Tell Us Something True

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 13, 2016

Review

High school senior River suddenly finds himself dumped and alone in a boat on a lake. Too stubborn to take a ride home from his ex, he decides to walk home and comes across a shining Second Chances sign. Grasping at straws, he decides the sign is meant for him, and finds himself entering an AA type program for teens with addictions. Caught off guard, he makes up an addiction to marijuana. While River is understandably distraught after the breakup, we soon learn that his friends are all upset with him because he ignored them during his relationship with his ex. Left with nothing else, he swears to them that he will do better. However, as he develops closer relationships with the group members that he's lying to, he returns straight to his behavior of ignoring his friends. I suspect most readers will be frustrated by his behavior and wonder why his friends keep letting him back in. The book ends with an eye-rolling epiphany by River, only after he has lost all his relationships again. Purchase only where realistic fiction is incredibly popular.

Overall Book Score: fair