All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry: The Review

All the Truth That's In Me

by

Julie Berry

 

Title: All the Truth That's In Me

Author: Julie Berry

Publisher: Templar Publishing

 Release Date: 31st August 2013

Formats Available: Hardback, Ebook

Buy This Book: Amazon

Judith and her friend Lottie both disappeared from their village four years ago and when Lotties body is found dumped in the river everyone presumes that Judith met the same fate. So when two years later Judith returns home, with her tongue missing the village are more than shocked. They believe God saw fit to punish her and that is why someone has cut out her tongue. They treat her as an outcast and even her mother forbids her from trying to speak. She has spent the last two years as a pariah in her pilgrim-like town. The only way she has dealt with it is to follow and long for Lucas Whiting, the young man she has been in love with since she was a little girl. When her town comes under attack Judith must find her voice and go back to face the man who kept her captive for so long. Judith has no idea just how much this decision will affect the village or her future.

The place I want to start with this review is the blurb. I read it on Netgalley.com and have to admit I was immediately intrigued but also confess I did not realise it was a historical fiction book. It was unclear to me what time period it was actually set in and I wish this was more clear as it made it hard for me to get in to the book at first. The blurb lead me to believe that the attack on her village and her return to her captor was the main storyline to this book. So when I discovered that this only led up to about a quarter of the way through the book I was quite surprised. It did throw me off a little bit as I hadn't seen it coming, but I am so glad that was the case. Really this book was about the after effects of Judith's decision to go back to her captor and ask for his help to save her village. The rediscovery of a man presumed dead leaves a lot of unanswered questions to what happened all those years ago to Lottie and Judith. The book is also told from Judiths point of view as if she were talking to Lucas, another thing I did not expect but surprisingly enjoyed; it's something I don't see to often in books.

I want to tell you about the parts of this book I loved but I must admit there are quite a few so please stick with me. I don't want to just say “the characters” but was tempted as I actually adored so many of them for different reasons. My favourite character was Judith, the idea of the main character and narrator of a book who is unable to converse with others seemed so strange to me. I was a bit worried that it would make her harder to connect with but I was so wrong. Her voice was incredible, the way she handles herself and the treatment she receives from the village really touched me. She seemed so brave and also so strong and the deep feelings she has for Lucas were so believable to me. How she reacts to news of his impending wedding, or how she feels when he asks her questions about her time in captivity almost made me well up, that's how real her emotions felt to me when I was reading them. The author actually made me feel like I was reading someones personal letters to someone she loves.

I must talk about Lucas, the young man Judith has loved for as long as she can remember. I was glad to find a male love interest in a book that wasn't just an amazingly attractive man and little else. He had a personality, makes mistakes and is so blind to Judith's feelings for him that I wanted to knock some sense in to him.

The friendship that developed throughout the book between Maria and Judith was really beautiful and I glad someone was willing to give Judith a chance and not just judge her for her missing tongue and what that might mean. The development of Judith's relationship with her mother was always something I enjoyed. I struggled to understand her mother and why she was not completely ecstatic that her daughter was returned home to her alive and well. But that is the time they are living with and that was something that I had to get used to.

The story of this book did keep me guessing throughout which I liked; it can get quite boring reading books that you can tell exactly how they are going to play out. It was part historical, part romance and part crime mystery; and what a great mix that was. I loved the second half of this book the most, which was centred more around on the after effects of Judith bringing her captor back, it leaves a lot of unanswered questions and the town are determined to uncover the truth.

I really want to give some reasons why I didn't like the review so I can feel like I was objective but I can't help it. I really enjoyed this book and can't really say I didn't like it. My only point would be that I don't think the blurb really showed what the book was going to be about which really threw me at the beginning and made it difficult for me to get into the book.

All I can really tell you about this book is what I loved about it and why I enjoyed it so much. I know everyone likes different genres and types of books so I can't guarantee you will like this book but I would really recommend this. It touched me and had me close to tears at one point but also tempted to throw the book across the room as I didn't like where it was headed and I was actually tempted to do a Joey from friends and put the book in the freezer. If Julie Berry writes anymore Young Adult fiction I am going to be there waiting to grab it as soon as it hits shelf. I loved this!

 4/5 Stars


P.S When I finished the book I wanted to see what others had thought about it, in hopes they loved it as much as me. So when googling reviews I was so happy I came across this one at findingblissinbooks, it made me laugh so hard at the end. Glad  wasn't the only person who sat there trying to talk like I didn't have a tongue.

*I received a copy of this novel from the author/publisher/publicist via Netgalley in exchange for a free and honest review and received no monetary compensation for this review.