A definite page-turner about teenage navigation through life; recommended for fans of John Green’s books, Jenny Torres Sanchez’s The Fall of Innocence, or Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why.” —School Library Journal
"Snow masterfully navigates the complexities of female friendships in this powerful and engrossing debut. Intricate storytelling, nuanced protagonists, and a profound examination of adolescence and healing, this novel will claw at your heart and leave you breathless. Flawless, stunning, and unputdownable." —Whitney Taylor, author of Definitions of Indefinable Things
"When the Truth Unravels is a captivating, fast-moving exploration of the complexities of female friendship, and a brutally realistic yet sensitive depiction of depression and its intertwining consequences. On a night that's supposed to be about partying and having a good time, tension builds and buzzes just below the surface as each character wrestles with unspoken revelations. Snow handles the story's heavy themes with impressive skill and gentle insight and nails the pressures, uncertainties, and politics of high school." —Jill Baguchinsky, author of Mammoth
"The four girls at the center of When The Truth Unravels are prickly, complicated, and headstrong—and I adored all of them. RuthAnne Snow's debut takes a quintessential high school experience—prom—and fills it with detours and secrets that make it impossible to put down. Across two timelines and multiple POVs, Snow paints an authentic, sensitive picture of depression and shows us how friendship is a delicate but resilient thing. I wish I could hand this to every teen girl trying her best and fearing she isn't enough. (She is.)" - Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone
"This is the YA friendship book you’ve been waiting for. Part mystery, part romance, and all authentic, Snow delivers a page-turner that masterfully handles some of the most sensitive topics teens deal with today." —Natasha Sinel, author of The Fix and Soulstruck
"Readers will be swept away into the narrative, which, sprinkled with first-world problems, also deals with the effects that mental health issues can have on relationships, and the #metoo movement. Ultimately, these are characters to root for, and readers will hope for them to come through their ordeals. A thrilling debut for fans of Dhonielle Clayton, Brandy Colbert, and John Green." —Booklist
"When the Truth Unravels is a captivating, fast-moving exploration of the complexities of female friendship, and a brutally realistic yet sensitive depiction of depression and its intertwining consequences. On a night that's supposed to be about partying and having a good time, tension builds and buzzes just below the surface as each character wrestles with unspoken revelations. Snow handles the story's heavy themes with impressive skill and gentle insight and nails the pressures, uncertainties, and politics of high school." —Jill Baguchinsky, author of Mammoth
"The four girls at the center of When The Truth Unravels are prickly, complicated, and headstrong—and I adored all of them. RuthAnne Snow's debut takes a quintessential high school experience—prom—and fills it with detours and secrets that make it impossible to put down. Across two timelines and multiple POVs, Snow paints an authentic, sensitive picture of depression and shows us how friendship is a delicate but resilient thing. I wish I could hand this to every teen girl trying her best and fearing she isn't enough. (She is.)" - Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone
"This is the YA friendship book you’ve been waiting for. Part mystery, part romance, and all authentic, Snow delivers a page-turner that masterfully handles some of the most sensitive topics teens deal with today." —Natasha Sinel, author of The Fix and Soulstruck
"Snow masterfully navigates the complexities of female friendships in this powerful and engrossing debut. Intricate storytelling, nuanced protagonists, and a profound examination of adolescence and healing, this novel will claw at your heart and leave you breathless. Flawless, stunning, and unputdownable." —Whitney Taylor, author of Definitions of Indefinable Things
"Snow masterfully navigates the complexities of female friendships in this powerful and engrossing debut. Intricate storytelling, nuanced protagonists, and a profound examination of adolescence and healing, this novel will claw at your heart and leave you breathless. Flawless, stunning, and unputdownable." —Whitney Taylor, author of Definitions of Indefinable Things
"This is the YA friendship book you’ve been waiting for. Part mystery, part romance, and all authentic, Snow delivers a page-turner that masterfully handles some of the most sensitive topics teens deal with today." —Natasha Sinel, author of The Fix and Soulstruck
"The four girls at the center of When The Truth Unravels are prickly, complicated, and headstrong—and I adored all of them. RuthAnne Snow's debut takes a quintessential high school experience—prom—and fills it with detours and secrets that make it impossible to put down. Across two timelines and multiple POVs, Snow paints an authentic, sensitive picture of depression and shows us how friendship is a delicate but resilient thing. I wish I could hand this to every teen girl trying her best and fearing she isn't enough. (She is.)" - Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone
"When the Truth Unravels is a captivating, fast-moving exploration of the complexities of female friendship, and a brutally realistic yet sensitive depiction of depression and its intertwining consequences. On a night that's supposed to be about partying and having a good time, tension builds and buzzes just below the surface as each character wrestles with unspoken revelations. Snow handles the story's heavy themes with impressive skill and gentle insight and nails the pressures, uncertainties, and politics of high school." —Jill Baguchinsky, author of Mammoth
Winter 2018
Gr 10 Up—This debut novel delves into the complicated and dramatic world of four best friends at the end of their senior year. Jenna, Rosie, Ket, and Elin's relationship was thrown into a tailspin when pretty and popular Elin attempted suicide. Her friends are determined to keep her secret and ensure she doesn't try again—until she goes missing on prom night. Snow weaves the story across time lines and points of view, ensnaring readers within the jumble of events leading up to Elin's attempt and the aftermath. Immersion in the harrowing tale of Elin's depression and her friends' endeavor to fix it, all while still facing down their own heartaches and strife is immediate. VERDICT A definite page-turner about teenage navigation through life; recommended for fans of John Green's books, Jenny Torres Sanchez's The Fall of Innocence, or Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why.—Brittany McMahon, Westernport Elementary School, MD
2018-11-12
Girls who have been close friends for years face their senior prom night with trepidation.
The action takes place across two timelines. The first is April 18-19, the day and night of senior prom. In alternating chapters, classmates Jenna, Ket, and Rosie narrate first-person accounts detailing their thoughts, hopes, and fears about their plan to go to prom as a no-date group with their friend Elin. In the book's opening sentence, readers learn that Elin tried to kill herself. The second timeline is told in the third person, describing Elin's life starting the previous Aug. 25 and progressing until it catches up to the prom timeline, when Elin starts narrating in the first person. The book is set in Park City, Utah. There are weak nods to diversity. Ket, who has two lesbian moms, is "Indian," although it is unclear if she is intended to be Asian Indian or American Indian; her last name is West-Beauchamp, and her moms are assumed white along with most other characters. First-time author Snow has created a lackluster novel in which motivations are murky, romantic subplots are banal, drama is manufactured and illogical, and the characters are one-dimensional. Even the big reveal at the end about why Elin tried to kill herself and who saved her is surprisingly anticlimactic.
Snow attempts to engage with deep topics but ultimately serves up a shallow story. (Fiction. 12-18)
