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samantha_randolph 's review for:
The Truth About Alice
by Jennifer Mathieu
Short and Sweet:
Incredibly gripping and quick to read, I loved every page of this realistic fiction story about one girl who can't catch a break and the people who are breaking her heart. I especially enjoyed the happier-than-expected ending!
To Elaborate..
Everyone knows that Alice slept with two guys, Brandon and Tommy, one night at Elaine's party. Well, everyone except Alice that is. The rumors of her 'slutty personality' only spiral when one of the guys dies in a car wreck a few weeks later. Told from flipping perspectives of Elaine, Brandon's best friend: Josh, Alice's ex-best friend: Kelsie, and the one true friend Alice might actually have: Kurt, Alice's story is revealed.
From the very beginning of this powerful novel, Jennifer Mathieu had me making faces like this:
Not because I get excited over death or tragedy or anything like that, but because she does a BRILLIANT job of addressing issues like fat-shaming, slut-shaming, daddy issues, and hyper-religious parents all in a subtle, not-in-your-face-at-all way. This is a book that can start discussions, which is one of the best parts of literature. The English major part of me is so tempted to write a paper analyzing the heck out of this novel.
However, even on an entertainment level, The Truth About Alice is such a good story. I loved getting to know the different characters and finding separate ways to appreciate them; from Elaine's somehow kind vanity to Kelsie's brutal honesty and from Josh's sexual repression to Kurt's incredibly caring nature. It was so great to read about their lives and to see Alice through their perspectives. They each had their own problems to work through, though Alice's story is the one guiding them through their own. All are wonderfully flawed, and I came to care about them so much (especially Kurt, aka the most adorable, loving genius).
It's hard to give any 'if you like x book, you would probably like this one' suggestions, because it really has such a strong and original voice to it, but I imagine fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Ellen Hopkins, and John Green would enjoy this. Regardless, I absolutely recommend giving it a try!
5 Hearts!! (1 for Elaine, 1 for Kelsie, 1 for Kurt, 1 for Josh, and 1 for Alice) :)
Originally posted at I Heart YA Fiction: http://iheartyafiction.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-truth-about-alice-by-jennifer.html
Incredibly gripping and quick to read, I loved every page of this realistic fiction story about one girl who can't catch a break and the people who are breaking her heart. I especially enjoyed the happier-than-expected ending!
To Elaborate..
Everyone knows that Alice slept with two guys, Brandon and Tommy, one night at Elaine's party. Well, everyone except Alice that is. The rumors of her 'slutty personality' only spiral when one of the guys dies in a car wreck a few weeks later. Told from flipping perspectives of Elaine, Brandon's best friend: Josh, Alice's ex-best friend: Kelsie, and the one true friend Alice might actually have: Kurt, Alice's story is revealed.
From the very beginning of this powerful novel, Jennifer Mathieu had me making faces like this:
Not because I get excited over death or tragedy or anything like that, but because she does a BRILLIANT job of addressing issues like fat-shaming, slut-shaming, daddy issues, and hyper-religious parents all in a subtle, not-in-your-face-at-all way. This is a book that can start discussions, which is one of the best parts of literature. The English major part of me is so tempted to write a paper analyzing the heck out of this novel.
However, even on an entertainment level, The Truth About Alice is such a good story. I loved getting to know the different characters and finding separate ways to appreciate them; from Elaine's somehow kind vanity to Kelsie's brutal honesty and from Josh's sexual repression to Kurt's incredibly caring nature. It was so great to read about their lives and to see Alice through their perspectives. They each had their own problems to work through, though Alice's story is the one guiding them through their own. All are wonderfully flawed, and I came to care about them so much (especially Kurt, aka the most adorable, loving genius).
It's hard to give any 'if you like x book, you would probably like this one' suggestions, because it really has such a strong and original voice to it, but I imagine fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Ellen Hopkins, and John Green would enjoy this. Regardless, I absolutely recommend giving it a try!
5 Hearts!! (1 for Elaine, 1 for Kelsie, 1 for Kurt, 1 for Josh, and 1 for Alice) :)
Originally posted at I Heart YA Fiction: http://iheartyafiction.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-truth-about-alice-by-jennifer.html