This book is so unique and totally different to what I expected. It is an incredible debut!

True Story tells the story of Alice, a girl who after a college party finds herself unable to remember what happened to her, and how this and the rumours that are spread affect her life from this moment onwards. Just what really happened when she was drunk and passed out in the back seat of the car in which two boys drove her home? The story is also about Nick, whose friends and lacrosse team mates are these two boys, facing some truly devastating allegations. This is a moment in his life that Nick will never forget.

The story spans Alice’s and Nick’s lives at various points over the fifteen years following this fateful night. I found them to be really intriguing characters and their personalities and struggles really shone through. The way the story reached its conclusion was so clever too; this element was probably my favourite moment of the book! It really made me appreciate the story so much more when I had this information and I could reflect over everything I had read.

I liked how this book was split into different parts and its uniqueness stems from how it is written in so many different styles. Each part has its own purpose and story to tell and it did this so effectively. From the use of college essays with annotations, first person narratives, parts that felt like internal monologues, second person narratives (so unusual to read a book with sentences describing ‘you did this’ etc) and even scenes set out like movie scripts! It was such a varied read and I really didn’t know how it was all going to come together until I reached the conclusion.

I know that this unique story will definitely be one that stays with me and I am excited to see what Kate Reed Petty writes in the future!

Is there a word for sitting in your chair to have a think about the book you have just finished? There should be because this afternoon that is what I did - I sat thinking about True Story by Kate Reed Petty.

I thought about how it began with an all too familiar tale of a cover up after a girl, drunk, passes out and is left in the hands of two teenage boys - what happened before they dumped her on her porch? The rumours quickly circulate and the narrative twists into the repercussions bouncing from genre to genre - horror, thriller, psychological drama - her college applications, her connection to others through horror films, her relationships with an ambitious best friend who she used to make home movies with and to good to be true boyfriend (hooked after she pays a tarot card reader $20).
In the middle of this book is a horror story that will give you nightmares. But by the last page I looked back and identified the far more frightening scenario which had played out perfectly across the splattering of stories. I loved this book. It reminded me a lot of Trust Exercise by Susan Choi but with a horror twist. Perfect if quickly devoured. It is out at the start of next month - look out for the 4 different covers.

True Story is an intriguing novel that uses different formats and narrators to tell the story. The different formats work really well and give the book something unique and making it very readable.

After a party, two lacrosse players drive a drunk girl home. Afterwards, the boys tell their friends what happened on the way and rumours start to spread. Alice doesn't remember what happened that night, something that will effect her life greatly.

It took a little while to settle into True Story with the different writing formats but once I did, it was very easy to read.

I really liked Alice as a character and found myself wanting to scream at her at times. I couldn't stand Nick at all. The throwaway comments and constant blaming everyone else, especially women, for the bad things in his life was infuriating! It made a little more sense once I reached the end but I did find myself skimming over his drinking binge at the cabin.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book to other readers (and will). It's compelling and unique and discusses very important problems.

A huge thank you for the chance to read and review this one.

UPDATED: The more I have thought about this book, the more I realise how unhelpful it is to the #MeToo movement and, generally, to survivors of sexual assault. If you want to understand why I've come to that conclusion, I would recommend reading Chapter 5 'Case Study: The Boy in the Shower' in Malcolm Gladwell's non-fiction book 'Talking to Strangers', which discusses the link between sexual violence, trauma and memory.

Please take careful note of these content warnings: serious sexual assault, blood, weaponry, alcoholism, drug-taking, self-injury, domestic violence (physical and psychological abuse, including gaslighting and coercive control), pet death, knife violence, self-starvation, poisoning humans and animals, murder, body mutilation, hallucination and stalking.

The author handles none of these things in a helpful or sensitive way, so if these are issues that you find difficult to read about, I would recommend approaching this book with extreme caution.

Honestly? I wish I'd never read this book and, 3 months after reading it, that feeling has only grown stronger. I hate that it even sits on my Goodreads shelf.

___________________________________________________________
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Content warnings: serious sexual assault, blood, weaponry, alcoholism, drug-taking, self-injury, domestic violence (physical and psychological abuse, including gaslighting and coercive control), pet death, knife violence, self-starvation, poisoning humans and animals, murder, body mutilation, hallucination and stalking.

Where do I start with this book? It’s so intense and emotionally charged I’m not sure I could recommend it to anybody I liked.

The UK publisher claims the book is genre binding and so has created a lot of hype around the different covers, however, I have to say that it feels mostly like a literary horror novel. If that’s not for you, then step away. I think the US cover is more appropriate, to be honest.

Here’s another way to explain this book to you: it’s a horror film that you start cause there’s loads of hype or you accidentally step into the wrong room and find yourself watching a snippet, you immediately regret it because it’s just TOO MUCH, and then find yourself practically forcing yourself to watch the full thing (with hands over eyes ofc) just because you cling to the idea of a happy ending... though you know it’s never coming. That was my experience with this book, at least.

I had so many problems with this book, so let me start with the good points:
1. The book made me quite dazed and confused. The sections were all different lengths, styles of writing, settings, time frames etc. I think the author did this on purpose to confuse the reader, making them focus more on following the immediate plot and not forward-thinking to what the conclusion may be. This disorientation tactic was very clever.
2. The narrative voice is, in a sense, clever.

Now for the things I didn’t enjoy or that I found problematic:
1. None of the topics (see content warnings) were handled very sensitively. For survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence, I would suggest you avoid this book. It is dark and inconclusive and for many people, I think it will be deeply triggering and upsetting to read.
2. It feels like a slap in the face to the #MeToo movement. Or is it? Is it, in fact, a clever commentary on the overpowering masculine narrative? Either way, I don’t think it’s a helpful contribution to the growing body of important literature on rape culture and domestic violence. I found myself thinking: is this book necessary? I’m not sure it is, to be honest.
3. It is hard to empathise with the two central narrators. I think this is because, as characters, they come across as kind of one dimensional and rubbery. I think the author was perhaps too focused on the grand plot, so much so that she neglected to fully form her characters.
4. The book has been described as compulsively readable. I’m not sure that’s true of my experience. I set the book aside at 30% read for a good couple of weeks before eventually forcing myself through the last 70% because I felt I had to know how it ended to be able to give a proper review. I’ve read plenty of other books that I would more readily call “compulsively readable”.

Again, to conclude, my final thought was “what was the point in this book?”. I think the point was to spark discussion, to challenge pre-conceived ideas and to consider the power in the spoken word and in who controls the narrative. My personal feeling is that this book is more damaging than good and for that reason, I couldn’t recommend it.

Well I am really not sure where to begin with this review, or really even what happened in this book. It was very cleverly written, switching genres and formats, from interviews to film scripts to general prose, but at some points during the book I really couldn't figure out what some of it actually contributed.
We follow a number of different points of view, which I found confusing at first, but it did all fall into place and I found my way eventually.
This wasn't an easy book to read and took a lot of concentration, long sections rather than chapters in places followed by really quick sections did keep me reading, there was something really compulsive that made me want to know the outcome.
A mixed bag for me, very literary and not a light read so I would say if you want something darker then this one may be for you.
There are a number of trigger warnings needed before going into this book, from sexual assault, to alcohol abuse, to coercive control and abuse and pet death amongst them.

This is the kind of book that makes you wonder what you just read!
I loved the format and love anything that changes POV and style. It’s very clever and really does ask the question of who gets to tell their story and who you believe.
Some parts seemed a bit random but it does make sense at the end.

I would 100% approach with caution if you have any of these triggers:
Sexual abuse, pet death/murder, emotional abuse, domestic violence/abuse.

This is an incredible debut, I was completely hooked! It's written in such a unique way with the college essay drafts and film scripts interwoven, which I found really refreshing. And the ending is so clever, taking the reader off-guard and forcing you to re-evaluate the whole thing - it made me want to start reading it all over again.

The message is dark, but really important and relevant too. It highlights how vulnerable victims of sexual assault can be, even when they can't recall what really happened.

I'm going to be gushing about this one for a while!

I’d been hearing about this for book for absolutely months so I was so excited to have my request approved.

From the description, I imagined this to be a bit like The Red Word by Sarah Henstra which I really enjoyed last year. True Story begins in 1999 from the perspective of Nick, a member of the lacrosse team, who hears that a teammate sexually assaulted a girl in the back of his car while she was passed out.

This book is entirely about truth and lies and the stories we create about ourselves and those around us. It is told from multiple perspectives over different time periods of people related to, and impacted by, the incident. It also includes letters, transcripts and scripts which make up part of the narrative.

I really enjoyed this and particularly enjoyed how everything tied together at the end. If I had one complaint it would be simply that I wish it had been longer!

I read this in one sitting. Great premise for a story.

No spoilers here but worth reading and worth getting your teenagers to read.

The story being told from the different POV's really works for this book as you get to see the impact on each persons life from just one night's events.

Great debut novel. I am looking forward to reading more from Kate Reed Petty and have her on my watch list.

It's really quite hard to believe that this genre-bending book is a debut novel as it is so cleverly written. The book follows the story of an alleged sexual assault that happened to the main character Alice Lovett while at a high school party. We get to see the event happen from a several viewpoints and also the aftermath of the incident with it's long-reaching effects on not just the victim and perpetrator but on all those on the perimeter also.
From start to finish I was questioning what happened, how it happened, who did it and even if it really did happen.
This book oozes suspense and brilliantly makes you think about hard hitting issues such as feminism, rape culture and male privilege without ramming them down your throat. Kate ingeniously mirrors the confusion of the he said/she said saga that often plays out after these types of incidents and really examines the question of whose story is it to tell after all?

I really wanted to like this one. I really did. And whilst I think the story was solid and the topics that it discussed were important and well thought-out, the manner through which it's told was not so much,. The chapters often feel rather disjointed and some choices don't feel entirely motivated - particularly how the novel begins in one place, jumps quickly to another, following a character who is not the protagonist. It's difficult to get into and the writing, whilst interesting at points, is not great. It's clear that this a debut. Unfortunately, it is not me.

This book is unlike anything I have ever read, and difficult to even categorise! It follows Alice, a student who may or may not have been assaulted by two teenage boys whilst passed out drunk, and Nick, one of their close friends, as they struggle to make sense of the incident even years later.
This was a compelling and intriguing read, and I just had to keep turning the page to find out what really happened - and the ending did not disappoint, although it certainly surprised me. Petty uses quite a few different formats in the book which keeps things feeling fresh and innovative. The characters are wonderfully flawed and their fear almost palpable - this had me absolutely gripped. A fantastic debut and I look forward to seeing what Petty does next!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

After a college party, two boys drive a drunk girl home and rumours starts to spread about what happened to her, if they did something to the girl, but when they are questioned by the police they will tell another different version. The girl, Alice, will never remember what happened and that tormented her, creating a deep fraction and this story will involve also Nick, a boy who stood by, who will never forget. This is only the start of a story and a journey through time and roles between Alice and Nick until the secrets of that night will be revealed.

True story called to me through these four different covers, I was really fascinated by them and the fact that it was defined as a genre-defying novel. I have to agree with that. Kate Reed Petty create a wonderful, complex and unputdownable novel, full of twists, interesting characters, above all the main characters, a story inventive and powerful, a captivating thriller that pushes the reader to keep reading until the end, because he/she/they need to know what really happened. It's an horror, a mystery, a thriller, an interesting novel.

Nick is one of the stars of his high school lacrosse team. He takes the brutal hazing in good humour because he understands the importance of being a good team mate. Good team mates stick together and look after each other, even when two of your team mates have sexually assaulted a girl called Alice after a party. Nick’s misguided loyalty leads him to help his team mates escape any punishment and Alice’s life is devastated and her friend Haley is furious. The repercussions reverberated through their adult lives as each tries to come to terms with the events of that night.

There’s a lot more to this book than a premise. It takes in several different genres and each character’s viewpoint. It’s smart and well written and ends on a sucker punch that stuck with me for days. I was so intrigued by this book when I saw the cover and what lay within didn’t disappoint at all. Kate Reed Petty is an author who’s willing to push the envelope and try something different and it paid off to great effect here. This is a brilliant book and I’m sure it’ll be on many book of the year lists come December. Definitely recommended.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

The premise of True Story is simple and timely. In 1999, a couple of teen boys drive a passed-out drunk girl, Alice, home from a party. Afterwards, they brag to friends about assaulting her; later, they'll claim that story was made up. Alice herself can't remember that night, so she can never be sure which version of the story is true. It almost doesn't matter: her sense of self is defined by it anyway; it echoes down the years throughout her entire life. The book follows Alice for 17 years – or it might be more accurate to say it follows the story. As well as chunks of straightforward narrative, it's related through various documents: drafts of Alice's college application essay, screenplay extracts, emails, interview transcripts.

The story is partly told from the point of view of Nick, a friend of the boys. We follow Nick across the years too, and see what his life becomes; in one especially harrowing chapter, we experience the devastating effects of his alcoholism. Nick's life remains entwined with Alice's in many coincidental and unexpected ways.

True Story reminded me of two other books published in 2020. The first, and most obvious, is Kate Elizabeth Russell's My Dark Vanessa, in which a woman reckons with the memory of the relationship she had with a middle-aged teacher when she was 15 years old. Both books explore the ramifications of sexual assault or abuse in one's teenage years, and how the central character's adulthood is shaped by these experiences. The second is Ottessa Moshfegh's Death in Her Hands, which may seem an unlikely comparison – it's about an elderly woman trying to solve a murder. But both Moshfegh and Petty are doing similar things with their meta, circular narratives, examining what a story is and means as they tell it. And both books have titles that only reveal their cleverness once you've reached the end.

True Story is about the ways in which a story, rumour or belief can affect someone's life, regardless of what it is, and regardless of whether it's true. It also asks the reader to consider whether the nature of the telling affects what they believe. I admire the fearlessness of the author's approach: it's an interesting, involving, thought-provoking way to explore particularly knotty subject matter.

Hmmm...how do I describe what I’ve just read?...
It starts as a college story. Two boys who are on the lacrosse team drive home Alice who is drunk and passed out. Rumours start and the story follows the characters as they deal with the consequences of that night for the rest of their lives. The first third of the book was good. I enjoyed the storyline and understood exactly what was going on, however the tone changed as the characters grew older and the story started jumping around too much. I didn’t like the writing style and the transcripts/ one sided interviews did nothing for the story other than confuse me!
I liked the premise of the story and it was interesting to the point of making you realise how one action can change lives in terrible and different ways however the “horror/thriller” aspects did nothing for me!
I found the characters all unlikeable and really disliked how we were told “this is happening, this is how you feel” rather than being able to make your own mind up?
The ending was not the best and left me feeling more confused. Overall not a very satisfying read...

This offers a blend of genres and intriguing set but was ultimately a bit too much of a mixed bag for me. The superior first half establishes a campus drama, told from the perspective of a boy (Nick), on the lacrosse team, part of the in crowd and on the cusp of going to college. He relays a story about a girl (Alice) who, drunk at a party, is raped by two of his team mates. This is followed by what was for me the standout chapter in the book, of Alice’s various drafts of her college entry essay. This chapter did such a good job of complicating victim narratives and capturing the depth of the aftermath of abuse but in a completely original format. I wish this is something the book did more. The latter half slipped more into thriller territory and struggled to keep my interest. Lots of potential though and I’ll be keen to see what the author does next.
Many thanks to Quercus, riverrun and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very unique and compelling read. I love the tactic of four different covers, I was confused at first, but it definitely makes sense. I am almost at a loss to describe this book, you just have to read it.

What a wonderful debut novel!
I'm not sure it's genre defying but certainly a thoughtful and interesting book which uses different styles of narrative to present a story about truth and the different perspectives people have of the same events.
Thank you to netgalley and Quercus books for an advance copy of this book

After a drunken teenage party high schooler Alice lets herself be driven home by two boys from another school.  The events of that evening shape the lives of many characters and much of the story of this book. A very clever blend of thriller, horror and even memoir, this is an engrossing read with some very memorable characters.