The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu [Review]

4 out of 5 Robots!

  

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Release: June 3, 2014
Hardcover: 199 Pages
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
My Copy: Publisher
Reviewer: Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:

Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party.

But did you know Alice was sexting Brandon when he crashed his car?

It's true. Ask ANYBODY.

Rumor has it that Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the bathroom stall at Healy High for everyone to see. And after star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons dies in a car accident, the rumors start to spiral out of control.

In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students—the girl who has the infamous party, the car accident survivor, the former best friend, and the boy next door—tell all they know.

But exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Shannon's Thoughts:

The Truth About Alice is one of those books that makes me fear teenagers and so so thankful I never experienced anything like this when I was in high school. Because the sad truth is...this stuff happens.  I'm amazed that Mathieu was able to pack as much in as she did in 200 pages.  And I loved that we got four multiple narrators, all somehow connected together and to Alice, but each with their own motivations and secrets.  Things are never as they seem.  Some of the narrators I connected to way more than others.  Some I wanted to strangle.  Some I wanted to hug.  Either way, it was an effective storytelling method to me because it really showed the power of rumors and things can get so twisted so easily.  Although, I will say that even though we finally get Alice's narrative until the very end, I didn't find it as affecting as it could have been.  I think it was partially because we don't get Alice's perspective on the events leading up to the ending.  Also because the ending shifts focus a bit and seems a little incongruous with the rest of the book.

Overall, I think this is a good book to further discussions on rumors, slut shaming and the impact your words have on others.

Disclosure:  I reviewed a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.