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Riverbend Friends #3
The Me You See
The Me You See is the third book in a series that travels alongside four friends as they deal with teen life in Riverbend, Indiana. The novel inspires girls and young women to deepen their relationships with God and solve their problems in God-honoring ways.
Winter break is usually Izzy's favorite time of year, but this year all it does is make her feel lonely. She adores her brother Sebastian, but she's stuck at home taking care of him ALL. THE. TIME. And her squad--her friends from Drama I--are too busy with their own exciting plans to get together with her. So of course her phone is her lifeline!
Izzy creates and posts videos of her amazing, to-die-for cupcake creations on her Instagram account. AND she stays connected with her squad. At least she would . . . if any of them bothered to text her back. Seriously, how hard is it to text back? But then school starts up again and Zac, the dreamy senior she's been crushing on for months, starts texting her. But her friends are less than thrilled. If they could only see Zac like she does--he's really a great guy! Then everything would be perfect.
Winter break is usually Izzy's favorite time of year, but this year all it does is make her feel lonely. She adores her brother Sebastian, but she's stuck at home taking care of him ALL. THE. TIME. And her squad--her friends from Drama I--are too busy with their own exciting plans to get together with her. So of course her phone is her lifeline!
Izzy creates and posts videos of her amazing, to-die-for cupcake creations on her Instagram account. AND she stays connected with her squad. At least she would . . . if any of them bothered to text her back. Seriously, how hard is it to text back? But then school starts up again and Zac, the dreamy senior she's been crushing on for months, starts texting her. But her friends are less than thrilled. If they could only see Zac like she does--he's really a great guy! Then everything would be perfect.
288 pages, Paperback
Published August 3, 2021
4 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Jill Williamson
67 books1,621 followersJill Williamson is a multi-passionate creative who loves the arts. She’s written over thirty books for readers of all ages and is best known for her Blood of Kings fantasy series, two of which won Christy Awards and made VOYA magazine’s Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror list. She produces films with her husband and teaches about writing at conferences. Visit her at www.jillwilliamson.com.
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Jill's author website.
Jill's Amazon Author page.
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Click here for a FULL LIST OF Jill's BOOKS.
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Thirst Duology
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Writing books:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 1, 2021
I seriously am loving this series! I was a little annoyed at the main character, but I understand why she was the way she was. It was meant to teach us a lesson. Not that I was annoyed, per se, but I knew where the story was going to lead and even then it became more real the more the story went on. Near the end it did discuss pretty heavy topics, though the way it was handled seemed good. All in all a great story that sucked me in.
July 10, 2021
I received a complimentary e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of Netgalley and Tyndale House.
What Drew Me to this Book
I was intrigued to see a new Christian book series for teen girls, but waited awhile to request the book because I saw it was part of a series. However, intrigue won out and I jumped into the series at book three. It helped that books one and two were from different perspectives, and written by another author.
It also really helped that the books were published by Focus on the Family. Focus published some of the very first teen Christian books— the Christy Miller series by Robin Jones Gunn. The Lord has spoken to me numerous times through the Christy books, so I was excited to see a new series from the publisher.
Genre Comparisons
I definitely had Christy Miller in mind when reading The Me You See. However, this book felt a lot more like a Melody Carlson novel than a Robin Jones Gunn book (In fact, it bore striking similarities to the Carlson novel Never Been Kissed, as well as a book in her Carter House Girls series).
Gunn and Carlson are two of my favorite authors and both write books for teens and adult women. However, their books differ stylistically in terms of content. While Gunn’s books engage with cultural issues from a more peripheral perspective, overflowing with sweetness and innocence, Carlson’s books tackle tough subject-matter head-on, often through the lens of the main character. Gunn’s characters are written to be role models. Carlson’s characters seem to be written to be relatable.
Williamson, like Carlson, engages directly with intense issues and pressures that today’s teens are facing. Likewise, Izzy a relatable character, but not a complete role model.
Representation
Izzy is a third-generation Mexican American, and the book is lightly seasoned with Spanish words and phrases. From what I can see, this is not an #OwnVoices book. However, I could definitely be mistaken. I don’t think most people would guess that I’m Mexican based on my name and photo. I would definitely like to see more #OwnVoices in the Christian fiction genre, but I feel that Williamson created a believable character and family.
The book also includes an autistic character, Sebastian “Bash” Valadéz. Bash maintains a strict schedule and calls everyone, including his parents, by their first and last names. Bash delivers the first line of the book and is one of the most precious characters I have ever read. As someone who is also on the Autistic Spectrum, I really enjoyed Williamson’s portrayal of Bash. He is shown to be competent and extremely lovable, as well as different.
Spiritual Themes
Izzy and her three best friends, Tessa, Amelia and Shay, are all regular church attendees, while Zac visits church only sporadically. Throughout much of the plot, church attendance seemed to be a subtle gauge of a person’s relationship with God, and I’m not comfortable with that equation.
However, toward the end of the book, there were several pages that focused on truth about God and Izzy’s identity in Him. Even so, I would have liked to see more interaction with God, rather than simply talking about Him.
Overall Impression
The book deals with some heavy content, but I do think that it addresses some important issues for today’s teens. As much as I don’t want it to be, I think this book can provide helpful insight and discernment. Plus, I still think it’s a better choice than most of the books out there.
At the same time, because of the nature content, I wouldn’t want this book to introduce innocent readers to things they aren’t familiar with. It’s a hard call, so my recommendation is Reader’s Discretion.
What Drew Me to this Book
I was intrigued to see a new Christian book series for teen girls, but waited awhile to request the book because I saw it was part of a series. However, intrigue won out and I jumped into the series at book three. It helped that books one and two were from different perspectives, and written by another author.
It also really helped that the books were published by Focus on the Family. Focus published some of the very first teen Christian books— the Christy Miller series by Robin Jones Gunn. The Lord has spoken to me numerous times through the Christy books, so I was excited to see a new series from the publisher.
Genre Comparisons
I definitely had Christy Miller in mind when reading The Me You See. However, this book felt a lot more like a Melody Carlson novel than a Robin Jones Gunn book (In fact, it bore striking similarities to the Carlson novel Never Been Kissed, as well as a book in her Carter House Girls series).
Gunn and Carlson are two of my favorite authors and both write books for teens and adult women. However, their books differ stylistically in terms of content. While Gunn’s books engage with cultural issues from a more peripheral perspective, overflowing with sweetness and innocence, Carlson’s books tackle tough subject-matter head-on, often through the lens of the main character. Gunn’s characters are written to be role models. Carlson’s characters seem to be written to be relatable.
Williamson, like Carlson, engages directly with intense issues and pressures that today’s teens are facing. Likewise, Izzy a relatable character, but not a complete role model.
Representation
Izzy is a third-generation Mexican American, and the book is lightly seasoned with Spanish words and phrases. From what I can see, this is not an #OwnVoices book. However, I could definitely be mistaken. I don’t think most people would guess that I’m Mexican based on my name and photo. I would definitely like to see more #OwnVoices in the Christian fiction genre, but I feel that Williamson created a believable character and family.
The book also includes an autistic character, Sebastian “Bash” Valadéz. Bash maintains a strict schedule and calls everyone, including his parents, by their first and last names. Bash delivers the first line of the book and is one of the most precious characters I have ever read. As someone who is also on the Autistic Spectrum, I really enjoyed Williamson’s portrayal of Bash. He is shown to be competent and extremely lovable, as well as different.
Spiritual Themes
Izzy and her three best friends, Tessa, Amelia and Shay, are all regular church attendees, while Zac visits church only sporadically. Throughout much of the plot, church attendance seemed to be a subtle gauge of a person’s relationship with God, and I’m not comfortable with that equation.
However, toward the end of the book, there were several pages that focused on truth about God and Izzy’s identity in Him. Even so, I would have liked to see more interaction with God, rather than simply talking about Him.
Overall Impression
The book deals with some heavy content, but I do think that it addresses some important issues for today’s teens. As much as I don’t want it to be, I think this book can provide helpful insight and discernment. Plus, I still think it’s a better choice than most of the books out there.
At the same time, because of the nature content, I wouldn’t want this book to introduce innocent readers to things they aren’t familiar with. It’s a hard call, so my recommendation is Reader’s Discretion.
August 2, 2021
"God valued me, so I needed to set better standards for myself. Standards that showed I valued myself as much as God did. That meant not changing myself to please other people. It also meant being strong enough to speak up and say no when I needed to."
Thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale House Publishers for giving me a digital arc.
Anyway, this is the first time I read a young adult fiction centered in religion. Yes I've read a couple of devotional books meant for young adult teens like me but never a story about it.
The Me You See is the third book in the series and it centered to Isabella, a student who have the talent on baking. Her life revolves around her friends, her family and her relationship in God. One day her sister decided to invite her robotics team in their house and their she met Zac, a senior guy who is part of the robotic team and also her crush. Zac takes notice of her and things started going down from there.
The whole plot of the story talks about knowing someone before committing yourself to them. It also tells how we shouldn't rush things out. Being a believer, we tend to blind ourselves on the signs God gives us especially when it comes to someone we like. The story also tells how young girls can be easily be tempted when love is involve. Isabella jumps in into it without even having second thoughts just because she likes the guy.
While reading I cringe all the time on how I see Isabella makes certain decisions without me thinking that I might do the same when I am on her shoes.
The flow of story was amazing considering all the choices Isabella makes in the past. Her development as a character was on point and what really makes me love her as a character is her faith in what she believes in.
This may be fictional but this kind of things happens most of the time in real life and it is an eye opener to young girls. I would highly recommend this to my churchmates when this is released because it will inspires them to not rush on things and to always consult God in whatever decisions in life. That you should always look out on His signs.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale House Publishers for giving me a digital arc.
Anyway, this is the first time I read a young adult fiction centered in religion. Yes I've read a couple of devotional books meant for young adult teens like me but never a story about it.
The Me You See is the third book in the series and it centered to Isabella, a student who have the talent on baking. Her life revolves around her friends, her family and her relationship in God. One day her sister decided to invite her robotics team in their house and their she met Zac, a senior guy who is part of the robotic team and also her crush. Zac takes notice of her and things started going down from there.
The whole plot of the story talks about knowing someone before committing yourself to them. It also tells how we shouldn't rush things out. Being a believer, we tend to blind ourselves on the signs God gives us especially when it comes to someone we like. The story also tells how young girls can be easily be tempted when love is involve. Isabella jumps in into it without even having second thoughts just because she likes the guy.
While reading I cringe all the time on how I see Isabella makes certain decisions without me thinking that I might do the same when I am on her shoes.
The flow of story was amazing considering all the choices Isabella makes in the past. Her development as a character was on point and what really makes me love her as a character is her faith in what she believes in.
This may be fictional but this kind of things happens most of the time in real life and it is an eye opener to young girls. I would highly recommend this to my churchmates when this is released because it will inspires them to not rush on things and to always consult God in whatever decisions in life. That you should always look out on His signs.
July 26, 2021
Another great book in this series for teens! Each one deals with issues relevant to teens today, but in a story, which makes it easier to take.. I love all 4 of these girls in the series. I understand a bit of Izzy's story because I was a caregiver for an autistic boy, who is actually more severe than Sebastian. I like the way the school and Izzy's parents handled the problems in this story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-copy of this book. The opinions are entirely my own.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-copy of this book. The opinions are entirely my own.
January 7, 2024
Wow. I am so impressed at this series' ability to weave strong faith elements into a story without being preachy or overbearing...the truths in this series are so good, and the stories and characters so well written. Izzy's story is realistic, and, though I haven't personally experienced what she deals with in this book, I know others have had toxic/manipulative relationships. While it doesn't pull any punches, The Me You See doesn't dwell in the nastiness either. Sebastian's autism rep was great. Overall, another great installment in the Riverbend series!
Content:
(note: none of this is overly dwelt upon, and it is all evaluated from a Christian perspective)
Mild, occasional cussing (heck). Many mentions/discussions of boyfriends, crushes, etc. Mention of a couple "kissing when they though no one was looking". A guy is manipulative towards his girlfriend. He sends her a nude photo (not described) and pressures her to send him one. When she refuses, he photoshops one of her and posts it on her Snapchat. Mentions of child porn, porn, guys making crude comments (the comments aren't actually said). Kissing (not super detailed). Mention of making out, mention of sending nudes, mention of sex.
Note: this book could be an excellent discussion starter for how to be responsible with social media, how to set appropriate boundaries, and a caution to be careful of what photos you take, send, and post.
Ages 14+
Content:
(note: none of this is overly dwelt upon, and it is all evaluated from a Christian perspective)
Mild, occasional cussing (heck). Many mentions/discussions of boyfriends, crushes, etc. Mention of a couple "kissing when they though no one was looking". A guy is manipulative towards his girlfriend. He sends her a nude photo (not described) and pressures her to send him one. When she refuses, he photoshops one of her and posts it on her Snapchat. Mentions of child porn, porn, guys making crude comments (the comments aren't actually said). Kissing (not super detailed). Mention of making out, mention of sending nudes, mention of sex.
Note: this book could be an excellent discussion starter for how to be responsible with social media, how to set appropriate boundaries, and a caution to be careful of what photos you take, send, and post.
Ages 14+
Read
July 13, 2022If a guy ever texts as badly as this guy texted, don't even look back, just run.
May 11, 2021
This is the third book in the Riverbend series and it's just as amazing as the first two. Williamson's story deals with some serious topics and does so with compassion and realism. Another must read!
May 31, 2021
I was disappointed in this book. Mainly because it wasn’t what I was expecting.
I’ve enjoyed the first two books in this series. Izzy was always my favorite of the friend group, and I still love her! She’s bubbly, funny, and really kind.
The reason for my disappointment and my rating is due to the content.
The plot is mostly focused on Izzy being in a relationship with a guy who doesn’t respect her and uses her. He’s just not a good guy at all. A guy who is mixed up in some illegal/ inappropriate stuff. I don’t even want to think about it… and that was my biggest problem. I didn’t want to think about the topics this book dealt with. Having an overactive imagination is NOT fun when reading a book that deals with inappropriate topics.
The good in this book is the message that girls shouldn’t have to change for the guy she likes and who likes her. And the faith content although it was quite scarce.
Sadly, I was disappointed this book. I love Izzy and she made me laugh a lot. But this book was a disappointment.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve enjoyed the first two books in this series. Izzy was always my favorite of the friend group, and I still love her! She’s bubbly, funny, and really kind.
The reason for my disappointment and my rating is due to the content.
The plot is mostly focused on Izzy being in a relationship with a guy who doesn’t respect her and uses her. He’s just not a good guy at all. A guy who is mixed up in some illegal/ inappropriate stuff. I don’t even want to think about it… and that was my biggest problem. I didn’t want to think about the topics this book dealt with. Having an overactive imagination is NOT fun when reading a book that deals with inappropriate topics.
The good in this book is the message that girls shouldn’t have to change for the guy she likes and who likes her. And the faith content although it was quite scarce.
Sadly, I was disappointed this book. I love Izzy and she made me laugh a lot. But this book was a disappointment.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
June 7, 2021
Man, this was a powerful read. I’ve only read #1 in this series, haven’t yet read #2, but I didn’t feel like there were any gaps in jumping to this one.
It defo dealt with some sad and heavy topics, and it’s sad that any of these are actually a thing in school—and yet they’re all too much of “a thing.” I appreciate the author’s willingness to confront them.
I also really liked how the author used those around Izzy—from a youth group leader to a deputy to, of course, her friends, and even her sister—to speak truth into her life and encourage her to do the same, even/especially when it’s hard.
I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
It defo dealt with some sad and heavy topics, and it’s sad that any of these are actually a thing in school—and yet they’re all too much of “a thing.” I appreciate the author’s willingness to confront them.
I also really liked how the author used those around Izzy—from a youth group leader to a deputy to, of course, her friends, and even her sister—to speak truth into her life and encourage her to do the same, even/especially when it’s hard.
I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
January 19, 2022
Was okay. Wasn't my favourite of the series, my favourite being 'Real not Perfect.'
Read
January 11, 2026Absolutely exceptional, this book was so powerful!
At the start, I felt giddy and excited as Zac, Izzy’s crush, talked to her, and began texting her. Ooh, his Dazzle! But then everyone was telling her to stay away from him. Come on, he can’t be that bad, sure he was eccentric , but that was his vibe!
But then things got weird. Izzy went to his house to see some kittens, but he answered the door shirtless. It was a little awkward, but whatever.
But stuff got weirder. Girls were saying “You’re posing for Zac?!” No she wasn’t. He had asked her to pose for a drawing, but she said no. Besides, she thought his art was supposed to be a secret.
But then it happened, he sent her a nude picture. It was seared into her mind. Ugh. But then he asked her to send him one. Uh big fat NO. Then he got mad. He hacked into her Snapchat and posted a fake nude picture of her! She was devastated. Boys whistled at her disrespectfully, girls were mean to her, they even put a gross bra in her school locker! But worst of all, people believed it was her.
Heh I’m going to stop here because I don’t want to spoil anything else. And you need to read this yourself! Trust me, it had a remarkable ending!
At the start, I felt giddy and excited as Zac, Izzy’s crush, talked to her, and began texting her. Ooh, his Dazzle! But then everyone was telling her to stay away from him. Come on, he can’t be that bad, sure he was eccentric , but that was his vibe!
But then things got weird. Izzy went to his house to see some kittens, but he answered the door shirtless. It was a little awkward, but whatever.
But stuff got weirder. Girls were saying “You’re posing for Zac?!” No she wasn’t. He had asked her to pose for a drawing, but she said no. Besides, she thought his art was supposed to be a secret.
But then it happened, he sent her a nude picture. It was seared into her mind. Ugh. But then he asked her to send him one. Uh big fat NO. Then he got mad. He hacked into her Snapchat and posted a fake nude picture of her! She was devastated. Boys whistled at her disrespectfully, girls were mean to her, they even put a gross bra in her school locker! But worst of all, people believed it was her.
Heh I’m going to stop here because I don’t want to spoil anything else. And you need to read this yourself! Trust me, it had a remarkable ending!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2024
Oh. My. Stars. This series is amazing. It's definitely geared toward older girls, so this one is definitely a 15+ in my opinion. I think pretty much any teenage girl could really benefit from this series, especially this book.
What I liked about it:
~Izzy is such an awesome character
~It dealt with real, important struggles
~It had great morals
~The revenge was awesome
What I didn't like about it:
~Finishing it means I'm one book closer to the end of the series.
Overall, there is some very heavy content in here, so please take into account the mentionings of child pornography when considering this book. It's an important topic, but I think it takes wisdom to read about it.
What I liked about it:
~Izzy is such an awesome character
~It dealt with real, important struggles
~It had great morals
~The revenge was awesome
What I didn't like about it:
~Finishing it means I'm one book closer to the end of the series.
Overall, there is some very heavy content in here, so please take into account the mentionings of child pornography when considering this book. It's an important topic, but I think it takes wisdom to read about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2023
This was a refreshing book to read, as I feel like there aren’t many young-adult Christian books out there (or at least any quality ones). It’s not a “thump you over the head with a Bible” type of fiction story either. Rather, the characters all have Christian values which is an underlying tone of the story, and is what drives Izzy to realize the mistakes she’s making as she navigates her first relationship.
Izzy had a lot on her plate right from the start of this book. She’s the default babysitter for her younger brother, Sebastian, who is autistic and needs someone around as they’ve only recently moved into Riverbend and Sebastian still needs to become accustomed to his surroundings and new school. There’s a lot of pressure on Izzy because of this, as well as being the one who typically gets dinner ready for the family because she doesn’t have a part-time job or other extracurriculars like her older sister does. Her baking skills don’t go unappreciated though, and it’s Claire who asks Izzy to make cupcakes for her robotics club meeting, and it’s there that Izzy formally meets her crush, Zac.
As Zac begins to interest in Izzy, he also raises red flags that were blatantly obvious, yet Izzy was making decisions and slightly changing herself because she wanted Zac to be her boyfriend. It was one of those books where you yell at the main character for being so stupid and going along with a toxic person, but you also know that this character is only 15/16 years old, so of course they’re going to make dumb mistakes to get the person they like to like them back. Of course, Izzy’s friends saw what was happening and tried to warn her away from Zac, but it wasn’t until Izzy got into a bit of a pickle that she realized how she was undervaluing herself for the sake of her relationship with Zac.
“God valued me, so I needed to set better standards for myself. Standards that showed I valued myself as much as God did. That meant not changing myself to please other people. It also meant being strong enough to speak up and say no when I needed to.”
That’s where Izzy realizes she’s been neglecting her relationship with God in order to be with a guy. There was even a point before Izzy realized Zac was bad for her that she was putting her baking and social media ahead of God and took a moment to step back and read her Bible. I felt that part as I’ve had those moments where I realize I need to slow down and just focus on God first, then the rest of what’s going on in my life/my interests. The fact that this lesson was in a YA book just made me love it more.
As far as Zac goes, I knew he was a creep right from the start. I wasn’t sure exactly how it would be revealed, but you can see his sketchiness right off the bat, which is why I spent so much time facepalming at Izzy for how she tried to change for him. He was throwing more red flags than a referee (with yellow flags) in an NFL playoff game. I was glad to see how he was handled once Izzy and her friends trusted that God would bring justice to the situation.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story, despite a bit of a slow start. Even if you aren’t a Christian or religious in any way, this is a good book to read. Again, it’s not going to preach at you. It just has characters that are of faith and show that, yes, Christians too mistakes in their lives (even the adult ones), which translates well into real life. So I highly recommend this book (and its companions) to anyone looking for a clean and/or Christian YA novel, whether for yourself or a teen in your life.
Rating: 4.25/5 stars
Izzy had a lot on her plate right from the start of this book. She’s the default babysitter for her younger brother, Sebastian, who is autistic and needs someone around as they’ve only recently moved into Riverbend and Sebastian still needs to become accustomed to his surroundings and new school. There’s a lot of pressure on Izzy because of this, as well as being the one who typically gets dinner ready for the family because she doesn’t have a part-time job or other extracurriculars like her older sister does. Her baking skills don’t go unappreciated though, and it’s Claire who asks Izzy to make cupcakes for her robotics club meeting, and it’s there that Izzy formally meets her crush, Zac.
As Zac begins to interest in Izzy, he also raises red flags that were blatantly obvious, yet Izzy was making decisions and slightly changing herself because she wanted Zac to be her boyfriend. It was one of those books where you yell at the main character for being so stupid and going along with a toxic person, but you also know that this character is only 15/16 years old, so of course they’re going to make dumb mistakes to get the person they like to like them back. Of course, Izzy’s friends saw what was happening and tried to warn her away from Zac, but it wasn’t until Izzy got into a bit of a pickle that she realized how she was undervaluing herself for the sake of her relationship with Zac.
“God valued me, so I needed to set better standards for myself. Standards that showed I valued myself as much as God did. That meant not changing myself to please other people. It also meant being strong enough to speak up and say no when I needed to.”
That’s where Izzy realizes she’s been neglecting her relationship with God in order to be with a guy. There was even a point before Izzy realized Zac was bad for her that she was putting her baking and social media ahead of God and took a moment to step back and read her Bible. I felt that part as I’ve had those moments where I realize I need to slow down and just focus on God first, then the rest of what’s going on in my life/my interests. The fact that this lesson was in a YA book just made me love it more.
As far as Zac goes, I knew he was a creep right from the start. I wasn’t sure exactly how it would be revealed, but you can see his sketchiness right off the bat, which is why I spent so much time facepalming at Izzy for how she tried to change for him. He was throwing more red flags than a referee (with yellow flags) in an NFL playoff game. I was glad to see how he was handled once Izzy and her friends trusted that God would bring justice to the situation.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story, despite a bit of a slow start. Even if you aren’t a Christian or religious in any way, this is a good book to read. Again, it’s not going to preach at you. It just has characters that are of faith and show that, yes, Christians too mistakes in their lives (even the adult ones), which translates well into real life. So I highly recommend this book (and its companions) to anyone looking for a clean and/or Christian YA novel, whether for yourself or a teen in your life.
Rating: 4.25/5 stars
August 5, 2021
The next installment in the Riverbend Friends series gives us a look into the life of Izzy and the struggles she faces. A great read for young adult females to connect with and relate to.
The third installment in the Riverbend Friends series picks up with the story of Izzy. Izzy has a lot put on her by her parents; while they are at work, she ends up being the caregiver for her brother, Sebastian. Izzy spends any free time she has making cupcakes and posting them to her Instagram account. During winter break, she feels more alone than ever with her friends gone and all the time she must spend at home taking care of her brother. When school starts back up and Zac, a senior she has had a crush on for a long time, starts showing interest in her and texting her, she feels like things are going her way. Her friends aren’t sure about Zac and Izzy just wants to be with him and have her friends be happy for her, is that too much to ask?
This has been a great year for good, clean young adult books. The Riverbend Friends series has been a great addition for young girls to read and enjoy. The newest installment adds value to the series with a great story, that just might be my favorite of the series. Izzy’s story resonated with me more than the others; there was more tension, and the stakes were higher for her with what she had to deal with. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this story will be much more intense with heavier issues than the previous. I think that is what made it my favorite as the stakes were higher which made me more invested in what was going to happen with the characters. We still got to see the other friends and what was happening in their world which is nice to build on that with each new novel. This book is perfect for young girls aged 12 to 16 that will show them the value of friendships and trusting your gut feelings when something doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
The third installment in the Riverbend Friends series picks up with the story of Izzy. Izzy has a lot put on her by her parents; while they are at work, she ends up being the caregiver for her brother, Sebastian. Izzy spends any free time she has making cupcakes and posting them to her Instagram account. During winter break, she feels more alone than ever with her friends gone and all the time she must spend at home taking care of her brother. When school starts back up and Zac, a senior she has had a crush on for a long time, starts showing interest in her and texting her, she feels like things are going her way. Her friends aren’t sure about Zac and Izzy just wants to be with him and have her friends be happy for her, is that too much to ask?
This has been a great year for good, clean young adult books. The Riverbend Friends series has been a great addition for young girls to read and enjoy. The newest installment adds value to the series with a great story, that just might be my favorite of the series. Izzy’s story resonated with me more than the others; there was more tension, and the stakes were higher for her with what she had to deal with. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this story will be much more intense with heavier issues than the previous. I think that is what made it my favorite as the stakes were higher which made me more invested in what was going to happen with the characters. We still got to see the other friends and what was happening in their world which is nice to build on that with each new novel. This book is perfect for young girls aged 12 to 16 that will show them the value of friendships and trusting your gut feelings when something doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
December 17, 2024
Loved this Christian YA story. I have not read the first two, but it didn't impact my understanding of this story. There were some great life lessons that I shared with my daughters.
4 friends, and Izzy is a creative spirit who loves to bake cupcakes. A cute, popular boy strikes up a relationship with her (her first boyfriend), and the red flags start flying! I was cringing for a lot of their interactions, knowing something bad was coming. It did, but thank God it wasn't as bad as I feared.
The relationship crashes and burns, hard lessons are learned (by all), and truth wins in the end. The final paragraphs of the book remind us to love ourselves well and expect better from those we allow into our lives.
This is a great read for anyone, but especially teenage girls.
4 friends, and Izzy is a creative spirit who loves to bake cupcakes. A cute, popular boy strikes up a relationship with her (her first boyfriend), and the red flags start flying! I was cringing for a lot of their interactions, knowing something bad was coming. It did, but thank God it wasn't as bad as I feared.
The relationship crashes and burns, hard lessons are learned (by all), and truth wins in the end. The final paragraphs of the book remind us to love ourselves well and expect better from those we allow into our lives.
This is a great read for anyone, but especially teenage girls.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2023
I love this book! I think it's my favorite of the whole series. You don't even have to read the first two before this one, but it would still be a good idea to anyway. 😉
August 29, 2025
the part about an autistic brother is very relatable and I loved that.
October 27, 2025
Really good book. Little situation talks about porn and the kids get charged for it. Appropriate for young teens too. Stuff that happens in the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2026
yes. amazing. love it so much!
(talks about some dark topics)
(talks about some dark topics)
January 2, 2024
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK: I felt that I could relate to Isabella, due to having dealt with feelings of isolation and loneliness in seasons when my friends' lives were super busy and mine wasn't. I also used to babysit my younger brother a lot, so I figured we had that in common too!
CONTENT: This book deals with some important topics like christian dating and the importance of waiting until marriage to be intimate. There were certain points in the book that leaned a bit too much into political correctness in my opinion, but I chose to overlook them for the sake of the story itself.
CHARACTERS: Izzy (the main character) was well written and developed. While Isabella may not be relatable to all readers, I still feel that her character was not only well-established at the start of this book, but also well-developed over the course of the story. She matures & grows as a person---learning from her mistakes---while staying true to her character.
Additionally, (though many times I cringed at the decisions she made) I feel that Izzy's thoughts and actions during the story were realistic for someone her age in those situations. The other characters in the book also had realistic actions, responses, and development throughout the story.
THEMES: The main themes (takeaways) for this book can be summed up in this excerpt: "God valued me, so I needed to set better standards for myself. Standards that showed I valued myself as much as God did. That meant not changing myself to please other people. It also meant being strong enougn to speak up and say no when I needed to."
Overall, I liked this book and when I finished it, I wanted to read more. I'm excited to see what the next book written from Izzy's perspective will hold!
CONTENT: This book deals with some important topics like christian dating and the importance of waiting until marriage to be intimate. There were certain points in the book that leaned a bit too much into political correctness in my opinion, but I chose to overlook them for the sake of the story itself.
CHARACTERS: Izzy (the main character) was well written and developed. While Isabella may not be relatable to all readers, I still feel that her character was not only well-established at the start of this book, but also well-developed over the course of the story. She matures & grows as a person---learning from her mistakes---while staying true to her character.
Additionally, (though many times I cringed at the decisions she made) I feel that Izzy's thoughts and actions during the story were realistic for someone her age in those situations. The other characters in the book also had realistic actions, responses, and development throughout the story.
THEMES: The main themes (takeaways) for this book can be summed up in this excerpt: "God valued me, so I needed to set better standards for myself. Standards that showed I valued myself as much as God did. That meant not changing myself to please other people. It also meant being strong enougn to speak up and say no when I needed to."
Overall, I liked this book and when I finished it, I wanted to read more. I'm excited to see what the next book written from Izzy's perspective will hold!
Read
November 17, 2021Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.
This is the third book in the Riverbend Friends Series. This book follows Izzy on her journey. I give this a 4 out of 5 stars. Jill Williamson did a great great in writing The Me You See. I would recommend anyone to read this book. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
This is the third book in the Riverbend Friends Series. This book follows Izzy on her journey. I give this a 4 out of 5 stars. Jill Williamson did a great great in writing The Me You See. I would recommend anyone to read this book. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
September 7, 2023
This book was a pretty big letdown after the first two. This one had way more of the boyfriend-girlfriend aspect than I would have liked. Usually I can enjoy a book like this even with the plot, but I disagreed with just about everything the main character choose to do. It made reading the book not enjoyable.
June 18, 2022
So, when I first read this book, it was my least favorite, I must admit.
But I skipped through it again later, and realized it was really good. It's actually my absolute favorite out of the series now, and I've read it, like, twenty times :)
But I skipped through it again later, and realized it was really good. It's actually my absolute favorite out of the series now, and I've read it, like, twenty times :)
April 7, 2023
I really enjoyed this series.
July 6, 2023
Niceee. I will be reading the other books in this series ;)
December 9, 2023
I have read this book so many times because I love it so much!
June 24, 2024
Drew things out but then wrapped up major conflict very quickly in comparison.
April 8, 2025
This book was definitely my least favorite in the series. I loved Tessa and Shay’s books but Izzy’s book just wasn’t what I was expecting.
August 5, 2025
I think I’ll have to give this 5 stars because I read it in 1 sitting(sleeping?), from about 10:45pm last night to 2:30am this morning in bed.
November 14, 2025
As Izzy would say, “Oh, my stars.” This is a great book with incredibly important life lessons. I love how Izzy comes to realize that God’s opinion is what matters, not man’s. Please read!
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