Review: The Truth About You and Me by Amanda Grace

The Truth About You and Me by Amanda Grace

Publication Date: September 8, 2013
Page Count: 229
Published by: Flux
Source: Review copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Smart girls aren't supposed to do stupid things.

Madelyn Hawkins is super smart. At sixteen, she's so gifted that she can attend college through a special program at her high school. On her first day, she meets Bennett. He's cute, funny, and kind. He understands Madelyn and what she's endured - and missed out on - in order to excel academically and please her parents. Now, for the first time in her life, she's falling in love.

There's only one problem. Bennett is Madelyn's college professor, and he thinks she's eighteen - because she hasn't told him the truth.

The story of their forbidden romance is told in letters that Madelyn writes to Bennett - both a heart-searing ode to their ill-fated love and an apology.

The Truth About You and Me was exactly what I expected it to be, and I enjoyed it for what it was. I knew going in that this was a story about a relationship that was doomed for failure. I was interested in reading it to find out how things went so wrong.

The Truth About You and Me was written in letter form - actually 2 letters - from the protagonist, Maddie, to Bennett. Along with trying to convey how sorry she was to Bennett for her actions, she was also attempting to clear Bennett's name by showing that he wasn't aware of her deceit.

Through reading the letters, the reader really gets to know Maddie and what she was thinking and feeling throughout the story. I felt a little bit of separation from the events, so the letters didn't really spark strong feelings in me. I was expecting to feel an emotional connection to Maddie through her letters, but I didn't. However, I did get to know Maddie, and she really came off as selfish and immature. She manipulated the situation to her advantage, and she deceived Bennett in a major way. By the time she considered the consequences of her actions, she was in pretty deep and was too scared of Bennett's reaction to put an end to the deception.

While reading, I could tell that Maddie was truly sorry for her actions and behavior. She was remorseful, and even during their times together she admitted that she KNEW what she was doing was wrong. But she didn't come out with the truth because she knew she would lose Bennett over it. The lies continued to build and build until Maddie began to fool herself into thinking that what she was doing wasn't wrong. She also tried to convince herself that Bennett loved her and wouldn't care about her age. I think what really hit me the hardest during this story is that Maddie's lies completely took away Bennett's choice in the matter.

It's very easy for me to want to lay most of the blame on Bennett in this situation. He is the adult, and he is in a position of authority, and he should have known better than to get involved with a student. He showed complete disregard for the rules, but tried to justify it by putting off any intimacy with Maddie until the school term was over and he was no longer her teacher. It still doesn't make it right. Students and teachers should not have relationships. Bennett put his blinders on and didn't want to see what was so clearly in front of him - an insecure 16 year old girl. So I am torn about my feelings for Bennett. I really wanted to enjoy his character because Maddie did, and I tried to view him as Maddie did. I could understand her infatuation, but I found that I couldn't let myself go and like him. Even though Bennett struggled with his attraction and doing the right thing, I couldn't help but think deep down that he deserved whatever punishment he gets for his part in this fiasco.

Maddie didn't consider the consequences of her actions until it was too late, and I'm not convinced she fully understands the ramifications of her deceit. Bennett's career and entire future was put at risk because of her. I found the ending to be realistic and heartbreaking - how could there have been any other outcome? One final thought from me, and I think it's a big one - a lie by omission is still a lie!

Overall, I thought The Truth About You and Me was an enjoyable book. It was a really quick and easy read that held my attention throughout. I loved the writing, and I've enjoyed other books by Amanda Grace (aka Mandy Hubbard). As an adult, I found the entire book to be compelling and thought provoking. I was hoping for a more dramatic climax, but ultimately I was satisfied with the outcome.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars