Title: The Thing About the Truth
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Blurb:
In this humorous love story from the author of "Two-Way Street", an unlikely romance is the best sort of surprise—but the wrong secret can ruin everything. 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.
Links:
The Thing About the Truth on Goodreads
Kala's Review:
This book was disappointing. I read Two Way Street this past week and thought it was alright, so I was hoping another book by Lauren Barnholdt would be just as good, if not better. Perhaps some of her other stuff is, but this one isn't.
I have two big issues with this book. First, the entire plot of the book is a past/future retelling of a ginormous event that happened because of a lie. We start off in the "Aftermath" where Isaac and Kelsey are about to get expelled. Isaac hates her for a lie she told and Kelsey hates herself.
Here's the issue... the lie (in my opinion) was so minor. It came about at the tail end and even when she does it, it seems like such a small thing. The majority of the "Before" part of the book is the build up of Isaac and Kelsey's relationship. I thought this was reasonably well done. Then the reveal of the "lie" and what happened to get them expelled happens and it's so underwhelming.
Then in the last two pages at the end they kiss and make up and it's all good now.
I mean, I knew there was going to be a happy ending (it's YA romance after all), but ALL this build up to this supposed HUGE event and they have an obscenely short and fast reconciliation.
My other major issue with the book is the cardboard secondary characters. None have real personalities. Marina is the slutty crazy girl. We never really learn anything about why she behaves this way, she's just the stereotypical 'mean girl' villain. Rielle is the shit best friend. We don't really get to learn much about her either, other than that she's a terrible best friend but for some reason Kelsey keeps being best friends with her.
I know the main focus on the story was the relationship between Kelsey and Isaac, but I would have loved to see more fleshing out of the secondary characters.
Goodreads says two stars means "It was okay" and that's pretty much exactly how I felt about this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either. It was just "okay."
2 out of 5 stars.
Link to Kala's review on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/529012839
No comments:
Post a Comment