Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel
Common Sense Note
Depicts high school life with devastating accuracy, and uses an unusual, intriguing format. Teenagers easily understand the situation, recognize the characters, and enjoy the book--even when it's required.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Monica Wyatt
Readers who pick up this book will be struck first by the unusual format. Avi calls this book "a documentary novel." The entire book consists of a collection of memos, dialogues, diary entries, newspaper articles, letters, and transcripts of speeches and radio shows. Avi lets readers make their own judgments about what happens, but only the reader knows the whole story.
Philip's fellow students easily figure out what really happens, and taunt him: "Hey Philip? How come you went after Narwin? Todd Becker said it's because you were failing English! That true?" They punish Philip more than the school authorities can.
Yet branding Philip as the only dishonest character won't work. The newspaper reporter grabs a headline for herself. The politician grabs an issue he can ride into the election. Philip's parents go along with his lies in order to support him and to look patriotic, instead of finding out what their son really needs. None of them wants to find the truth. Because they don't, Miss Narwin loses her career and Philip loses his friends and his dream.
Ironically, Miss Narwin's pursuit of more teacher training eventually works against her. Philip eventually decides to take the honest route and try to improve his grade, but it's too late. He's finally forced to tell the truth in the devastating last line of the book. Parents who read this book with their children will find abundant fodder for conversation here, as Avi explores the effects of twisting the truth.
Todd Strasserss The Wave and Norma Fox Mazer's Out of Control also deal with difficulties in high schools.
Plot Summary:
Philip Malloy, a freshman, causes a disturbance at school by humming the National Anthem to annoy his teacher -- and the minor incident turns into a national scandal when the teacher is accused of being unpatriotic. The tale is told through a series of journal entries, letters, and memos.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual Content |
 |
 |
|
|
Violence |
|
|
|
|
LanguageInfrequent mild to moderate swearing. |
|
|
|
|
Message |
|
|
|
|
Social BehaviorThe main character deliberately disrupts a class, and then lies about it. |
 |
 |
|
|
Commercialism |
|
|
|
|
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco |
|
|
|
|
