The Lies About Truth
by Courtney C. Stevens
November 3, 2015
336 pages
Goodreads Summary:
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.
Review
The Lies About Truth was an emotional read that had me cheering for all the characters. It was all about overcoming grief and finding that strength within you and around you to carry on.
One year after the death of her close friend, Sadie's still trying to overcome the tragedy. It left her scarred and broken but she wasn't the only one affected. I felt like Max, Gray and Gina were all in just as much pain as Sadie was. The trauma over losing Trent pushed these once inseparable friends apart. Each kept secrets and told lies."And lies, whether good or bad, always did irrevocable damage." (ARC, p. 210). No one was truly a bad guy though. They each held onto different things and grieved in different ways. How these friends came to accept their losses and repair their friendship was my favourite part in The Lies About Truth.
Sadie's (and Trent's) mantra 'a posse ad esse' is a beautiful one. I've never heard it before but now that I have, I'll always remember it. I'm pretty sure we can all live by this motto. Read the book to find out what it means ;) Also encouraging is the fact that Sadie had a to-do list. Throughout the book, she kept track of it, slowly crossing items off. She doesn't end up completing all of them. A few were leftover which in my opinion felt more real and convincing. Healing is a process. A slow one but attainable if you believe in it and keep at it.
It's said that Gray, Sadie's ex can't look her in the eyes. At first, it made him seem like a shallow person but then I realize it was probably the guilt. I mourn for their relationship because it sounded like such a sweet one before the accident. Thankfully Max is equally as sweet and super accepting of Sadie. She made progress in moving forward because of him. "Sometimes a hand is an anchor." (ARC, p. 102). Max was the perfect one for Sadie.
Extra mentions go to Sadie's awesome parents, especially her mom. They were nothing but supportive, giving Sadie that extra push to go out and live her life again. There's parenting done well!
One year after the death of her close friend, Sadie's still trying to overcome the tragedy. It left her scarred and broken but she wasn't the only one affected. I felt like Max, Gray and Gina were all in just as much pain as Sadie was. The trauma over losing Trent pushed these once inseparable friends apart. Each kept secrets and told lies."And lies, whether good or bad, always did irrevocable damage." (ARC, p. 210). No one was truly a bad guy though. They each held onto different things and grieved in different ways. How these friends came to accept their losses and repair their friendship was my favourite part in The Lies About Truth.
Sadie's (and Trent's) mantra 'a posse ad esse' is a beautiful one. I've never heard it before but now that I have, I'll always remember it. I'm pretty sure we can all live by this motto. Read the book to find out what it means ;) Also encouraging is the fact that Sadie had a to-do list. Throughout the book, she kept track of it, slowly crossing items off. She doesn't end up completing all of them. A few were leftover which in my opinion felt more real and convincing. Healing is a process. A slow one but attainable if you believe in it and keep at it.
It's said that Gray, Sadie's ex can't look her in the eyes. At first, it made him seem like a shallow person but then I realize it was probably the guilt. I mourn for their relationship because it sounded like such a sweet one before the accident. Thankfully Max is equally as sweet and super accepting of Sadie. She made progress in moving forward because of him. "Sometimes a hand is an anchor." (ARC, p. 102). Max was the perfect one for Sadie.
Extra mentions go to Sadie's awesome parents, especially her mom. They were nothing but supportive, giving Sadie that extra push to go out and live her life again. There's parenting done well!
The book resonated on a personal level with me. I have not experienced what Sadie has but I can relate to her wanting to hide from the world because of her scars. I don't have scars but I have a small birthmark on my face. It made me feel insecure and I've used my hair to hide it since I was little. Over time I've learned to let go because I know how I look has nothing to do with who I am. Sadie's very brave. I'm happy she was able to gradually start wearing short sleeves, not hiding her scars (which she even named) behind layers of fabric. It's part of who she is now, just like my birthmark will always be part of who I am :)
Despite the heavy atmosphere in the book, there was still tons of laughter and fun. The friendships really stood out for me in The Lies About Truth. It's not even close to perfect but that's exactly what makes them the best.
Despite the heavy atmosphere in the book, there was still tons of laughter and fun. The friendships really stood out for me in The Lies About Truth. It's not even close to perfect but that's exactly what makes them the best.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way. All quotes were taken from the Advance Review Copy I received.
I love these type of reads Eileen! I so need to add this one on Goodreads so I don't forget about it.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you read it :D
DeleteI was such a huge fan of Courtney's debut and I'm SO excited about this one! Happy to hear you found it emotional and connected with it. I'm definitely going to read this soon. Great review, Eileen!
ReplyDeleteThanks Hazel! I'm so glad you enjoyed my review!
DeleteYes, ditto!!
DeleteHmmm, this sounds like the type of contemporary I should give a try, I love when books are heartfelt but don't feel like drama and sadness for the heck of it!
ReplyDeleteGreat review Eileen, I'm adding this one to the wish list!
Definitely! The emotions in this one were strong but they all made complete sense :)
DeleteI really liked Faking Normal and have been anticipating this one! So glad to hear you liked it! That's encouraging :) Sometimes you never know with second books, if the first one was just a one off or what :P I hope my library gets it soon!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Faking Normal yet but I've heard really great things about it. Hoping I'll pick it up one day. I hope you'll enjoy this one Beth :)
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