The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

Pages: 229
Intended Audience: Tweens
Genre: Adventure
Notes for Parents: Some violence and tense situations.

The Back Cover

In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He’s got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day.
But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals. And treatments. The kind of sick some people never get better from.
So Mark runs away. He leaves home with his camera, his notebook, his dog, and a plan. A plan to reach the top of Mount Rainier. Even if it’s the last thing he ever does.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s first middle grade book.

What’s good?

Sentenced to more suffering after yet another cancer diagnosis, 12-year-old Mark is an endearing main character who decides to live or die on his own terms. A good pace, and a solid yet simple plot, make this adventure quick and easy to read. Mark’s motives are plausible, but troubling, and his journey is filled with danger and tension, but also moments of kindness and compassion. The supporting characters are strong and he meets interesting, sometimes disconcerting, people along the way. The story is moving and the ending is bittersweet.
Best Part: The dog, Beau.

What isn’t good?

Is it right to put that much responsibility on a friend? Is it okay to put your parents through that kind of worry? Is it fair to put your little dog through that? As much as I liked Mark and understood his motives, his actions were ultimately selfish and cruel. He’s 12, and angry, and afraid, so I get it. But I didn’t like it.
Worst part: Jessie’s chapters seemed pointless.

Recommendation þþþoo

I loved the characters and liked the premise, but I have to admit that I didn’t really enjoy the story. It was sad, disturbing, sometimes tense, with an underlying feeling of hopelessness throughout. I wanted him to make his goal but at the same time I wanted him home, safe and sound, so his parents, and friend, and I, could stop worrying. This book probably deserves four checkmarks for the strong plot and great characterization, but it was more bitter than sweet for my taste.

Gemeinhart, Dan. The Honest Truth. New York: Scholastic, 2015.