All The Truth That's In Me

All The Truth That's In Me

by Julie Berry

Synopsis: 

Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family.

Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas.

But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever.

This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.

My thoughts:

Judith was kidnapped at age 14 by a madman that the townspeople thought was dead.  At 16 the madman released her and she was able to return home but she had been silenced in an effort to protect her and was unable to tell anyone her tale.  Now two years later Judith lives as a mute and is treated as an outcast in her village, even her mother acts ashamed of her. With the threat of an attack on her village Judith willingly goes back to the madman for help which causes shocking discoveries to be made and forces Judith to decide if she will remain silent or if she will reclaim her voice and let all the truth that's in her be heard.  All The Truth That's In Me is truly an original take on what could be consider a fairly simple story.  This story is told through a monologue that runs through Judith's head and which is almost exclusively directed at Lucas, the boy that Judith has loved for as long as she can remember. Berry artfully reveals characters and plotlines with easy, marking almost every page with little (or sometimes major) clues that help to build up the suspense.  The time and setting of the story is never discussed, one gets the sense that it is the 1800s in North America but this is never confirmed which lends even more mystery to the story.  As all the pieces fall into place the reader with be amazed with Berry's story telling abilities and haunted by Judith's voice. This novel is a hidden gem and one that needs to be raved about to everyone.