Something about the way she writes, the way she explains things. Something about the details, just enough, nothing wasted. Her writing is also so... human. No character is 100% good or 100% bad. Everything but the Truth (1956) - Jerry Hopper | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie". One of the things I like most about the If Only line of books - and in particular Everything But the Truth - is how they deal with growing up. Holly is only months away from college and becoming an adult. This book manages to show how mature she is becoming at the same time as showing how she is still a teenager. I loved the romance and appreciated how this love story was developed. Let’s start off with the fact that I LOVE that it’s set in Seattle–my hometown. I loved reading about Alki Beach, Lake Washington, Gas Works Park, and Pike Place Market. Since I’m so familiar with the area, it was really easy to place the characters in the setting. The author is from the Seattle area herself so everything is pretty accurate, but I did have a couple of minor issues–I know I’m splitting hairs here, but I can’t help it! First, WSU. Sorry, but my blood runs purple and gold (both my parents graduated from UW and both of my siblings were also students). So the fact that our main character was going there? Not a fan. Second, (and this is so minor, I know) at the end of the book Holly mentions how she’s been at school for a couple of weeks and her friend Alex (who’s going to UW) is going to call to update her on her classes. Sorry, but the timing doesn’t work out there. WSU has semesters and starts classes at the beginning of September or the end of August. Meanwhile, UW has quarters and doesn’t start classes until the end of September (or beginning of October even). So…Alex wouldn’t be in classes yet. This book was just so close to being accurate! I was just disappointed.

Everything but the Truth - Kindle edition by McAllister Everything but the Truth - Kindle edition by McAllister

Everything but the Truth is the sixth addition to the If Only series, a set of young adult contemporary romances written by various authors, all centered around the theme of wanting what you can’t have. They are lighthearted reads, a new spin on the ever-popular forbidden love trope. Tipped as a Cinderella-inspired story, Mandy Hubbard’s newest is about college-bound Holly, a girl who has never lived a privileged lifestyle. It’s only recently that she and her mom could start living comfortably, thanks to her mom’s promotion as the new manager of a ritzy retirement home. The problems begin when she meets Malik, the famous and gorgeous grandson of one of the richest men in the world, who happens to be staying there. When Malik mistakes her identity as someone else – someone rich and who belongs in his world – she doesn’t correct him, thinking that whatever they start will be nothing more than a summer fling. Soon, lies and feelings are getting all mixed up… Is it too late for Holly to tell him the truth? A schoolboy who has been urged to always tell the truth blurts out that an uncle of his has received a payoff from a politician. Chaos ensues, as teacher Joan Madison fights the school principal's decision to expel the boy from classes and enlists a newspaper columnist, Ernie Miller, to help support her cause. Everything But the Truth is a wonderful story with a lot of depth. Sure, it's a romance at heart but there's so much more to this story. It explores a very close relationship between a mother and daughter who get along so well she can open up about anything. It's also about the strong friendship between two best friends who are soon going off to different colleges and feel like they might be losing touch with each other. And ultimately, it's about a very intelligent and nice girl who is willing to go above and beyond to help the elderly residents.

Creative Play

Our main character, Holiday, is in a really odd situation since she can’t be honest about her life. I understood how she found herself there and how it just gradually spun out of control. I don’t agree with her actions, and think she should have just been honest, but I do understand how it got to the point it did. Plus it made for an interesting story, and that’s really the point isn’t it. :) Her pragmatic approach to life, and Hubbard's subtle nudge toward the idea that Holly needs to focus on herself first and foremost, is a nice change from a stereotypical fluffy romance, and a great reminder to readers that it's their own futures that are important.

Everything but the Truth by Gillian McAllister | Goodreads

Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! It's a small thing, but it hasn't been that long since the debate on whitewashing in YA, so I absolutely appreciate this step forward. The title of the book for me is really fascinating. That and the cover and bio really caught my attention. I know why it has such a big score on here. The title however is intriguing in itself. Is it always important to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Or is there again a line where telling the truth can be far more harmful then a little white lie?There are questions at every turn in this book, and I liked that it seemed quite realistic, overall – the storyline, though dramatic at times, wasn’t overly ridiculous or unbelievable. It was crazy enough without making me think, “this is stupid” – something I unfortunately do feel a lot with books in this genre. It had just the right balance, and it makes you think about human nature and what you’d do in this situation. Everything but the Truth is a 1956 American Eastmancolor comedy film directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Forsythe and Tim Hovey. [1] Much of the film score was composed by Henry Mancini. [2] It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures.

Everything But the Truth (1956) - IMDb

Hubbard builds a convincing and beautiful tapestry of the important relationships in Holly's life, and how each of these relationships have contributed to who she is today. Consequently, when Holly fears the loss of a friendship, Hubbard uses it as a great tool for showing Holly's burgeoning growth and maturity, and the evolution of that friendship.While the romance between Malik and Holly was very much a fairytale, it's Holly relationships with her friends and mother that I appreciated the most. Holiday, aka Holly, has a unique name but when she is called by another name by a forgetful resident at the care center where her mom works, she falls into a mistaken identity, which leads to a whole web of lies with Malik, the ultra-rich grandson of another resident.

Everything But the Truth by Lucinda Williams Lyrics for Everything But the Truth by Lucinda Williams

Hubbard does a nice job of creating an interracial relationship, without making it into a big deal. It's reflected nicely in the book.While I had some slight issues with the romance aspect of the ending, I did appreciate Hubbard's overall approach to wrapping up the story. Holly handles the ups and downs of her relationships maturely, and learns how to adjust and let go as needed. Overall, despite the cheesiness (and I mean that in a cute/fun way) and predictability, I found that I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, light-hearted romance and the characters, though not totally stand-out, were awesome in their own way and awesome enough that I DID care about them enough to see how their stories ended. Plus, the ending DID make me cry, so, ya know... Predictable, but sweet and epic! So if all that is your kind of thing, then this book is definitely for you! The If Only books are YA contemporary (clean) romance stories that remind me a lot of some of the books I used to read when I was a teenager. So I always love receiving a new one--Thanks Bloomsbury!--and giving them a go. I take each one as it comes because some haven't worked for me. But when they do, I adore them. Throughout the book, I actually didn't like the drama with Holly's best friend, who has been distant and unavailable, but the resolution of that was one of the highlights of the book. Everything But The Truth is another wildly enjoyable instalment in the If Only series written by Mandy Hubbard and entrancing readers with yet again an endearingly sweet and enjoyable contemporary romance!