LSSL 5385 book blogs TELL ME SOMETHING REAL

Devlin, C. (2016). Tell me something real. S&S/Atheneum.

This book was intriguing with an interesting twist. Tell Me Something Real is a story of the 3 Babcock sisters Vanessa, Adrienne, and Marie. They are all different, and you will enjoy their well-developed character traits, but despite their differences, they are deeply tied together by their concern for their mother who has Leukemia. Set in 1976, they are traveling to Mexico for an experimental treatment to help their mother. Vanessa knows that her mother’s fate is inevitable, and the family is left to navigate a wealth of emotions and struggles- love, college, and of course, their mother's illness. But, as the story progresses, we find that their mother's illness is not what we thought. The sisters and their father then have to learn to come to terms with this new development- how to cope, what to do, who to trust, and ultimately, how to move forward. The loss that they feel is as real as death, as their mother is not who they thought she was.

I enjoyed this book and thought its strongest asset was the character development of the sisters as well as the twist regarding their mother’s illness. For me, investing in the characters is such a key part of getting me to turn the page, and Devlin did a great job of making me want to know more about each sister and Vanessa's perspective. I also really love the title of this book: Tell Me Something Real hints at the theme of the book before we even open the cover. These sisters are longing for authentic truth and someone they can trust. The pain, followed by betrayal, that they feel daily was a little exhausting and heavy for me, but I couldn't put the book down. I can't tell you any more without spoiling the twist. Pick up the book and see for yourself.

If you, too, were intrigued by this book and perhaps you enjoyed the sister dynamic, perhaps try The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. I will tell you that I haven't had the change to read this one myself, but it has been recommended to me and it's on my list! This book is a young adult novel but I really think anyone over the age of 16 will enjoy it. It's a little heavy for middle school, in my opinion. Enjoy!