I bought this book because I wanted to read something different while I was browsing the shelves at the bookstore. I found this one and read the cover, discovering that it was something different. It was still a young adult romance, but the characters in it were different.
The Truth About Us tells the story of Jess, a privileged girl who has been doing whatever she wants for the past several months. She’s been partying, smoking, and trying to get the attention of boys in whatever way she can. This is all done so that she can get the attention of the people she wants to pay attention to her: her family.
Her mother spends most of her day in bed after a terrible incident, her sister spends most of her time at her boyfriends, and her father often works away from home.
When Jess is caught in one of her schemes by her best friends mom, Jess’ father decides to make her volunteer at the local soup kitchen, where she meets Flynn–a boy who is completely different from her.
Flynn’s family is poor. His mother works long hours for little money after her boyfriend took all of the family’s money. Flynn and his younger brother sometimes go to the shelter to get food and to give a hand whenever they can.
Jess falls in love with Flynn, but forces try to keep them apart–including Jess’ father and Flynn’s mother.
This book was not one of my favorites. It wasn’t one that I couldn’t stop reading, but I thought it was a good plot line. I work with underprivileged students and I am sure that some of them go through the events discussed in this book.
On the other hand, I think that it can be eye opening for young people. Some may believe that if you go to a shelter or a soup kitchen, then you have nothing. They may not realize that there are people who work hard, but cannot–no matter how hard they try–make enough money to pay for their needs.
It was amazing to see how Jess transformed throughout the book. At first, she disliked the people who came into the shelter because she believed that they were dirty. It was amazing to see how her heart really opened up as she began to befriend them and got to know their stories. What’s even more amazing is how she begins to stand up for them against people such as her father.
I recommend reading this book. It’s one of those books that can make an impression on you without you realizing it.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Books, Stories, and Other Tales 