The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu - ARC Review

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu Published by: Roaring book Press on June 1st, 2014 Series: No Pages: 208 Format: ARC Genre: Contemporary/Realistic Fiction Source: Won from Fierce Reads twitter Rating: 3/5 Buy the Book or Add it to Goodreads!! FROM GOODREADS: Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party. When Healy High star quarterback, Brandon Fitzsimmons, dies in a car crash, it was because he was sexting with Alice. Ask anybody. Rumor has it Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the "slut stall" in the girls' bathroom: "Alice had sex in exchange for math answers" and "Alice got an abortion last semester." After Brandon dies, the rumors start to spiral out of control. In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students tell all they "know" about Alice- and in doing so reveal their own secrets and motivations, painting a raw look at the realities of teen life. But in this novel from Jennifer Mathieu, exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself.
MY THOUGHTS: 
Dear The Truth About Alice,
You were the type of book that I wouldn't have picked up before I won an ARC. It's not you.. I just don't read much Realistic Fiction that deals with deep issues -- especially when it comes to bullying and rumors. I dealt with my own type of bullying/rumors-spread-about-me when I was in my senior year of high school, and it was extremely tough for me to go through. I just don't like to rehash those memories by reading books like you, because it was a dark time for me, but you know what? I enjoyed you a lot.
The truth is, I had an extremely hard time putting you down, The Truth About Alice. I stayed up until 3 am reading you, which doesn't happen very often because I love my sleep. The four perspectives you are told from- Kurt, Josh, Elaine, and Kelsie- were so engrossing and enlightening. Each chapter revealed a new secret about them, and why they were treating Alice the way they were. It gave a whole new insight to bullying from the bullies. It's crazy how fast a rumor can spread, and the ramifications of said rumor. The sad thing is it could have all been avoided if someone would have had the balls to confront the person the rumor was about. By the end of you, I was dying to get Alice's version of the story, and to my surprise, I did. 
You were a super fast read, but one that I was fully immersed in from the beginning. Now, The Truth About Alice, you weren't one of the best books I've ever read, by far, BUT you kept me engaged and entertained throughout. Each characters voice was so different, I would've thought it was four different authors writing you. That's no small feat for your debut author Jennifer Mathieu. Three hearts to you, The Truth About Alice. I'm curious to see what your author comes up with next, and even if it deals with the deep stuff, I'll probably be picking it up.
Love, 
Becca

Was this review helpful?

Have you read The Truth About Alice?

Let me know in the comments!

As always, thanks for visiting Pivot Book Reviews! I wuv you all! <3

*As according to FTC Guidelines, I must state that I was graciously provided with an advanced copy of this book from Fierce Reads in exchange for an honest review. This did not effect my review in any way.*