I received an ARC of this book with thanks to Quercus Books via NetGalley.

This book is not at all what I was expecting to read when I originally requested this arc, but boy I could not stop reading. True Story is centered around the alleged sexual assault of Alice when she was in high school told from the perspective of both Alice and Nick spanning in time from 1999 through to 2015. It also highlights the various ways this incident has had an impact on both of their lives.

There were three prevalent thoughts and stand out elements I experienced as I was reading this book.
1. I was confused at the beginning as to why we were experiencing the alleged assault through Nick's PoV as he is a mutual friend of the two men accused. This isn't necessarily the expected way in which a narrative like this one is told, however as I delved deeper it made such sense and was constructed by Petty remarkably well.
2. There's a specific plot line of Alice and her then boyfriend Quinn which occurs in 2011 which I found to be absorbing. Definitely my favourite aspect of the book and written especially well.
3. The reintroduction of Richard (one of the accused) into the narrative was one that I did not expect, nor was the way in which he approached Alice a method that I would have ever expected or contemplated.

I don't necessarily understand the need for four different covers but I do appreciate that the publishers are attempting to convey that this is a book that could easily cover 4 genres: campus novel, psychological thriller, horror story and crime noir. I've read quite a few books that have been based around sexual assault, but I haven't ever read one that has been constructed in the way in which this one has. I really enjoyed this; thoroughly engaging and distinctive.