“There is one thing I’ve learned about people: they don’t get this mean and nasty overnight. It’s not human nature. But if you give people enough time, eventually they’ll do the most heartbreaking stuff in the world.”

Alice Franklin has been deemed a “slut” in Jennifer Mathieu’s debut novel “The Truth About Alice.” To me, this novel is high school devastation under a magnifying glass. The rumors are bigger and more scandalous, the truth is more concealed, and the damage is irreversible.

Before I get too far ahead, I’ll tell you the plot. Four Healy High School students- the “it-girl”, the former loser, the current loser, and the survivor- dish all that they know about Alice’s romp with two boys at one infamous party. And when one of the boys ends up dead, Alice is not only the infamous party girl, but she’s also the infamous party girl that killed the star quarterback. In the process of telling Alice’s secrets, they also divulge some of their own. And in this edgy coming-of-age story, nobody is innocent.

Alice’s sinful actions make this novel an intense page-turner. The narration made me cringe when reading what the narrators hold most dear, and what they were willing to sacrifice to maintain it. But despite the teenagers’ lack of morals, I didn’t want to stop reading. I absolutely had to know what the truth was, and what would happen to our tragic heroine. In fact, the book is so readable it had me hiding it in my lap under my desk just so I didn’t have to stop.

The book is a fairly easy read with only 199 pages of short words and simple syntax. It’s perfect for days when your brain has worked too hard and you need to relax your neurons. However, don’t read it on days when you’re frustrated with the way of the world, or you’ve lost your faith in humanity. This is not the book to give you warm cuddly feelings in the pit of your stomach. In fact, it is more likely to fill you with either a cold rage or at least a mild irritation.

“The Truth About Alice” is perfect for people who loved Jay Asher’s novel “Thirteen Reasons Why”. Similar to Hannah in “Thirteen Reasons Why”, Alice has lost her reputation, her happiness, and has begun to lose the light in her eyes that made her special, but Alice isn’t gone.

Unfortunately, I can’t say anymore because I don’t want to spoil it for you. You’ll have to read it to find out.

All in all, I loved this book. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars, but only because I wanted more; More drama, more story, just more. It is definitely worth the time, and you have to pick it up as soon as you possibly can. Seriously, it’s great.