Scan barcode
aughadan's review against another edition
4.0
(Note: For me, five stars is generally reserved for the life-changing, absolute favorite type of book, and so four is about as good as anyone can hope for. I'm not 100% sure of the rating for this; I'll probably think on it some more. For now it's four, with the assurance that if 4 and a half were currently an option, that's what it would be.
This is an odd book. I have no other way to say this. The cover blurbs dinThis is an odd book. I have no other way to say this. The cover blurbs din't do it justice, plot-wise; it's about so much more, but then isn't that often the case?
Anyway, the subject piqued my interest, though after reading some of the reviews, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Nonetheless, I checked it out, and tonight I picked it up again. I finished it in one sitting, which is something I don't think I've done in years, but there was something about it that continuously propelled me forward.
First, Tola. A great character who was surprisingly easy for me to identify with, even if I can point out precisely each point where my decisions would diverge from hers. In some ways she was childish, yes, but to me that was just her being caught between childhood and adulthood (all that might just define adolescence, anyway) and trying to navigate all the changes and various events. I think I did like her, but it took time to get there. She was the most psychologically realistic teenage character I've seen in a long time (that even goes for Madge/Tiffany, too, at certain times in the books).
A few reviews said the characters weren't very detailed. I suppose that's true, even about Tola (who I will say more about in a moment), but to me they were evocative. Even though they were sketches more than anything else, they felt real. I think that that dovetails with the book's subjectiveness. It's already been noted that the truth about the alleged affair is never explicitly revealed (an account and explanation of the event that sparked the initial rumor is presented, but even so, you don't really know for sure if that's how it happened, or if that's all that happened.)
In fact, you, the reader, seemed to be invited to draw your own conclusions about so many things, including the motivations of some of the characters and even whether the character was supposed to be good or bad. The grayness of it all was in turns rewarding and vexing in its own way, but ultimately it was rewarding, and I'm glad I read it.
I agree that it's probably the sort of thing that you either love or loathe, but to me it was absorbing and effective and thought-provoking, and what else can I ask for in a novel?
This is an odd book. I have no other way to say this. The cover blurbs dinThis is an odd book. I have no other way to say this. The cover blurbs din't do it justice, plot-wise; it's about so much more, but then isn't that often the case?
Anyway, the subject piqued my interest, though after reading some of the reviews, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Nonetheless, I checked it out, and tonight I picked it up again. I finished it in one sitting, which is something I don't think I've done in years, but there was something about it that continuously propelled me forward.
First, Tola. A great character who was surprisingly easy for me to identify with, even if I can point out precisely each point where my decisions would diverge from hers. In some ways she was childish, yes, but to me that was just her being caught between childhood and adulthood (all that might just define adolescence, anyway) and trying to navigate all the changes and various events. I think I did like her, but it took time to get there. She was the most psychologically realistic teenage character I've seen in a long time (that even goes for Madge/Tiffany, too, at certain times in the books).
A few reviews said the characters weren't very detailed. I suppose that's true, even about Tola (who I will say more about in a moment), but to me they were evocative. Even though they were sketches more than anything else, they felt real. I think that that dovetails with the book's subjectiveness. It's already been noted that the truth about the alleged affair is never explicitly revealed (an account and explanation of the event that sparked the initial rumor is presented, but even so, you don't really know for sure if that's how it happened, or if that's all that happened.)
In fact, you, the reader, seemed to be invited to draw your own conclusions about so many things, including the motivations of some of the characters and even whether the character was supposed to be good or bad. The grayness of it all was in turns rewarding and vexing in its own way, but ultimately it was rewarding, and I'm glad I read it.
I agree that it's probably the sort of thing that you either love or loathe, but to me it was absorbing and effective and thought-provoking, and what else can I ask for in a novel?
thisgrrlreads's review against another edition
4.0
I like the way Laura Ruby handles situations where someone is at the center of a rumor--true or false--like this book and Good Girls. Tola is definitely a weird girl, and her obsession with Grimm's fairytales actually could pull in some fantasy readers. In some ways, the cover makes this look like a sexier book than it is.
simsbrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyable. A bit like the book "Liar" in that you spend much of the book wondering back and forth about what the real "truth" is but that is the beauty of it.
Tola and Mr. Mymer are caught up in the aftermath of a scandal. No one will believe Tola that nothing really happened between her and her art teacher. Alternating between brief comments from various characters and Tola's narration, the story takes us through a snippet of Tola's life as she deals with this nonsense along with all the rest of what real-life throws her way.
Tola and Mr. Mymer are caught up in the aftermath of a scandal. No one will believe Tola that nothing really happened between her and her art teacher. Alternating between brief comments from various characters and Tola's narration, the story takes us through a snippet of Tola's life as she deals with this nonsense along with all the rest of what real-life throws her way.
kaikamahine's review against another edition
4.0
The story that Tola Riley has to tell is instantly recognizable to any teenager who has ever tried to tell an adult the truth and not been believed.
More...