The Truth About Alice

Author: Jennifer Mathieu Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Healy， Texas， is a small town where everyone knows each other's business， and the scandals that unfold around Alice Franklin are no exception. The book is told from alternating points of view， and four of Alice's classmates provide accounts of heavy drinking and rumors about Alice's promiscuity. Readers are told that the title character had sex with two boys at the same party， sent obsessive texts that led to the death one of the boys， and had an abortion. As the story unfolds， Alice is called a slut and a skank， is abandoned by her best friend， is ostracized by everyone， and endures a \"slut stall\" in the girl's bathroom filled with derogatory graffiti. As more is revealed， each narrator shares elements of culpability for the rumors and mistreatment of Alice， and teens are introduced to the potential damage that rumors and lies bring. Though certain participants in the rumor mill feel bad and readers get the sense that Alice heals from the horrible events while developing a meaningful relationship， the treatment of such serious topics is cursory at best.

德克薩斯州的希利鎮(zhèn)中沒有隔墻的秘密，當(dāng)然有關(guān)愛麗絲·富蘭克林的丑聞也毫不例外。這本小說的敘述者——四個愛麗絲的同學(xué)——輪換講述了關(guān)于愛麗絲的酗酒以及濫交的謠言。然而隨著更多的情節(jié)被揭露，每一個敘述者似乎都對愛麗絲的丑聞和受虐經(jīng)歷承擔(dān)部分責(zé)任，青少年也了解到謠言和謊言帶來的可能傷害。