A review by rachielove9
The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
4.0
This is a short little novel that screams so much truth it hurts.
This is not a literary masterpiece, and I don't know if it's destined for impressive reviews. But you know what? I don't read books for their literary quality. I read books that speak to the heart, books that don't shy away from reality.
This book, you guys. This is real. This is high school in any small town, this is the rumor mill and the gossip mongers and the damage that's done with just one lie. This book is about following the pack, how easy it is to just fall in line with everyone else instead of standing up for what is right. There are so many stories about people who do that--the right thing. But in reality, how many people DO the right thing? Isn't it more common that people follow their pack leaders? I'm speaking specifically of high school culture here, but it happens in the adult world, too.
I found this book refreshing. Terribly sad, but refreshing. I liked the voices; I liked hearing the different perspectives and putting it all in order and following along as something snowballed into an avalanche of terror for one poor girl. I think this is an important book for any teenager to read. I think it speaks to how it feels to be on both sides of any situation and how important it is to seek out truth instead of rumors. I'll be passing this along to all of my teens at the library, and heres to hoping it makes a difference.
PS- I really loved that this book, while it didn't shy away from the reality of how one small lie can ruin a girl's life, didn't result in a suicide. I hesitate when it comes to books like "13 Reasons Why" because I don't know what kind of moral lesson that presents young girls with. This book shows a girl who faces "the worst" and comes out the other side. She's not all better in the end, it doesn't end with a happily ever after everyone found out the truth kind of thing, it just shows that it's possible to survive and move on and be better than the situation. And I really, really liked that.
This is not a literary masterpiece, and I don't know if it's destined for impressive reviews. But you know what? I don't read books for their literary quality. I read books that speak to the heart, books that don't shy away from reality.
This book, you guys. This is real. This is high school in any small town, this is the rumor mill and the gossip mongers and the damage that's done with just one lie. This book is about following the pack, how easy it is to just fall in line with everyone else instead of standing up for what is right. There are so many stories about people who do that--the right thing. But in reality, how many people DO the right thing? Isn't it more common that people follow their pack leaders? I'm speaking specifically of high school culture here, but it happens in the adult world, too.
I found this book refreshing. Terribly sad, but refreshing. I liked the voices; I liked hearing the different perspectives and putting it all in order and following along as something snowballed into an avalanche of terror for one poor girl. I think this is an important book for any teenager to read. I think it speaks to how it feels to be on both sides of any situation and how important it is to seek out truth instead of rumors. I'll be passing this along to all of my teens at the library, and heres to hoping it makes a difference.
PS- I really loved that this book, while it didn't shy away from the reality of how one small lie can ruin a girl's life, didn't result in a suicide. I hesitate when it comes to books like "13 Reasons Why" because I don't know what kind of moral lesson that presents young girls with. This book shows a girl who faces "the worst" and comes out the other side. She's not all better in the end, it doesn't end with a happily ever after everyone found out the truth kind of thing, it just shows that it's possible to survive and move on and be better than the situation. And I really, really liked that.