"Dakota McCloud has just been accepted into a prestigious art school. Soon she'll leave behind the artists' colony where she grew up―hippie dad, tofu since birth, yurt―and join her boyfriend and best friend on the East Coast. It was the plan…until Dakota finds out her boyfriend and best friend hooked up behind her back.
Hurt and viciously betrayed, Dakota pours out her heart on a piece of paper, places it in a bottle, and hurls it into the ocean. But it doesn't quite go where she expects…
Jack Sauvage finds the bottle washed up on the shore and responds to Dakota's letter. Except what if his straight-laced life doesn’t jive with the free-spirited girl he’s only seen from afar? As Jack creates a persona he believes she’ll love, they slowly fall for each other with each new letter. Now Jack is trying to find a way to make this delicate, on-paper romance happen in real life…without revealing his deception."
NetGalley. Thanks for the copy.
The Truth About Jack is a YA Contemporary book. There is romance, and there is a very, very complicated problem. The book can fit into Chick-lit, but... it also focuses a bit on Jack (one of the two narrators). Plus, it doesn't have that kind of lightness usually found in Chick-lit. No, it is not dark. But it gets serious and down-to-earth. Down-to-feelings, to be more accurate. There aren't really any funny parts.
But hopefully, you already read the synopsis. Jack basically creates a whole new persona. He pretends to be someone he is not in his letters. In real life, he is Jack Sauvage. On paper, he is a guy from Barcelona. Yes, Barcelona of Spain. The Barcelona. (Gosh, I so want to go there.) Dakota falls in love with two guys, Jack and Alejandro (Jack's persona). All of this just spells DISASTER. Yes, this is a wild and crazy book that is very similar to "You Got Mail," the old romance movie starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. I grew up on that movie, and I watched it over and over again.
Note To Any Males Reading My Review: Never, ever, ever lie to a girl if you are trying to be in a relationship with her. (And it goes both ways, so girls, you might want to pay attention too.) Don't go under a different name that isn't on your social security card. Never pretend to be someone else. Just be yourself. Believe me, the lies will simply build and build until she finally figures it out. She will run away as far as possible. From you. It works in movies and books, but it does not work in real life. (Especially with girls who have a superpower called good memory and the ability to call guys creeps.)
Let's talk about Dakota and Jack. They are both intense characters (Jack more than Dakota, in my opinion). They understand each other, and they connect emotionally to each other. (I can think of a thousand cheesy things I can say to describe these two.) They are both artists. Jack, a musician. Dakota, a sculpturist. They understand each other, and I think there is something amazing in that. Shall I mention their chemistry?
Overall, The Truth About Jack is a delightful book which will probably do the screenwriters of "You Got Mail" proud. It is a great book with a wonderful romance and some loose ends (but not very big ones). The problems and conflict are wild, and... It is a fun read. Though sometimes, you'll be like "Oh, honey" and "Darn it, Jack!"
Rating: Four out of Five
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