Lyrical language, a good mystery, and a compelling heroine-this is a page-turner with substance. * Booklist *
Every now and then, a novel comes along with such an original voice that readers slow down to savour the poetic prose. This is such a story. * Kirkus *
...suspenseful and haunting. Her poetic narrative will draw readers in... * Publishers Weekly *
All The Truth That's in Me was unlike anything that I've ever read before, but in a really good way. The writing style was incredibly unique and has made this book stand out from other titles in the YA genre. It took me a few chapters (that isn't really very long, each chapter on average is about a page) to get used to the different concept, but I found it a really clever writing technique. The narrator, Judith, say's 'you' a lot- as in, you looked at me then... It addresses the reader as the boy that she loves. It was such a peculiar way of writing the story- it both startled me and drew me in; made me feel really connected to the story. The plot was really, really amazing and was pulled off very well with the individual style of writing. I wasn't expecting a lot of the events. The setting was great; a war-torn town, and it went perfectly with the plot. The events played out really well. It wasn't so clear where the story was going at the beginning, but just past the halfway-mark shocking and terrifying events began to take place, involving the murder of Judith's best friend and reasons as to why she'd had her tongue cut out coming to light... not to mention the incidents with the schoolmaster. The author's beautiful descriptions from Judith's point of view really brought the story to life. Judith made a great protagonist. I really admired her courage and fell in love with her personality, right from the start. Poor Judith had had her tongue cut straight from her mouth following the death of her best friend, and this story follows her as she regains her voice and learns how to reveal who committed the crime. She was a very determined character, and that determination propelled her through the events, and I really enjoyed reading about how she learned to regain her speech to speak up about the terrible incident and reveal the attacker. She had a greatly detailed personality, though I would have liked to know more about her background, like where was her father? However, she did have a well-developed mother and brother, the mother I hated for her coldness towards Judith and the brother I just adored for his personality, too.I really loved the new relationship that she forms with her childhood friend Lucas, and the ending was so happy for the both of them. It really did bring tears to my eyes. Overall, All The Truth That's in Me was a really enjoyable read. It's packed full of shocking wartime-action, and events that will chill you to the bone. The main character, Judith, I really connected and sympathized with through the unique and beautiful writing format. If you're looking for a read packed with hope and love and heart-stopping scenes, then All The Truth That's in Me is definitely the book for you! I'd recommend it to around thirteen plus. The plot is quite scary at parts and the writing is quite a challenge to understand at first, but once you start this book, you really won't be able to stop. -- Georgia Walters * www.booksandwritersjnr.wordpress.com *
