Review: The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens
The Lies About Truth
by: Courtney C. Stevens
Publication Date: Nov. 3, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Contemporary
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC received via Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 336 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Sadie Kingston, is a girl living in the aftermath. A year after surviving a car accident that killed her friend Trent and left her body and face scarred, she can’t move forward. The only person who seems to understand her is Trent’s brother, Max.
As Sadie begins to fall for Max, she's unsure if she is truly healed enough to be with him — even if Max is able to look at her scars and not shy away. But when the truth about the accident and subsequent events comes to light, Sadie has to decide if she can embrace the future or if she'll always be trapped in the past.
As Sadie begins to fall for Max, she's unsure if she is truly healed enough to be with him — even if Max is able to look at her scars and not shy away. But when the truth about the accident and subsequent events comes to light, Sadie has to decide if she can embrace the future or if she'll always be trapped in the past.
I really have no words as to how to begin this review. This book really hit me hard, as I can relate to Sadie so well. I obviously do not want to turn this into a personal review, but where she is, what she's gone through, and how she wants to change is one I can deeply relate to.
Sadie bears both the physical and emotional scars of an accident that not only claimed the loss of her friend, but she has also lost her boyfriend and best friend to her inability to cope with what's happened. She is very much stuck in the past and while she has made a list of things that will help push her forward, she is having trouble following through. Sadie has to come to terms with what's happened and must move on from there. I think one of the greatest lessons this book presents is that it's not possible to go back in time. You can't live in the past and too much has happened to pretend you can go back to being the way you once were. This is one thing Sadie understands. She has to somehow figure out how to be happy again and at peace with the past. She doesn't want to forget those happier times, but it's time to forge new memories and find happiness as who she is now.
Max plays a big part in helping Sadie attain this. However, I loved that he wasn't one to fix her. Sadie was the only one who could find that place she needed to be in order to move on. She has a great support system with Max, her parents, and her therapist, but SHE is the one to take a deep breath and jump in. Max was great. I adored him and how he thought she was beautiful scars and all. They found a kindred spirit in one another and let the other heal and let everything out through their emailing back and forth. My only wish is that we would have seen Max's emails to her as well, instead of just her responses.
Sadie's parents are full of awesome. I love how present they are in her life and how they are there to help her. They don't want to push her too hard, but they won't let her hide herself away either. It was important to see how much of a role their relationship played in this book.
Which brings us to Sadie's boyfriend (well, ex now) and best friend. Things are complicated with Gray and Gina, especially after Sadie pushes them away. She knows she needs to forgive them and tell them the truth about something that happened in the past, but she can't quite seem to find the ability to do it, with Gray not able to look at her straight on and Gina constantly apologizing herself. They all carry secrets of the past and need to be able to lay them out there and then learn to forgive and move on. Until that happens, they will remain in their current state of awkward limbo.
That's what's great about this book. We see these characters growing and learning and moving forward into adulthood. They have all shared similar grief at the loss of their friend and now they have to find a way to accept this new existence of theirs and be able to be happy with it. It's definitely an emotional story, but I think it's one that's very much worth reading.
10 comments
I LOVED this one so much. I just totally connected with the characters and story. Glad you enjoyed it too!
ReplyDeleteYes! Even though that particular incident has never happened to me, I was still able to understand Sadie's pain and how she feels she's stuck. I really love when the characters hit me that hard.
DeleteLovely review!
ReplyDeleteI loved the sound of this book. A personal journey, of growth and overcoming many obstacles, for those characters. It sounds like the book was both emotional, quite enjoyable, and a wonderful read.
Thank you Magen! I think you'd really enjoy this one! I love books with amazing personal growth so this was just wonderful!
DeleteThis one sounds super emotional, but we know those can be the best reads sometimes. I gotta check this one out. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI agree. It was definitely hard to read at times because I could just empathize with Sadie so much. But it's definitely worth it because the outcome was just what I was looking for.
DeleteOK! Let's try this again, Jess!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy you loved this book as much as you did. I don't often do emotional books, but this author is one of the few I'm willing to read anything by. She's able to capture emotions and feelings just so well. I love that you were able to connect so well with this book. I can see why it was such a great book for you because of that.
I loved loved loved the fact that Max was by Sadie's side throughout the whole book, but she started the road to recovery on her own and not because of his love. It was a really important message I think.
This was emotional for me too. I still haven't written my review for it because I'm not sure how to put my thoughts into words. Reviewing is so hard sometimes!
But I think you nailed it with your gorgeous review, Jess!
Thank you Nick! <3 Courtney does do an amazing job of capturing feelings! I loved Max so stinking much. I wish we had gotten more of him! He was so amazing. And I agree- I think that was an important message. Other people cannot 'save' one another. It doesn't work that way.
DeleteI agree- sometimes reviews are super hard to write!!!!!
I'm not sure how ready I am for a book that promises to be so full of emotions, even if it won't hit home as close to me as it did with you, but still... sounds like one of those contemporaries I'd love! A wonderful support system and a main character that fixes herself and supportive parents... yup, must give this one a try!
ReplyDeleteGreat review Jess! *hugs*
This sounds like such a beautiful story about friendship, loss, survival and facing one's past! I have a copy of this book somewhere in my bookshelf and I do think it's about time I read it (I mean I loved Faking Normal so much - I don't even know why I haven't read this yet...) Thank you so much for this thoughtful and emotional review, Jessica - I sometimes think that the reviews for the books that resonate with us the most are the hardest to write, and I adore you for doing such an awesome job of explaining how amazing and thought-provoking this book is!
ReplyDeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.