Scan barcode
A review by per_fictionist
True Story by Kate Reed Petty
4.0
True Story by Kate Reed Petty is a unequivocally the kind of book that is bound to question the genre it gets sorted into. Blending varied genres and sub-genres into one, True Story is the tale of a survivor or rather I’d say it’s the journey of a survivor spawn across decades. The narrative follows that of Alice, who was rumored(?) to have been sexually assaulted in her teens by two members of a school lacrosse team after a party that went wrong. A classic case of “he said. She said”. And how this incident, later shaped the lives of the individuals that were connected to it ; namely Alice, Nick, Richard, Haley and Max.
I was deeply amazed by the author’s unpredictability and the way she fused the genres that very often coincided as one. As the blurb suggests, True Story reads as an "by turns a campus novel, psychological thriller, horror story and crime noir” and that is what it exactly delivers.
The privilege of the “superior sex”, the ways and means they would often sought to justify their actions and the ease of the author to talk about masculine fragility, definitely impressed me. 40% into the book, I kind of felt it was lagging behind in the thrill but I was still intrigued by the characters. And, I kept on reading, and trust me you wouldn’t believe when I say this, TRUE STORY LEFT ME DISORIENTED WITH IT’S CLIMAX. I just couldn’t think of anything else other than the story and how the author tied all the ends and layered them like a PERFECT FRENCH BRAID. And that is exactly the kind of thriller I am always in the search for. WHOLESOME. UNPREDICTABLE. AND something that makes me QUESTION everything I read!
There is so much richness in the characters and as I’ve already mentioned “the incident” that haunts them eventually sees it’s way into their present. Of the soured friendships, the long forgotten memories, a story of many truths and a perfect mix of some of my favorite literary genres.
I was deeply amazed by the author’s unpredictability and the way she fused the genres that very often coincided as one. As the blurb suggests, True Story reads as an "by turns a campus novel, psychological thriller, horror story and crime noir” and that is what it exactly delivers.
The privilege of the “superior sex”, the ways and means they would often sought to justify their actions and the ease of the author to talk about masculine fragility, definitely impressed me. 40% into the book, I kind of felt it was lagging behind in the thrill but I was still intrigued by the characters. And, I kept on reading, and trust me you wouldn’t believe when I say this, TRUE STORY LEFT ME DISORIENTED WITH IT’S CLIMAX. I just couldn’t think of anything else other than the story and how the author tied all the ends and layered them like a PERFECT FRENCH BRAID. And that is exactly the kind of thriller I am always in the search for. WHOLESOME. UNPREDICTABLE. AND something that makes me QUESTION everything I read!
There is so much richness in the characters and as I’ve already mentioned “the incident” that haunts them eventually sees it’s way into their present. Of the soured friendships, the long forgotten memories, a story of many truths and a perfect mix of some of my favorite literary genres.