Title: All the Truth That’s in Me (2013)
Author: Julie Berry
Published by: Viking Juvenile
ISBN: 978-0670786152
Genre: Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mystery
Reading Level / Interest Age: Ages 14 and up
Author Profile:
“I grew up on a 50-acre farm in Western New York as the youngest of seven children. We grew much of our own food and harvested eggs from our chickens. I was lucky to be the caboose kid in a big family full of avid readers, with a mother who loved poetry. I dreamed of being many things – a marine biologist, a chemist, a mother, a gymnast, a Solid Gold Dancer – but always, writing was on the back of my mind. Whatever else I might be or do, I hoped writing would be part of the mix.
After my fourth son was born, I decided that since my family dreams were now well underway, it was time to pursue writing novels. I went back to school and earned an M.F.A. in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of the Fine Arts, where I learned from many talented and committed writers for young people. The Amaranth Enchantment was the second novel I wrote in school, and the first one to sell to a publisher. Since then I’ve written Secondhand Charm, All the Truth That’s In Me, and the Splurch Academy for Disruptive Boys series with my older sister, Sally Faye Gardner, as the illustrator. All the Truth That’s In Me, my first YA novel, is my most recent release. It’s a 2013 Horn Book Fanfare title, a School Library Journal Best of 2013 book, and a Kirkus Best Teen Read for 2013. It has been named a Junior Library Guild Selection and has been nominated for a Carnegie Medal and a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults award, and will be published in 12 countries internationally. My next novel, a middle grade titled The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, will be published in September 2014.” From http://www.julieberrybooks.com/about
Reader's Annotation:
After years of captivity, the loss of her dearest friend, and a violent act committed against her, Judith must decide whether to continue her life in silence or rediscover her voice and tell the truth.
Plot Summary:
Four years ago, fourteen-year-old Judith and her best friend Lottie disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station without a word. Two years later, only Judith returned permanently disfigured and a pariah amongst those in her small town, including her family. Now, at eighteen, Judith has accepted her fate and has learned to live in silence, finding solace in silently communicating to the only person who has her heart and could offer the forgiveness she needs, her childhood friend Lucas. When Roswell Station is suddenly under attack, devastating truths are suddenly brought to light. Truths about the townspeople, and more specifically, about what happened that fateful day four years ago. As accusations are thrown around and more people condemned, Judith must decide if it is better to continue her silence or discover her voice to dispel the truth, a truth that will ultimately change not only her life but of the entire town as well.
Critical Evaluation:
One of the most compelling features about Julie Berry’s latest novel is the structure of the narrative and the storytelling itself. Using what Berry calls a “pinhole narrative,” readers begin the story as if they were looking through a pinhole, seeing only small flashes and glimpses of Judith’s world. Readers know very little about her, the village where she lives, the reason for her mother’s coldness, the disdain she receives from the community, and the events that made her a pariah. Readers only know what Berry is willing to share, which is very little, causing the story to feel disjointed and vague. As the story progresses, however, this pinhole slowly widens and readers are given more details as events are pulled more into focus, ultimately, creating a full picture of the events that led up to Judith’s abduction and eventual return to the community by the end of the novel. Initially, this method of storytelling can be disorienting, however, as the story progresses it becomes easier to adapt to the flow and becomes an excellent method of setting a mood that is not only ominous and mysterious but also builds tension as more details fall into place and create an aura of dread as readers are drawn into the severity of Judith’s village and its harshly judgmental inhabitants.
In addition to Berry’s “pinhole narrative,” the story is also told in second person and the novel is broken down into four “books,” each containing short numerical chapters that read more as letters or diary entries, rather than a more fluid prose. While readers may instantly deduce that the “You” Judith is addressing is her childhood friend and first love, Lucas, Berry’s stunning prose makes it feel as though Judith is talking directly to the reader, compelling the reader to connect instantly with her story. Additionally, Judith herself is a captivating narrator and her troubled perspective provides equal measures of hardness and desperation that comes from surviving trauma, being ostracized for it, and losing her one true love. While this may sound depressing enough to turn off teen readers, Berry is able to balance this with moments of tenderness that come from some of the story’s secondary characters, such as Judith’s younger brother who is characterized as smart but a definite "mama’s boy" and Maria, a rival and mean girl in Judith’s life before the abduction but becomes her biggest ally when she returns.
Curriculum Ties:
Challenges / Issues:
Defense of Challenges / Issues:
Book Talk Ideas:
Why This Book?
This is one of those books that despite not specifying an exact time period or setting, offers much in terms of education through customs, dress, and small town attitudes. Additionally, the second person narrative offers a creative approach to telling a story from a character with now outward voice. While readers know that Judith is speaking to Lucas, it also feels as though Judith is talking directly to the reader creating an intimate, engaging and compelling reading experience.
Author: Julie Berry
Published by: Viking Juvenile
ISBN: 978-0670786152
Genre: Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mystery
Reading Level / Interest Age: Ages 14 and up
Author Profile:
“I grew up on a 50-acre farm in Western New York as the youngest of seven children. We grew much of our own food and harvested eggs from our chickens. I was lucky to be the caboose kid in a big family full of avid readers, with a mother who loved poetry. I dreamed of being many things – a marine biologist, a chemist, a mother, a gymnast, a Solid Gold Dancer – but always, writing was on the back of my mind. Whatever else I might be or do, I hoped writing would be part of the mix.
After my fourth son was born, I decided that since my family dreams were now well underway, it was time to pursue writing novels. I went back to school and earned an M.F.A. in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of the Fine Arts, where I learned from many talented and committed writers for young people. The Amaranth Enchantment was the second novel I wrote in school, and the first one to sell to a publisher. Since then I’ve written Secondhand Charm, All the Truth That’s In Me, and the Splurch Academy for Disruptive Boys series with my older sister, Sally Faye Gardner, as the illustrator. All the Truth That’s In Me, my first YA novel, is my most recent release. It’s a 2013 Horn Book Fanfare title, a School Library Journal Best of 2013 book, and a Kirkus Best Teen Read for 2013. It has been named a Junior Library Guild Selection and has been nominated for a Carnegie Medal and a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults award, and will be published in 12 countries internationally. My next novel, a middle grade titled The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, will be published in September 2014.” From http://www.julieberrybooks.com/about
Reader's Annotation:
After years of captivity, the loss of her dearest friend, and a violent act committed against her, Judith must decide whether to continue her life in silence or rediscover her voice and tell the truth.
Plot Summary:
Four years ago, fourteen-year-old Judith and her best friend Lottie disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station without a word. Two years later, only Judith returned permanently disfigured and a pariah amongst those in her small town, including her family. Now, at eighteen, Judith has accepted her fate and has learned to live in silence, finding solace in silently communicating to the only person who has her heart and could offer the forgiveness she needs, her childhood friend Lucas. When Roswell Station is suddenly under attack, devastating truths are suddenly brought to light. Truths about the townspeople, and more specifically, about what happened that fateful day four years ago. As accusations are thrown around and more people condemned, Judith must decide if it is better to continue her silence or discover her voice to dispel the truth, a truth that will ultimately change not only her life but of the entire town as well.
Critical Evaluation:
One of the most compelling features about Julie Berry’s latest novel is the structure of the narrative and the storytelling itself. Using what Berry calls a “pinhole narrative,” readers begin the story as if they were looking through a pinhole, seeing only small flashes and glimpses of Judith’s world. Readers know very little about her, the village where she lives, the reason for her mother’s coldness, the disdain she receives from the community, and the events that made her a pariah. Readers only know what Berry is willing to share, which is very little, causing the story to feel disjointed and vague. As the story progresses, however, this pinhole slowly widens and readers are given more details as events are pulled more into focus, ultimately, creating a full picture of the events that led up to Judith’s abduction and eventual return to the community by the end of the novel. Initially, this method of storytelling can be disorienting, however, as the story progresses it becomes easier to adapt to the flow and becomes an excellent method of setting a mood that is not only ominous and mysterious but also builds tension as more details fall into place and create an aura of dread as readers are drawn into the severity of Judith’s village and its harshly judgmental inhabitants.
In addition to Berry’s “pinhole narrative,” the story is also told in second person and the novel is broken down into four “books,” each containing short numerical chapters that read more as letters or diary entries, rather than a more fluid prose. While readers may instantly deduce that the “You” Judith is addressing is her childhood friend and first love, Lucas, Berry’s stunning prose makes it feel as though Judith is talking directly to the reader, compelling the reader to connect instantly with her story. Additionally, Judith herself is a captivating narrator and her troubled perspective provides equal measures of hardness and desperation that comes from surviving trauma, being ostracized for it, and losing her one true love. While this may sound depressing enough to turn off teen readers, Berry is able to balance this with moments of tenderness that come from some of the story’s secondary characters, such as Judith’s younger brother who is characterized as smart but a definite "mama’s boy" and Maria, a rival and mean girl in Judith’s life before the abduction but becomes her biggest ally when she returns.
Curriculum Ties:
- History / Early American culture
Challenges / Issues:
- Sexual situations
- Violence
Defense of Challenges / Issues:
- Have a clear understanding of the library’s selection policy as well as copies available in order to identify specific points of the policy to challengers in order to strengthen defense.
- Express the library’s dedication to intellectual freedom and open access as outlined in the ALA Library Bill of Rights. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill
- Know the material being challenged in order to show that you understand the content and how the challenged material works in context with the rest of the text.
- Have access to both supportive and critical reviews from reliable sources, such as School Library Journal or VOYA. Provide challenger’s with these reviews through either hard copies or by including reviews in the catalog records of library materials.
- Have the ability to explain the rationale behind the inclusion of materials in the library’s collection by discussing an item’s literary merits, intended audience, and offering a brief summary.
- One of the most important lines of defense is to be an active listener and to stay calm. Pay attention to the patron’s concerns, do not interrupt, and do not take his/her challenge personally. Additionally, even if you do not agree with the challenge, still speak to the patron with understanding and compassion. Make sure to respectfully outline the library’s selection policies as well as the principles outlined in the Library Bill of Rights. If the patron is still adamant about the removal of the text, offer a “Request for Reconsideration” form, outlining the patron’s concerns that can be presented to senior library staff.
Book Talk Ideas:
- Discuss the response Judith’s village had to her return. Was it justified? Why did they feel the way they did? Whose response to her return most surprised you?
- Talk about the author’s decision to write the novel in a second person narrative. Do you feel as though Judith is telling you her story directly to you too? Why or why not?
- Discuss Judith’s reluctance to speak up about her experience.
Why This Book?
This is one of those books that despite not specifying an exact time period or setting, offers much in terms of education through customs, dress, and small town attitudes. Additionally, the second person narrative offers a creative approach to telling a story from a character with now outward voice. While readers know that Judith is speaking to Lucas, it also feels as though Judith is talking directly to the reader creating an intimate, engaging and compelling reading experience.