All of this is True – Lygia Day Peñaflor

Have you ever fantasised about meeting your favourite author? How about not only meeting them but becoming friends with them, and getting the inside look at the person that created the book that you love?

For the characters in ‘All of This is True,’ this is their sudden, exciting reality when Fatima Ro takes Penny, Miri, Soleil, and Jonah under her wing. But it turns out to be far from fantasy after they find out that Fatma has betrayed their trust and based her next book on them, revealing disastrous secrets. Through a series of interviews and newspaper articles, we see the girls’ reactions to the book and their side of the story.

I read this whole book in one sitting. All in all, it probably took me around four hours to finish the whole thing. For the most part, this was because the pacing is really well done, nothing is dwelt on for too long and there is always a great hook to get you turning the page. It kept me interested just enough to keep me reading.

Throughout the narrative, the characters goals and loyalties are uncovered and dissected, which had me feeling that the people I saw at the conclusion were completely different to those I knew at the beginning. This is aided by the fact that Peñaflor maintains a reasonably strong voice throughout; an important factor in a novel that’s told from four different perspectives.

The characters were slightly stereotypical at points (I’ve read worse, but it still had that ‘bad high-school movie’ vibe in parts), but there was nothing too unbearable.
Penny was the real highlight of the book. As a character, she felt more developed than the rest, and therefore more ‘real’. I genuinely felt sorry for her in parts. In fact, I would have liked to have focused on her a more. For the most part, the story was ‘about’ Soleil and Jonah, and while they were okay characters, I’ve seen them before; they didn’t have anything new to offer.
Essentially, the book explores ideas surrounding placing blame, giving forgiveness, and whether people can change. Each of the characters has their own selfish motives for doing what they do, and I think there’s going to be an interesting discussion between readers of this book as to who they sympathise with, and who they feel they can forgive by the end of the book.

It’s probably a 3.5 rating from me; the book has its problems, but it’s undeniably a page-turner, and a whole lot less cringey than some YA books that I’ve read. I would recommend it if you liked ‘We Were Liars’, the ‘Girl Online’ series, or if you’re looking for a light, quick page-turner.

A quick warning: This book does deal with the subject of sexual assault. The actual event isn’t talked about too explicitly, but it is mentioned more than once throughout the book. So if that’s something that you or a person you may pass this book onto would have trouble dealing with, then I suggest talking to someone who read it to see if it’s right for you.