How did I get it?:
I bought it!
Synopsis:
Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down.
Thoughts:
I had heard some amazing things about The Truth About Alice. I was surprised it was such a short read when it finally dropped through my letter box, but in a way, I’m glad it was such a short read because it was so intense. I’m not so sure that I could’ve handled much more! The Truth About Alice is a powerful, honest, heart-wrenching story. I’m so impressed by Jennifer Mathieu’s debut novel. I can’t wait to read more from this author.
The Truth About Alice gives us an insight into the minds of those people who thrive on popularity. I think we’ve all known those types, especially in secondary/high school. It is told through different points of view both male and female. Each point of view is someone directly in contact with Alice. Elaine is the most popular girl in school, Josh who is the best friend of Brandon, Elaine’s on/off boyfriend, Kurt- who is the ‘different’ guy in school who has harboured a secret crush on Alice for many years and Kelsie who was Alice’s best friend. Some best friend…
I have to admit, most of the characters in this story aren’t likeable AT ALL. They all have their justifications for treating Alice the way they did, but I never really understood why people would sink to such lows, but they can and they certainly do. All of the characters are brutally honest though. Each character seems to have their own problems going on, which surprised me in such a short read. It didn’t feel rushed or like there was too much going on though. It really worked.
I can’t work out whether the story would have benefitted from Alice’s point of view. I wanted to know the truth about what went on from her perspective, but we never get it. We learn about what happened from those that are spreading lies and abuse about Alice. Surprisingly, not having Alice’s point of view works. The story didn’t suffer in my eyes, but perhaps this book would have been a five star read for me if I had learned more about Alice’s feelings on the events.
The Truth About Alice is a brutal, honest read. It made me uncomfortable at times because it was so true to how teenagers can act and how cruel some teenagers can be. A powerful debut, which will stay with me for a while.
Would I recommend it?:
Of course! 4.5 stars!
This really makes me want to read this book! Thanks for the great review.
-Ashley
Thank you so much Ashley! 🙂 I loved it!
Great review! I haven’t read it but I was also surprised at how short of a read this is! I’m really anxious to read it but my local library system doesn’t have it (maybe because of the content?)
I think it could be because of the content. Some of it is brutally honest, so it might be quite contentious for a library to stock. I hope you get to read it soon though.
I loved this book so much. Great review. 🙂
Thank you! 🙂 I’m glad that you liked it so much!
Sounds really great! I’ve actually always thought about writing a sort of story about a character but never through the perspective of that character, but the people they interact with so this is my dream writing exercise come to life! And it sounds amazing. Thanks for the review!
Aw. It’s fantastic that there’s some inspiration for a dream writing exercise! I hope that you get to check it out at some point.
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