Sunday, November 2, 2014

Rumors and lies

Did you ever make up a story about someone you know?  Ever repeat a story you heard from someone else about someone you know?  In The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mattieu rumors and lies about once popular Alice keep getting bigger and nastier. Her best friend not only no longer speaks to her, but actually contributes to the lies and rumors out of fear of being rejected by the popular girls and losing her place at their table during lunch. Only one person has the courage to reach out to Alice and befriend her, nerdy Kurt.  This is a story about the damage words can do. This is a story about how to destroy someone's reputation in high school. This is a story that teaches you not to believe everything you hear. Everyone has a reason for doing what they do, not one is valid. It is a painful story, hard to read at times, and one that will leave you feeling angry. The story is told over the course of one year by several of Alice's classmates in alternating chapters and we do not hear Alice's voice until the very end of the book.  Alice is a very strong girl who tries very hard to understand why everyone turned on her, and shows admirable courage and resiliency in the face of the cruel attacks.  A short book (only 199 pages) that packs a real punch!