TRUEBy: Erin McCarthy
Review by: Kaede
Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Publisher: InterMix
Pages: 238
Format: e-ARC
Source: NetGalley (Thank you, PENGUIN GROUP!)
When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.When I began reading True, I had no particular expectations for it to reach. I had come across True by chance, and began reading it for no other sake than to begin reading it and eventually review it. Fortunately, I end up liking True, but it is not a story that I can freely recommend. Enjoyable as it was, it was also not without it's flaws.
Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…
Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…
I think True's main problem is that it feels formulaic. Like if New Adult books had a certain guideline that is recommended for authors to stick to, and McCarthy decided to follow it exactly. True isn't a bad book - in fact, it was quite likable, but it isn't anything...special. I think a little background information is needed.
If there's anything you should know is that when it comes down to New Adult, I. Want. To. Tear. My. Hair. Out. It is most distressing for me when I look at a New Adult categorized book and think, "Wasn't this called something else?"
Because the fact of the matter is YES, I THINK YOUR BOOK WAS CALLED SOMETHING ELSE BECAUSE IT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE SOMETHING ELSE. New Adult tends to blend together for me because of what I've read of it, the core of the stories all seem the same. There are an exceptional few that have stood out though, and I'm sorry to say True isn't one of them.
But basically, if you are not the fondest, or looking for something extremely unique in New Adult, I would not push True as the book for you. Not to say that it has no originality, because I firmly believe every book has that in some portion, but it doesn't have an excessive amount that screams one-of-a-kind. But, if you are just looking for a New Adult Book to read, there's no harm in trying True.
And like every cloud having a silver lining, True is not without it's good qualities. When I first heard of it, the story was pitched as, "Good Girl meets Bad Boy" and all the alarms went up. But after finishing it, and assuming Tyler is said bad boy, I really don't concur with that statement. I was led to believe I would probably have this ego bigger than his head jerk on my hands but Tyler was actually kind of a sweetheart, and apparently good at math.
I had my problems with Rory and her friends, though. I disliked that Rory's friends even entertained the idea of paying somebody to have sex with her, because that's not what good friends so - especially behind your back. I also didn't like how the author chose the begin our introduction to Rory - an almost sexual assault scene. But that wasn't really the problem, and I wouldn't have any issues if I thought that it has handled appropriately. But a few pages after Rory was heroically saved by Tyler, the fact that she was close to being raped was barely brought up again. Because of that, I have reasons to believe rape was used as nothing more than a plot device and that is not okay. Sexual harassment of any kind is a serious issue and should not be used as something to just move your story alone.
Overall, True wasn't perfect. But it was engaging and compelling enough that I finished it very quickly. And while I didn't love it, True has captured my attention enough to spark intrigue for any sequels or companions that may be written.
3 and ½ coffee cups!
**An advance copy of this book was provided for review. However, all opinions remain honest and my own.**
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