Let me be honest, I was at first not truly sure if I would like the book. I was (until now that is) never a big fan of twitter, and I still think that # should stay on Twitter or similar fora.

I can now honestly say after reading this book that this book was wonderful and that the whole # thing fitted right in. After all the main character loves (for most of the book) twitter and she is constantly on it, trying to gain followers.

Morgan was awesome, she is truly a kick-ass character, though I didn't always like her at the beginning, she was such a typical teenager, always tweeting and telling the world about what happened in her life every time. I felt sad for her that, until her mom got sick, she never knew about her dad, only snippets of things, but nothing concrete. Her mom thinks she is dying and let's out a secret, who Morgan's dad is and eventually also where he is living how he looks.
Mom could have guessed though that Morgan would go search for him. She is after all old enough now to go and find him. And so she does. With her jerk of a boss Adam and the lovely, but at times a bit annoying, Amy.
Morgan keeps getting more awesome throughout the trip, and I was cheering for her when she went off to meet her dad when they finally got to their destination. I also cheered for her when she confronted her mom and also cheering for her during the end (I won't spoil anything about that). Also I loved how she learned to stop twittering about everything and just occasionally checked stuff. Great job girl!

I loved, loved, loved the roadtrip. It was so much fun. Especially with Amy who just kept chatting and chatting, no matter what topic, it seems like she wasn't embarrassed at all. Masturbation? Running out of the car to pee next to the road? Telling the truth, no matter how painful? Yep, you have Amy. I loved how she and Adam connected and how they just had a whole conversation filled with facts. 

Adam was a truly good character, as soon as you get to know him, you will find out he is a great guy, really sweet and wonderful. It was quite easy to see that Morgan and he would end up together. After all Amy is fun, but you could see him gravitating towards Morgan in the beginning already while he was fleeing from Amy and her constant chatter. ;) I loved how supportive he was, how sweet he was. Great guy, Morgan really deserves him. 

Amy, ah, Amy, my favourite, though, slightly annoying girl at times. I don't mind people who chat, but she does it constantly and she also has no filter. Loved how she turns out to be rich and how shocked she was at the hostel (she expected something more luxurious). The whole thing that happened with her during the end, I never expected it. Sure I could have, given what she said during the end of the trip, but I never expected it would go in that direction. I truly cried, and that is all I will say. Be warned and bring tissues though. 

I really loved this book. It was full of awesomeness, roadtrips, daddy issues and twitter. And I would really recommend it. Again, be sure to bring tissues.

Review first posted on http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

In this day and age, social media is, like, the mecca of communication.  Want to know what your fav. celeb. is up to?  Follow him on Twitter.  Want to let your friends know what you’re up to right at that very moment (whether it’s momentous or not)?  Tweet it out, or update your Facebook status.  But with the good comes the bad.  Bullying seems to have followed this trend, along with not so sincere intentions (you catch my drift).

Unfortunately for Morgan, main character in16thingsithoughtweretrue by Janet Gurtler, this lesson rings very true for her when her best friend (or whom she thought was her best friend) posts a video of her dancing around in boys underwear…and yes…a potato is involved.  Now things are very awkward for Morgan.  It seems everyone has seen this video, and won’t let her live it down.

Working at her summer job isn’t easy because of it.  All the other employees have seen the video and mock her, whether it be to her face, or behind her back but within ear shot.  Many a break and lunch hour are spent in a bathroom stall crying and reaching out to her thousands of Twitter friends/followers.

But when tragedy strikes at home, comfort and solace are found in her manager, Adam, one who is mean and rude…but is full of surprises.  Thinking she’s on her death bed, Morgan’s mother decides to give Morgan what she’s been asking for so many years…the truth about her father.  As her mother divulges enough information for Morgan to start her search, Morgan decides that a road trip is in order…one that will lead her to a father she’s never met.  And who are her travelling buddies?  None other than Adam (the manager mentioned above) and Amy (a home-schooled girl who has no filter and has secrets of her own).

But will this road trip lead Morgan to answers she’s been searching for all her life?  Or will she be faced with a truth that she wished she had never known.

For fans of books that involve a road trip, 16thingsithoughtweretrue by Janet Gurtler is one that you won’t want to miss out on.  It has the quest to search for the truth, bonding while travelling with people that you least expect to get along, it has humorous and honest heartfelt moments, it has the “my eyes have been opened up to the truth” scenes… you catch my drift.

I’m sure that there will be a character in this book that readers out there will connect with.  I’m not talking about just the three travelling amigos.  I’m also referring to the supporting characters found in the book.

I will admit that Morgan, who is the main character in16thingsithoughtweretrue, annoyed me at various points in the book.  But I’m thinking that it’s because of how I was looking at the story.  Had I been a teen reading the events that were taking place, I’m sure I’d be siding with Morgan and her “truths” that come up.  I will admit that Morgan’s mother had me fuming.  What a secret to keep from your child…and then have her chase a dream that will only end in… never mind.  You’ll see what I mean when you read the book.

Not only is it truths that are being revealed regarding Morgan’s life, but truths are being revealed all over the place.  Even for the adults involved in this book.  And Amy…sweet Amy.  She grew on me like a second skin, and I adored this girl to pieces.  My wish would be that all teens out there has the opportunity to have a friend like Amy.  She really would change your perspective on life and things that one found “life altering”.

I recommend this book to fans of Janet Gurter’s books (who isn’t?  This author is amahhhzing!), those who enjoy a great road trip read, and for those who want a story where you witness characters grow up right before your eyes.

I loved the journey the characters went through in this book. They all learn something, and how things aren’t always as they appear.

There were times that Morgan drove me nuts. She doesn’t have many friends, except online, and thinks the Twitter follower number is all that matters. Morgan is forced to interact with actual people, and she doesn’t really know what to do. I love the secondary characters, Amy and Adam. Amy never has a problem filling the silence, and Adam is not the person Morgan thinks he is. He may actually be fun.

I really enjoyed how Morgan works through her awkwardness interacting with actual people. She goes through so many things in this book, and I think she comes out a stronger person because of it. There were parts where I was laughing out loud, crying, and grinning from the joy shown by the characters.

16 Things I Thought Were True is a great coming of age story, and shows that many times your followers aren’t the people that will be there to help you through a rough patch.

As a disclaimer, Janet Gurtler asked me to beta read this book in its much-earlier stages of development. So while I already had some thoughts about this book before I read the final copy (which I’d started on NetGalley, but finished once my own finished copy arrived in the mail), my review will only consist of my impressions of the final product. And, you know, disclaimers and all that. I really enjoyed this book when I first read it, and I really enjoyed it now.

This book, despite some of its heavier plot points, felt refreshingly lighthearted, and it’s exactly the kind of summer book everyone loves to read. Morgan was relatively easy to like, and as she was introduced to new friends, we were able to better see them through her eyes. It had a lot to say about the importance of where we come from, but also where we’re going and whom we meet along the way. And it also addressed the importance in this day and age of our online relationships and how they encourage or discourage our “real life” friendships, which I think is something that should be addressed more often in young adult literature. I only had one real sticking point that kept it from being a five-star read, but I’d still highly recommend it. Definitely for the summertime when you’re looking for that one good road-trip book to read!

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

What I Liked: Spoilers!