It’s time to review The Truth Project by Dante Medema, but first…
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Rating: 5 out of 5
Genre: 5 Stars, Contemporary, YA
Reasons to read it: You love poetry, rich imagery, and story that pulls at your heart.
If you ever wanted to read a book purely for the writing, then this is the book for you.
God damn…
I have no words to express how The Truth Project made me feel and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to read it. Medema’s second book has already been put on hold at the library.
The truth is, the style scared me. The book is entirely made up of poems, text messages, emails, etc. It wasn’t until recently that I came to appreciate poetry. To understand the work and the magic that goes into every line. I was a snob and I’m not afraid to admit it. I thought that the only way I could enjoy a story, to be fully immersed, was to have the entire thing written out.
Boy was I proven wrong.
So wrong.
PSA friends… don’t be me in this situation.
The Truth Project is as sad and dark and hopeful as they come. Every line paints the pain perfectly. I almost feel that if the scenes had been written out, the story would have lost the raw edge that it held. The reader doesn’t need to know the details of Alaska. They don’t need to have the scenes painted out in exact detail, because the very lines of poetry allow the reader to sink into the story. To flow as the words do off the page. And still, Medema found a way to compare a lot of Cordelia’s emotions to the beauty of Alaska.
I think I’ve beaten that point home… what else can I say… oh, yes…
Medema wrote a very realistic take on finding out you’re dad is not your dad. Tell me if you would have come up with a better plot. Cordelia is an intelligent kid trying to piece the story together on her own. At first, she really struggles to break open Pandora’s box at home, and once she does, it’s not like her mom is suddenly going to share her sordid past with her daughter. The tug and pull between the two characters was raw, real, and the thing that made me shiver. The thing that made me realize how much of an artist Medema really is.
Would I have liked more answers at the end? Yes. I want to understand Cordelia’s mom more. And maybe that’s where having the book written out would have given that tidbit. I can live with the story the way it is though. Cordelia’s mom isn’t the point. The point is about discovering yourself when you don’t feel like you belong. It’s about that awkward time between still being a kid and going off into the real world on your own. I know that I’m way past that stage, but I really related to Cordelia and felt for her.
This is one of those books where I wish I could go back and experience everything for the first time again.
So friends… I implore you not to be scared. Take the plunge. It’s not like this book is going to take forever to read lol.
Happy Reading
Love
Kait