Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Book Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

AUTHOR: Jennifer Mathieu
Roaring Books Press
PAGES: 209
SOURCE: Bought

Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party.


It's true. Ask ANYBODY.




I thought that since this book was short that it would be an easy read, and things would go smoothly.

After reading it now I wish that could have been true for Alice's sake.

High school will be high school and you will always have the cliques. It takes a strong character to stand out and be different.

The Truth About Alice is set in Healy, a small town that you either want to live in forever, or get the hell out of when high school is out. Just like in most small towns everyone knows everybody and their business so it's no surprise to anyone when the town quarterback says he slept with Alice and so did some college guy in the same night. Then the quarterback dies in accident a few days later. Guess who everyone blames? I mean it has to be the last person he was "with" right? So freaking typical!

I grew up in a small town in Texas so I know that feeling of everyone knows everyone. (I can't say it's small anymore though with time comes growth and changes.) I'm not sayin my town ever had these kinds of things happen, but I can imagine how it would be.

I enjoyed the small town feel. I can't say I don't agree with the characters when some want to leave it behind because I felt the same way. You want to get away from what you know, you want to go where no one knows your life story. Maybe, you want to be that little fish in the big sea. I left mine behind, but in the end it's still home.

This story is told in 4 and 1/2 POVS. I will explain the 1/2 POV in a moment.
The 4  and 1/2 POVS are basically the main characters. The ones who share their experiences with us.
I will start with the 1/2 POV which is Alice. Alice is the girl that everyone knows to have slept with two boys at a party and then caused the death of one of them. She's the one that takes constant criticism for being a slut, a murderer, a bad friend, and so many more things that as a girl, as a teenager could really  do damage to her. No one wants to be blacklisted by people who are supposedly your friends, to be pushed aside as the black sheep of the town. These are times when a girl, or anybody could use their best friend, but instead this is what Alice's Best Friend is like...
Kelsie's POV is that of a former BF to Alice. I know characters have flaws, but Kelsie is the one character in this story who I couldn't stand, and that's saying something because a few others were ignorant and rude. I would have thought at some point Kelsie would have been like Alice is my BF and this shit talking has got to stop, but no it didn't. Kelsie stayed this selfish, wanting to please the popular group person. She may have thought about talking to Alice, but actions speak louder than words. I get that something bad happened to her, but if you're that ashamed about it, and no one knows think about how someone else feels when you tell everyone about her problems. Kelsie was a bitch--point blank.
Elaine's the queen Bee of Healy High so I didn't expect much from her. I knew she was going to be this girl who would be this stereotypical bitch, and I was right. That's okay though because she has these flaws and that's what makes her. I honestly thought I would hate her from beginning to end, but unlike the supposed best friend of Alice, Elaine grew a small bit true, but even a bit is more than nothing at all. 
Kurt was one of the characters you just instantly adore. A typical nerd. He was definitely a sweet, kind-hearted guy. When no one else cared to nice and be nice to Alice..there was dear Kurt.  The one person who knew the truth about Alice. (I didn't even mean to go there with that statement.) It hurt a little inside when things happened later on in the book, but we know that Kurt will not let us down. You keep being your awesome self Kurt.
I think Kelsie and Josh were the two characters I wasn't very fond of for the simple fact that both were cowards in my mind. Kelsie for obvious reasons stated above, and Josh because he led everyone to believe in other rumors surrounding Alice. Maybe, even starting one himself. Own up to your

I also called Alice 1/2 a POV because in the end we get to hear her side of the story we get to see how she feels about situations. She gets the final chapter. The final say.

I hated all the slut shaming, and everything these kids did to Alice. The Slut stall...Really? I know it's part of high school, but this is why some many girls and boys have low self-esteem. This is real life and it sucks.



  1. I read this novel too and it tore at my heart. All the name calling and the small town atmosphere really got to me. I really wanted to know what happened that night and the heresay was more than I could take at times. This is reality though and it was like cutting through fog. Great review!

    1. It is reality and it sucks, but it's never going to change.

  2. This sounds really great, even with Alice getting the finally chapter. In most case for books about victim it's from their point of view but this is all the side character or people close to the victim which so that's really interesting. Thanks for the review.

    1. I never thought of it that way, but it usually is from the victims POV so this is gives it something more.



Happy Reading and Blogging, Ashley


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