What do you think?
Rate this book
To Know Me #1
To Know Me
To know me is to die...
Seventeen-year-old Mae is convinced that the consequences of her poor decisions have caused the untimely deaths of her dad, sister Laura, and grandma who all die within a year, no matter how ludicrous her thoughts seem to those she loves. The solution? Run away so no one else she cares for gets hurt (even if she has to keep a GPS tracker on her phone at all times).
Desperate to earn her diploma and salvage something of her life, she transfers schools when people get too close. After switching to Woodson Prep with only two months to go until graduation, Mae keeps her goals in sight. But when she meets Ty, the "perfect boy" with his own secrets and a relentless interest in Mae, she must decide if she can stop running from the past and still protect those she loves.
Seventeen-year-old Mae is convinced that the consequences of her poor decisions have caused the untimely deaths of her dad, sister Laura, and grandma who all die within a year, no matter how ludicrous her thoughts seem to those she loves. The solution? Run away so no one else she cares for gets hurt (even if she has to keep a GPS tracker on her phone at all times).
Desperate to earn her diploma and salvage something of her life, she transfers schools when people get too close. After switching to Woodson Prep with only two months to go until graduation, Mae keeps her goals in sight. But when she meets Ty, the "perfect boy" with his own secrets and a relentless interest in Mae, she must decide if she can stop running from the past and still protect those she loves.
- GenresYoung AdultContemporary
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2013
1 person is currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Marcy Blesy
159 books312 followersMarcy Blesy is the author of over thirty books across genres, best known for her Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series and the Monthly Murder Movie Club Cozy Mystery Series —humorous, heartwarming whodunits filled with senior sleuths, quirky characters, and animal sidekicks. Her cozy mysteries spotlight midlife reinvention, found family, and laugh-out-loud amateur sleuthing, perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Finlay Donovan, and The Golden Girls.
Marcy also writes the Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series, starring a kindergarten teacher-turned-reluctant sleuth, and the Secrets romantic mystery duo (The Secret of Blue Lake and The Secret of Silver Beach), transporting readers to the scenic and suspenseful shores of Michigan.
For younger readers, Marcy’s best-selling Be the Vet series offers interactive veterinary mysteries for kids ages 9–13. Her early chapter book series—Evie and the Volunteers, Niles and Bradford, Third Grade Outsider, and Hazel, the Clinic Cat—delight animal lovers and growing readers alike.
When she’s not writing, you’ll find Marcy treasure-hunting along Lake Michigan in search of rare red beach glass. She believes every story should offer heart, humor, and a hint of hope—whether it’s solving a mystery or chasing a dream.
Marcy also writes the Ghost Texter Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series, starring a kindergarten teacher-turned-reluctant sleuth, and the Secrets romantic mystery duo (The Secret of Blue Lake and The Secret of Silver Beach), transporting readers to the scenic and suspenseful shores of Michigan.
For younger readers, Marcy’s best-selling Be the Vet series offers interactive veterinary mysteries for kids ages 9–13. Her early chapter book series—Evie and the Volunteers, Niles and Bradford, Third Grade Outsider, and Hazel, the Clinic Cat—delight animal lovers and growing readers alike.
When she’s not writing, you’ll find Marcy treasure-hunting along Lake Michigan in search of rare red beach glass. She believes every story should offer heart, humor, and a hint of hope—whether it’s solving a mystery or chasing a dream.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 11, 2014
(Read using Kindle Unlimited)
This was an okay story about a girl who thought to was better to run away, than to stay home and kill her family. Unfortunately it seemed that Macy blamed herself for the death of her father, sister and grandmother when really it wasn’t her fault at all.
I thought that Macy was quite strong to not just run away but to continue to go to school and think about going to college. She could have ended up on the streets, but instead she continued on with her life whilst being self-sufficient.
I did find that the story dragged a bit, but otherwise it was okay. I didn’t see the couple of twists coming, which was good, and we got a happy ending.
6.25 out of 10
This was an okay story about a girl who thought to was better to run away, than to stay home and kill her family. Unfortunately it seemed that Macy blamed herself for the death of her father, sister and grandmother when really it wasn’t her fault at all.
I thought that Macy was quite strong to not just run away but to continue to go to school and think about going to college. She could have ended up on the streets, but instead she continued on with her life whilst being self-sufficient.
I did find that the story dragged a bit, but otherwise it was okay. I didn’t see the couple of twists coming, which was good, and we got a happy ending.
6.25 out of 10
October 12, 2014
a free copy of this book was received in exchange for an honest review.
To Know Me was not exactly what I was expecting; however, while it was different then what my preconceived notions about it were, I really enjoyed it.
My first expcectaion of To Know Me was that it was going to be a super depressing tearjerker; and you know, it was sad, but it wasn't really depressing. I didn't cry due to this book, either. The author kept it a bit lighter than I thought it would be, but it worked. Now, it's not super light and fluffy, either, but I did not have the urge to cry into my pillow for the next month either, which is probably for the best. The book adds a really adorable romance to the plot, which is really what effectively mixed the light side of realistic fiction with the heavier half of it.
The size of this book was also kind of perfect. It's not too short, and it doesn't drag on. It's the kind of story that works perfectly for a novella, which doesn't always happen.
Mae...poor Mae. The author explained really well why she is so sure she is the cause of people dying, which is good, because if it hadn't been done well a lot of the believability for this story would have gone out the door for me. I really sympathized with her.
The romance was nice, though it wasn't my favorite part of the story. I know that the romance is usually never be my favorite part of the story, though, so that's not really a complaint. I think that people who are more into romance will like it a lot, because Ty is a great character.
To Know Me was a lovely story, I am sure that I will be reading the next book in this series sometime in the future.
To Know Me was not exactly what I was expecting; however, while it was different then what my preconceived notions about it were, I really enjoyed it.
My first expcectaion of To Know Me was that it was going to be a super depressing tearjerker; and you know, it was sad, but it wasn't really depressing. I didn't cry due to this book, either. The author kept it a bit lighter than I thought it would be, but it worked. Now, it's not super light and fluffy, either, but I did not have the urge to cry into my pillow for the next month either, which is probably for the best. The book adds a really adorable romance to the plot, which is really what effectively mixed the light side of realistic fiction with the heavier half of it.
The size of this book was also kind of perfect. It's not too short, and it doesn't drag on. It's the kind of story that works perfectly for a novella, which doesn't always happen.
Mae...poor Mae. The author explained really well why she is so sure she is the cause of people dying, which is good, because if it hadn't been done well a lot of the believability for this story would have gone out the door for me. I really sympathized with her.
The romance was nice, though it wasn't my favorite part of the story. I know that the romance is usually never be my favorite part of the story, though, so that's not really a complaint. I think that people who are more into romance will like it a lot, because Ty is a great character.
To Know Me was a lovely story, I am sure that I will be reading the next book in this series sometime in the future.
September 5, 2013
This story and these characters offer the reader so many lessons on dealing with growing up, maturing, and loss. Many of the situations that Mae finds herself dealing with could easily apply to a teenager-maybe not all at once, but there are a lot of teens who blame themselves for tragedies that were truly accidents, for divorces that they never could have prevented, or make mistakes like those that Mae made with Kyle. I thought this book offered a provocative look at the teenage mind and how their thought processes differ from those of the adults around them who may have more life experience. I also thought the story highlighted the best of teens: the ability to change, grow, be strong, mature, and persevere. I loved that Ty and Mae both brought something to their relationship and friendship by the end of the story and the ending was perfect for people of all ages. My one and only issue with this book was that I felt that Mae's mother made choices regarding Mae that most parents probably wouldn't have made-even under these circumstances-so it hurt the credibility of the overall story for me. Otherwise, I felt that the story and the characters were honest, real, heart-felt, and easy to connect with and understand. Marcy Blesy is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and after reading two of her books, I am going to highly recommend that my teenage daughter read them too.
*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2015
I really liked this book; it was sweet and very insightful. It deals with issues such as learning to accept and grow from your own mistakes, and dealing with grief and tragedy, all in a very original and fun way. And although it is a simple plot, and a little fast paced, I think it works, and provides an enjoyable read.
I thought Mae was very cool and smart. She certainly had her act together, except for the fact, of course, that she thought anyone who got any close to her would die. But other than that you could tell she was very responsible, and witty. I guess grief and tragedy, like the ones she had to face, could make you act crazy. Plus, she had too much guilt for a mistake that wasn’t that big. But it was nice to watch her acknowledge all this stuff and start healing.
The book is rather short, more like a novella, and although it is a little fast paced, as I already mentioned, I felt like there were no strings untied. It was just precise; nothing in it was excessive, or missing.
To sum up, this is a fun, sweet read and I would recommend it to anyone. I really enjoyed it.
*Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, but my opinion was not biased in any way by this fact.
I thought Mae was very cool and smart. She certainly had her act together, except for the fact, of course, that she thought anyone who got any close to her would die. But other than that you could tell she was very responsible, and witty. I guess grief and tragedy, like the ones she had to face, could make you act crazy. Plus, she had too much guilt for a mistake that wasn’t that big. But it was nice to watch her acknowledge all this stuff and start healing.
The book is rather short, more like a novella, and although it is a little fast paced, as I already mentioned, I felt like there were no strings untied. It was just precise; nothing in it was excessive, or missing.
To sum up, this is a fun, sweet read and I would recommend it to anyone. I really enjoyed it.
*Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, but my opinion was not biased in any way by this fact.
September 25, 2013
I received this book as a gift from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a quick easy read that definitely left me wondering about the mental state of Mae (Macy) Tatum as the seventeen year old girl runs from every emotional connection she encounters because she’s afraid that to know her means to die.
Ty the all American boy next door seems to have the perfect life on the outside. It’s only when she stops running that she understands that they are more alike than she could possibly imagine.
Bad habits are hard to break… when an event sends her real life colliding with runaway one she decides to return home, her real home. To do so means running away from the small patch of happiness she’s allowed herself.
For all the chaos going in their lives I find that the emotions in the book were downplayed and could have been brought up a notch.
This book was a quick easy read that definitely left me wondering about the mental state of Mae (Macy) Tatum as the seventeen year old girl runs from every emotional connection she encounters because she’s afraid that to know her means to die.
Ty the all American boy next door seems to have the perfect life on the outside. It’s only when she stops running that she understands that they are more alike than she could possibly imagine.
Bad habits are hard to break… when an event sends her real life colliding with runaway one she decides to return home, her real home. To do so means running away from the small patch of happiness she’s allowed herself.
For all the chaos going in their lives I find that the emotions in the book were downplayed and could have been brought up a notch.
September 27, 2013
The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the story of Mae (Macy) who has had an extremely traumatic past year. Almost all the people she cared for have died and unbelievably she thinks that she may be responsible. In order to save the remaining people she loves, she has run away. Mae will go to extreme lengths to protect her identity. Mae meets Ty in her senior year of school but she is reluctant to entertain any friendship with anyone. I enjoyed the book, which built really well, but half way through seemed to speed through the story at a slightly fast rate. Some parts of the narrative in the second half, particularly between Mae and Ty did seem a little unbelievable but it didn't stop my enjoyment too much. Still deserved 4 stars.
This is the story of Mae (Macy) who has had an extremely traumatic past year. Almost all the people she cared for have died and unbelievably she thinks that she may be responsible. In order to save the remaining people she loves, she has run away. Mae will go to extreme lengths to protect her identity. Mae meets Ty in her senior year of school but she is reluctant to entertain any friendship with anyone. I enjoyed the book, which built really well, but half way through seemed to speed through the story at a slightly fast rate. Some parts of the narrative in the second half, particularly between Mae and Ty did seem a little unbelievable but it didn't stop my enjoyment too much. Still deserved 4 stars.
September 30, 2013
Marcy Blesy has written another great young adult book. I absolutely loved "To Know Me". Marcy takes the reader into the life Mae Tatum and allows the reader to "feel" the emotions that Mae is experiencing when it comes to the tragedies she has experienced in her life, young love, and renewed relationships. Throughout the book, I kept rooting for Mae as she attempted to overcomes her fears. I felt this book had a good balance between the emotions of young love and a teenager just trying to figure out where she belongs in this world. I think many teenagers can relate to this in one way or another. The book was well written for the young adult reader. Even though it is geared toward the young adult audience, I would recommend this book to those readers of all ages!!
July 11, 2014
I took a chance on this ebook and loved it. Mae has had a lot of terrible things happen in her life, and she makes choices that many might not agree with, but all done to avoid hurting others, in her mind, at least. She meets Ty, another character with a flawed past. I really like how their relationship develops. Though this is a series, according to the author, I felt like the book wrapped up all loose ends and wasn't a "serial" which cut you off at a crucial point. From the reviews and my own experience, I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
January 22, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a fast read. It reminded me of what its like to be young again and the hope of life at that time. But for Mae it's different; she doesn't have that hope. And while that made me sad I understood it. I think there are lessons to be learned by reading this book. I recommend it!!
This book was a fast read. It reminded me of what its like to be young again and the hope of life at that time. But for Mae it's different; she doesn't have that hope. And while that made me sad I understood it. I think there are lessons to be learned by reading this book. I recommend it!!
December 15, 2013
Ty and Mae both had terrible pasts and unfortunate circumstances that they both have had to overcome. I love how their lives entwined and they make each other so much better. This is definitely worth the read.
June 11, 2014
Ratings:
Fluffy Reader Francine - TBR
Fluffy Reader Sandra - TBR
Fluffy Reader Valeria - 4 stars
Fluffy Reader Francine - TBR
Fluffy Reader Sandra - TBR
Fluffy Reader Valeria - 4 stars
November 4, 2014
Marcy Blesy's books always have an excellent storyline that appeals to middle and high school readers. I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it.
![Profile Image for Nessa [October Tune].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1767728675i%2F7750565._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 12, 2016
Read this review, and many more on my blog October Tune!
Seventeen-year-old Mae has been running away for a while now. She's changed her name, changed schools, left behind her mother and friends. All because she thinks she's cursed. Because she thinks her father, sister and grandmother died because of her. She ran away to protect her heartbroken mother, and her friends. But when she arrives in Woodson to finish the last two months of school, she realises that running away from everything isn't the option.
I got this book for free from Amazon. I chose it because the cover looked really cool, and the summary sounded amazing as well. I have to say, I was kind of disappointed. It wasn't what I had expected it to be.
First of all, the story felt very rushed. One moment, Mae was trying not to be noticed in class, and the next she was hanging out with Ty (who reminded me of The Almighty Johnsons' Ty, but that's just because of the name), accepting him kissing her on the cheek (they met a couple of days before, and they were already acting like they were a in love for years). I believe the story took part in the span of a couple of months, but to me it felt like nothing more than a week had passed between the beginning and the end of the story.
I liked Mae as a character, but I also thought she was a bit annoying at some points. She liked Harry Potter, always a plus, and she wanted to become an author; those were the things that made me like her. But the fact that she refused to believe that the deaths of her father and sister were accidents, and that her grandmother died of a heart attack, made me want to slap her sometimes.
I wasn't a big fan of Ty, actually. To me it felt like he fell head over heels in love with Mae from the first time he saw her. I personally don't really believe in love at first sight, and I just thought it was a bit annoying that he kept on badgering her about showing her around the school, taking her to prom. I mean the moment he said (and I quote): "If you don't agree to go to prom with me, I won't leave you alone. Everyone in the school will know how much I want you to be my date. I will top every other date proposal any girl at this school has ever seen. I will stand on the roof of the school. I will write on every whiteboard in every classroom. I will follow you around like a lost puppy." I just mentally told Mae to get the hell away from him. Seriously, if a girl says no, she means no and she doesn't mean 'convince me'. I think he said all of this to her only a couple of days after they'd met. Stalker much?
In the end, I wasn't a fan or To Know Me, mainly because it just felt weird in my opinion. At several points in the story, I actually felt like closing the file and not finishing the book, but I just wanted to know if Mae was really cursed with a 'if i get too close to people they will die' virus, or if it was really something else. Yeah, well, I kind of felt like I was lured into reading this book with the nice cover and the promising summary. Such a shame.
Seventeen-year-old Mae has been running away for a while now. She's changed her name, changed schools, left behind her mother and friends. All because she thinks she's cursed. Because she thinks her father, sister and grandmother died because of her. She ran away to protect her heartbroken mother, and her friends. But when she arrives in Woodson to finish the last two months of school, she realises that running away from everything isn't the option.
I got this book for free from Amazon. I chose it because the cover looked really cool, and the summary sounded amazing as well. I have to say, I was kind of disappointed. It wasn't what I had expected it to be.
First of all, the story felt very rushed. One moment, Mae was trying not to be noticed in class, and the next she was hanging out with Ty (who reminded me of The Almighty Johnsons' Ty, but that's just because of the name), accepting him kissing her on the cheek (they met a couple of days before, and they were already acting like they were a in love for years). I believe the story took part in the span of a couple of months, but to me it felt like nothing more than a week had passed between the beginning and the end of the story.
I liked Mae as a character, but I also thought she was a bit annoying at some points. She liked Harry Potter, always a plus, and she wanted to become an author; those were the things that made me like her. But the fact that she refused to believe that the deaths of her father and sister were accidents, and that her grandmother died of a heart attack, made me want to slap her sometimes.
I wasn't a big fan of Ty, actually. To me it felt like he fell head over heels in love with Mae from the first time he saw her. I personally don't really believe in love at first sight, and I just thought it was a bit annoying that he kept on badgering her about showing her around the school, taking her to prom. I mean the moment he said (and I quote): "If you don't agree to go to prom with me, I won't leave you alone. Everyone in the school will know how much I want you to be my date. I will top every other date proposal any girl at this school has ever seen. I will stand on the roof of the school. I will write on every whiteboard in every classroom. I will follow you around like a lost puppy." I just mentally told Mae to get the hell away from him. Seriously, if a girl says no, she means no and she doesn't mean 'convince me'. I think he said all of this to her only a couple of days after they'd met. Stalker much?
In the end, I wasn't a fan or To Know Me, mainly because it just felt weird in my opinion. At several points in the story, I actually felt like closing the file and not finishing the book, but I just wanted to know if Mae was really cursed with a 'if i get too close to people they will die' virus, or if it was really something else. Yeah, well, I kind of felt like I was lured into reading this book with the nice cover and the promising summary. Such a shame.
October 17, 2013
**** Arc exchanged for an honest review ****
Where to start with this review? I REALLY wanted to like this book and it isn't that i didn't. I just really wanted more. The whole book covers a couple weeks. Yes we get the back story with why she has these issues but it seemed a little repetitive to me. I felt like the book was finally taking off when it ended. I tried to scroll on my iPad hoping for more pages to magically appear. So, for an ARC hopefully it isn't yet finished or hopefully there will be more books and this will become a series. I would really like to see Ty and Mae's relationship pan out.
I would recommend this book because it is a good read, it just felt unfinished in my opinion.
Happy Reading :)
Where to start with this review? I REALLY wanted to like this book and it isn't that i didn't. I just really wanted more. The whole book covers a couple weeks. Yes we get the back story with why she has these issues but it seemed a little repetitive to me. I felt like the book was finally taking off when it ended. I tried to scroll on my iPad hoping for more pages to magically appear. So, for an ARC hopefully it isn't yet finished or hopefully there will be more books and this will become a series. I would really like to see Ty and Mae's relationship pan out.
I would recommend this book because it is a good read, it just felt unfinished in my opinion.
Happy Reading :)
February 13, 2015
This wasn't exactly what I expected.
I did like that it wasn't instalove. Mae keeps pushing Ty away until he finally breaks though. Watching their relationship develop was cute. What I didn't like it the writing. A lot of it seemed forced and I wasn't able to be drawn into the characters drama.
I did like that it wasn't instalove. Mae keeps pushing Ty away until he finally breaks though. Watching their relationship develop was cute. What I didn't like it the writing. A lot of it seemed forced and I wasn't able to be drawn into the characters drama.
November 13, 2015
This book told a good story, but it felt rushed.
June 12, 2014
It was okay.. I don't think I cared for Mae/Macy much. I liked Ty.
July 7, 2014
Poorly written and edited. Boring characters and a disjointed plot.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews