Hello, hello, all!! ^^ How’ve y’all been doing this week? I hath fallen ill, unfortunately and have been stuck at home with lozenges and jasmine tea. Alas. Hopefully I heal in time for the two hour flight to Malaysia tomorrow……..
But at any rate, I have returned this week with another (far too long awaited) book review!! This one of a delightful young adult historical fiction I read earlier this year — Half Truths by Carol Baldwin!! Many many thanks to Carol Baldwin, the author, for sending me the review copy! I also interviewed the author a little while back if you’d like to check that out.
The blurb reads:
It is 1950, and 15-year-old Kate Dinsmore wants to become a journalist. But, her tobacco-farming father can’t afford to send her to college. She devises a plan to move from rural North Carolina to her wealthy grandparents’ home in Charlotte in hopes of gaining their financial support. Now she has a new set of problems. How can she please her society-conscious grandmother and conform to her new classmates’ lifestyles?
She meets Lillian, her grandmother’s teenage maid, and in spite of their racial differences, they form a tentative friendship. While exploring her grandmother’s attic, Kate unearths a secret that rocks her world and Lillian’s too. The shocking discovery reveals half-truths that threaten the girls’ friendship. What will Kate do when she must choose between Lillian and her new society friends?
Through a mentorship with a newspaper editor, Kate realizes that journalism requires honesty. But, the risks of truth-telling make Kate question herself. If she reveals what she has learned, what price will she pay?
I had such a wonderful time reading this book!! It’s rare for me to ever read (and enjoy!) young adult books, but this one was just such a delightful read!!! The powerful themes of the story, the characters, and just how well-written everything was….
And Kate is a writer!!! (A journalist, not a novel writer, but a journalist is still a writer!!) I simply adore seeing writers in books. We need more of them.
The characters in this novel were wonderful!! They were all so well-written and they all had so much depth to them, with their own personalities and really feeling like real people you might meet in real-life, which I loved!! My favorite characters in this novel… ach, I can never choose a favorite character!!!
Probably Kate. She and Lillian have such a wonderful friendship, and I related to Kate so much, with her wanting to make the world a better place, her dreams of becoming a journalist and going to college, and how her grandmother wishes to change her into someone who she really isn’t. Which is honestly something I have struggled with as well and something that I know a lot of other people likely struggle with, and so I really loved reading about Kate’s struggles with that.
And of course, we simply must give a shout-out to the animal companions of this novel, Josie the goat and Baccy the dog!! I love animal companions, and Josie might be one of my favorite characters in this book as well!!!
The plot of this book is fantastic!! It flows so well and the way it weaves together Lillian and Kate’s friendship, the themes of half-truths, what was going on in history at that time, and Kate’s dreams is just amazing to read!! And though this might not be a twisty fantasy adventure with dragons and quests and fire, I never felt bored while reading it! I was always so invested in Kate’s journey and what was happening to her!
I also really appreciate all the historical accuracy in this novel and all the research that must’ve went into this!! Again, this is a young adult historical fiction that takes place in the 1950s. And while I wasn’t alive during that time period, the amount of detail that is in the writing and descriptions (and also the way the characters behave!) made me feel like I was right there in Charlotte in 1950!!!
And also the ending….
I loved the ending!!! Not everything going on in the world around them is perfectly resolved, but seeing everything the characters have learned and how they’ve all grown was just amazing!! (I must admit, it may have brought a few tears to my eyes)
Overall, this was a fantastic book!!! Five out of five stars from me!! ^^ The themes of half-truths and the way this book handles discussions of racism and segregation in such a real and tactful way and the amount of depth in the characters… Definitely a five out of five stars from me! The book is technically young adult (and there are parts where I can certainly see why), but I think it would also make a good read for upper middle-grade as well, depending on the middle-grader. I’d likely recommend this to ages 12 and up!
Thoughts from Izzy, Charlotte, and Fuzzy Bee
Charlotte: I like this book!! It was a splendid read!! Izzy said I shouldn’t read it since it was supposed to be 13+, but I snurched a copy of it from Isabelle anyway so HA! I loved Josie the goat and Baccy the dog!!!! The historical accuracy and description in this book was amazing! I’d recommend it for ages 12 and up like Isabelle.
Izzy: Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful read!!! *claps paws together most delightedly* I enjoyed this book very much. I was most skeptical as most young adult books Isabelle and I have snurched aren’t that great of a read, but this was a most splendid book!!!!! I loved Kate and Lillian’s friendship. No pandas in this book though. And many of the names in this book were names of people I know in real life. Which makes it very odd to read those characters. You get used to it after a while though.
And Charlotte, despite the fact that this would be a good read for those 12 and up depending on the reader, you’re eleven not twelve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charlotte: *blows a raspberry*
Isabelle: Oooh my. *carefully shoves the two pandas aside and clears throat* Er, perhaps let us not have this argument on my blog, yes? Fuzzy Bee?
Izzy: *glares her signature Mama Panda glare* Isabelle, you ought to keep a better eye on your books.
Isabelle: (shouts) ANYWAY, onto Fuzzy Bee!!!!!
Fuzzy Bee: Sadly, I couldn’t snurch a copy till after these pandas were done with it, and Izzy is a slow reader. *sighs* But once I did… oh, this is a wonderful book!!!!!!! Truly, I have no words for it. It’s… it’s so moving and tells such a powerful tale!! Six out of five stars from me!!
It appears Fuzzy Bee, Izzy, and Charlotte all thoroughly enjoyed this book!! ^^ Though I suspect Izzy might be keeping a closer eye on Charlotte by now…
I suppose this wraps up this little review and I ought to get back to writing now. Farewell, y’all!! Do let me know down in the comments what you thought of this review and if you’ve read Half-Truths!! ^^ I love hearing from y’all!!
Till next time and wishing y’all a wonderful week of books, writing, and maniacal laughter!
-Isabelle
Ooh, I was pleased to see your (and the Cute Fluffy Comrades’) review for this one, Isabelle, I actually have been wondering about it on and off since I was your age XD YES TO THE WRITER CHARACTER REVOLUTION! Bring them on, rise, my friends!! And I really like the sprinkling of themes of truth, uncovering it, and the challenges of living with it/sharing it this seems to include?
Wonderful and fun review, thank you so much for getting me keen on this one again XDXD
Thanks, Iona!! ^^ I am most glad to see you enjoyed the review! (You should read this book!! It was just published earlier this year, and it is such a wonderful book!!! I think you’d like it.) And ooh! I like that name — the Cute Fluffy Comrades! CFC. XD May I snurch this name from you?
And yesssss!!!! We need more writer characters!!!!! We needs them, precious! We needs them! I actually watched the movie, Little Women, earlier this week, and I was so happy to find out that the MC was a writer!! I related to her so much!
Thanks for reading this review! Hope you check out this book someday!
What, it was just published??? Hm, it rings such a bell!!! I guess it must have a really timeless feel XD
Haha, yes, snurch away XD
LOL yup we do! Little Woman is the CLASSIC one, I’m so glad you got to see it. Yes, having Jo to relate to is just so cool (and comforting, too, somehow?? Like we’re not alone XD) Piper in “The Girl Reporter” novella series is a journalist, so kind of the same! 😀
You are so welcome! I hope I can!
Yes! It was just published earlier this year!! How interesting!!! It does indeed have a timeless feel to it!!
And hehe thanks! XD The name CFC appears to have caught on…
And yes, Little Women is AMAZING!!! It really is comforting. I saw the 1994 version and there was this scene where Jo was walking around trying to dictate her story to herself and she kept stopping and saying, “No… that’s not right.”
*sigh* As someone in the rewrite-rewrite-rewrite stage of writing, that was far too relatable.
And ooh, I might check that series out!! I love journalist characters!
Thanks, Isabelle, for your terrific review and I’m glad your CFC snurched the book (what a great word!) and enjoyed it too–despite you not giving them specific permission. I’ll share your review. Iona, I hope you like it too!
Of course!! Thank you so much for providing a review copy! ^^ I had such a wonderful time reading the book! And haha!!! XD Indeed. I do not mind Charlotte snurching it, but Izzy on the other hand…
*sounds of clammering and yammering and pots and books banging come from the background*
Heh. And yes, snurched is indeed a wonderful word!!! I love it. Perhaps someday it shall be made into a real word……
I hope so!! BTW, if you can leave a portion of this review on Amazon or Goodreads or Barnes&Noble I would appreciate it!
Of course!! ^^ I will post a review on either Amazon or Goodreads next week.
This looks really interesting… does it classify as YA or middle grade?
*adds it to my tbr*
It’s a great book!! It’s definitely a young adult book, but it should be alright to read for readers ages 12 and up.
ps and I love the image you made for the opening. You’re so good at that! I may use it elsewhere if that’s ok with you.
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you like it! You can use this opening image (but only this one!) elsewhere so long as you credit me as the designer and link back to the original design (on my blog).
(Although to anyone else who might be reading, this does not mean that the designs for my opening images are free to snurch! Please do ask for permission first before using one of my designs!)
I’ve read Half-Truths and loved it as well. Great review and as always the contributions from Charlotte, Izzy and Fuzzy are hugely appreciated! Have a super holiday and happy writing!
It’s a wonderful book, Valinora! Thanks for reading and commenting! ^^ I’m so glad you enjoyed the review. And haha! I love typing up the CFC’s reviews. They’re always such fun (and chaos). And thank you!!! Hoping your writing goes well too!