ALA Booklist

It's arguable which hurts worse: being inexplicably abandoned by a best friend or being dumped by a love interest. Colette had only experienced the former, when Sadie Pepper dropped her right as high school began. Now, the summer before senior year Colette is about to leave on a church-mission trip to Costa Rica with her "upstanding and god-fearing" boyfriend die returns and begs Colette to accompany her to the Greek Islands. To her religious mother's disappointment, Colette chooses to follow Sadie instead of sticking to her church-filled path. While in Greece with the Peppers, including Sadie's steamy older brother, Colette discovers the real reason Sadie dumped her long ago and why she's trying to rekindle their friendship now. Carter weaves together classic elements of a coming-of-age summer-adventure story with poignant explorations of independence, sexuality, coming out, and the harmfulness of striving for perfection. Leavened with a sweet touch of romance, this meaningful tale of second-chance friendship should appeal to older teens looking for a meatier summer read.

Horn Book (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

After three years without speaking, Colette's former best friend Sadie begs Colette to join her on a family vacation to Greece. As Sadie's secrets begin to surface, Colette examines her own choices and her role as the perfect daughter of religious conservatives. Carter handles Sadie's homosexuality and Colette's resulting confusion with grace, mixing high emotion with childhood flashbacks that balance the scale.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In her second book, Carter (Me, Him, Them, and It) sets up an intriguing situation: at the end of junior year, three years after Coley and Sadie stopped being best friends, Sadie invites Coley to a family wedding in Greece. Why? Sadie isn-t saying, any more than she ever told Coley why she dropped her in the first place. Coley impulsively says yes, but she has reasons for going: she wants to get away from her perfect (and perfectly dull) boyfriend, and she-s curious about who she is if she-s not the good girl her family and church expect. Cue the consequences-the people who were once Coley-s second family have changed. Sadie-s mother is angry at Coley, Sadie-s older brother has gotten hot, there-s a hostile and seemingly jealous cousin, and mercurial Sadie is alternately lovable and maddening. Unfortunately, the combination of complex plot machinations and Coley-s naiveté (which keeps her from seeing twists readers may spot sooner) make the book feel over-plotted and slow, with confusions and conflicts dragging on. Ages 14-up. Agent: Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. (June)

School Library Journal (Thu May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Gr 10 Up-Colette and Sadie are former best friends who have not spoken in three years. Out of the blue, Sadie invites Colette to go with her family to Greece. The protagonist is supposed to go to Costa Rica with her boyfriend and members of his church but agrees to go change plans and go with her former frienda decision made out of a mix of curiosity and feeling like Sadie's invitation is a challenge. Once in Greece, the girls try to set aside their complicated history. They revert to their childhood traditions of playing cards, swimming, and sharing old jokes. But pretending everything is fine is difficult, and Colette starts needling Sadie for answers about their falling out and why she really asked her on this trip. The answers are slow to come, and when the she hears them, they shake her world. Once the secrets are revealed, the teens fully begin to understand the years of hurt they caused one another. Their messy and complex friendship is a realistic look at the ways relationships can change and wither. The narrator's quest to be who she needs to be (not who her demanding mother, her virtuous boyfriend, or duplicitous Sadie need her to be) and Sadie's tentative steps toward honesty are poignant. Stunning descriptions of Greece and a small cast of well-developed secondary characters round out this affecting story about identity. Suggest this one to readers looking for an introspective take on the intricacies of friendship. Amanda MacGregor, formerly at Apollo High School Library, St. Cloud, MN

Voice of Youth Advocates

Sadie invokes Colette's three-year-old promise "to come" when she says "I need you." Although these former best friends have not spoken in three years, Coley feels she must honor her promise and accompany Sadie to her cousin's wedding in Greece, against her conservative Christian mother's wishes and abandoning her summer of community service in Costa Rica with her "too perfect" boyfriend, Mark. Coley misses Sadie despite not knowing why she stopped talking to her. Whenever Coley brings up the subject, Sadie avoids answering, until the situation explodes: Sadie's former girlfriend, Rose, is at the wedding, and Colette is serving as Sadie's date to show Rose their relationship is over. Until now, however, Coley did not know Sadie is a lesbian. To complicate matters, Coley is falling for Sam, Sadie's adopted brother from Haiti. Finally, Coley is having erotic dreams and is getting emails from her mother with biblical quotes about the immorality of sex. How could her mother possibly know?There is a lot going on in My Best Friend, Maybe: Colette's learning about and accepting Sadie's sexuality; her mother's role in their estrangement; her excitement with Sam contrasted with her restraint with Mark; and her learning to be herself, not someone else's expectation. Teens in relationships will identify with Sadie and Rose. Teens learning something new about a friend will understand Colette's reactions. Those realizing that a parent might be wrong and that following one's heart instead of "the rules" might be the best avenue will identify with Colette. This fast-paced, enjoyable book exceeded this reviewer's expectations.Ed Goldberg.This novel is tedious and repetitive. The only part that saves it is the unexpected liberal surprise. An adequate character, Collette does not grow during the course of the novel but instead gives in to her desires. She is not an inspiring character. The novel is well written, but there is no depth to it. Perhaps if it were more concise, it would be more enjoyable to read. 3Q, 3P.Rachelle David, Teen Reviewer.