Sunday, April 30, 2017

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart - ADVISABLE

Gemeinhart, Dan The Honest Truth, 229 pgs. Scholastic, 2015. $16.99. Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (peril).  

Mark has to climb the mountain. He and his grandfather had talked about it, but since his grandfather has died, it’s up to Mark to climb it for the both of them.  But Mark’s cancer is back, and he doesn’t think he will survive it this time, so he takes his dog Beau and runs away to Mt. Rainier, to keep his promise and to die there.  Told in alternating chapters - Mark’s journey, and Jess - Mark’s best friend who is pretty sure where he is, but promised to keep his secret,  

The Honest Truth is both hopeful and hopeless.  There are caring people, a trusted and loyal dog, and a boy tired of always being the sick kid. But it is also about a young man who makes one bad decision after another, endangering himself, worrying his parents, and making a friend keep a promise that isn’t in his best interest.  This is a moving story that I can recommend to my middle school students; well-written, exciting and fast paced.  

MS - ADVISABLE  Lisa Librarian

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