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Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt

Release Date: July 10th, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Hardcover
Age Group: Young Adult


Kelsey’s not going to let one mistake ruin her life. Sure, she got kicked out of prep school and all her old friends are shutting her out. But Kelsey’s focused on her future, and she’s determined to get back on track at Concordia High.

Isaac’s been kicked out of more schools than he can count. Since his father’s a state senator, Isaac’s life is under constant scrutiny—but Concordia High’s his last stop before boarding school, so Isaac’s hoping to fly under the radar and try to stay put for a change.

When Kelsey and Isaac meet, it’s anything but love at first sight. She thinks he’s an entitled brat, and he thinks she’s a stuck-up snob. So it surprises them both when they start to fall for each other. Kelsey’s happy for the first time in months, and Isaac’s never felt this way about anyone before...But nothing’s ever completely perfect. Everyone has secrets, and Isaac and Kelsey are no exceptions. These two may have fallen hard, but there’s one thing that can ruin it all: the truth.

I always enjoy reading Lauren Barnholdt's books. They are always sweet, funny, and just the right amount of angsty. They are basically the perfect contemp formula for me. I think The Thing About the Truth  is one of my favorite's of her books. I liked the alternating perspectives between Kelsey and Isaac and that we got chapters of the aftermath, then flashbacks to how everything went down. I actually really liked reading from Isaac's point of view. He was just so real with himself and everyone else. I loved how he would say one thing in his head and then think, no that's not true. He was constantly cracking me up and his personality was just so darn charming. Sure he's got a politician for a father, so charm is kind of bred into him, but still. I liked Kelsey, too, but I did think she was a bit whiny at times. I know that she's had a lot of crap happen to her recently, but I wanted her to be stronger and move past it. Of course, once her and Isaac decide that they don't hate each other, she gets a lot better. Not because she needs him to be happy, but I think he helps her realize that the past isn't indicative of the rest of your life.

I really liked their Face It Down Day idea. It was similar to things I've seen people do at real high schools, and when it runs smoothly, I think it's such a great forum for high school students to share with each other and gain some understanding. We never did anything like it at my school, but I think people defnitely could have benefited from it. Of course, Kelsey's ex-bestfriend, ex-boyfriend, and her lies keep their day from actually happening. I liked that her big lie wasn't something completely scandalous and I think that Isaac reacted to it exactly how a teenage guy would react. For me, after going through the whole story and seeing the aftermath all along the way, the resolution was a little too quick. I guess I really would have liked to see a little more between Isaac and Kelsey in the after, but that aside, the last couple of paragraphs worked really well for the story.

Overall this one is a win for me. And I highly suggest giving any of Lauren's books a try if you are a contemporary fan. And if you don't read a lot of contemps, definitely check out one of her books, they are quick and so much fun :0)

1 comment:

  1. Thanks so much for writing a review on this! It sounds really good and I am officially adding it to my wish list!!

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