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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
Beautiful and Powerful.
UPDATE:
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.*
This book blew me away. I know I’ve said that in the past, but really, this book blew me away. I am shocked that this is the first book by this author. It was amazing. It was heartbreaking. It was powerful.
It is told in four different point of views.
Each of them telling their side of the story and what they think of Alice.
Your heart will break for her.
I found myself predicting some things that were going to happen, but that actually didn’t bother me at all.
This story pulled and tugged at my heartstrings like no other.
Alice is one tough girl. My heart shattered into a million tiny little pieces for her.
I can easily say that The Truth About Alice will be on my list of favorite books of 2014.
Even though it is told in multiple point of views, it is not once confusing. Each character has their own voice. The writing is so well done.
The Truth About Alice has depth, it has layers, it has a message.
It shows us how one lie can be taken too far, how one lie can be blown out of proportion. It shows us how the person who the lie is about deals with the aftermath. It shows us how the person who told the lies deals with the guilt, if there is any at all. It shows us how one tiny lie can change a person, how it can destroy a person’s life.
The Truth About Alice tackles important and touchy subjects. It’s brilliant.
Through each of the character’s point of view we find out their reasons for doing what they have done. We discover things about them that no one else knows. We somehow understand their reasoning for what they did. Even though what they did is horrible, we understand the why. The characters are realistic.
The Truth About Alice describes high school and teenagers perfectly.
We don’t actually get inside of Alice’s head until the very last chapter and it’s very emotional. I felt her pain and anger.
You should grab this book when it comes out June 3. Everyone should read this book. It’s a quick read with a powerful punch.
UPDATE:
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.*
This book blew me away. I know I’ve said that in the past, but really, this book blew me away. I am shocked that this is the first book by this author. It was amazing. It was heartbreaking. It was powerful.
It is told in four different point of views.
Each of them telling their side of the story and what they think of Alice.
Your heart will break for her.
I found myself predicting some things that were going to happen, but that actually didn’t bother me at all.
This story pulled and tugged at my heartstrings like no other.
Alice is one tough girl. My heart shattered into a million tiny little pieces for her.
I can easily say that The Truth About Alice will be on my list of favorite books of 2014.
Even though it is told in multiple point of views, it is not once confusing. Each character has their own voice. The writing is so well done.
The Truth About Alice has depth, it has layers, it has a message.
It shows us how one lie can be taken too far, how one lie can be blown out of proportion. It shows us how the person who the lie is about deals with the aftermath. It shows us how the person who told the lies deals with the guilt, if there is any at all. It shows us how one tiny lie can change a person, how it can destroy a person’s life.
The Truth About Alice tackles important and touchy subjects. It’s brilliant.
Through each of the character’s point of view we find out their reasons for doing what they have done. We discover things about them that no one else knows. We somehow understand their reasoning for what they did. Even though what they did is horrible, we understand the why. The characters are realistic.
The Truth About Alice describes high school and teenagers perfectly.
We don’t actually get inside of Alice’s head until the very last chapter and it’s very emotional. I felt her pain and anger.
You should grab this book when it comes out June 3. Everyone should read this book. It’s a quick read with a powerful punch.
When I was 17 heading towards my senior year in high school, I started working at the nearby A&P grocery store. During my senior year someone drew a picture of a circle with what was supposed to be me in the middle with a line crossed through it and wrote "The I hate Cynthia Goodnough fan club" on a stall door in the employee bathroom. Why? I don't really know. I can venture a guess- a classmate and former friend of mine, was upset a boy she liked preferred me. She rallied her/our friends to be against me not only at the store- where I will note she did not work but had many friends, but at the high school. It was awful. Beyond awful actually.
Although my experiences don't come close to Alice's in "The Truth About Alice" my heart raced as I read this novel. What was most unsettling & upsetting is how real this could be. After I thought back to my own experiences I thought about my girls and what their teen years will be like. How I can help them navigate through so as to avoid the mean girl, bullying b.s. teen girls.
I'm also curious what YA's think as they read this book. I felt the 4 voices were far more insightful than I think they would be in reality. I would have liked an explanation as to why they were remembering that time in their lives. Were they adults looking back? Were they talking to a counselor? What prompted the memories?
A good read - which sadly I think many can relate to.
Although my experiences don't come close to Alice's in "The Truth About Alice" my heart raced as I read this novel. What was most unsettling & upsetting is how real this could be. After I thought back to my own experiences I thought about my girls and what their teen years will be like. How I can help them navigate through so as to avoid the mean girl, bullying b.s. teen girls.
I'm also curious what YA's think as they read this book. I felt the 4 voices were far more insightful than I think they would be in reality. I would have liked an explanation as to why they were remembering that time in their lives. Were they adults looking back? Were they talking to a counselor? What prompted the memories?
A good read - which sadly I think many can relate to.
There is one thing I've learned about people: they don't get that mean and nasty overnight. It's not human nature. But if you give people enough time, eventually they'll do the most heartbreaking stuff in the world.
3.5/5 I liked and didn't like the ending. Nonetheless, this was a good read.
Also posted on Rally the Readers.
* I received an ARC via NetGalley.
I normally don’t go for potentially drama-heavy books like this one, but I happened to be in the mood to read something different, and I’m glad that I picked up The Truth About Alice. There’s really not a whole lot that’s extraordinary about the plot itself; you have a teenage girl who’s not only been labeled as a slut by just about everyone in school but who’s also blamed by most of her small town for the death of its high school football star. High school football is one of the few sources of entertainment in a place like Healy, making the loss of Brandon Fitzsimmons even more devastating. Wild rumors dog Alice Franklin wherever she goes, and she’s a pariah at school. These aren’t exactly elements that I usually seek out in a book, but they totally work here. Credit Jennifer Mathieu with writing a very well paced novel that I found difficult to put down.
I’ve blathered on before in other reviews of contemporary novels about how my attention needs to be grabbed quickly. That was not a problem here; the prose was engaging from the get-go. The book could have easily become bogged down in trite melodrama, but the sharp writing prevents that. You know from the beginning that you don’t have a full picture of Alice’s character, only a sketch that’s based on what everyone else says about her, most of which is far from flattering. The promise of finding out who Alice really was and what actually happened the night Brandon died were what kept me turning the pages eagerly.
The book is narrated from the alternating POVs of a handful of Alice’s classmates, and whatever you learn about her is through their eyes. It’s a technique that works extremely well as you’re left to absorb all of the details and then form your own opinion of Alice. Each chapter isn’t just about Alice, though; Elaine, Kelsie, Josh, and Kurt are all given a good deal of depth. Even when I was angered by the way some of the characters, like Elaine and Kelsie, treated Alice, I was as invested in their individual stories as I was in Alice’s. Mathieu does an excellent job tying her characters’ lives together and utilizing multiple POVs to great effect.
Sometimes a book just clicks with you, even when there’s a familiar ring to some elements of the plot. The top-notch storytelling in The Truth About Alice sets it apart, though, making is a very worthwhile read.
Merged review:
Also posted on Rally the Readers.
* I received an ARC via NetGalley.
I normally don’t go for potentially drama-heavy books like this one, but I happened to be in the mood to read something different, and I’m glad that I picked up The Truth About Alice. There’s really not a whole lot that’s extraordinary about the plot itself; you have a teenage girl who’s not only been labeled as a slut by just about everyone in school but who’s also blamed by most of her small town for the death of its high school football star. High school football is one of the few sources of entertainment in a place like Healy, making the loss of Brandon Fitzsimmons even more devastating. Wild rumors dog Alice Franklin wherever she goes, and she’s a pariah at school. These aren’t exactly elements that I usually seek out in a book, but they totally work here. Credit Jennifer Mathieu with writing a very well paced novel that I found difficult to put down.
I’ve blathered on before in other reviews of contemporary novels about how my attention needs to be grabbed quickly. That was not a problem here; the prose was engaging from the get-go. The book could have easily become bogged down in trite melodrama, but the sharp writing prevents that. You know from the beginning that you don’t have a full picture of Alice’s character, only a sketch that’s based on what everyone else says about her, most of which is far from flattering. The promise of finding out who Alice really was and what actually happened the night Brandon died were what kept me turning the pages eagerly.
The book is narrated from the alternating POVs of a handful of Alice’s classmates, and whatever you learn about her is through their eyes. It’s a technique that works extremely well as you’re left to absorb all of the details and then form your own opinion of Alice. Each chapter isn’t just about Alice, though; Elaine, Kelsie, Josh, and Kurt are all given a good deal of depth. Even when I was angered by the way some of the characters, like Elaine and Kelsie, treated Alice, I was as invested in their individual stories as I was in Alice’s. Mathieu does an excellent job tying her characters’ lives together and utilizing multiple POVs to great effect.
Sometimes a book just clicks with you, even when there’s a familiar ring to some elements of the plot. The top-notch storytelling in The Truth About Alice sets it apart, though, making is a very worthwhile read.
* I received an ARC via NetGalley.
I normally don’t go for potentially drama-heavy books like this one, but I happened to be in the mood to read something different, and I’m glad that I picked up The Truth About Alice. There’s really not a whole lot that’s extraordinary about the plot itself; you have a teenage girl who’s not only been labeled as a slut by just about everyone in school but who’s also blamed by most of her small town for the death of its high school football star. High school football is one of the few sources of entertainment in a place like Healy, making the loss of Brandon Fitzsimmons even more devastating. Wild rumors dog Alice Franklin wherever she goes, and she’s a pariah at school. These aren’t exactly elements that I usually seek out in a book, but they totally work here. Credit Jennifer Mathieu with writing a very well paced novel that I found difficult to put down.
I’ve blathered on before in other reviews of contemporary novels about how my attention needs to be grabbed quickly. That was not a problem here; the prose was engaging from the get-go. The book could have easily become bogged down in trite melodrama, but the sharp writing prevents that. You know from the beginning that you don’t have a full picture of Alice’s character, only a sketch that’s based on what everyone else says about her, most of which is far from flattering. The promise of finding out who Alice really was and what actually happened the night Brandon died were what kept me turning the pages eagerly.
The book is narrated from the alternating POVs of a handful of Alice’s classmates, and whatever you learn about her is through their eyes. It’s a technique that works extremely well as you’re left to absorb all of the details and then form your own opinion of Alice. Each chapter isn’t just about Alice, though; Elaine, Kelsie, Josh, and Kurt are all given a good deal of depth. Even when I was angered by the way some of the characters, like Elaine and Kelsie, treated Alice, I was as invested in their individual stories as I was in Alice’s. Mathieu does an excellent job tying her characters’ lives together and utilizing multiple POVs to great effect.
Sometimes a book just clicks with you, even when there’s a familiar ring to some elements of the plot. The top-notch storytelling in The Truth About Alice sets it apart, though, making is a very worthwhile read.
Merged review:
Also posted on Rally the Readers.
* I received an ARC via NetGalley.
I normally don’t go for potentially drama-heavy books like this one, but I happened to be in the mood to read something different, and I’m glad that I picked up The Truth About Alice. There’s really not a whole lot that’s extraordinary about the plot itself; you have a teenage girl who’s not only been labeled as a slut by just about everyone in school but who’s also blamed by most of her small town for the death of its high school football star. High school football is one of the few sources of entertainment in a place like Healy, making the loss of Brandon Fitzsimmons even more devastating. Wild rumors dog Alice Franklin wherever she goes, and she’s a pariah at school. These aren’t exactly elements that I usually seek out in a book, but they totally work here. Credit Jennifer Mathieu with writing a very well paced novel that I found difficult to put down.
I’ve blathered on before in other reviews of contemporary novels about how my attention needs to be grabbed quickly. That was not a problem here; the prose was engaging from the get-go. The book could have easily become bogged down in trite melodrama, but the sharp writing prevents that. You know from the beginning that you don’t have a full picture of Alice’s character, only a sketch that’s based on what everyone else says about her, most of which is far from flattering. The promise of finding out who Alice really was and what actually happened the night Brandon died were what kept me turning the pages eagerly.
The book is narrated from the alternating POVs of a handful of Alice’s classmates, and whatever you learn about her is through their eyes. It’s a technique that works extremely well as you’re left to absorb all of the details and then form your own opinion of Alice. Each chapter isn’t just about Alice, though; Elaine, Kelsie, Josh, and Kurt are all given a good deal of depth. Even when I was angered by the way some of the characters, like Elaine and Kelsie, treated Alice, I was as invested in their individual stories as I was in Alice’s. Mathieu does an excellent job tying her characters’ lives together and utilizing multiple POVs to great effect.
Sometimes a book just clicks with you, even when there’s a familiar ring to some elements of the plot. The top-notch storytelling in The Truth About Alice sets it apart, though, making is a very worthwhile read.
This was a pretty quick read, but it was really eye opening. It was a realistic view of how high school can be-how easy it is to spread rumours and blame, how everyone is too worried to stick up for someone else for fear of being ostracized.
This should be required reading for high school kids simply because it explains the heart of bullying so simply but so powerfully.
This should be required reading for high school kids simply because it explains the heart of bullying so simply but so powerfully.
Actual rating of 2.5 stars! I liked seeing the multiple POVs, but I feel like the heaviness of how this girl's life was so traumatically altered because of the choices other people made didn't come across as much as I needed it to in the end. I felt like I was missing the major connection to her and her story that ultimately left me feeling a little unsatisfied with the overall progress of the book. Full review soon.
*Edited for full review on 06/27/2014.
My original review of this title can be found here on The Book Hookup.
**SPECIAL NOTE:** An eARC of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♥ Initial Thoughts and Rating: 2.5 stars! This book seemed to work for other readers more than it worked for me. While I really enjoyed certain aspects of this book, such as the multiple POVs who gave their perception of Alice and the rumors surrounding her, it was my overall disconnect with Alice, who the whole book centers around, that left this novel feeling a bit lackluster, in my opinion.
♥ The Lowdown: Everyone in this small Southern town has an opinion about Alice Franklin and the things she may or may not have done– slept with two boys in one night, got an abortion, was the reason star quarterback and Mr. Popular, Brandon, died in a car accident. Greatly affected by these rumors swirling all around her and all but being outrightly shunned from her community, Alice crawls further and further into her shell. However, we don’t get a firsthand account from Alice herself. Her story is delivered through the eyes of the people around her and all of them have an important role in her being ostracized. There’s former and current enemy and Miss Popularity, Elaine, football star and Brandon’s best friend, Josh, Alice’s former best friend and old outcast, Kelsie, and resident recluse and boy genius, Kurt. Not only are they almost determined on keeping her down, but they are each holding on to a secret that could help clear Alice’s name, but what would it cost them to reveal such information?
♥ My Thoughts: I’m not sure if I’m disappointed in the actual execution of this novel or if it simply didn’t live up to how much I had hyped it up in my mind. There were certain parts of the novel that if they had only been expanded on more, particularly the growth of the characters and more from Alice’s perspective, I might have enjoyed this a great deal better. Yet, it wasn’t, and so I can’t be satisfied with the story I was given.
One of the parts that made it easy to identify with this story so thoroughly is because I’m from a relatively small Southern town, myself, and I feel that the author really captured small-town living perfectly. We do know everyone and a vast majority of the people pride themselves on knowing everyone else’s business. Gossip comes second nature and the rumor mill is always in working order. I remember what high school was like for me and so many other girls, so it was easy to pick up on that part of this novel. It was believable because I had lived that life myself.
As for the characters, I really enjoyed getting into the heads of all these high school students and seeing how they manipulated events so that it showed Alice in a poorer light, and yet she was completely innocent. It was a good look into how people’s choices have a greater impact than we might expect in the moment, but I can’t see how that directly correlates into the overall story arc. Are we supposed to see just how big of an asshole people can be and nothing more? Perhaps if these characters had made strides to correct their mistakes and how they had wronged Alice, I would have had a greater appreciation for this story. However, as it stands now, there was no real growth for these characters. While they admitted to themselves that the position they took against Alice was wrong, they did nothing to better the situation. It left a really bad taste in my mouth and, more so, left this novel feeling incomplete.
But my biggest issue in this book was my inability to make a connection with Alice. While she’s the primary focus of the entire novel, we don’t actually get anything from her POV until the very end. Although I was able to dredge up some sympathy for the overall shittiness of her situation– because, hey, been there, done that– I wasn’t able to make a personal connection with her and how the events surrounding her made her feel. It was this lack of kinship with her and realizing her struggles through a firsthand account that made this novel seem so unfulfilling.
♥ Rec It? It’s a matter of personal taste, I think. I have good friends that have liked and disliked this novel in equal measure. It wasn’t my ideal story, but because of other readers’ love of it, I can’t say that it shouldn’t be recommended at all. Maybe this is one to pick up at the library.
♥ A very special thanks to Roaring Book Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this title in exchange for my honest thoughts.
*Edited for full review on 06/27/2014.
My original review of this title can be found here on The Book Hookup.
**SPECIAL NOTE:** An eARC of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♥ Initial Thoughts and Rating: 2.5 stars! This book seemed to work for other readers more than it worked for me. While I really enjoyed certain aspects of this book, such as the multiple POVs who gave their perception of Alice and the rumors surrounding her, it was my overall disconnect with Alice, who the whole book centers around, that left this novel feeling a bit lackluster, in my opinion.
♥ The Lowdown: Everyone in this small Southern town has an opinion about Alice Franklin and the things she may or may not have done– slept with two boys in one night, got an abortion, was the reason star quarterback and Mr. Popular, Brandon, died in a car accident. Greatly affected by these rumors swirling all around her and all but being outrightly shunned from her community, Alice crawls further and further into her shell. However, we don’t get a firsthand account from Alice herself. Her story is delivered through the eyes of the people around her and all of them have an important role in her being ostracized. There’s former and current enemy and Miss Popularity, Elaine, football star and Brandon’s best friend, Josh, Alice’s former best friend and old outcast, Kelsie, and resident recluse and boy genius, Kurt. Not only are they almost determined on keeping her down, but they are each holding on to a secret that could help clear Alice’s name, but what would it cost them to reveal such information?
♥ My Thoughts: I’m not sure if I’m disappointed in the actual execution of this novel or if it simply didn’t live up to how much I had hyped it up in my mind. There were certain parts of the novel that if they had only been expanded on more, particularly the growth of the characters and more from Alice’s perspective, I might have enjoyed this a great deal better. Yet, it wasn’t, and so I can’t be satisfied with the story I was given.
One of the parts that made it easy to identify with this story so thoroughly is because I’m from a relatively small Southern town, myself, and I feel that the author really captured small-town living perfectly. We do know everyone and a vast majority of the people pride themselves on knowing everyone else’s business. Gossip comes second nature and the rumor mill is always in working order. I remember what high school was like for me and so many other girls, so it was easy to pick up on that part of this novel. It was believable because I had lived that life myself.
As for the characters, I really enjoyed getting into the heads of all these high school students and seeing how they manipulated events so that it showed Alice in a poorer light, and yet she was completely innocent. It was a good look into how people’s choices have a greater impact than we might expect in the moment, but I can’t see how that directly correlates into the overall story arc. Are we supposed to see just how big of an asshole people can be and nothing more? Perhaps if these characters had made strides to correct their mistakes and how they had wronged Alice, I would have had a greater appreciation for this story. However, as it stands now, there was no real growth for these characters. While they admitted to themselves that the position they took against Alice was wrong, they did nothing to better the situation. It left a really bad taste in my mouth and, more so, left this novel feeling incomplete.
But my biggest issue in this book was my inability to make a connection with Alice. While she’s the primary focus of the entire novel, we don’t actually get anything from her POV until the very end. Although I was able to dredge up some sympathy for the overall shittiness of her situation– because, hey, been there, done that– I wasn’t able to make a personal connection with her and how the events surrounding her made her feel. It was this lack of kinship with her and realizing her struggles through a firsthand account that made this novel seem so unfulfilling.
♥ Rec It? It’s a matter of personal taste, I think. I have good friends that have liked and disliked this novel in equal measure. It wasn’t my ideal story, but because of other readers’ love of it, I can’t say that it shouldn’t be recommended at all. Maybe this is one to pick up at the library.
♥ A very special thanks to Roaring Book Press and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this title in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This book was suppose to be about bullying, peer pressure and mean girls spreading false rumors. This book gave us many POV's about the night in question, on what Alice did and with who. This book was confusing, repeatable and none quite gave the right story for what happened the night of the party.
I've been out of high school for a long time now, but I went to school similar to the one in this book. I think that's why I could see this happening as I watched rumors grow just like what Alice experienced. The characters were all interesting and flawed and unique. And although their voices weren't completely unique to each other, I could feel each character and not have to guess who's point of view I was reading. The end felt a bit rushed, which was why it got four stars.
Really loved this one--I finished it in just a few hours. I think it's an important read for high school students, especially in a world where information (and gossip) travels at light-speed. The story is told from the perspective of several different teenagers, and it revolves around Alice, the subject of some vicious rumors. We hear the story from the point-of-view of the people who started these rumors, which really makes these characters more difficult to dislike (even though you'll definitely be frustrated by them). I also love that we don't hear from Alice until the very last pages--it makes her perspective all the more powerful. I will DEFINITELY be getting a copy of this for my library...probably several, actually...and encouraging my kids to read it.