All the Truth That's in Me

[Marilyn]

I didn't see that end coming! Well done, Ms. Berry.

[Jenni]

I really disliked the character of Judith's mother in this book. She irritated me that she hated on her daughter so much after she returned home with her tongue cut out like that. I can kind of understand the rest of the town's "scarlet letter" approach to the girl, but to have her own mother treat her like that ... I spent most of the book wanting to slap her.

[Kefira]

Just read it yesterday, the language and setting were vivid and Judith's voice was powerful, however I found the plot convoluted and heavy handed and as Jenni said the mother was completely unsympathetic in her treatment of Judith.

[Kelly]

I read this one pre-challenge but I found that the voice was this novel's highlight. Judith's narration is intense and compelling. I also enjoyed following Judith's journey as she healed and reclaimed of her voice (literally and figuratively). However, I found the setting a bit problematic. It felt a little too undefined for me.

[Emily]

Second everything Kelly said.

Who are the attackers? What is this society? Is there going to be another book explaining what the heck is going on in the background?

[Jenni]

It seemed to fit best in my mind if I imagined this being a village in the colonial U.S. a la Nathaniel Hawthorne. Why they are being attacked by another, neighboring colony/village ... that could be a French colony, or the British, or maybe I just suspended my disbelief while I read.

I agree, though, that this is a major plot hole.

[Lee-ann]

I agree with all above comments. I didn't even end up finishing the book, even though it was a really intriguing premise. I couldn't figure out time frame and the treatment of Judith was deplorable

[Emily]

Jenni wrote: "It seemed to fit best in my mind if I imagined this being a village in the colonial U.S. a la Nathaniel Hawthorne. Why they are being attacked by another, neighboring colony/village ... that could..."
Agree that it felt colonial / Hawthorne-esque... but I also got a hint of scifi.

[Marta]

Actually, I decided to think of this book as not historical fiction and then I enjoyed it immensely. It seemed as if Julie Berry wrote this book in the vague past in order to be able to create a world of her own. Berry focuses so much on the plot and the characters that it occurs to me that historical context might detract from the story she wanted to tell. As for the role of the mother, I felt that Berry was exploring possible human reactions to tragedy. If the book was centered in a specific historical era, the societal expectations for behavior might have affected her decisions when creating the mother's character.

[Ramona]

I just thought of the setting as 17th century New England Puritan village. I loved this book and usually I'm a nitpicker for historical setting, but the vagueness didn't bother me here because I was wrapped up in the characters and plot. Neither did the mother, as horrible as she is, I thought she was realistic to the time and the situation she's in. Remember that girls' only value was to marry well and Judith is now "damaged goods", and parental affection as we know it in the 21st century didn't exist in the 17th, especially in Puritan society.

[Ariel]

I also loved this book. I did have a bit of trouble with the timeline at the beginning, but I sorted it out before too long. I also read it as historical fiction. I loved Judith's voice, as well as her relationships with her brother and Maria. And while her mother is pretty horrible, It seemed believable to me. Judith could have been raped, therefore making her ruined, and then she was rumored to be be a whore. In that time, she definitely would have been ostracized by her family and her community. The only thing I found slightly unbelievable was the fact that people believed her in the end. However, after reading about her suffering, I was more than happy to suspend my disbelief and enjoy her justice and happy ending.

[Devera]

I just finished this book and was pretty surprised at the ending. I love, love, love Judith's voice throughout the novel as well as the purity of her love for Lucas. The time period definitely felt Puritan to me, bit I am no history buff by any means. Lovely read...a little difficult to get started but worth the time getting there.

[Bethany]

I found this book a little difficult to get into, but ended up enjoying it and appreciating how unique it was. I was very happy with the ending though it didn't really fit with dark tone of the rest of the book.

[Emily]

I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about this book. The story itself was pretty interesting and I couldn't seem to put it down. But, it's difficult for me to say I enjoyed it. Mmm.