Everyone’s heard that Alice slept with two guys in one night at Elaine’s party. And one of them, dreamy star quarterback Brandon, has just died in a car accident. And everyone knows it was Alice's fault.
The Truth About Alice is told from four perspectives—social queen bee Elaine, former best friend of Alice (and wannabe popular girl) Kelsie, the beloved quarterback’s best friend Josh, and nerdy social pariah Kurt. Through these lenses, we start to get a picture of what really happened, how various lies and rumors get started, and who each of these people are individually. They look like stereotypes or categories, but Mathieu does an excellent job of forming distinct, well-rounded characters. There’s something relatable and human in each character’s story.
This might seem like a weird thing to say, seeing as how some of these people make a girl’s life miserable by lying to cover their own asses, to get ahead socially, or just because. The narration from each character is unflinching in its honesty. But they’re all people, with emotions and desires that are human (and dare I say sympathetic?). They justify their actions in ways that are all too familiar.
I should note that this is not Some Girls Are. It’s not the story of a cruel, relentless attack on Alice. And in there, amongst the selfishness is a story of friendship that’s sweet and meaningful.This is a good one for fans of 13 Reasons Why and Before I Fall.
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