10 Reasons You Should Read All The Truth That's In Me By Julie Berry

1. The plot is unlike any other YA novel I've ever read. Set in what appears to be colonial America (it's never explicitly stated), it follows the story of Judith, who went missing from her small town, along with her best friend, for two years. Only Judith returned, mutilated and now an outcast in her Puritan society. As the story unfolds, you slowly learn what happened to Judith and why she is the key to saving the very people that deride and ignore her.
2. The second person perspective works. It's not something that's easily achieved, and I know it can be off-putting for a lot of people, but the second person narrative was really effective here. The "you" being addressed is the boy Judith is in love with, and this conversational style gives a more intimate look into Judith's thoughts and emotions. You get a real sense of her isolation and loneliness, her yearning to communicate and be noticed, and the fierceness that bubbles below her silent surface.
3. The main character is awesome. Judith has been through hell and is still there in a way, suffering daily horrible treatment at the hands of the townspeople and even her own mother. But she is strong and determined and finds herself strangely liberated by her outsider status. She moves around without being noticed and transgresses rigid social boundaries in a way that is admirable and exciting.
4. The romance is lovely. Heart-wrenching, bittersweet, but really, really lovely.
5. You won't be able to put it down. Seriously. I tried to several times but had to pick it up again straight away. It resulted in me staying up until 4am reading this book. That's never happened to me before. It's that good.
6. It's action-packed. It's scary, thrilling, edge-of-your-seat kind of action. Judith, partially due to being an outcast, is a proactive heroine at the centre of it all.
7. It's emotionally harrowing. I mean that in the best way possible. It will get under your skin and give you chills. It will make you cry. It will make you smile. It will make you cheer. You will become incredibly invested in Judith's story and feel connected to her and ALL THE FEELINGS.
8. The secondary characters are wonderful. From the friendly to the threatening, the townspeople are wonderfully well-written and interesting in their own right.
9. It will surprise you. There are twists in this novel you won't see coming. Seriously, I thought I had it all figured out. I was wrong.
10. It's incredibly uplifting. While the subject matter may seem dreary and there are definitely heartbreaking moments, All The Truth That's In Me is ultimately about one girl's power and resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Goosebump-worthy stuff.

Rating: 5/5

Fine Print

Published: October 2013, HarperCollins Australia.

Source: I received a copy from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Get It: Bookworld