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True Confessions of a Heartless Girl

3.26 of 5 stars 3.26 · rating details · 393 ratings · 67 reviews

It would have been the easiest and the best thing, Noreen thought, to just get back in the truck and take off. But she couldn't think of where to go. In fact, she couldn't think at all.

Paperback, 216 pages

Published September 1st 2004 by HarperTempest (first published October 1st 2002)

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Best Teen Books About Real Problems

226th out of 1,146 books — 5,768 voters

True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks

Search of the Moon King's Daughter by Linda Holeman

CLA Young Adult Canadian Book Award Finalists 2003

1st out of 11 books — 4 voters

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Jan 22, 2010 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: belovedbookshelf, ya

A little over two years ago I came across this book. At the time I thought it had been published just recently, but I realized later it was originally published in Canada in 2002 and then a little over a year later in the U.S. I can't even remember now how I first heard about TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A HEARTLESS GIRL. But I remember that the fact that it was set in Canada and written by a Canadian was part of the draw. That and the intriguing storyline. I'm mystified as to why we seem to rarely get w...more A little over two years ago I came across this book. At the time I thought it had been published just recently, but I realized later it was originally published in Canada in 2002 and then a little over a year later in the U.S. I can't even remember now how I first heard about TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A HEARTLESS GIRL. But I remember that the fact that it was set in Canada and written by a Canadian was part of the draw. That and the intriguing storyline. I'm mystified as to why we seem to rarely get wind of some of these gems from our northern neighbors. HEARTLESS GIRL was the winner of the 2002 Governor General's Literary Award and if this is any indication of the quality of the winners of that award, I will be paying attention to future winners and nominations. None of our local bookstores had it in, but my library did (bless them) so I picked it up on my way home from work and read it later that night as my husband snored gently beside me. One thing is for sure--I fell irretrievably into Martha Brooks' clear, evocative prose.

Set in present-day Manitoba, the story follows self-proclaimed heartless girl Noreen. World-weary at 17, pregnant and on the run from her boyfriend Wesley (the first kind boy she's ever been with), Noreen steals his truck and his cash and winds up broke and alone in a small farming town not far from Brandon. Against her better judgement, Lynda (the operator of the local cafe) takes Noreen in and gives her a job. And thus she unwittingly unleashes a storm the likes of which the denizens of this small town have never seen. Each of them carry their own burdens. Lynda herself has escaped an abusive relationship and is raising her three-year-old son Seth on her own, while managing to run the cafe. Dolores Harper, the local wise woman, shows up sporting her "Meddling for Jesus" sweatshirt, ready to help the new girl open up. And Del Armstrong, the resident middle-aged bachelor, does his best to help Noreen, all the while unable to forgive himself for the tragedy that occurred the year he was her age. But will any of them be able to see beyond their own personal issues to save each other from their demons?

TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A HEARTLESS GIRL ought to be swallowed in one satisfying session, I think. The writing is spare but weighty. Brooks' words leave a mark on you long after your eyes move past them on the page. We get the story from the perspective of Noreen, Wesley, and several of the inhabitants of Pembina Lake--the small town of Noreen finds herself unable to leave. I loved the characters with their strengths and weaknesses, all of them prominently on display. Noreen isunbearably heartless at times. She is also sensitive and imaginative and capable of love. But where she walks, trouble follows. Everyone she comes into contact with meets with disaster as some point in the tale. But somehow they're unable to just wash their hands of this girl and let her go. Despite their own numerous personal issues, the people there take her in, feed her, give her work, and just try (sometimes against all reason) to help this girl whose life has been seemingly cursed since the day she was born. And then there's Wesley. The Cree construction worker with a sky full of stars and careful hands. I liked that he didn't let Noreen trample him underfoot. I liked that he yelled and stomped and left when he should. I get tired sometimes of the Tireless Good Guy. The one who's always there and comes back even when she doesn't deserve him. On the contrary, these two find their way back to each other only when their eyes can see clearly again. When Noreen learns how to stay still and not run. The vastness of the prairie is in this slim novel. It is exquisite and I love it.(less)

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May 19, 2012 Christine Day rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-stars, young-adult

The quality of writing and storyline aren't that bad, there's just one aspect of the book that really ruined it for me...

This is a story about a seventeen-year old girl named Noreen who runs away from home, lives with a boyfriend, then runs away from him too when she realizes she's pregnant. To be honest, I felt bad for the main character, but she also kind of annoyed me. I realize she had trust issues, but there was something about her that lacked conviction. And her boyfriend Wesley was alrigh...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Louise rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature-fiction

Story Description:

She turned onto the main street -- the sound of the lake a whisper behind her, the leaves of the tall trees now talking overhead -- she saw his truck parked in front of the café and Wesley sitting inside it....
He didn't seem to notice as she got closer, his eyes closed as if he was concentrating on something. With her hand on her stomach, she steadied herself. The window on the passenger's side was open and she could see the distinct curve of his dark lashes as they rested agai...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Diana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 11th-advisory

True Confessions of a Heartless Girl
By Martha Brooks
Perfection Learning, September 2004
Pgs 216
ISBN: 0756932459

Seventeen year old Norene Stall runs away from home as the story takes place on a bad day of the summer. On the run to another destination, she meets a couple of new people and together, they try to stay alive. As she meets with new people, she has a great impact on all of them. And before she left while being pregnant, she stole her boyfriend's truck and grabbed some cash. As the story...more

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Dec 01, 2010 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult

In the little motel-less town of Pembina Lake, Canada a truck pulled into the Molly Thorvaldson Café one night. The proprietor Lynda has just seen the last customer out. Her five-year-old son Seth is upstairs with a chicken leg in his hand and the previously homeless dog Tessie at his feet. As much as Lynda tries to ignore the lone truck out in the rain, its young driver, a girl with badly-cut blond hair walks in, asking for a cup of coffee. Before she knows it, Lynda’s offering the girl, whose...more In the little motel-less town of Pembina Lake, Canada a truck pulled into the Molly Thorvaldson Café one night. The proprietor Lynda has just seen the last customer out. Her five-year-old son Seth is upstairs with a chicken leg in his hand and the previously homeless dog Tessie at his feet. As much as Lynda tries to ignore the lone truck out in the rain, its young driver, a girl with badly-cut blond hair walks in, asking for a cup of coffee. Before she knows it, Lynda’s offering the girl, whose name is Noreen, a place to stay for the night. Between the town grandmother Dolores, Del the rangy old cowboy, and Wesley the young, hardworking it’s-complicated boyfriend, Noreen’s story is slowly revealed. 17, pregnant, and a self-named heartless girl, she intentionally and unintentionally wreaks havoc in the lives of all the people she meets. But the residents of Pembina Lake have their own demons to excise and as their lives intersect around Noreen, that just might be what happens.

I’d been in a reading slump recently until I picked up this little contemporary Canadian YA a couple of nights ago. I was surprised to find it would do the trick, but it did. At just under 200 pages it was appealingly slim. It also had an intriguing title and startling cover. Who is this girl with the cropped hair, defiant stance, and the stare that seems to be directed right at me? What makes her heartless and how bad could she really be?

From how that first chapter unfolds in its sparse yet powerful prose I felt such an immediate sense of place and small town character in True Confessions of a Heartless Girl I knew I was settling in for the thick of it. I was sure there would be some drama unfolding that every one of these colorful characters would take part in. Hardworking, educated Lynda, who fled an abusive husband to end up running a coffee shop, barely making ends meet. Reliable, middle-aged Del, who continues to pour time and money into renovating a cottage for a brother who’s long gone. Old, caring town meddler Dolores who proudly wears Jesus sweatshirts and has a way of getting the truth out of anybody before dishing out her sage advice. From first glance you could tell these were real, damaged people beyond their everyday facades and I anxiously awaited for their troubles to be revealed. Rawer than ever, how would they cope – especially Noreen. She really is a messed up, unfeeling girl who’s accepted her tendency to screw up her life and the lives she touches. She has treated many of the people she loves most very badly, boyfriend Wesley feeling the brunt of it. Yet she freely acknowledges her mistakes as she slowly seeks to change with the little bits of advice she collects from everyone at Pembina Lake as her guide. I loved Wesley too and how he had his own set of problems to work through and conditions needing to be met. Neither Lynda, Dolores, Del, Wesley, or Noreen sacrifices their own integrity for the sake of the plot’s resolution and I intently watched their lives come apart and together again. True Confessions of a Heartless Girl is a rare gem in YA contemp and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Thanks to Angie for wisely and thoughtfully adding it to my stack.(less)

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Jun 15, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bbya

Top 10 BBYA / Governor Generals Award winner/ CLA Young Adult Book of the Year winner
A pregnant 17-year-old becomes the catalyst for change in the small town of Pembina Lake. Noreen stole her boyfriend's money and truck, is stranded in the town by a storm, and is taken in by Lynda, the café owner. During 10 days in July, Noreen changes and is changed by her interactions with the town’s denizens.

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Dec 09, 2011 Olivia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-literature

This book is about a teenager named Norene and how she finds her place in this world. Growing up with nonsupportive and neglectful parents, she does what she wants and does not trust anyone. When she finds out she is pregnant, she steals her boyfriend's truck and runs away. She comes to a diner and meets a single mother and her young son. The small neighborhood pulls together and teaches this girl some important lessons. She learns to love and not be only concerned for herself.

This was a quick a...more

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Oct 27, 2008 Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book. I will look for more titles by Martha Brooks.

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Sep 28, 2012 Roderick Mcgillis rated it 4 of 5 stars

I like the terse prose and I confess that I came to like the people in this tale of small town Manitoba. Other reviewers have outlined the plot, and so I will not do so here. Suffice to say that the book does not contain a heartless girl, although it does contain an ill-starred girl. The story allows us to know at least seven characters closely. We know these characters, but we do not know precisely when they live. The small town of Pembina Lake seems to live out of time, and perhaps this is the...more

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Jan 15, 2010 Andrea Flint rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is about an young girl that finds love when she is hiking back for a town that her and her old boyfriend went to. Her old boyfriend left at a restaurant so she just left the town to go back to her own town. As she was hiking she came a cross some real crepes and at some point she stops hiking. When she thinks its safe again she starts walking and then a truck pulls up.. She climes in and he gives her a stick of gum and said u look funny. She called him a wired-ow and opens the door and...more

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Nov 18, 2009 Anne Thomsen Lord rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: rural-life, ya-lit, loved-the-setting, 2009

I enjoyed reading True Confessions of a Heartless Girl. Lynda's restaurant reminded me of the Whistlestop Cafe, and I loved the setting in rural Manitoba. I had to look on a map because I'm not that familiar with Canada geography. I don't remember that much talk about what provinces border what in Anne of Green Gables... Dorothy was my favorite character; she is just so maternal and loving. I also couldn't help but have a little crush on the 50-something farmer, Del. Am I turning into Kate?!

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Oct 25, 2009 Anabel is currently reading it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 14, 2013 Mimi Nguyen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Not one of my favorites and would not recommend it. Personally, it was a slow read for me and troubling to get through. The story line was very simple but just much too thick with troubling and complex situations that just fogged up the entire meaning of the story. Then again, that was just my opinion of what I thought of the novel. I could bear with it, but would definitely not read it again. I gave it 2 STARS, especially for the ending.

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Feb 14, 2013 thegift rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: canadalit, ya, xshort-less-50kwords, womanauthor

so here i am walking down the ya shelves looking for another kevin brooks book after 'being'- and come across this one. short. awarded. woman author. i read it and easily recognize the characters in it like the girls who would visit 'ninja' at the coffeehouse- young girls, young girls emotional lives, young girls just ordinary problems, boyfriends, babies, etc. so i read this with a smile. got to care about those girls...

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Jul 25, 2010 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: booksillalwaysremember

I first read this book when I was 14 I think and just reread it a few weeks ago. Whenever you think that all is going to be good in this story there comes another twist of fate or stupidity which keeps it really interesting.
I mostly like it for some perfect sentences, like the one about the memories and photographs on p.131 of the German edition.

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Jul 25, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loved it!!!

This is one of those books that, once read, just screams "don't judge a book by its cover!!" -or by the summaries on the back and inner fold of the cover for that matter. By the end of this story you're wondering why you havent heard more about this book. It really and truly touches your heart and every emotion felt by the characters is felt by you. It's terribly sad to finally close it once you're done.

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Dec 11, 2008 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

Finding herself in a strange town, w/ her boyfriend's stolen truck and money, Noreen just isn't sure what she is going to do. But a motley crew of Pembina Lake's citizens take her in and together they set upon a path that may just heal, even if just a little bit, part of the cracks in all their broken hearts, including Noreen's.

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Jan 20, 2011 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

Noreen turns up just before a storm in the small town of Pembina Lake. She has stolen her boyfriend's truck, is pregnant, and broke. Lynn, owner of the local diner, offers her shelter for the night, but it turns out to be longer. The residents of Pembina are as lonely and hurting as Noreen, and healing may need all of them to happen.

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Oct 22, 2008 TheSaint rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

There are lots of ways to mess up your life. Make "bad choices," adults call it. In True Confessions of a Heartless Girl, by Martha Brooks, virtually everyone in Pembina Lake has screwed up at one point or another. Seventeen year-old Noreen is no exception. Luckily, she ends up in a place where there are a lot of people who have been there, done that, and who are willing to give her chance after chance to grow herself up, and start taking responsibility.
Lynda takes her in, against her better ju...more

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Dec 12, 2009 Hollyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book, although at times the main character's anger issues and insensitivity can get annoying. Some parts are boring and drawn-out, but all in all, it was good read. It has a good ending, the girl learns to love a little bit. If you can handle some very boring parts, it's a good book.

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Jul 24, 2012 Kyla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Picked this up at the thrift store on vacation and was so glad - prairies, smouldering love, girls who make bad decisions and must apologize constantly (flashback to my teenage hood and um, 20's - and um, now?) Made me want to be a better person and writer.

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Jun 20, 2011 Eva O'Brien rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great YA. Really loved the story once I got going (very rarely do I find myself so interested in rural Manitoba!) I couldn't stand Noreen at first, the protagonist, but she really, truly grows on you. You feel for her, that's for sure.

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Aug 11, 2011 Neill Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Norene Stall is 17, running away from her life and her boyfriend with his stolen truck and money, and pregnant. She pulls into Pembina Lake in Manitoba and changes the lives of the people in this small town.

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Jun 15, 2010 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-3rd-term

This is about a very troubled teen who recently broke-up with her boyfriend and fled to Pembina Vally, Manitoba. There she tries to discover herself and manages not to screw everything up, but to actually help the nice lady in the café.

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Mar 09, 2010 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

I don't remember having intentionally read bookse identified as YA before...this caught my eye at the library, and I'm glad I picked it up. It was a good story with characters that engaged me right from the start. I can see why it won so many awards.

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Feb 02, 2012 Jaclyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: school-books, children

This book about an eighteen year old girl who gets pregnant and runsaway from her boyfriend to a small town south of Brandon. It was a really good read. I definitely reccommend it!

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Sep 25, 2012 Aaron rated it 2 of 5 stars

An unmotivated girl runs away to a small town where, guess what, when the townspeople help her out, they fix their own lives that they didn't realize were stuck in a rut.

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Mar 19, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: friendship, outside-u-s-a, ya-fiction, 2010-reading-challenge

Seventeen-year-old Noreen has had a rough life, and she has a habit of pushing people away. When she pulls into small-town Canada after stealing her boyfriend's truck, she ends up being taken in by the townsfolk whose lives center around the small cafe. I had trouble identifying with Noreen, just because our backgrounds are so different, and while I felt for her situation, she made it hard to want to help her, and I struggled with that. But I absolutely loved the people in the town and how they...more

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Oct 21, 2008 george rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, read-in-2008

Noreen, seventeen-years-old, shows up one night during a raging storm in the small town of Pembina Lake. Against her better judgment, cafe owner Lynda lets her in and for some reason lets her spend the night. There's something going on with this girl, but Lynda doesn't have the energy to try and find out what it is. Soon enough a small cast of characters from the town come in the picture and try to figure out what to do with this teenager who makes a disaster out of everything.

Eh. That's all I c...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Litda rated it 1 of 5 stars

I look back on 2003, and I think of every book in the White Pine program within my high school. I hate this book the most for being depressing.

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About Martha Brooks

Critically acclaimed playwright, novelist and short fiction writer Martha Brooks was born and raised in a medical family on the grounds of the now defunct Manitoba Sanatorium at Ninette, Manitoba and resides with her husband, Brian, in Winnipeg.

She has penned award-winning short stories and several powerful novels for young readers, as well as several plays, all of which deal with the universal th...more

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