The Thing About the Truth

Mar 22, 2012 fяσzєη marked it as to-read

That cover is so awkward.

like 153 likes · see review

Nov 13, 2012 Reynje rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemp-or-realistic, cover-loathing, dual-or-multiple-pov, meh, no-bff-charm-for-you, no-just-no, not-for-me, read-2012, young-adult

Cover Story:

As Kelsey approached, Isaac held his arms open. She was walking slowly, slightly unsteady on her non-designer heels and swinging a (bought on consignment) Kate Spade purse in her left hand. A gentle breeze ruffled her long blonde hair – wait, wasn’t her hair brown? - around her shoulders. Isaac began to smile, anticipating the warmth of her lean body in his arms. He briefly wondered whether he should check that the coast was clear and Marina Ruiz wasn’t going to make one of her paten...more

like 27 likes · see review

Jan 09, 2013 Tania rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction, books-i-own

Mon avis sur le blog: http://read-listen-feel.skyrock.com/

Même plus d'une semaine après avoir terminé ce livre, je suis toujours aussi incertaine de la critique que je dois en faire. The thing about the truth est le deuxième livre de Lauren Barnholdt que je lis et j'avais adoré le premier qui était Two-way street (ma chronique). Je l'avais totalement dévoré et je me disais que ce serait sûrement la même chose pour tous les livres de cette auteure. Je m'étais malheureusement trompée.
Kelsey et Isa...more Mon avis sur le blog: http://read-listen-feel.skyrock.com/

Même plus d'une semaine après avoir terminé ce livre, je suis toujours aussi incertaine de la critique que je dois en faire. The thing about the truth est le deuxième livre de Lauren Barnholdt que je lis et j'avais adoré le premier qui était Two-way street (ma chronique). Je l'avais totalement dévoré et je me disais que ce serait sûrement la même chose pour tous les livres de cette auteure. Je m'étais malheureusement trompée.
Kelsey et Isaac ont tous les deux été viré de leurs écoles respectives et ils doivent maintenant intégrer la même école publique, puisqu'il n'y a aucune autre option qui s'offre à eux. Kelsey est prête à tout pour avoir un bon dossier pour sa candidature à l'université et elle décide donc de présenter un nouveau projet au directeur de l'école qu'elle souhaite mettre sur pied. Seulement, c'est à contre cœur qu'elle se retrouvera jumelée avec Isaac. Ensemble, ils devront travailler sur ce nouveau projet, mais ni un ni l'autre n'avait prévu l'imprévisible. Pour la première fois de sa vie, Isaac est attiré par une fille qui ne veut rien savoir de lui. Quel défi! Mais même avec toute la bonne volonté sur cette terre, il y a une chose qui pourrait venir tout gâcher : la vérité.
Comme je le disais, je ne sais pas trop ce que je dois penser de ce livre. Oui, je l'ai bien aimé, mais il y a plusieurs choses qui ont fait que je n'ai pas réussi à entrer dans l'histoire. Premièrement, les personnages ne m'ont pas vraiment touché. Kelsey et Isaac sont attachants, mais sans plus. Contrairement à son autre roman, Lauren Barnholdt ne s'est pas attardée à décrire les personnages dans toute leur complexité. On les a survolés, sans plus. Je vous jure... À un certain moment, Kelsey n'en peut plus et se laisser finalement aller à pleurer. Ce n'est pas du tout venu me chercher. On veut faire paraître Isaac comme un bad boy au grand coeur, mais je ne l'ai perçu que comme un goss de riche avec un cœur tendre, et encore, il n'a vraiment pas le cœur sur la main. Ils sont mignons d'accord, mais qui peut bien tomber amoureux aussi vite? Comme ce roman fait moins de 300 pages, les choses sont souvent beaucoup trop précipitées. On ne prend pas le temps d'analyser les sentiments, d'avoir le point de vue des deux personnages ou d'avoir une belle déclaration d'amour enflammée. Rien! Heureusement que les personnages secondaires sont là pour sauver la mise. Marshall est tout simplement hilarant. Je n'ai jamais su s'il était imbécile de nature ou s'il le faisait seulement par exprès. Dans tous les cas, il m'a vraiment fait rire, surtout avec son gâteau au chocolat. Et Chloe est tout aussi marante. Elle a une personnalité pétillante, exactement comme je les aime. Ses histoires de cœurs sont à mourir de rire tellement elle s'invente des montagnes avec des riens. J'aurais bien aimé en savoir plus sur elle.
C'est malheureusement la même chose pour l'intrigue. Tout y est bien expliqué, mais on ne va pas plus loin. Tout se passe trop vite et je n'ai vraiment pas accroché. Attention, j'ai apprécié cette lecture, mais ce n'est tout simplement pas ma préférée. Ceux qui me connaissent savent que j'aime les histoires bien développées, où les sentiments sont approfondis et décortiqués. J'aime les intrigues qui vous tiennent en haleine et qui vous tiennent éveillée jusqu'aux petites heures du matin. J'aime être absorbée par ma lecture, ce qui n'a pas été le cas avec celle-ci.
Je tiens quand même à dire qu'il y a un point positif à ce livre que j'ai été très heureuse de retrouver, soit la façon dont le livre est divisé. On le point de vue des deux personnages dans cette histoire en alternant d'un chapitre à l'autre. Mais ce n'est pas tout. On alterne également entre passé et présent. On nous raconte l'histoire à partir de leur premier jour de classe, mais aussi le lendemain du terrible désastre. Quel désastre? Ça, c'est un secret. Vous ne pensez quand même pas que je vais tout vous dévoiler? C'est une lecture très facile et plaisante. Parfaite lorsqu'on ne veut pas se prendre la tête avec un livre de 500 pages et plus. Il se passe toujours quelque chose et on veut savoir la suite, mais pas assez à mon goût.
Alors, somme toute, j'ai bien apprécié cette lecture, même si j'en attendais beaucoup plus. Je le voyais un peu partout sur les blogs anglais et il me tentait beaucoup à cause de sa magnifique couverture. Les couvertures et moi ! Je crois que je n'apprendrai jamais ma leçon.(less)

like 3 likes · see review

Sep 10, 2012 Mónica rated it 1 of 5 stars

When I began reading The Thing About the Truth, I was looking for, well, fluff. I wanted romantic high school drama as a respite from the more serious books I had been reading recently, so it's not like I was expecting a life-altering read or anything. But even with relatively low expectations, this book was a huge let-down for me.

I had read Two-Way Street a few years back, and although I didn't particularly love it, I do remember wanting to know what the twist was and to see the relationship be...more When I began reading The Thing About the Truth, I was looking for, well, fluff. I wanted romantic high school drama as a respite from the more serious books I had been reading recently, so it's not like I was expecting a life-altering read or anything. But even with relatively low expectations, this book was a huge let-down for me.

I had read Two-Way Street a few years back, and although I didn't particularly love it, I do remember wanting to know what the twist was and to see the relationship between the two protagonists develop. With The Thing About the Truth, however, I had a lot of problems getting drawn into the story at first. Off the bat, I disliked both Kelsey and Isaac, which obviously makes caring about anything that happens to them really difficult. They were such stereotypical characters, that not even their quasi-self-awareness saved them for me. On top of that, their voices felt strained, and I kept weirdly switching between thinking "this is exactly the type of writing style I would use in my high school creative writing assignments" (although obviously Lauren Barnholdt is much better at it than I ever was at fifteen) and "this is what an adult thinks teenagers talk and think like, except they don't at all."

Once I forced myself to continue reading, I started getting a bit into the story, but only because I wanted to know what cataclysmic event had made their relationship take such a sharp turn for the worse. I won't spoil what the event was, but I will say that it was a huge let-down. I was actually pretty insulted by it, both as a reader and as a woman. So by the end, I wasn't exactly happy that I had stuck it out to find out what had happened.

I'm struggling to come up with a redeeming quality, and I guess I would just say that perhaps teenagers would actually enjoy this book (this is definitely not a book for adults who read YA). And still, I hesitate to say even that because I feel as though a teenaged me would have had the same issues with it that adult me did, and I just don't think teenagers will gain anything from reading it.(less)

like 5 likes · see review

Aug 17, 2012 Meagan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Oh, Lauren Barnholdt, you’ve done it again: you’ve managed to write two-dimensional stereotypes. I didn’t think it was possible after Two-Way Street and Sometimes it Happens. But here we’ve got girl with low self esteem who still manages to be an “uptight” snob. That’s Kelsey, who looks down at everyone in her public school for either being dumb, for having an ugly purse, for being a “bimbo”, or for just not living up to her standards. Oh, or just for being at public school to begin with. What a...more Oh, Lauren Barnholdt, you’ve done it again: you’ve managed to write two-dimensional stereotypes. I didn’t think it was possible after Two-Way Street and Sometimes it Happens. But here we’ve got girl with low self esteem who still manages to be an “uptight” snob. That’s Kelsey, who looks down at everyone in her public school for either being dumb, for having an ugly purse, for being a “bimbo”, or for just not living up to her standards. Oh, or just for being at public school to begin with. What a fantastic narrator to follow around, someone with absolutely no redeeming qualities.

Then we’ve got the guy. There’s this funny little thread woven through all of Lauren Barnholdt’s books, and that’s that the dudes are unforgivably awful. They are sex-obsessed assholes whose inner commentary ranges from slut-shaming to victim-blaming to just plain gross. Like the guy in Two-Way Street, Isaac has little to offer but a mind focused on boobs, boobs, and more boobs. In fact, in one of his earliest sections, he comments on how a girl’s “boob story” is boring, and that’s hard, because after all, it’s boobs. Great. Oh, and he goes off and kisses the “slutty bimbo” when he’s in the middle of trying to form a relationship with Kelsey, and casts it off as no big deal because there was no contract. Right. Honorable, Isaac.

Put them together with verylittle chemistry, some minor obstacle, and something blown completely out of proportion, and look what you’ve got: a novel by Lauren Barnholdt! Great.

The Thing About the Truth rotates viewpoints between Isaac the Asshole and Kelsey the Snob. They’re both jerks, and we see it right off the bat. Isaac’s dad is a politician who sends him to public school to make a point that public schools are just as good as private schools -- or at least that’s what we’re told in the beginning. Kelsey got herself kicked out of prep school. We find out that Isaac actually got kicked out, too.When we find out why, it’s kind of hard to sympathize with either of them -- if anyone did in the first place.

When Kelsey tries to make it clear that she is not interested in Isaac, instead of walking away like a good person, he pursues her further. And yet he makes reference to Marina Ruiz (the “slutty” bimbo, of course) stalking him. She won’t take his indirect “no” as an answer, just like he won’t take Kelsey’s direct no as an answer.

But of course, they wind up on a date, and Kelsey just so happens to enjoy it! And then they start working on a project together, and what else but romance could possibly happen? They fall “in love,” lies happen, and in the end, they both use violence to express their emotions. We sure needed another young adult book that showcases violence as a proper emotional outlet.

Lauren Barnholdt’s simplistic writing will appeal to the younger set of YA readers, while the plot lines might appeal to the older ones. It’s a great way to interest the younger set in an older group’s problems (being hell-bent on getting into an Ivy, sex, overbearing parents, etc), if you feel it’s necessary to stick with such bare bones writing. Falling back on overdone phrases such as “white-hot anger” tells the reader that Barnholdt doesn’t care so much about language or style, she just wants these two characters to clash. But once in a while, there’s an awkward, out-of-place thought by Kelsey or Isaac. It's mostly Kelsey, whose character really wants to be perceived as intelligent. The attempts at sounding deep or thoughtful are the only funny part about this book.

It’s not just her writing style, but the format of the book that makes it difficult to read. Non-linear storytelling can be done very well -- in fact, Barnholdt’s previous book, Sometimes it Happens, she handled it decently. But The Thing About the Truth goes with such short “chapters” that are supposed to act as Kelsey and Isaac telling the story of what happened to the principal. But for that to be realistic, did we really need to know the details of what’s happening with Kelsey and her parents, of the first time she meets Isaac’s dad, or even of their “romance” building? What principal is going to sit there and think, yes, I want to hear this story of how these two students fell in love, this is the best use of my time.

The ending is just as disappointing as the rest of it. There's this entire build-up we've been waiting for, and then it's over. The resolution is as quick as five pages, and it turns out nothing actually mattered. This is not a book I would recommend to anyone, unless you're in the mood for some really cookie cutter characters and plot points. Barnholdt's previous book, Sometimes It Happens, while shrugging off infidelity as no big deal, was a step above this one.(less)

like 14 likes · see review

Dec 26, 2012 Miglet rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book so much that I am not going to admit how upsetting it is that the "villain" (not really but I can't think of anything else to call her) has my name. It was disconcerting as hell and caused serious identity problems for me, but, I loved this book nonetheless. I loved the dueling POVs, I loved Isaac, I loved Kelsey, I loved Marshall, I loved Chloe, I loathed Marina Ruiz *cough, cough* and Rielle.

This is one of the funniest and most romantic YA reads ever.

No lie.

like 1 like · see review

Nov 16, 2012 Ficklebrain rated it 1 of 5 stars

I left this book conficted from (strangely enough) an entire lack of conflict in the story. When Kelsey's "big secret" finally unveiled, I was finished. So finished that I only scanned the last five pages of the book - that's when you know the book was a let down. I cannot believe I just read 200 plus pages that centered around such a small, teenager fight. I kept thinking that surely a new conflict was going to arise. Surely there was another part to the story. Nope.
With all that, I actually l...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 03, 2012 Anjelica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases, cover-love, wish-list, ya, contemporary, romance, standalone

I loved Two-Way Street, I can't wait to read this one by Lauren Barnholdt!

I loved The Thing About the Truth. It was interesting to read the story from both the point of view of Kelsey and Issac and also reading about the aftermath and what happened in the events leading up to the aftermath at the same time. The plot wasn't as serious as you would think it was, there were a lot of jokes and thugs that would make you smile. The whole point of the story, I think, is that no matter how big or little...more

like 3 likes · see review

May 24, 2012 Shanyn (Chick Loves Lit) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: wow

One of my favorite things about life (yes LIFE) are the contemporary YA writers that put out great book after great book. You know the ones - Elizabeth Scott, Sarah Dessen, Jennifer Echols. I haven't been on the Lauren Barnholdt train for very long (her book last year was the first I've read), but after reading The Thing About the Truth I am fairly certain she can be put on this epic list as well.

Full Review: http://chickloveslit.com/2012/06/revi...

like 6 likes · see review

Apr 10, 2013 Levian rated it 1 of 5 stars

Kelsey got kicked out from Concordia Private School and was determined to get her future back on track while attending Concordia Public School. her old friends were acting all weird around her that eventually she stopped looking for them. Issac had been kicked out from more schools than he can remember. but since his father was the state senator, he got welcomed at everywhere he went. the first time Kelsey and Isaac met, she saw him as some spoil brat, he saw her as some stuck-up snob. it surpri...more

like · see review

Mar 07, 2013 Amy Jacobs rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I really enjoy the writing by author Lauren Barnholdt. She seems to capture the language of teens and it comes across as real to the reader. The problems I had with this story were actually rather minor, but they were things that ended up lowering my rating for the story.

First when we look at the cover we assume it is Isaac and Kelsey. They are the main characters and they have alternating POV chapters. The cover is sweet and gives the reader a small hint about them. So here I am reading a book...more I really enjoy the writing by author Lauren Barnholdt. She seems to capture the language of teens and it comes across as real to the reader. The problems I had with this story were actually rather minor, but they were things that ended up lowering my rating for the story.

First when we look at the cover we assume it is Isaac and Kelsey. They are the main characters and they have alternating POV chapters. The cover is sweet and gives the reader a small hint about them. So here I am reading a book thinking the guy is going to have dark hair and the girl is going to be blonde. I have the character all set up in my head because of it. Then while reading the story, the actual descriptions do not fit what I see on the cover. The characters are completely different than what we see on the front. I understand that the cover art department does this and that the author has nothing to do with this. If this sort of thing bothers you, well then you have been warned.

Now for the story itself. The story does jump from present to past and back and forth again. I think I would have enjoyed the story better if it was beginning to end. I loved the slow building of the romance between Kelsey and Isaac. These are two people with two different lifestyles and somehow they end up working on a project together. Those few sentences would have been perfect for a sweet young adult read. When the author brought in the secrets and lies, I think that is what was suppose to make it so dramatic. Unfortunately, I felt the whole thing was a pretty weak one. You have the amazing book and you are reading about them trying to figure out a way to work together and become friends. After the big day where everything goes down, I still don't see much of a fallout because of it. They end up reconciling right afterwards. I also never could really understand the reason Kelsey did what she did to her ex-boyfriends car. To me it seemed a little extreme and just used as a plot point to move the character from one school to the new school.

By the time the book came to a close I had to realize that the conflict for the climax of the story was brief and didn't hold much of an impact. I just never could get the characters to connect with each other. Overall, this was an easy and fluffy read to pass the time. It was okay and enjoyable, but also not one I would want to be jumping through hoops to read again.
(less)

like · see review

Feb 07, 2013 Kala rated it 2 of 5 stars

Also posted on my blog at:
Kala's Book Blog

This book was disappointing. I read Two Way Street this past week and thought it was alright, so I was hoping another book by Lauren Barnholdt would be just as good, if not better. Perhaps some of her other stuff is, but this one isn't.

I have two big issues with this book. First, the entire plot of the book is a past/future retelling of a ginormous event that happened because of a lie. We start off in the "Aftermath" where Isaac and Kelsey are about to g...more Also posted on my blog at:
Kala's Book Blog

This book was disappointing. I read Two Way Street this past week and thought it was alright, so I was hoping another book by Lauren Barnholdt would be just as good, if not better. Perhaps some of her other stuff is, but this one isn't.

I have two big issues with this book. First, the entire plot of the book is a past/future retelling of a ginormous event that happened because of a lie. We start off in the "Aftermath" where Isaac and Kelsey are about to get expelled. Isaac hates her for a lie she told and Kelsey hates herself.

Here's the issue... the lie (in my opinion) was so minor. It came about at the tail end and even when she does it, it seems like such a small thing. The majority of the "Before" part of the book is the build up of Isaac and Kelsey's relationship. I thought this was reasonably well done. Then the reveal of the "lie" and what happened to get them expelled happens and it's so underwhelming.

Then in the last two pages at the end they kiss and make up and it's all good now.

I mean, I knew there was going to be a happy ending (it's YA romance after all), but ALL this build up to this supposed HUGE event and they have an obscenely short and fast reconciliation.

My other major issue with the book is the cardboard secondary characters. None have real personalities. Marina is the slutty crazy girl. We never really learn anything about why she behaves this way, she's just the stereotypical 'mean girl' villain. Rielle is the shit best friend. We don't really get to learn much about her either, other than that she's a terrible best friend but for some reason Kelsey keeps being best friends with her.

I know the main focus on the story was the relationship between Kelsey and Isaac, but I would have loved to see more fleshing out of the secondary characters.

Goodreads says two stars means "It was okay" and that's pretty much exactly how I felt about this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either. It was just "okay."(less)

like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lauren Barnholdt is one of my favorite authors. She does an excellent job of writing realistic fiction with creative plots about friendships and relationships. “The Thing About the Truth” is Barnholdt’s sixth novel that does just that.

"The Thing About the Truth” is the story of Kelsey and Isaac’s relationship. The synopsis describes their relationship as “anything but love at first sight,” which is a completely accurate depiction. Kelsey, an over achiever who recently got kicked out of private s...more Lauren Barnholdt is one of my favorite authors. She does an excellent job of writing realistic fiction with creative plots about friendships and relationships. “The Thing About the Truth” is Barnholdt’s sixth novel that does just that.

"The Thing About the Truth” is the story of Kelsey and Isaac’s relationship. The synopsis describes their relationship as “anything but love at first sight,” which is a completely accurate depiction. Kelsey, an over achiever who recently got kicked out of private school because of a boy, has absolutely no interest in dating at her new public school. Isaac, who’s always in the public eye because he’s the son of a senator, has been kicked out of so many private schools that public school is the only option he has left. He has no intention of changing his streak of behaving badly and dating girls he knows he’ll never love. Despite their plans, it turns out that the two just might be meant to be.

That is, until that creative plot comes into play. Kelsey knows that she has to do something unforgetable, something that will make up for the fact that she got kicked out of private school when college admissions offices are looking through her applications. Isaac just wants to impress Kelsey. And so starts Face It Down Day, a day for students from the public school and private school in town to talk about issues that they all face and realize that, public or private school, they’re all the same. Unfortunately, Face It Down Day does not go as planned, but you’ll have to wait for the intense climax to find out just how bad it was.

The way in which Barnholdt tells her story is just as creative as the story itself. She uses the first person perspectives of both Kelsey and Isaac to tell their story. She also divides her chapters up into “Before” and “After.” The “After” chapters involve Kelsey and Isaac telling the principal about why Face it Down Day was such a failure, and the “Before” chapters tell about the events leading up to that meeting with the principal. I just love when female authors get into the minds of males and when male authors get into the minds of females, so I really enjoyed Isaac’s chapters. Isaac’s feelings about himself, women, and his father’s job as a senator are pretty hilarious at times. Although Kelsey is constantly calling Isaac stuck up because of the money his family has due to his father’s job, I found her to be much more stuck up than Isaac. That’s probably another reason why I preferred Isaac’s chapters to Kelsey’s.

The only problem I had with this book were the recurring grammar errors. Who and whoever were always used, never whom and whomever. The correct way to use those words is to use who or whoever when it is followed by a verb and therefore acting as the subject and to use whom or whomever when it is followed by a subject and a verb. Also, never use “although” as an introductory word at the beginning of a sentence. If you want an introductory word, use “though.” If you want to start a sentence with a dependent clause, then go ahead and use “although.” Just a little grammar lesson for you guys. I know that a lot of grammar and spelling errors end up in published books, but now a few more of us will know how to keep these particular errors out.

“The Thing About the Truth” is a hilarious drama about the relationship between Kelsey and Isaac and its many implications.(less)

like · see review

Jan 13, 2013 Beatriz rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Only to Lauren's fans or those looking for a 2-4 hour reading.

Shelves: pageturners

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm starting to get "cold feet" with Lauren Barnholdt's writing, at first I really liked (and still do) her storytelling, she knows how to keep you interested until the very end, but the ending of her books do not satisfy me at all. I feel like she doesn't resolves all the problems and situations presented, and kinda "closes" it. Ok, probably she does that so you imagine or decide how you want it to continue (or finish) the story, but I'm not really into it.

I decided to rate The thing about the...more

like · see review

Jan 12, 2013 ClaireP rated it 4 of 5 stars

I recently read THE THING ABOUT THE TRUTH by Lauren Barnholdt. The main character in the book, Kelsey, just got expelled from Concordia Prep after an incident involving her ex-boyfriend, Rex. Kelsey is desperate to get her life back on track at her new public school, Concordia Public and just wants to stay away from guys, especially ones that will be a distraction. Then she meets Isaac, the son of a wealthy senator who finds himself in the same position as Kelsey, starting over at a new school....more

like · see review

Nov 03, 2012 Helen rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Oh my gosh, this book built so much suspense that I expected more. Seriously? He's that worked up because she lied about her virginity? I thought the conflict of the problem, that them being in the office in the first place would have been so much more scandalous, so much more complex, that I was so disappointed when I found out it was just about her being a virgin or not. It's so stupid how he thought he could never forgive her, and her the same. Honestly, the reader tricked me here; I was so i...more

like · see review

Oct 21, 2012 Abbe Hinder rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: boring-as-hell, contemporary, female-pov, i-don-t-even-know, simon-and-schuster, male-pov, lying-summaries, insta-love, annoying-protagonist, reviewed

The Thing About The Truth is told from the perspectives of Isaac and Kelsey. It’s told before and after the incident (Face It Down Day) in both of their perspectives. It was pretty cool that there were four mini stories in one book. But the idea was typical and boring, nothing stood out. The characters were choppy and annoying, I felt like Lauren Barnholdt didn’t develop her characters well and that the main characters were contradicting themselves as well as boring. Without many facts about the...more The Thing About The Truth is told from the perspectives of Isaac and Kelsey. It’s told before and after the incident (Face It Down Day) in both of their perspectives. It was pretty cool that there were four mini stories in one book. But the idea was typical and boring, nothing stood out. The characters were choppy and annoying, I felt like Lauren Barnholdt didn’t develop her characters well and that the main characters were contradicting themselves as well as boring. Without many facts about their past. Out of the two of them, I disliked Kelsey the most because she was just plain annoying and whiny.

Kelsey Romando was the worst character out of the two of them with her trying to be a good student at the public school. The character of Kelsey wasn’t as good as she was trying to be, she wasn’t a bad ass either because she was kind of uptight. She was very annoying, whiny, and stupid for the most part. She told stupid lies and became attracted to Isaac because he was a ‘bad boy’.

Isaac Bernardo was not a bad ass. Yes, he did punch a few people but that was it. Lauren Barnholdt was trying to get the point across that Isaac was dark and mysterious but instead he was just a guy who listened to everything Kelsey told him to do (what kind of bad boy listens to what other people say?). Isaac quickly lost his interesting qualities once him and Kelsey got too comfortable with each other. He turned into a lovesick puppy too quickly and too suddenly that it annoyed me a lot.

The writing style was really annoying because it was written as if it was a diary, so they both talked a lot about things that didn’t matter. For most of the story, whenever it switched to Kelsey’s point of view, Lauren Barnholdt would start the chapter with the word, “okay”. Almost every time and I get pretty irritated about it. After reading the synopsis, this sounded pretty good but the story is almost completely different from what I thought it would be in a bad sense because the story was boring. Also, I wished that there was more drama and action surrounding “Face It Down” day. The whole story surrounds what happened that day but it really let my hopes down because only two things happened and then they almost got expelled. The sad part was, no one would have gotten into as much trouble as Kelsey or Isaac did for throwing a punch.

“Face It Down” day was a huge disappointment full of snobby girls acting like they were royalty and boys getting jealous over one girl. The ending of The Thing About The Truth was very typical. I honestly knew what was going to happen when I was only halfway done the book. There were no surprises, not very much action, and they were angry at each other over petty mistakes. And do not be fooled by this amazing cover because it doesn’t go with the characters at all. They look completely different which irritated me a bit because they cover of books always helps me to visualize the characters better.

There was very little that I actually enjoyed about this book. One of those things was that the story went back and forth between the two characters as well as told the story before and after the incident. I thought that was really cool because you got the whole entire story that way. Even though I didn’t like The Thing About The Truth very much, I’m still very excited to read Two Way Street.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Aug 06, 2012 Homewood Public Library rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Kelsey finally has a chance to start over. Now that she is starting public school she can get her life back on track. Focus on college, get good grades, and keep her past a secret. No one knows that Kelsey was recently kicked out of Concordia Prep or the reasons behind her expulsion. Kelsey soon finds that life at Concordia Public isn’t as easy as she thought, especially since she met Isaac.
Isaac is on his last chance. This Senator’s son has been kicked out of so many private schools that if he...more

like · see review

Jul 20, 2012 Zelaznogstanfordgirl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Printed in an interesting format that soon becomes comfortable, with occasional humor, and challenging climaxes, this story was hooking and well-written, but a little plain and melodramatic. Kelsey and Isaac are both facing inner difficulties that propel them into Concordia High School. Kelsey has recently vandalized the prized property of her problematic ex-boyfriend, Rex, and Isaac – with a senator as a dad – has trouble living up to kingly expectations and staying out of relentless pranking....more

like · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Isamlq rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5/5

I was on the fence about this one, thinking that maybe the pair of them were written the way they were in a play to make it more “edgy,” but not too edgy. You know, edgy in the way that neither of the leads is that sympathetic?

Let’s face it. She’s too uptight; he’d act like an entitled ass. Plus, he could say some of the most atrocious things, while she could behave in equally insensitive manner. I felt that there really wasn’t anything to dig deep for; that they’d eventually prove themsel...more 2.5/5

I was on the fence about this one, thinking that maybe the pair of them were written the way they were in a play to make it more “edgy,” but not too edgy. You know, edgy in the way that neither of the leads is that sympathetic?

Let’s face it. She’s too uptight; he’d act like an entitled ass. Plus, he could say some of the most atrocious things, while she could behave in equally insensitive manner. I felt that there really wasn’t anything to dig deep for; that they’d eventually prove themselves to be exactly what the other was saying. For a while there that’s what I felt I was getting: time and again, either one would say the most unexpected thing. Like her throwing out “guys like you” comments. Or, him thinking things that ran along the lines of “when you wear a skirt like that…” etc., except reading on, one finds that there’s actually some extra stuff under it all; stuff that doesn’t necessarily excuse their respective behavior, but explains it away (a little). As with Kelsey and her father, or her and her best friend; its aspects that make her a slightly sadder lead. Isaac’s part of it left me feeling short changed. So your daddy’s an ass? Deal with it, dude.

Yet, for all my moaning, I have to admit that the guy was actually pretty funny… funny even when I didn’t want to laugh, because he’s so full of himself and he could say some of the most ridiculous things! At one point he goes, “Not to sound like a pompous asshole, but I’ve had girls stalking me before. And it’s not a pleasant.” Not to sound pompous?! Too late. So I’m split over how funny he could be given him being so full of himself, and how douche-y ~~some of his~~ a lot of his thoughts were.

A lot of the way he was accounts for the way she was too. Picture it: when he’s all smooth, confident… and in her face, she reacts... ergh... 'remarkably' too. To his uber-douche, she’s uber-something else. The biggest positive in this for me at least is how he would spark something in her and she in him. Basically, they were funny together.

THE THING ABOUT THE TRUTH was funny with the both of them acting the way they did… but honestly, they could get exasperating too!
(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jul 12, 2012 Joanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

He’s so hot that it kind of takes my breath away. Of course, I’ve probably been reading too many romance novels.

that is Isaac Brandano for you. :) if he was in my high school i would probably have a crush on him too. I mean he's kind of a jerk but a very sweet jerk. He's nice to look at too.

I really like this story! You know the feeling of some kind of cozy rain inside your system and it's making you blissful or something? That's how i felt. Also, i couldn't stop reading it. I wanted to know...more

like 3 likes · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Paola rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

5 stars out of 5
I knew from the beginning, since I read the plot, that I'd totally enjoy this story a lot. Besides Barnholdt's romance dramas are always amazing.
So Kelsey is what you call a 'control freak', I mean she wants everything to be perfect and after being kicked out of Concordia Prep, well she'll do anything so things will end up being more than perfect. Unlike Kelsey, Isaac is a messy guy who does anything he wants and never gets in trouble because his the Senator's son. When these two...more

like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Candela rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews, 2013

Un tambaleante 2.5.

El libro está dividido en dos partes; "Antes" y "Las consecuencias" de la mentira. No es taaaaaaan grave, o de muerte. Hicieron semejante lío por una estupidez tan grande...

Cuando leí el "Todo el mundo tiene secretos, e Isaac y Kelsey no son la excepción. Estos dos pueden haberse enamorado fuertemente, pero hay una cosa que puede arruinarlo todo: la verdad." me pareció muy interesante (de hecho fue la única razón por la que me lo descargué), pero nada es lo que parece. Me espe...more

like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Morgan rated it 1 of 5 stars

The Thing about the truth is that it eventually comes out. And the truth is I didn’t like this book at ALL. I was really hoping this would be a great contemporary read, and just something that I’d love…but it wasn’t. And that’s why I like the library I don’t waste my money. Anyways onto the book.

What I didn’t like: (you know besides everything)

-The relationship! Can you say insta-love? I mean I’m getting kind of sick of the whole thing. I know in contemporary you need that I hate him, but I’m al...more The Thing about the truth is that it eventually comes out. And the truth is I didn’t like this book at ALL. I was really hoping this would be a great contemporary read, and just something that I’d love…but it wasn’t. And that’s why I like the library I don’t waste my money. Anyways onto the book.

What I didn’t like: (you know besides everything)

-The relationship! Can you say insta-love? I mean I’m getting kind of sick of the whole thing. I know in contemporary you need that I hate him, but I’m also attracted to him, but in this one it was right away I swear by page one hundred they were thinking: “I love her,” or, “I’m falling for him.”

-Just the lie in general, I mean it just wasn’t that big of a deal when it came down to it. I mean sure it made sense, but I wish there was a little more to the big blow out. I mean there are only 10 pages (besides the “Aftermath”) where there mad at each other or fighting.

-Her friends are all annoying and I just wanted to slap Reille. Partially though it’s Kelsey’s fault because she’s such an over dramatic whiney baby sometimes as well.

-There were absolutely NO make out scenes. What’s the point to a book without them? Sure they kissed, but if they did it was probably for like 1 or 2 paragraphs before Kelsey pushed him away because she felt bad about her (HUGE) lie (note the sarcasm.)

-I wanted to see Marshall and Chloe get together, but Dave just didn’t seem worthy of her. Along with that I wish we saw more of the side characters besides just Isaac, and Kelsey. What’s a story without amazing side characters?!

What I liked:

-I only have one, but I think the plot was great I just wish there were more descriptive scenes and the affects of just… well everything.

Overall:
I think EVERYONE could use a little more character development, and real emotions, you know besides just crying and making someone’s shirt a snot rag, over some petty little lie. Also it always talked about there issues with their dad’s I know those can never be completely resolved, but if we saw a little more of them and their family lives maybe it would’ve been a bit better. I hope I can read Two Way Street, because I’ve heard such great things about it, but I’ll probably check if it’s in the library first.
(less)

like · see review

Aug 05, 2012 Brittany Rehage rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read two of Lauren Barnholdt's books and the thing I really liked about them was the characters seem so real. They're teens who act a little melodramatic, feel emotions just a little too much, and don't usually stop to think about how things will affect the future. Barnholdt writes real teens in her fictional books.

The Thing about the Truth is no different. Kelsey and Isaac are no different from her other characters in that they are perfectly written teens. They jump to conclusions and act...more

like · see review

Apr 18, 2013 Jessica Yang rated it 1 of 5 stars

After reading "two-way street" and "The night that changed everything" I was extremely looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, it just didn't meet my expectations. First of all, I hated how forgiving Kelsey was of Isaac, it was like "oh, let me kiss this girl and then say it's no big deal" and then to FURTHUR piss me off, he was acting all angry and furioius because she lied to him and I was so excited to see why he was mad at her.

Now based on his anger for her, i thought it was going to be...more

like · see review

Jul 18, 2012 JuJu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Kelsey finally has a chance to start over. Now that she is starting public school she can get her life back on track. Focus on college, get good grades, and keep her past a secret. No one knows that Kelsey was recently kicked out of Concordia Prep or the reasons behind her expulsion. Kelsey soon finds that life at Concordia Public isn’t as easy as she thought, especially since she met Isaac.
Isaac is on his last chance. This Senator’s son has been kicked out of so many private schools that if he...more

like · see review

Sep 12, 2012 Alaa in LOVE with 'Edger Allan Poe' rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit-books-or-non-fantasy-book

The thing about the truth was an unexpected choice for me…
It was a very promising book, with good plot, and likeable (ish) characteristics…
It's just that the ending was a BIG disappointment, and the main problem that you eventually find out about was blemish….
I was expecting something bigger, and more of a dilemma that leaves your mouth hanging for about an hour, or two
To me, the dilemma that the author created, was a little bit childish,
And if I really wanted to read a book like that, I would...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 15, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I saw some reviews that were critical of The Thing About the Truth because Kelsey's lies aren't as big as they are made out to be, but I think that misses the point.
This book is not about the big reveal of a HUGE secret, rather it's an examination of the little lies we tell everyday. The ones we use to try and mold our lives a little closer towards the life we wish we had. Kelsey lies about the small things because she can almost believe the small lies are really the truth. She's lying to hersel...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 08, 2012 Eleanor rated it 4 of 5 stars

I truly enjoyed this book. I loved the way it was set up, with different perspectives of Isaac and Kelsey, and the Aftermath and Before. The format kept me excited and interested. I always love books that are written in boy and girl's perspectives, and this one did not disapoint. Isaac and Kelsey were both developed very well and their actions were both explained in a realistic way and I felt like this story could have happened to me. Hell, I kinda want it to happen to me.

The only thing I was ev...more

like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
Crazy for Young A...: The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt → Start Date: March 10th, 2013	61	38	Mar 17, 2013 07:23am
Alternating POV's	2	24	Oct 25, 2012 10:15pm

title link	preview: The Thing About the Truth
avg rating	preview: The Thing About the Truth Goodreads rating: 3.65 (3459 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12987127-the-thing-about-the-truth?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348220966l/12987127.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12987127-the-thing-about-the-truth?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt[/url]

The Thing About the Truth

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Lauren Barnholdt

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Thing About t...

Quotes from The Thing About the Truth