after himself, he trains himself trying so hard to make it as the captain of his swim team. He almost kills himself with the amount of work he puts into it, ignoring everything else - including Viv - he throws himself into working hard. But he forgets that he has a team to work for as well, and he doesn't take them into account.
Viv is somewhat ignored by Nico, and suddenly they're not as in love as they thought they were. Viv cheats on Nico with none other than Spencer! This plot twist shocked me as I believed Viv and Nico as the forever couple in this contemporary, they were the shining light when I didn't think Cass and Gwen were going to make it.
Nico has a somewhat difficult relationship within his family, were not told too much about his parents, but I do know he considers his Uncle Mike as a father figure. But Mike wants so much more for Nic then what that small town has to offer as he missed out on opportunities when he was younger as his girlfriend became pregnant with Gwen. He doesn't regret their lives, or the pregnancy but he yearns for the chances he could have taken while raising his children, which is something every young parent can relate to especially when it's unplanned.
Maybe I'm just being majorly picky because I had such high expectations after 'My Life Next Door' by Fitzpatrick but this book just didn't live up to her debut, I enjoyed reading it and even I admit I sort of enjoyed that these characters were aggravating as it meant I was getting attached to them, they weren't horrible people or even amazing people, they were simply people and I love it when books don't over hype human emotion and just lets it be raw and personal which I loved in this book.
Huntley ties everything together in the epilogue, knowing that Cass and Gwen are going to the same college and that Viv and Spencer have become a couple. I still feel sorry for Nic though, he was only trying to be the best he could be and somehow he lost Viv along the way, but, that's life.
Stars? 3.5 < I liked this book but I don't think it lived up to her debut, and some things I actually couldn't put up with.
Fave character? Nico Castle
Least favourite character? I surprisingly don't think I have one. But if I had to choose it would be Spencer.
Fave quote? 'How come it's so clear to you when some made-up fictional characters are massively stupid and you can't see it all when it's you and me' - Cass. This quote to me is so powerful, we see other peoples mistakes, fictional, real life much easier than we can see our own.
Fave moment? I really liked the epilogue including the last line, 'Horizons that seem like ending but only bend farther into the sky, curving into something new, beginning all over again.'
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If you've read this book, or would like to read it please do, also share you're opinions in the comments! This book is filled with teenage angst and some sweet romance to sustain the summer, chick-lit feel!
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