The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Title: The Truth About Alice
Author: Jennifer Mathieu
Version Read: E-book provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Website:http://www.jennifermathieu.com








Goodreads synopsis:
Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down.

About this author

I'm an English teacher, writer, wife, and mom who writes books for and about young adults. My debut novel, THE TRUTH ABOUT ALICE, will be out in the spring of 2014.

My favorite things include chocolate, pepperoni pizza, and this super hilarious 1980s sitcom about four retired women called The Golden Girls. I can basically quote every episode.

I live with my husband, son, one rescue dog, one fat cat, and another cat that is even fatter than the fat cat.

When it comes to what I read, I love realistic young adult fiction (duh), creative nonfiction, super scandalous tell-all memoirs and unauthorized biographies, and basically anything that hooks me on the first page.

Review:
So I read this book some time ago and sadly have just now gotten around to writing a review about it.

Just about everyone knows how  the rumor mill ran in high school. The He said She said nonsense can take a simple and innocent story and have it exaggerated so that so and so saved the school with one hand while eating a burrito and being pregnant, or in the case of The Truth About Alice, it can have the negative affects of things that are really no one's business.

And ok, so it is the typical high school story of that one girl who slept with two boys at a party and becomes an outcast. One of those boys dies, peoples lives are turned upside downs. I am sure you can find plenty of after school television shows about it and plenty of other story lines out there to read about it. The difference with this book that kept me invested even though it was pretty obvious where it was going was that the story was told through 4 different point of views. None of which are Alice.

The bullying in this book was a hard topic for me to not relate to, high school were not my best days and you could not make me redo them even if you paid me a million bucks. So it was easy to fall in with the characters, from the friends ditching to be cool, to the bullying. It all hit home for me and brought back memories I had tried to bury about high school.

I do believe this would be a great required reading book in high school because it might help kids get out of their own heads and stop listening to the whispers that go from ear to ear and realize that there really is three sides to a story. His Side, Her Side and then the Truth. That you really ought to look at the person spreading the rumors in order to see if they are hurting like the characters in The Truth About Alice where and pushing it on someone else instead of facing their problems and handling them accordingly.

Favorite Character:
Kurt by far was my favorite character, he was just so cute and nerdy that I wanted to shake Alice and make her wake up and see what a gem was right in front of her. I like that his loyalty stayed with Alice even through all the horrible rumors.

Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars.

Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon

What I thought of the cover: 

There are a lot of book covers that have so much going on that you don't know where to look. Styxx was relatively simply because you really don't need much to, all you need is Sherrilyn Kenyon's name and the insignia of whomever she is writing about to make it great and eye catching. At least that is my opinion.  

 Synopsis:

 Just when you thought doomsday was over...

Centuries ago Acheron saved the human race by imprisoning an ancient evil bent on absolute destruction. Now that evil has been unleashed and it is out for revenge.

As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs. Now Styxx has a chance to prove his loyalty to his brother, but only if he’s willing to trade his life and future for Acheron’s.

The Atlantean goddess of Wrath and Misery, Bethany was born to right wrongs. But it was never a task she relished. Until now. She owes Acheron a debt that she vows to repay, no matter what it takes. He will join their fellow gods in hell and nothing is going to stop her.

But things are never what they seem, and Acheron is no longer the last of his line. Styxx and Acheron must put aside their past and learn to trust each other or more will suffer.

Yet it’s hard to risk your own life for someone who once tried to take yours, even when it's your own twin, and when loyalties are skewed and no one can be trusted, not even yourself, how do you find a way back from the darkness that wants to consume the entire world? One that wants to start by devouring your very soul?

Review: I was a little nervous about reading this book due to all the reviews I had read on amazon that talked about how much gang rape their was. Honestly they made it seem like Kenyon was going into sordid detail of such horrid crimes and that they covered every single page. Thankfully that was not the case. Yes this book should be read with caution because there is a lot of sexual content but what do you expect when you have such delicious man candy content. :p  I actually loved this book because it re-enforces the issue that there are three sides to every story. My side, his side and then the truth. Reading Archeron's story from Ash's point of view I hated Styxx, I was appalled by how he treated his family. It was only after reading the story about Styxx that you come to understand why Styxx behaved the way he did and that Ryssa and Acheron where not as good as everyone made them out to be.  My heart broke for the twin boys who had to put up with so much misery but I think after reading Styxx my heart broke more for the misunderstood brother. Especially where Bethany was concerned.  I read this book as I was pregnant with my first child so to say I was emotional was an understatement but it really hit a soft spot with me, having lost children in miscarriages of my own. I loved that Kenyon made this a book you could read alone or right after reading Acheron, that there were scene's from both books where you could watch it like a movie and get both points of views.  I loved the plot twist that really took so many books to have it happen and it makes me wonder if the author had it planned all along or if like in my writing it just fell into place before me when my characters were ready to reveal their plots. It really is a must have on your book shelf.  A perfect love story with ton's of action, romance and treachery.
For more about the author as well as pictures of her wonderful creations and their personal blogs you can find all that information  HERE Favorite Charachter:  I am not really sure if I had a favorite character when it came to this book, I connected with so many of them that it took me a second to stop and think on who I liked the most. But in the end Urian won out. He is just caring and sweet despite his tough guy appearance plus he is a smart ass and I tend to love those type's. I think it has to do with the fact that my husband is one. XD   Rating: 5 out of 5 stars of course! 

I'm Baaaaack.

I know it has been quite some time since I graced your presence and for that I am sorry. You see I happened to come down with a bit of funk where even reading was no longer enjoyable. Between real life drama and stress and all the drastic changes that decided to occur this past year, I found that I did not have much time to do anything but try to catch my breath and not explode. Literally.
Lol, the biggest change that came in 2013 happened to be this.

Yep, that's right I became a part of the proud Mama's club October 13th 2013 to baby Eden. And  boy was it not the easiest pregnancy. Between her trying to beat her cousin out of the womb and trying to come early at 26 weeks to my hip giving out all the time, it was a roller coaster ride.

But thankfully she is now 9 months old and my little monster is as happy as can be, just like her daddy I might add. And she has learned that she can play by herself without the world ending, giving mommy a little bit of time to read and catch back up with her reviews. She isn't sleeping through the night yet but we are working on that.

So thank you for sticking in there with me and not giving up. I have reviews lined up and ready to be dished out. I hope this message finds all of you well and happy.
^__^