TMI

by Patty Blount

Best friends don’t lie.
Best friends don’t ditch you for a guy.
Best friends don’t post your deepest, darkest secrets online.

Bailey’s falling head-over-high-heels for Ryder West, a mysterious gamer she met online. A guy she’s never met in person. Her best friend, Meg, doesn’t trust smooth-talking Ryder. He’s just a picture-less profile.

When Bailey starts blowing Meg off to spend more virtual quality time with her new crush, Meg decides it’s time to prove Ryder’s a phony.

But one stupid little secret posted online turns into a friendship-destroying feud to answer the question:

Who is Ryder West?

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult Contemporary, Teen

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2013

About the author

Patty Blount grew up quiet and a bit invisible in Queens, NY, but found her voice in books. Today, she writes smart and strong characters willing to fight for what’s right. She’s the award-winning author of edgy, realistic, gut-wrenching contemporary and young adult romance. Still a bit introverted, she gets lost often, eats way too much chocolate, and tends to develop mad, passionate crushes on fictional characters. Let’s be real; Patty’s not nearly as cool as her characters, but she is a solid supporter of women’s rights and loves delivering school presentations.

Patty is best known for her internet issues novels, SEND, a 2012 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick and TMI, a 2014 Watty winner, and her #MeToo novels, including SOME BOYS, a 2015 CLMP Firecracker winner and SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW, a 2019 double Athena Award winner. Visit her website at pattyblount.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. She blogs at YA Outside the Lines and is also active online. She loves hearing from readers, especially when they tell her she’s cool (even though she knows it’s not true), and is easily bribed with chocolate. Never underestimate the power of chocolate.

Reviews

[WaltS_C2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book. The part where the protagonist's friend ditches her for a guy is relatable to me, due to how I've had a friend ditch me for another friend or a crush. All in all, this reminds me of the book "The Boyfriend App" because of the technology aspects in it.

[Sonia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The cover is attractive. I went in expecting some terrible betrayal and an online predator and maybe a love story, but that's not exactly what I got. Sure, the story is about the dangers of posting things on the internet without a care, and there is a love story, but what I got was two self-involved characters who call themselves best friends, but whose relationship was more frenemies than friends.

Bailey's character and story just pissed me off. Talk about a self-involved creature! She believes a guy she met online over her best friend of 10 years?! And Meg, I wanted to like her, but she's the typical suffer-in-silence-will-reject-any-kindness type. The only character I sort of found endearing was Chase.

There's something about Patty Blount's writing style that was a total turn off. There was so much "tell" and not enough "show." If one of my students turned in work like this, that's exactly the comment I'd make, and there would be a revision for credit.

For example, speaking of Meg, "So she gave it to him. She told him how her parents never really wanted kids. How tight money was-and still is-since she'd been born. How it was her fault her dad died..." (p 224)

This would have been a great opportunity to show her hurt as we read her actually telling him these things, but no. What we get is a a description of her telling him these things. We're hearing it third-hand instead of being front-row spectators. That's a turn off.

I plugged through the book hoping it would get better, but it was slow-going, and I wish I had those hours back.

For more of my reviews, go to ,a http://mightyknittingchick.wordpress...."

[stuck_in_a_booksuzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep your secrets close and never tell your secrets.
What would you do if your bff started talking to this guy online. She has never meet him, never seen what he looked like and has never hear his voice or has she....
Next thing you know Bailey and Meg have started World War 3.
I really enjoyed this book, got really shocked in the last chapters
I recommend this book

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars: A book that exposes the dangers of posting too much online.

Bailey and Meg have been best friends forever. They share their deepest and even darkest secrets. When Bailey's longtime boyfriend, Simon, douses her in the school cafeteria with red Gatorade Bailey ends the relationship. Thankfully, Meg has her back. Bailey can't understand why Meg continually pushes away the one boy who she is crazy about and he, in turn, feels the same way. Bailey would like nothing more than to see them together. Feeling miserable, Bailey decides to post on her blog about breakups, and then play some video games online. When a gamer named Ryder contacts her, she can't resist. Soon Bailey is plunged in to an online relationship with Ryder and she is losing her heart and head. Despite the red flags and warnings from Meg, Bailey chooses Ryder over her best friend. What ensues is heartache and misery as two best friends are at odds. They are about to learn the hard consequences of sharing too much information online. Can Bailey and Meg salvage their relationship after TMI is shared?
What I Liked:
*This is a hard review for me to write as there were things I liked about the book, while others missed the mark. However, I feel that despite its flaws, the story has some important information on what could happen when you share too much personal information online. This would be a good novel for parents and teenagers to read and discuss together as it presents many of the dangers that teens face now with the rise of social media. If you have a teenager who engages regularly with Facebook, Twitter or any other form of online social interaction, you should check this out. I would also recommend reading this author's book from 2012, Send, a book that deals with online bullying. I thought Send was a better and more powerful read.
*This book brings to light the dangers of teenage girls engaging in online romantic relationships. Granted, this one doesn't delve into the the truly dark and dangerous territory, but still it covers how quickly a young lady who is in a difficult position can easily lose her head and heart to an unknown person online. There are plenty of red flags that alert you to the danger, for instance the online friend posts no actual pictures of himself, he makes excuses to meet in person, he doesn't talk to her on the phone and he fails to provide any real information about himself. Yet, he manages to say the right things and he is supportive and caring, just what a troubled teen needs. Again, if you are the parent of a young teenager, you should read this so you can recognize the warning signs. It doesn't go into disturbing and scary stuff, so rest assured it is a book you can read and discuss with your teenager.
*With the popularity of social media, many teenagers are putting everything out there about themselves online without realizing the dangers and how damaging it can be to share too much. In a moment of anger, a teen can make the horrible mistake of exposing some secrets or saying detrimental and hurtful things that hundreds of people can see in a matter of minutes, and once it is online, even if you try and take it back by deleting the post, it is too late. People don't realize that these days employers, college recruiters, etc. are scouring social media to learn more about possible candidates. If they see material that puts you in a not so positive light such as saying derogatory things, posting profanity or questionable material, unflattering photos, alcohol or drug use or sexually explicit material, you could be severely damage your future. Whether or not you take the time to read this book and talk it over with your teen, it is still so important that you spend some time discussing the dangers of over sharing on the internet. You can never be too careful.
*I did like the mystery and suspense in this one. I was eager to learn who was actually behind the Ryder online profile. It became obvious as time went on that it was someone who knew a lot about Bailey. I did guess who the culprit was before the exposure, but I still enjoyed all the buildup. The mystery is what kept me engaged in the book.
*I appreciated that there are lots of discussion questions at the end to help start a conversation.
And The Not So Much:
*As I said, this is a hard review for me to write because I so enjoyed Send by this author and I was expecting another riveting, revealing and emotional read. This time around, I was disappointed. While this is not a bad book, it leaves much to be desired. There were so many aspects that I struggled with and I feel like the author missed the opportunity to truly expose the dangers of sharing TMI.
*I struggled with both the main characters Meg and Bailey, and in fact, I found that I didn't like either one of them and couldn't connect with them which put in me in a state of disconnect throughout. Meg is uptight, emotionally cut off and she refuses to open her heart. I hated the way she constantly pushed Chase away. I also felt she was overly judgmental and cold. There are reasons for her behavior, but I felt like it wasn't enough to save her character. Bailey is also a struggle as she is not comfortable with her identity and she is always changing to please the boy she is dating. She pushes away her best friend Meg and believes a boy she has never met. She is immature and naive. Bailey comes across as more realistic than Meg, though.
*There was numerous instances in the book when important events and details were glossed over or cut out. I grew frustrated at this because there were several times where I felt like deleting scenes hurt the book. An example of this would be when Meg, at Chase's insistence, goes to rescue Bailey. Meg and Chase have been at odds when he advises to jump in the car with his dad. He tells her they will talk everything over on the phone during the ride. This conversation is not present and there is pretty much nothing revealed as to what the two discussed. Another time this occurs is when Chase in a moment of anger at his parents disappears. There is a bunch of drama surrounding his absence and then he reappears with no explanation as to where he was and what happened. Then there is no resolution or discussion on how he worked things out with his parents. The next thing you know he is away at school. Needless to say, these omissions in the plot were extremely frustrating. I also noticed a couple of inconsistencies in the book. There is a scene where Meg and Bailey are once again working out their differences and Bailey urges Meg to go pour her heart out to Chase after they discuss Meg seeing a therapist. It appeared that Bailey put Meg immediately on the train after their heart to heart. Then when Meg sees Chase, she tells him she has been seeing a therapist. How could that be possible when she just discussed doing it with Bailey?
*My biggest problem with this book was that it felt so repetitive and dramatic. Basically, you have two best friends who have a series of falling outs over disagreements regarding the online boyfriend etc. The two are constantly fighting and just when it appears they have everything settled, they are at odds again. The other hair pulling problem was Meg continually treating Chase poorly and pushing him away because of her inability to open up emotionally. I can't tell you how many times this angle was done, it was the same thing over and over.
*The romance is a mess. I hated that it was constant drama and Meg is horrible to Chase. Then finally when it appears that everything is going to settle out and end on a high note, it just glosses over and skips the warm fuzzy parts. After all that tension and drama I expected a better pay out and what I got was an absolute fizzle.
*Finally, the parents were awful. Talk about absentee, uncaring mothers! Both girls have mothers that are pretty much out of the picture. Bailey's mother I could understand because she was a mess and had all kinds of baggage, but Meg's mother's behavior is inexcusable. Meg's mom has been raising her by herself since Meg's dad died when she was six. She works two to three jobs and goes to school to try and make ends meet. That means she is never there, physically or emotionally. There was one particular scene where Meg has an accident and ends up in the hospital and her mother doesn't even show. Seriously, what mother doesn't drop everything and rush to the hospital in an emergency? Even after the fact, she lets the neighbors care for Meg. Further down the road, there is an emotionally dramatic scene where Meg reveals all the trauma she has been suffering since her dad died. I fully expected the mother to step up and be there for Meg and for them to come together, but guess what, it doesn't happen. There is also a big mess with Bailey's mother and a bunch of tension swirling around Bailey's absentee father. Bailey's mother refuses to discuss what happened with her father and why she doesn't want Bailey to have contact. There is no resolution between Bailey and her mother either.

TMI is a book I really wanted to love because I feel so strongly about teenagers over sharing online and the dangers of entangling in an online relationship as a teenager. This book has so many flaws that made this read difficult and at times excruciating. I realize I am not the target audience so perhaps a teenager would enjoy this far more than I did. However despite all the issues, I feel this book provides a chance for parents to open a line of discussion on how important it is not to over share online. I would recommend this book for this reason, but keep in mind there are some problems.
Favorite Quotations:
"Just because they'd met online didn't automatically mean he was a perverted ax murdered, and it didn't mean she was a brainless airhead."
"Someone took the seat beside her, and she sighed. I'm always alone except when I need to be alone."
"She doesn't see herself! For every guy that gives her the time of day, she falls hard and then totally changes herself for him."
"She held on, held tight while he poured a year's, a decade's, a lifetime's worth of love into his kiss, and she cried at the beauty of it, cried that she'd denied them this for so long."
"You try on lifestyles like they're outfits at the mall."

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

TMI by Patty Blount
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: August 6, 2013
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC from the author

Summary (from Goodreads):

Best friends don’t lie.

Best friends don’t ditch you for a guy.

Best friends don’t post your deepest, darkest secrets online.

Bailey’s falling head-over-high-heels for Ryder West, a mysterious gamer she met online. A guy she’s never met in person. Her best friend, Meg, doesn’t trust smooth-talking Ryder. He’s just a picture-less profile.

When Bailey starts blowing Meg off to spend more virtual quality time with her new crush, Meg decides it’s time to prove Ryder’s a phony.

But one stupid little secret posted online turns into a friendship-destroying feud to answer the question:

Who is Ryder West?

What I Liked:

I actually got the chance to beta-read this one back in December of 2012! In fact, if you look in the back of the book to the acknowledgments, @Alyssa_Susanna is there! That's me. So, I'd like to thank Mrs. Blount for allowing me to have the opportunity to beta-read for her, and for putting me in the acknowledgements of her book, and for sending me a review copy!

Before I really start my review, let me say that the cover is slightly misleading. Readers will probably think, so there's two girls and guy and a LOVE TRIANGLE?! No no no! There is no love triangle! In fact, I'm not even sure who's kissing who, and why there is a girl looking on. Maybe it's Meg and Chase, with Bailey looking on? But that wouldn't make sense, because Meg and Chase are known for their relationship until the end. It could be Bailey and Simon, but they broke up. It could be Bailey and Ryder, but they never kiss! So, I'm not really sure about the angle of the cover. Just ignore the cover.

When I first read this book, my feelings couldn't really be summed up. This book had me on a roller coaster of emotions, and when it ended, I didn't know what to think! Bailey, Meg, Bailey, Meg, back and forth with their shenanigans. As a teenage girl, I did my best to understand their motives and their thoughts. But Mrs. Blount has created two very unique protagonists - both very different in personality.

This book includes the perspectives of both girls. Sometimes we read Bailey's, sometimes we read Meg's. I thought it would be really cool if we could read Chase's as well, but I see why Mrs. Blount included only Meg's and Bailey's perspectives (though both are in third person). Meg is careful, calculating, and always planning. Bailey wears her emotions on her sleeve, does what she wants when she wants, and doesn't like Meg's nagging.

Bailey has a plan to get Meg closer to Chase, the guy that Meg likes but doesn't want to admit. Chase has always been in love with Meg, since they were kids. But Bailey's plan gets out of hand when Bailey herself "meets" Ryder West - online. Meg thinks that Bailey is with Chase, but when she hears about Ryder, she gets angry. For Meg, dating someone online, whom you've never met before, is dangerous.

In this book, it proves to be dangerous, but in a different way than is expected. Things get crazy between Meg and Bailey, all starting with one text to Ryder that was never actually sent, one Facebook post in retaliation of that text that was never sent, and a confusion of boys and feelings.

What I really, really liked about this book is the message behind it - the dangers of the internet and online presence. What Mrs. Blount is trying to to convey is that people should be careful about what they post online - especially teenagers. In this day and age, we post comments and statuses and tweets and reviews and EVERYTHING without a care. But everything is public, and once it's posted, it's there forever. Bailey thought Meg sent a text to Ryder about something personal and embarrassing. But Meg never sent that text. Yet Bailey lashed out and posted something embarrassing and personal about Meg on Facebook. For EVERYONE to see.

There are so many things wrong with that - and I'm glad Mrs. Blount chose to include that backlash in the novel. Meg NEVER sent the text, but Bailey didn't believe her. Bailey decides to be petty and post something even more embarrassing on Facebook. Meg hits back and posts something embarrassing about Bailey on Facebook. What's wrong with that is that the girls used Facebook in the wrong way - to humiliate each other.

What's even worse is that none of it would have happened if Bailey hadn't started to talk to and obsess over and trust a boy online that she never met in person. I know people meet people online and swap contact information and hang out, but Mrs. Blount's message about that is clear: be careful around people you've never actually met. A person can be anyone online, someone so different from who they actually are. In Ryder's case, he was someone different.

So, yeah. I really enjoyed this book, for the messages behind it. I think teenagers and parents should pay attention to how much internet access and freedom they give themselves - because the internet really is a fun yet dangerous place for young, innocent people.

So, the romance *seems* confusing, but it's not. Bailey doesn't want Chase, she wants Ryder. Bailey recently broke up with her ex-boyfriend Simon, who Meg saw with Caitlyn. THAT was a whole mess as well. Chase doesn't want Bailey. He wants Meg. Meg doesn't want Ryder. She wants Chase. It's simple, but it takes the entire book for the romance to be sorted out. But, everything DOES get sorted out, and the ending in terms of the romance is great!

The ending in general is pretty awesome. Chase gets something that he wanted, related to his parents and his future. Meg and Bailey work to repair their friendship. And Bailey discovers something huge about her father - the father she never knew. Everything isn't what it sounds like, but I promise the ending is a good ending, for mostly everyone.

What I Did Not Like:

When I beta-read this one, one thing I couldn't stand was the bickering and crazies and shenanigans between Meg and Bailey. I think this "dislike" still stands, but I totally see why it's necessary. Without it, this book wouldn't be much, and Mrs. Blount wouldn't have an important message to send to readers. And I think Mrs. Blount did some excellent changes from the manuscript I read to the ARC, in terms of Meg and Bailey's rocky relationship.

But I think that a lot of readers might get turned off by all of the bickering, which is why I'm mentioning it in this section. DON'T. Keep reading! The message of this book is so important, and is one of the reasons why I love this book.

Also, this is nothing towards the content of the book, but like I said before, I don't really understand the cover. It's nice, but it doesn't make sense with the book. But, whatever!

Would I Recommend It:

YES! Just. Keep. Reading. This book is one of those books that are important for people my age (teenagers) to read. The internet is no place to mess up, people! Patty Blount does an excellent job of showcasing the downsides of the internet, but she does it in an engaging an interesting way.

Rating:

4 stars. I am really, really happy that I got the opportunity to read this one twice! I encourage all your readers and internet aficionados to read Mrs. Blount's novels!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

TMI was one of those books that you feel like you'll instantly want to read when you spot it in the bookstore. Even by looking at its cover, you'll be able to tell what it's about, but even by looking at that, it automatically pops into your head that this is a unique story.



I'm really proud of this book for impressing me. But before you start thinking, "Why is she saying that it impressed her if she only gave it three stars?" let me tell you that it was a good book, not to get you thinking twice or doubting me, or anything like that.

If you read between the lines, you'll find that this is a book about friendship, but it's absolutely more broken down and messed up, compared to something like Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson, let's say. And these two friends? They're imperfect as well and they try to create so much drama—it was overly exaggerated.

TMI got to the point, quickly. This all began when Simon broke up with Bailey, and she got pissed. Meg, her best friend, was there for her and Bailey went on to going online and trying to get ideas for her video game idea. Through her blog, she meets someone named Ryder West, and they click instantly. Bailey seems to find that Ryder's the only one who can understand her fully, and they both love the same hobbies. But what happens when things go too fast and you start spilling secrets and they end up all over the place? You don't have time for everyone in the world, right? What if your best friend needs you the most but you push them away too fast?

Shit happens in life. What do you honestly expect? I believe that fate is the ruler of everything,a and that everything happens for a reason, cheesy or not. But really, how far can things go? These characters were so annoying, I was about to let this book go to a DNF by page 100. But instead, I kept on going because I wanted to know what was going to happen. Without that mystery in between, I'd probably be giving this book a 1 star rating.

Fights happen there and there, but this was awfully to much for anyone to handle. One minute, the situation's simple, and the next, everything's messed up and the apologizing begins but soon after, everything goes back to the way it originally was.



I saw this mystery forming in my head before I began the novel. I made some assumptions and predictions on what would happen when I passed the midway point through the book. I actually had no idea what was happening, and what was going to happen for that matter.

As I finished reading, I realized that this story is so possible. Many stories like this and thousands of times worse than this happen daily and all over the world. Patty Blount made Meg's story so believable and wonderful at the same time—I felt like I was living it and watching it from a bird's eye view.

I must say other than the horrible characters, this book had the potential to become a hit and impress the whole world. The romance was simply gracious and everything I wanted to become. It fit in with the story, and at the same time, it didn't take over the concept, either. Either give this a shot or not, you'll either be missing out on the works of a good story or you'll go on with your life.

This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more reviews!

[Thiemba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talk about a refreshing read of a female character that is into gaming. Ms. Blount, with her tech background, made sure to portray Bailey, when in her element, with all the passion that a gamer has when playing. Her best friend Meg, in all her need to control everything around her and keep others besides her best friend away, was handled with the utmost care. Her big reveal left you nodding your head as if to say, "Yes! That would totally make since for Meg to behave in that manner all this time."

The mutual friend between both girls, Chase, is such a sweetie pie and has the patience of Job when it comes to Meg. If he was real I'd give him a cookie and some hot cocoa for his troubles. The few things I had issues with are the lack of parental figures and the fact that Ms. Blount did not give any full details of HOW certain secrets were found out by 3rd parties in the first place. If I missed it in the text, my apologies. The lack of parents or other high school friends was a little weird. It was like the kids were in a vacuum. I think it would have given our 3 main characters meatier scenes if they had a few interactions with school staff. You know, some that care, some that don't and some that are neutral to the drama of everyday high school life.

Ms. Blount did an amazing job with Meg's mom at the end of the book but Meg only sees the back of mom's head as she's running off in the introduction of said character. I get that Ms. Blount is trying to portray a single mom but as a single mom, even though my free time is minimal and I have to work a lot you better believe my child will get a text daily from me or a note or some form of personal interaction (despite how brief) to let my kid know I am thinking about them. Perhaps if Meg's mom had decided to have a neighbor check in on Meg while mom is at one of her many jobs it would give the impression that the mom really was caring and not just put in at the very end. It would have been nice to have seen Meg try to protect her mother by keeping her at arm’s length via a longer conversation with mom that involves mom trying her damndest to talk with her daughter but failing.

All in all, I'm curious to see what other stories Ms. Blount will share with us in her promising career. She has an eye for tech and I'd love to see her have more tech savvy heroines. It's too bad Ms. Blount didn't populate our characters high school with more friends and other secondary high school classmates. Would love to see her bring more young adult issues to the forefront and create more characters that make you do a little chair dance at the end of the story.

[Angela Auten · Rating 4 out of 5]

TMI Review

Book Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

Story Line: 4 stars out of 5. This book shows the dangers of posting online. I agree with the theme of this book. It is dangerous to post stuff online about other people. It can hurt this person worse than we know. Rumors are easily spread this way. People can turn words ugly. Baily and Meg are completely opposite people. They are best friends. After a break up Bailey posts online. She gets a message from a guy named Ryder. She starts to fall in love with Ryder. He starts to help her work towards her goals. Meg doesn't trust Ryder. She thinks he is some old guy. She thinks he could be someone out there to hurt her friend. Ryder starts to get in between Meg and Bailey. After Bailey thinks Meg told Ryder about secrets they kept Bailey posts on Facebook. That leads to a lot of events. Meg also posts about Bailey. This book was great. I really enjoyed it, but I didn't fall in love with it completely. I had a deeper connection with Bailey than I did with Meg. In fact I hated Meg so much. Other than her I enjoyed the book.

Characters: 4 stars out of 5. Bailey was an amazing character. She really wanted to prove that she could take care of herself. She didn't need her best friend holding her hand. She also didn't want to be lonely. She just wanted to find love. I had a deeper connection to her. She loves video games as much as I do. I'm not really a fan of COD, but she referenced other games that I've played. I also loved her personality. She was just so much fun!

I hated Meg with a burning passion. She was stupid. A guy was in love with her. She wouldn't give him the time of day. How stupid can you be? She had feelings for him too. She should have just gone out with him from the get go. I wanted to punch her in the face throughout this whole novel. I don't like that she tried to bring Bailey down. I also hated reading when it was in her P.O.V. There is always one character you love in books like this and one you dislike. Meg will always be the one I dislike.

Chase...he loved Meg. He definetly deserved much better. He was a sweetheart. He showed he cared about Meg although she didn't deserve it. I'm mad that he got with Meg in the ending. He was hurt by her so many times. Yet he stilled ended up with her. Meg was just lucky he loved her!

Favorite quotes will be added later when I reread this book. I don't know when that will be, but I probably will reread it.

Writing Style: 5 stars out of 5. I really just love her writing in general. I really can't wait to read the other books that I have by her. They are coming up pretty soon on my to reads list.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bailey and Meg, inseparable best friends since kindergarten, are having issues. Bailey is making plans to meet a stranger she met online, Ryder, and Meg won't allow herself to like her neighbor Chase, who is in love with her. When Bailey thinks Meg shared a secret from second grade, she retaliates online resulting in a domino effect of unfortunate behaviors and actions that just might damage the friendship beyond repair.

Written in the third person POVs of both girls in alternating chapters, TMI is a story based on a ridiculous premise that would bother fourth graders much more than high school juniors --pants wetting in first grade, throwing up on a teacher in second grade. To think that seventeen year olds have to reach back ten years would argue and retaliate over something so benign takes away any authenticity to the story. I'm not sure why Blount decided to use two voices in the third person, this would have worked better in first person. Both girls were multifaceted, though neither was particularly likable or sympathetic until the very end of the book, and even then likability was minimal.

I chose this book after reading the spectacular SOME BOYS by Patti Blount, and perhaps I set my expectations too high. Despite more flaws than not, I enjoyed TMI. I highly recommend SOME BOYS by the same writer.

[Randi Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its been a long time since I've read a young adult book but when offered an advanced copy jumped at the chance to read this one. The story is so real and heartfelt. Bailey, Meg and Chase really come to life. It was completely engrossing and filled with enough plot twists to keep me wondering. It brought back so many memories of high school and deep lasting friendship. Kudos to the author for finding a way to write a story that any age from teen up can relate to. I'm looking forward to more of Patty Blounts books.

[Lanee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started off pretty slow. I almost gave up several times but I am one of those readers that only abandons a book if the situation is dire. It picked up about halfway through and I was happy I stuck with it. Not a bad book if you can make it through the beginning.

[Imani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad that I chose this as my independent reading book for English. This is the BEST book ever! Ever time I picked up the book, I would never want to put it down. :)

[Mikaela G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very dramatic, with a different concept, but still the entire consequence of cyber bullying. If you are wavering on whether or not you want to read this, you should definitely give it a chance.

[Cassidy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another reread for me and this one is worse than I remembered, unfortunately. The characters are extremely annoying. Bailey is the typical dumb blonde bimbo who can’t think for herself and does everything to impress men. Sure, she realizes this and decides to change in the end, but I’m pretty sure after living that way for seventeen years it will be really hard to change her entire personality. I also can’t stand how big of a deal it is that she’s a girl gamer. This book is the definition of the “I’m so special because I’m a gamer and I’m so not like other girls because I’m beautiful too” stereotype that everyone hates. Meg is super annoying and I’m pretty sure if her mom knew that she blamed herself for her dad’s death she would have brought up therapy herself instead of waiting for Bailey to do it. I know she’s rarely home but there’s no way Meg’s emotional distance never came up before. Also if Meg is supposed to be the super logical smart one I’d think she would realize at some point that it was her dad’s choice to commit suicide, not her fault, and Bailey can’t be so stupid that she knew Meg blamed herself without pointing out how wrong that assumption is. Chase is also really annoying with his “waaaa waaa waa” you hurt my feewings every two seconds just to change his mind and go back to Meg again, and then change his mind again and try to get with her. The ending with Simon getting in legal trouble for having the fake Ryder profiles is not realistic at all. People lie about their indentities all the time online and unless they’re manipulating minors I’m pretty sure that’s not illegal, even if you do emotionally hurt someone because of it (I’d hardly call what he did cyberbullying compared to what went down between Bailey and Meg). Meg and Bailey are also super petty and annoying in how quickly they get angry over nothing and turn on each other. They’re supposed to be best friends since childhood, yet they fight at the drop of a hat. That’s not friendship, that’s just a toxic relationship. Sure they may have reconciled by “changing” in the end, but as someone who has had the same best friend since the second grade I will tell you right now that a healthy friendship, even over a span of many years, is nothing like Bailey and Meg’s. I’ve maybe fought twice with my best friend the entire time I’ve known her and never bad enough to drag her online like Meg and Bailey did to each other. None of the characters are relatable at all and their drama is just annoying.

[Anis Zulaikha · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book's storyline had my feelings.... went ups and downs rollercoasters whatever. almost love it, almost hate it.

at first, i feel bad for Bailey Grant. i really feel her, i can put my place in her shoes and understand as hell. except that I still have my father. i was also feeling angry towards Megan Farrell for interfering her love life but turns out that Megan only lookout for her. guess, Bay simply has daddy issues. the Chapter 36 scene is where i knew exactly that i am super mad and hate Bailey. she is just too much, too self-centered and selfish. you have no idea.

Megan, oh Meg, i am sorry for what had happened to her. i understand that everything happen traumatized the shit out of her BUT she's like in high school already. i feel bad but i think she should have at least give herself a chance to accept good and positivity in her life. which at last, i was so annoyed with this character. i think she's annoying. i try to understand Megan but things with Chase, the "situationship" between them, makes me dislike Meg. in a way. but not fully. i'm sorry for childhood but she should have pick her up earlier and love love LOVE that she agreed to see a therapist at the end. also, she's scared and i understand. Megan Farrell is also caring as she cares so much about Bailey, she really deserves so much.

Chase Gallagher, the character i love the most. he is so pure and truthful. he is the kindest. he is honest. Chase is everything. this guy also deserves so much. more than Meg, obviously.

overall, i expected more from the betrayals and the fights. also, i expected more for the endings, it was kind of cliche BUT i wish the were more from the drama. love the storyline, the drama and everything. the ending was meh but i smiled :)

[Bre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3.5 Stars***

The story is about two teenage high school girls who turn into enemies due to one of them dating a boy online. Meg is very overprotective and controlling towards Bailey. Bailey's boyfriend, Simon breaks up with her and starts dating someone else. Throughout the whole book, Meg keeps pushing her childhood friend and neighbor, Chase, away the whole time because of "her plan". Bailey thinks Meg need to admit her feelings for him because he likes her a lot. So Bailey comes up with a plan to make her realize how she takes him for granted. Bailey is a gamer chick who wants to create her own video game someday. One day when she is playing her Xbox, she starts talking to Ryder West and they connect instantly. She keeps it a secret from Meg and starts blowing her off for him. Meg gets jealous and decides she wants to know who is behind the pictureless profile of Ryder West.

I loved Patty's writing in "Some Boys" and decided to read another book from her. I purchased this ebook and I was a little disappointed with this story. My favorite character was Bailey because she was a cool chick but Meg was so damn annoying. Even though Meg got on my nerves, I honestly felt bad for her character after she told her life story. I felt like some parts were predictable and exaggerated. Patty's writing is good but the story wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I still will continue to read more of her novels in the future.

[Angelique Banchs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just got done reading a book called “TMI” by Patty Blount. This book shows the actual problems that can occur between two best friends. Not every friendship or relationship in general is always perfect. Sometimes you need to see when the friendship is getting to the point where it’s just toxic. I admire this book because it shows that there are actual problems in relationships and that everything isn’t about being perfect. In the book the protagonist, Meg had a best friend named Bailey and Meg always wanted to control her life before hers was controlled first. This book shows that girls can sometimes be possessive and controlling. Meg has a boy that she likes but she would rather die than admit it. Bailey tries to convince her that he a good guy for her but Meg is too focused on the plan that her dad left for her before he passed away. Meg can come off as a control freak but she begins to notice the way she has been acting that has been stopping her from doing the things she loves such as, painting.

I would definitely recommend this book to someone because it was a good read. This book had me constantly wanting more. I was on the tip of my feet. This book would be for people that like drama and sudden plot twists. They let one little comment get between their friendship. I would read this book a few more times because it is that type of book where it keeps you intrigued and wanting more.

[Fish Inspace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mix of under and over explaining made conflicts difficult to follow. The characters know each other too well. Some issues or assumptions were brought up straight out of the blue because of context we as the readers have no clue about. Felt like I was playing Clue searching for their motivations.

Bailey and Megan do a lot of the same things but for different reasons. Bailey is much more impulsive, so she drives the majority of the friendship downfall. If the author was attempting to make them equally culpable, she didn't do a satisfactory job. Finished the book feeling like the bow-on-the-present ending was unearned(really didn't enjoy the apology chapter).

[Jennifer Henschel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super slow start, but got better. I only gave it 3 stars because quite frankly, Bailey was an idiot who got to tell Megan how things were going to be. Megan should have the one telling Bailey what was what. I guess she was too responsible and heaven knows we can’t have responsible teens anymore.

[Grace Yale · Rating 3 out of 5]

i wasn't the best book ever, it was descent i guess

[Catie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great but it probably would have been something I loved like six/seven years ago.

[Skyelar · Rating 1 out of 5]

An 'in between books' read. I didn't like either one of the main characters. The pettiness between two supposed best friends - even for high schoolers - was too much for me to handle.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

TBH, I’m disappointed in TMI. I read Some Boys by Patty Blount a few years ago and loved it so I was expecting the same from TMI. SMH.

You can read my full (potentialy spoiilery) review at https://www.lizzylovesgoodbooks.com/r...

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bailey and Meg are best friends, despite the fact that they have entirely different personalities. Bailey, insecure and confused in her identity, lives like a chameleon, adapting the likes and interests of whatever boy strikes her fancy at the time. Spontaneous and romantic, Bailey is not intensely worried about her future -- everything will happen, in due time, as it should.. hopefully. Meg, on the other hand, is serious and artistic, fiercely controlling of herself and her emotions. Prone of bouts of melancholy for the purpose of her art, Meg is determined to get the perfect scholarship to the perfect college -- and no boy will interfere with her destiny.

After a messy breakup with her high school boyfriend, Bailey throws herself into her ideas for creating her own video game, going to the internet for inspiration and technical assistance. She soon finds Ryder, a mysterious guy on the internet who seems to be her perfect match in every way. Ryder offers his assistance with Bailey's gaming project and meanwhile manages to captivate Bailey's attention and affection with his frequent emails and texts. He seems like the perfect guy, but Ryder always has an excuse as to why he can't meet up with Bailey. What is Ryder hiding?

Suddenly, Ryder reveals something to Bailey that makes her question the loyalty of her best friend Meg. Surely Meg wouldn't reveal Bailey's deepest darkest secrets to Ryder, right? But, how else would he know so many hidden things about Bailey? After a devious act of brutal revenge, Meg and Bailey find themselves in an entirely new territory. Who is Ryder and what dangers are really in store for a teenage girl who reveals a bit too much about herself to a total stranger?

I can't deny that I loved the concept of this young adult novel -- I'm a sucker for any story that explores the medium of online messaging or texting as a way to integrate parts of the story line. And, with the popularity of the show CATFISH, who can resist a story about the mystery lurking on the other side of the internet? There were so many possibilities for this book, I think, and so many potential lessons to teenagers about the dangers of emotional intimacy with utter strangers on the net.

However, there were several problems I had with the story that really kept me from elevating it to the LOVE level. For one, I just found the characters of Bailey -- and to a much greater extend, Meg -- to be very extreme and unrelatable. Don't get me wrong -- I adore extreme characters, especially those plagued by deep psychological problems -- but these girls were almost TOO much to handle. They constantly referenced their daddy issues, they were very fickle and ridiculously quick to turn on pretty much everyone, and especially the character of Meg just seemed to try TOO hard to present herself as dark and disturbed. I'd like to see a little more relateability to these characters, I think, to make them a bit more likeable to keep me more invested in their stories.

Also, the identity of Ryder felt like a bit of a dud. I guessed pretty early on who was hiding behind the computer, and I was disappointed to find that I was correct. I just feel like it would have been much more effective to infuse a bit more mystery and dangerous into the message here. There really weren't any huge repercussions to these girls revealing 'TMI' to a stranger, which I presumed to be the significance of the title. On the positive side, though, there was a lot more discussion of the evolution of the girls' friendship than what I expected from the description, which was definitely interesting to see. The girls both experienced character growth which led to a pretty happy ending, which is never a bad thing.

I appreciate getting the opportunity to receive an advanced reader's copy of this novel and I look forward to more from this author in the future. TMI had a great foundation to an interesting idea, and I'd like to see more like this one in the future, for sure.

[Chapter by Chapter · Rating 4 out of 5]

TMI by Patty Blount TMI by author Patty Blount sounded like an interesting read to get started on. I personally was very excited to get started reading because I have never read any novels that centered around internet romances and characters who may be falling for a catfish (a person who uses social media to create an identity that isn’t their own in order to find romance online). After finishing TMIall I can say is that I am so glad I got to check out this read.
In TMI best friends Meg and Bailey both find themselves going head to head after Bailey ends up meeting Ryder online. After constantly changing herself to impress her then-current boyfriends, Ryder is everything that Bailey could ever want. He’s sweet, understanding and a gamer just like herself. Bailey believes that Ryder is perfect. Her best friend Meg wouldn’t understand and she knows that which is why she’s trying to keep Ryder her own secret. So when she finally does tell Meg she knows nothing good can come from Meg’s pessimistic attitude toward Ryder.
Meg has always followed her plan. She wants to graduate from high school, go to university and get a degree, a good job and be good in the finance department. Being madly in love with Chase doesn’t exactly benefit her plan. There’s no room for him. Meg can’t understand why her best friend Bailey wouldn’t want to have a plan just like hers. When Meg finds out about Ryder she knows that something isn’t right about Ryder or why he constantly finds excuses not to meet Meg or Bailey IRL (in real life). So when Bailey believes that Meg has told a series of secrets that best friends shouldn’t tell the two girls find themselves feeding an angry fire over the internet that could destroy their friendship.
What I really liked about TMI was how emotional the writing and the characters made me. I’m not talking sobbing into a pillow emotional, I’m talking about angry emotions. The interactions between Bailey and Meg were realistic to the point where it had me furious. The two girls both do a lot of things that best friends should not do. Ever. Yet, both characters would constantly forgive each other or push the things that happened away in order to keep their friendship intact and I personally could see how in the real world teen girls do that a lot to keep their friendships.
TMI has two main characters who I think a lot of teen readers will be able to relate to in some way or form and both girls are very different from each other. Meg is an ambitious, artistic teen girl who wants to go far in life and turns away her emotions if it means keeping herself and her secrets safe. Bailey is a beautiful, flirty girl who puts her emotions aside whenever she has a boyfriend and centers her entire life around what her boyfriend thinks of her and what her boyfriend may want. I think teen readers will be able to take away from the plot in TMI and create ways to better themselves in some of the situations the main characters find themselves in.
TMI also kept me guessing. All the time. Mostly over who Ryder could really be. I had a few guesses and while my guesses weren’t correct (darn!) I think that readers will have fun with guessing the plot twists that the novel introduces. TMIis definitely a novel that will keep readers on their toes and on the edge of their seat as they try to anticipate plot twists and who Ryder must really be IRL and if he and Bailey will ever end up together.
I would recommend TMI to readers who want an original read, readers who are big fans of teen fiction and to any readers who want a novel that deals with internet romances and also the dangers that can come with posting certain things on social media sites.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

TMI is focused around the lives of two girls, Meg and Bailey, who are best friends and though they are really opposites, they just click and get along really well. Both girls come from dysfunctional families where the dad is absent. Bailey has never known her dad and really wants to, and Meg's dad died tragically when she was very small. She still remembers her dad, especially the last things he told her, and his death has left Meg very scarred and emotionally wounded, more than anyone really knows. Bailey has always had a boyfriend, is outgoing, a gamer, and is very carefree in nature. Meg, on the other hand, doesn't have time to fit a boyfriend in her life. She is driven and focused on her "goals," is really more of a loner, and she and her mom have very little money, so Meg tries to pitch in as best she can. Her passion is art. She loves to paint and is very good at it. Her mom works and goes to school, which means Meg is by herself most of the time. Then, there is the hottie Chase, Meg's neighbor, who has had a thing for Meg for a long time, and secretly, Meg is crazy about him to, even though she pushes him away and is mean to him because he doesn't fit into her "long-term plan." Whether she admits it or not, Chase is often the glue that holds things together and has been there to pick up the pieces when things fall apart on more than one occasion.

Both girls think they know what is best for the other, especially concerning Meg's relationship with Chase, and Bailey's relationship with the mysterious Ryder West. Meanwhile, things are getting more complicated with Chase and it is getting harder for Meg to deny her feelings, and despite the "red flags" that Bailey refuses to see, she is falling harder for Ryder. One thing leads to another, things are said, lies are told, feelings are hurt, and when it all comes to a head via Facebook posts and other online social media, everyone involved winds up in even more of a mess, one which is now very public and very ugly....something that both girls cannot walk away from unscathed.

TMI was a book that I think would mostly appeal to tweens and teens. It does deal with important issues that many of them could very well find themselves it. While the Ryder West thing was a part of the story, I didn't really feel like he was the main focus of the story, but was more of a catalyst for the other issues that these girls deal with. Friendship is tested, the consequences of of "online revenge/bullying" is focused upon, and the emotional issues that stem from the girls pasts and how their pasts affect their actions and decisions, both in the present and the future are looked at. TMI is told from both Meg's and Bailey's POV. I did like both girls, though the way Meg treated Chase really aggravated me. On the other hand, Chase was great, and so patient with her. The mysterious Ryder West causes a lot of problems that result in some major drama, but that drama also results in both of these girls facing the reality of their issues, which in turn leads to both of them dealing with these issues and their root causes that have been too long ignored. As I said above, I think TMI would appeal to younger teens, as it does highlight some really good points as the reader watches these girls mature and take their journey in life, progressing from unhealthy ways of coping to healthy ways of dealing with issues, and learning what is really important along the way.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg has had a hard life. Her father died when she was small, leaving her and her mother on their own and struggling. Her mom worked two jobs and went to the local community college at night, trying to make a better life for her and her daughter. Meg was left on her own a lot, but her friends kept an eye on her…..her best friend Bailey and her friend Chase. Meg was a no nonsense kind of girl. She had a plan and had her future all mapped out. She did extremely well in school and was a gifted artist. She just wished that her bff, Bailey, was as channeled.

Bailey loved her video games. So when she met a guy online, (after a big breakup with her current boyfriend), whom was just as interested in her as he was video games, she was ecstatic. Until she told Meg about Ryder West. Meg immediately went into “mother hen” mode. After all, Ryder could be a forty-two year old perv. Bailey wishes that just for once, Meg could be happy for her and not be so uptight.

Chase has been in love with Meg for years. Bailey has tried to get Meg to loosen up and give Chase a shot, but Meg is too afraid of ending up like her mother and won’t let anyone stand in her way of attaining her goal of finishing high school, then college and securing her place in the world. She wasn’t even willing to entertain the idea, until that one kiss that had her thinking………..what if? And, when Bailey decides to “help things along”, none of our trio had any idea the things that would be set in motion. Will Meg finally give in and let Chase in? Will Bailey finally get to meet Ryder in person? And, will Meg and Bailey survive the tumultuous ups and downs of being bff’s? You’ll have to read to find out.

TMI is an intriguing young adult novel that didn’t really grab me at first. Everything seemed typical, mundane and ordinary. Then, bam! I got pulled in and couldn’t turn the pages of the last half of the book fast enough. TMI is full of teenaged angst, as are most YA novels. What sets this one apart from the others, in my humble opinion, is that you can see these things happening in the real world. There are life lessons in this book. You can see how social media can have such an adverse affect on an unsuspecting person when one post is made and then spreads like wildfire. And, the dangers of meeting someone online whom you nothing about? I don’t even need to elaborate on that. But, what grabbed me the most, and not always in a positive way, was the viciousness of one of the girls. Having two daughters myself, I’ve always told them no one is more vicious than a teenaged girl who thinks someone has wronged her. To say I was mortified by what played out would be like saying the Titanic hit an ice cube. If I could have reached through and slapped the crap out of the girl, I would have. Well, actually, I would have crawled through and beaten the hell out of her, but since that wasn’t a viable option, I sat here with my mouth gaped open in disbelief. TMI is ultimately about building trust and what happens when that one person lets you down and you have to decide whether it’s worth trying to rebuild. This book should be recommended reading for teenaged girls everywhere, as it shows some shining examples of what “to” do and what “not” to do.

Copy supplied by publisher

[Jessica Reigle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted at Step Into Fiction

This book is told from the points of views of best friends, Bailey and Meg; while they're both best friends they have very different story lines. In fact, Meg's storyline is really talked about in the book's description so it was a lovely surprise to find out she a love interest of her own (I was kind of terrified of a best friend type love triangle).

That being said, there was one storyline I thoroughly enjoyed and one I did not. Bailey and her storyline really pissed me off about 90% of the time. It made me cringe and I think why it makes me cringe more is because it's pretty realistic. I can't stand people like Bailey. People who seem to choose a guy over a best friend. It happens a lot and it's a horrible thing. Especially when it's a friend you've had for basically the majority of your life. No guy is ever worth the friendship like that; ever.

Maybe because of situations like this happening to me during my teenage years that I hold a personal grudge against it or maybe it's because I really disliked Bailey. Her logic just didn't make sense to me though maybe it's my age (Not that I'm old just older than seventeen). But because of these reasons I had a really hard time enjoying any chapter that was told from Bailey's pov.

Now, like I said, I thought there might be some twisted best friend love triangle but I was glad that wasn't the case. Meg has men issues of her own, with her neighbor and friend, Chase, who happens to be crazy about her. Because of her father, who is now dead, she feels like Chase isn't meant to be part of her plan; her future. Falling for him will just screw up everything her father ever told her. Her story line was full of surprises that I never suspected based on the description and I do believe that's why I enjoyed this book, because of all this.

There's many different issues dealt with in this book besides the meeting of guys on the internet, which is usually never a good idea. The whole situation is twisted and while Bailey has fallen in love with this Ryder guy, who refuses politely (filled with excuses) to meet in person her best friend, Meg, is arguing how bad of an idea this is. How this Ryder guy is probably some old man whose a pervert and just looking for his next victim. Hey, it's happened plenty of times so it's not like she's wrong thinking this but it causes so many problems. But then Ryder starts causing all sort of problems himself with both the girls and it just goes from bad to worse in no time at all.

While I didn't find the book great, it wasn't bad either - I feel like younger folks might like it more; like maybe actual teenagers. It's set for your age group and I really think this might be one of those books that are definitely more for teenagers where most YA can be read by any and all ages.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks for allowing me to be a part of this two-part TMI tour. Thank you to Patty Blount for coming on our blog last month with a guest post.

[Sacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3/5 stars



I was given an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Meg and Bailey are both seventeen years old, and they are best friends. They talk about their plans for the future, or lack thereof, and they keep each other’s secrets. That is, until Bailey starts to ditch Meg for a boy she met online. It’s classic teenage girl in high school drama.

Meg has a solid plan for the future, and that plan doesn’t include any distractions. It certainly doesn’t include Chase, the handsome, slightly older jock with the most amazing green eyes that Meg has ever seen.

When things between her and Bailey start to go south, Chase is there for Meg. She’s trying desperately to ignore (or at least suppress) her feelings for Chase, but as things get worse between Megan and her best friend, the bond between her and Chase gets stronger.

Chase and Meg are both worried about Bailey. She appears to fall harder for the faceless Ryder West with every passing day, and she has never met him. She has shared some personal details with him online, and her friends are justified in worrying about her well-being. Bailey sees them as interfering, and that they just don’t want her to be happy.

When Ryder tells the girls things about themselves and each other that he couldn’t have known without inside information, Meg starts to worry and Bailey starts to get really angry. The girls begin to very publicly share secrets about each other that could get them in trouble and hurt others.

Will their friendship be saved? Will Meg let herself fall for Chase and take a chance at deviating from ‘The Plan’? Who is Ryder West?
The blurb about this book on its Goodreads profile is a little bit misleading. It seems like the book will be quite suspenseful and mysterious, centering around the discovery of Ryder West’s identity. What I got from this book was that there was a little too much going for such a short read. When I was reading the book, I was much more interested in Meg’s past, and why she didn’t want a relationship with Chase than I was in who Ryder really was and whether or not Meg and Bailey would patch things up.

I think that many teenaged girls would eat this book right up, and that it’s a good cautionary tale about the dangers of sharing too much information online. It wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t a great book either. I think there were too many sub-plots for a book this short, and as I mentioned earlier, if the main plot was unveiling the mystery behind Ryder West, then either I missed the point, or less of the book should have been devoted to developing a relationship between Meg and Chase. I think if the book had been marketed a little differently, perhaps just using the first three lines of the blurb, I may have felt differently about it.

All in all, I would recommend this book to young teens as it’s relatable, and teaches a good lesson. I wouldn’t recommend it to adults who enjoy the YA genre, as it’s just a bit too young as compared to others that I have read and really enjoyed.

[Camille Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first three lines from the publisher's summary:

Best friends don���t lie.
Best friends don���t ditch you for a guy.
Best friends don���t post your deepest, darkest secrets online.

If the publisher stopped at those first three lines, I think my expectations would've been met. But Sourcebooks marketing team did not do a good job with this book. The full publisher's summary would lead you to believe that the entire book is about Meg investigating her best friend's, Bailey, new secret online boyfriend Ryder West. While Meg does hold suspicions about this Ryder West person, the book is more about the girls' friendship.

I'm having a little problem motivating myself to write a review for this book. So I must apologize in advance so such a boring review. It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a good book either, just meh.(Is "meh" a word? I saw it somewhere and kinda describes what I feel about this book.) It took too long for me to get interested in it. I was just about ready to give up, but I was about 50% through the book before I wanted to keep reading. As an adult, I am so glad that I survived my teenage years, something I would NEVER want to relive again. And TMI just reiterated that feeling, especially in the world of Facebook and Twitter.

Meg and Bailey have been best friends since their earliest childhood memories. Through the years, they've managed to keep each other's secrets until Bailey gets an online boyfriend, Ryder West, that Meg doesn't believe is an actual teenage boy. Bailey allows Ryder West to interfere in her friendship with Meg. Believing that Meg told Ryder an embarrasing secret, Bailey posts an equally embarrassing secret of Meg on Facebook. Wow, I do forget how mean girls can be to one another!

Both girls suffer from being "daddyless daughters" (yes, I just coined a phrase from Oprah and Iyanla). Meg has over-planned her life because that's what her father told her to do before he committed suicide when Meg was a young child. Bailey looks to find love in her boyfriends because she didn't never knew her father. Bailey has been looking for her father since the beginning of the book. Okay it was probably longer than that, but I don't remember.

I'm struggling here and I'm going to put myself out of my misery. TMI is a good starting place for a discussion on friendship and trust, the pros and cons of Facebook and Twitter, and how not having a father-figure in your life can affect a girls life.

My overall grade: C

Expected publication: August 6th 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire.
http://lccn.loc.gov/2013011794