Tell Me Something Real
by Calla Devlin
Published by // Simon & Shuster / Atheneum
Release date // August 30, 2016
Pages // 304
Genre // Contemporary, Realistic, YA
Source // eARC from the Publisher via NetGalley
Synopsis // Three sisters struggle with the bonds that hold their family together as they face a darkness settling over their lives in this masterfully written debut novel.
There are three beautiful blond Babcock sisters: gorgeous and foul-mouthed Adrienne, observant and shy Vanessa, and the youngest and best-loved, Marie. Their mother is ill with leukemia and the girls spend a lot of time with her at a Mexican clinic across the border from their San Diego home so she can receive alternative treatments.
Vanessa is the middle child, a talented pianist who is trying to hold her family together despite the painful loss that they all know is inevitable. As she and her sisters navigate first loves and college dreams, they are completely unaware that an illness far more insidious than cancer poisons their home. Their world is about to shatter under the weight of an incomprehensible betrayal…
Wow, I realize that this review is totally way overdue. My life has been chaotic in the past months, but I finally got around to writing out my thoughts on this book! So sorry for the delay!
FAMILY
First and foremost, Tell Me Something Real is a story about family. The main character is Vanessa, the middle of three sisters, who seems to take on a lot of responsibility during the difficult time of their mother’s illness. Her older sister, Adrienne, is outspoken and brash. Marie, the youngest, is sweet and slightly obsessed with all things saintly. One of the most unimaginable tragedies happens to this family as they are losing their mother. I felt like the focus on family was one of the best parts of this book.
SICKNESS & GRIEF
Tell Me Something Real deals heavily with sickness, especially since the girls have to travel into Mexico on a regular basis to gain access to treatments for their mothers illness. As the book developes, even deeper expereinces with sickness come to be a focus, and I think that the way that it is dealt with in this story is really well done. As a result, the family members have to process through their grief in different ways. I thought that this book portrays this process well.
HEALING
Healing was another focus of the story overall, and it ended on a more hopeful note than I expected. I liked that this book was not focused entirely on the sickness and greiving experiences, but also intentionally addressed the healing process too!
but…..
ROMANCE
It wasn’t believable, and was by far one of my least favorite aspects of the book. I think that it lacked development and wasn’t entirely something I could get behind, although it did get better as the book went on!
OVERALL
I think that this book did a good job at exploring family, sickness, grief and healing. I found myself struggling with the romance in this book, but luckily it wasn’t the primary focus! I really liked the exploration of this family’s experience with sickness, and the impacts that it had on all of them.
