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A review by megsbookishtwins
That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
That's Not What Happened opens up with Leanne (Lee) three years after a school shooting, discussing how the story people know, wasn't actually what happened. It is a book that discusses how the truth gets lost in all the commotion, through all the media attention. It gets 'twisted, tweaked, filtered though a dozen different lenses'. I appreciated the approach to how we view massacres like the one featured in this book. In That's Not What Happened, Lee is determined to get the truth out there, and to correct the rumours that circulated after the shooting that turned into a massive story about a girl with a cross, and faith and bravery and how she was turned into a martyr, especially by the local community. However, the story is about the wrong girl, and Lee is trying to get the truth out. That's Not What Happened is a complex and nuanced book that attempts to deal with a sensitive topic.
The characters were a highlight of this book. They were layered and complex. Lee - who is also asexual - is a great character. Her determination for the truth, and her desire to set the record straight is admirable, and yet, sometimes the truth does do more harm than good. It also focuses on the trauma that events like school shootings cause and how people cope with that trauma differently. I appreciated the bond that the survivors had with each other - they had a really great dynamic. It also features a side lesbian character (Eden), and a black blind character (Denny) too.
That's Not What Happened is a good book that shows that in the aftermath of a shooting, sometimes a victims voice is stripped away-their story is told for them. It is a book about having a voice. It is a fast-paced, engaging, and a powerful book.
I would definitely recommend for fans of This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp.
Full review to come soon.
That's Not What Happened opens up with Leanne (Lee) three years after a school shooting, discussing how the story people know, wasn't actually what happened. It is a book that discusses how the truth gets lost in all the commotion, through all the media attention. It gets 'twisted, tweaked, filtered though a dozen different lenses'. I appreciated the approach to how we view massacres like the one featured in this book. In That's Not What Happened, Lee is determined to get the truth out there, and to correct the rumours that circulated after the shooting that turned into a massive story about a girl with a cross, and faith and bravery and how she was turned into a martyr, especially by the local community. However, the story is about the wrong girl, and Lee is trying to get the truth out. That's Not What Happened is a complex and nuanced book that attempts to deal with a sensitive topic.
The characters were a highlight of this book. They were layered and complex. Lee - who is also asexual - is a great character. Her determination for the truth, and her desire to set the record straight is admirable, and yet, sometimes the truth does do more harm than good. It also focuses on the trauma that events like school shootings cause and how people cope with that trauma differently. I appreciated the bond that the survivors had with each other - they had a really great dynamic. It also features a side lesbian character (Eden), and a black blind character (Denny) too.
That's Not What Happened is a good book that shows that in the aftermath of a shooting, sometimes a victims voice is stripped away-their story is told for them. It is a book about having a voice. It is a fast-paced, engaging, and a powerful book.
I would definitely recommend for fans of This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp.
Full review to come soon.