The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Pages: 199

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Real Life Drama

Notes for Parents: Contains coarse language and mature scenes

The Back Cover

Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party.
But did you know Alice was sexting Brandon when he crashed his car?
It's true. Ask ANYBODY.

Rumor has it Alice Franklin is a slut. It’s written all over the bathroom stall at Healy High for everyone to see. And after star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons dies in a car accident, the rumors start to spiral out of control.

Four Healy High students—the girl who had the infamous part, the car accident survivor, the former best friend, and the boy next door—tell all they know.

But what exactly is the truth about Alice?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s first novel.

What’s good?

Using multiple points of view, the cause of the social train wreck that is Alice Franklin is revealed through former friends and acquaintances who witnessed and even participated in her downfall. This is a unique approach to a relevant topic for today’s youth. The story confronts issues like the power of gossip, the danger of lies, bullying by exclusion, the double standard of girls and guys, and how quickly rumors can spread and how damaging they can be. The plot is complex and realistic and tries to address the reasons why people engage in rumors and gossip. The characters are well-drawn, though difficult to like, and the pace is good.

Best Part: Kurt.

What isn’t good?

I found it really difficult to empathize or even sympathize with any of the four main characters. With the exception of Kurt, they were all mean and petty and although they were aware of their shortcomings, they continued to be jerks. The teens’ voices, even Kurt’s, struck me as insincere and often unrealistic. The character of Kurt was bland, though I like the relationship between him and Alice. In general, the story was predictable, but I think it’s expected the reader will assume that the gossip about Alice isn’t true.

Worst part: the ease with which the characters admit their faults.

Recommendation þþþoo

This had the potential to be a powerful story, but in the end really just confirmed that gossip is hurtful and can take on a life of its own. I never connected with any of the characters. While the situation was realistic and is completely relevant to current events, in the end the story felt like a typical teen drama with shallow, unlikeable characters. Having said that, the story was still engaging. I wanted to know the truth, and how that truth became so distorted. No real lessons are learned, but I like that the end wasn’t wrapped with a bow.

Mathieu, Jennifer. The Truth About Alice. New York: Square Fish, 2014.