Nothing But The Truth by Avi
Publication: Avon Flare Books; First Harper Trophy rack edition 2003 edition (September 1, 1993), Paperback, 213 pages / ISBN 038071907X
Genre: Fiction, YA/Teen
Rating: 
Find @ Amazon or IndieBound
First sentence: Coach Jamison saw me in the hall and said he wanted to make sure I’m trying out for the track team!!!!
In one sentence: Not my usual Avi fare, but a good read nonetheless.
I don’t recall ever reading one of Avi’s books set in a modern time period before, nor do I recall even knowing that he had written any. Nevertheless, I found Nothing But The Truth at the last library book sale, picked it up, and immediately read it in one day. It’s not an easy book, but it is a good one.
Summary from Amazon:
Patriotism or practical joke?
Harrison, NH — Ninth-grade student Philip Malloy was suspended from school for singing along to The Star-Spangled Banner in his homeroom, causing what his teacher, Margaret Narwin, called “a disturbance.” But was he standing up for his patriotic ideals, only to be squelched by the school system? Was Ms. Narwin simply trying to be a good teacher? Or could it all be just a misunderstanding gone bad — very bad? What is the truth here? Can it ever be known?
Heroism, hoax, or mistake, what happened at Harrison High changes everything for everyone in ways no one — least of all Philip — could have ever predicted.
When I say that Nothing But The Truth is a hard book I don’t mean that it’s difficult to read or understand, I mean that it’s hard to read because once the events are set into motion there’s no turning back. Philip is not a heroic character: he’s just a kid who’s a little too self-involved and who gets a big awakening. No way he’s going to do the right thing and tell the truth, and that makes it tough to read because the situation just gets worse and worse, all because of this selfish kid and the stupid adults that surround him.
Nevertheless, it does make for a very exciting story, and it was hard to pull myself away from it. It also felt very real, especially the exaggeration and ridiculousness of the situation and how it gets blown up into this big thing, all because of one kid. Kind of like how when I was a kid, schoolyard rumors would grow into these huge things, but be based on fluff and fibs? Oh yeah. I recognized that. It was a fascinating book, and I think the ending (hint: it’s not a happy one) just stuck the needle in deeper.
So why did I only give it three birds? I think it’s because Avi’s writing wasn’t up to what I feel his writing, especially in his historical novels, can be. The use of journals, interviews, letters, and so on was interesting but it meant that it was very tough to get close to any of the characters. As a reader I was very separated from the events going on in the book as well as the people involved in them, and it created a whole different feel to it than I get from Avi’s other books. But maybe that’s just my own problem and not Avi’s– who knows. (I mean, the subtitle is “A Documentary Novel,” and documentaries are mean to be seen from a distance. Right? Maybe I’m just completely off the wall.)
I still would highly recommend reading Nothing But The Truth if you have a few spare hours; I think it would also be an excellent book for middle school/high school book shelves, as it seems very relevant to kids and their lives. (I know the cover is hideous and dated, but just cover it with duct tape or something.)
Buy your own copy from Amazon or your favorite independent bookstore!
Loading ...
