Tuesday, August 12, 2014

The Truth about Alice

by Jennifer Mathieu

Summary:
It started as a flippant remark. Then got passed around by text message. Then got written in the bathroom stalls. It was just a rumor, but immediately everyone assumed it was true. You see Alice was asking for it. She was a slut, everyone knew it. She dressed up for school, wore lipstick, flirted with everyone. So when the rumor that she slept with 2 boys in one night starts everyone believes it. And when one of those boys dies in a car crash, and another says it's because she was sending him dirty text messages while he was driving, Alice is blamed. But no one knows the truth, and no one seems to care that they don't.

Review:
Told in 4 perspectives, but only at Alice's in the very end, this is about the aftermath of a rumor. Each character has a different perspective on what happens both before and following the start of the rumor. Each character has the ability to clear Alice's name, and we learn the reasons each one uses that information. A haunting book about the power of a rumor, its a good read for slightly older teens due to the many references to sex and drinking.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 10th Grade

Tease

by Amanda Maciel

Summary:
No one likes a bully. We're all taught that bullying is wrong, and that you should say something if you see it. You're supposed to stand up to bullies. But what if you are the bully? Where is the line between teasing and bullying? When is your "harmless prank" no longer harmless? When Emma Putnam kills herself, everyone immediately blames Sara and her friends relentless bullying of Emma. But Sara doesn't see it as bullying, it was just standard frenemy behavior. But with a trial on the horizon, Sara is going to have to do some soul searching to find out just where she went wrong.

Review:
There are a slew of anti-bullying books out there, but Tease stands out. Sara is a character you want to hate but at the same time can understand how she let things get so out of control. Told in flashbacks, the reader learns what happened leading up to Emma's death and sees Sara evolve in the aftermath. It's a good book told from the bully's perspective, and the ending does manage to pack a surprise as (spoiler alert) Sara finally realizes how wrong she was. Best for older teens due to many references to drinking and sex.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 10th Grade