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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
This was of course more along the YA genre but it was a good read. It's been a long time since I was in high school, but it seems the dynamics are about the same. This book was very well written and showed great strength along with great weakness. Based on the synopsis we know that rumors get spread about Alice. Throughout the book we learn the truth from many different POV's and I don't want to give anything away. We see great strength from Alice herself by holding her head up and from Kurt. We see great weakness from everyone who helped to spread the rumors and believe them without even bothering to ask Alice what happened. It was a great book for teens and adults.
I liked the message in this book and while it's a little predictable, the journey to the lesson is enjoyable. I'd recommend adding it to any young adult's bookshelf.
I read this book in less than 24 hours and would have finished it in one sitting if life didn't get in the way.
The writing was great, the story, though somewhat predictable, was good and the characters were genuine.
This is such an important book for teens to read. In the blurb about herself here on goodreads, the author states she "writes books for and about young adults." This is exactly that. I enjoy reading young adult books even though I am in my 30s, but this...this is a great read for teens. That is not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did, I just kept thinking I need to save this for my daughter to read in a few years.
Also, the author is an English teacher. I wonder if she teaches high school, because her characters were just perfect. The language, the thought processes, and interactions were just spot on! It is so important for me as a reader to have a believable story and characters.
I highly recommend this to anyone with a high school student. Read it first and share it with your teen (especially daughters). It will serve as a good platform for discussion. (Fair warning: there are some subjects presented that may be considered controversial to some).
I received this book in an exchange for a review
The writing was great, the story, though somewhat predictable, was good and the characters were genuine.
This is such an important book for teens to read. In the blurb about herself here on goodreads, the author states she "writes books for and about young adults." This is exactly that. I enjoy reading young adult books even though I am in my 30s, but this...this is a great read for teens. That is not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did, I just kept thinking I need to save this for my daughter to read in a few years.
Also, the author is an English teacher. I wonder if she teaches high school, because her characters were just perfect. The language, the thought processes, and interactions were just spot on! It is so important for me as a reader to have a believable story and characters.
I highly recommend this to anyone with a high school student. Read it first and share it with your teen (especially daughters). It will serve as a good platform for discussion. (Fair warning: there are some subjects presented that may be considered controversial to some).
I received this book in an exchange for a review
Very powerful story about truth, lies, speculation, innuendo and the hateful things we do to each other. "If you give people enough time, eventually they'll do the most heartbreaking stuff in the world."
I will definitely recommend to readers of realistic fiction.
I will definitely recommend to readers of realistic fiction.
I was hooked from the very beginning of this book. This is right up there with books like Thirteen Reasons Why as it is the kind of book that kids need to read in order to understand that rumors aren't harmless and the words you say have consequences. I was worried about how I would feel about so many characters who were so "bad" but despite their behavior, I didn't hate them. Instead I was intrigued and often found myself feeling sorry for the people they thought they needed to be. They were just doing what so many have done in high school. It's about popularity and staying on top. It's about how quickly someone can fall.
I really liked the writing style. Alice's story is told through those around her. Each chapter reveals a bit more of her story until at last, we learn the truth.
This is a powerful debut for Jennifer Mathieu. I suspect we will be seeing a lot from her in the future.
Favorite Quotes:
"It's weird how some things can just get out of control sometimes. And it's weird how like, when it's your job to be a popular bitch, you just feel compelled to keep doing it sometimes."
". . . One thing I've learned about people: they don't get mean and nasty overnight. It's not human nature."
I really liked the writing style. Alice's story is told through those around her. Each chapter reveals a bit more of her story until at last, we learn the truth.
This is a powerful debut for Jennifer Mathieu. I suspect we will be seeing a lot from her in the future.
Favorite Quotes:
"It's weird how some things can just get out of control sometimes. And it's weird how like, when it's your job to be a popular bitch, you just feel compelled to keep doing it sometimes."
". . . One thing I've learned about people: they don't get mean and nasty overnight. It's not human nature."
I found myself holding my breath at times, during the reading of this novel. Short, but packing a punch, this story is inspirational in many ways. Alice Franklin has always stood out in the small town of Healy. Her poise, confidence and independence was hard to overlook. Now, with a horrible rumour spreading like wildfire, plus an accusation of her role in the death of a beloved boy in the school, the entire town is caught up in trying to destroy her reputation. All alone, she is approached by another loner, Kurt. The story is told by four characters, with the last chapter delivered by Alice, herself. Highly recommended.
I was able to read an ARC of this book, and I'm so glad I had the chance. This is a book about high school bullying, told from the points of view of several different characters. Some are popular, some rank lower on the high school totem pole. The story has been told numerous times over - rumor goes around about a girl being a slut, it's not true, will anyone ever believe her? But Mathieu tells it so beautifully that it seems fresh and original. You'll get sucked into the story, but it's not overly emotional, unnecessarily tugging at heartstrings. It's a great book about how rumors get started in high school and stories spin out of control and keep going just because it's easier than making them stop.
"I really can't handle talking about this for too long because it just hurts too much, but I want to say that there is one thing I’ve learned about people: they don’t get that mean and nasty overnight. It’s not human nature.
If you give people enough time, eventually they’ll do the most heartbreaking stuff in the world."
Don't get me wrong, this is a great book. But then, I had read/watch stories like this before so the message doesn't really struck me as hard as I want it to. Mostly, it just reminds me on how I felt after reading The Sky is Everywhere. I know that I should feel some palpable heartbreaking emotion that will wreck me for days, but it didn't come. The emotion was just lost because it didn't affect me that powerfully. I know, I must be getting numb but I tried really hard for the story to affect me as much because I really want to love this book.
But I didn't, sadly.
Aside for the emotional wreck of feels that only mildly showed itself, the multiple perspectives work and didn't work for me. Most of the time, though, I felt like it is a brilliant way to narrate the story. We are actually shown this bunch of people related to Alice's downfall and at first, you expected to hate them because they each (except for Kurt) contributed something nasty to the rumor mill. But then you get to know them and know their own stories, too. Elaine, Kelsey, Josh and Kurt each have some honest stories to tell. I like how they own up to their reputations or afraid to lose theirs. I like that they are both shallow and substantial and after a while, you sort of love/hate them for it. These are a bunch of stereotyped characters with personalities and depth. Their point of views are also really distinguishable and I never felt confuse on who's turn it is.
On the other hand, there were times that I also felt like the story digress, that the main issue about Alice is swept away in the sidelines. Sometimes, I just want some Alice perspective on what is happening. Something more about Alice even if Alice didn't really stand up much for herself, that she just let these people screw her over. I don't get why she didn't do something and I wanted to know what she feel. Perhaps it's too much? That there's nothing that can be done? Maybe, she just thought that nobody cares anymore -- especially her. But still, I think she's pretty strong because it will take some serious guts to go to school everyday after everything that happened.
Now, if you are expecting a story with a plot, you might also be disappointed. This book doesn't have a climax or whatnot. But seriously, I think that this book's purpose is not really about presenting you with the five plot elements. There's a lot of backstories from the multiple POVs revolving mainly around the same issue and through this, you can gradually see the whole truth and "why" these characters do these horrible things. In regards of that, the message is obvious, in a good way. But like I said, it was something I've known before and seen before. It was heart-warming but not really heart-wrenching. I wasn't emotionally detached but I wasn't a heartbroken mess either, which I actually hoped I would achieve for I got high expectations before reading this book.
The ending doesn't really resolved anything. I was bit unsatisfied about it. There's a lot of issues -- big and small -- involved in this book and none of them was concretely tied up by the end. But then again, the ending also felt realistic for its portrayal that not everything resolves as smoothly in real life. No easy solutions/happily ever afters. There's just a lot of possibilities with that ending.
In the end, I am sort of in-between in this one but frankly, for such a short book, I'm surprised it turned out this good.
A nice wee novel that I read quickly, it was easy to read, but it also grabbed me and I wanted to get to the end. I was a little disappointed with the end, and I felt there could have been just a little more development to take it from good to excellent.
A very good debut, and a great read I would recommend to teenagers.
A very good debut, and a great read I would recommend to teenagers.
This book threw me off at first. It all seemed so strange reading about someone from various peoples point of view. Once I got used to it though the story telling was absolutely incredible. It delved into the thought process of people blaming girl for someone's death while completely ostracizing her.
I have to say that The Truth About Alice is the most inventive book I've read this year. It's the complete opposite from what I expected and it gives you the perspective of people looking at someone versus the person who is being ostracized.
Highly recommend if you are looking for a different book that is a quick but overall extremely enjoyable read.
I have to say that The Truth About Alice is the most inventive book I've read this year. It's the complete opposite from what I expected and it gives you the perspective of people looking at someone versus the person who is being ostracized.
Highly recommend if you are looking for a different book that is a quick but overall extremely enjoyable read.