All That's True by Jackie Lee Miles

One of my favorite things about being a reader is watching a writer go from 'good' to 'great'.

Andi is a typical teenage girl, with a few exceptions.  Her brother has just died.  Her sister's getting married.  Her father is having an affair with her best friend's step-mom.  Her mother's become a raging alocholic.  Add to this the normal trouble of being a teenage girl.  How can she ever survive?

Yes, ok, my description makes it sound like a teen book.  I suppose it is.  The chapters are a bit short and the sentences are succinct.  I definitely think every teen girl would learn something from reading this book.  But...it's not just a teen book.  I'm an old lady (I use the term loosely!) and I loved every minute of it.

From the very beginning I was sucked in.  Page one had me abandoning reality so that I could immerse myself in Andi's world.  I barely even breathed for hours.  Having read Jackie's previous work, I was expecting a good book.  This one far surpassed my expectations.  I literally couldn't pull myself away.  She's become an amazing story teller.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Many of you know that I love coming of age books.  This has to be my new favorite.  I sincerely hope that after my sisters read it, they'll pass it along to my nieces.  There are strong messages in the book that a teenager can only pick up from a friend, such as Andi. 

I strongly suggest this book to all fiction fans.  Just make sure you have a few hours cleared, a snackie and a drink close by.  You won't want to put it down for anything.