Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru by Tera Lynn Childs Review

"When life gives you a blank canvas, make art.

Sloane Whitaker hates everything about moving to Texas. She hates leaving behind her friends and half her family in New York, starting over senior year at Austin’s NextGen Academy, and having to say she lives in Texas. Most of all, she hates that it’s all her fault. If she wants to earn her way back to the Big Apple, she has to prove she can still be the perfect daughter.

Which means no vandalism art, no trouble at school, and absolutely no Tru Dorsey, her serial screw-up neighbor, who loves nothing more than pushing her buttons.

But from the moment he vaults onto the roof outside her bedroom, there is something about him that makes her want to break every rule. Suddenly it’ s not the ten things she hates about Tru that are at the top of her list. It’s the ten reasons she doesn’t want to be without him."

NetGalley. Thanks for the copy.  

Contrary to what the title implies (and suggests), the book has nothing to do with Ten Things I Hate About You. Ten Things I Hate About You, which is an excellent and awesome movie from the last century I will proudly cherish for all of my days, is a little bit more awesome-r than Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru. Still, the book is great and entertaining with its own spirit and bark. 

Let's talk about Sloane. After doing a stink (or accomplishment, depending on the way you look at it) involving her passion for art and her lack of judgment (or great amounts of judgment, depending on perspectives once again), Sloane is in big trouble. Dragged all the way from New York City to Austin, she eagerly counts down to the day she goes back to the Big Apple. She hates Austin, despising how different and quiet it is. But when she meets Tru, she has another reason to hate good ol' Austin of Texas. 

Tru, whose name is short for Truman, is Sloane's love interest. He is bold, likable, and a class clown. But he is likable by even teachers, amazingly enough. But despite how happy and wonderful he seems, he hides a dark side. He finds comfort in Sloane, and the duo pairs off against the world that seems to be against them. 

Perspectives. POVs. Sloane is told from first person perspective while Tru is told from third person perspective (which sounds childish and painfully young). It is annoying, and whenever the book switches from person to person, it feels like water being thrown to my face. I wish they are all in the same perspectives (first may be better than third). Maybe then, the book wouldn't be so jarring and confusing to read. 

Plots. The plots are quick, and the romance between Tru and Sloane remains to be the main plot. A secondary plot between Tru and his father remains unsolved and inconclusive (to my very disappointment). But that is the biggest loose end. 

Overall, Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru is an amazing book written by Tera Lynn Childs. Yes, it isn't very perfect, but it is beautiful. Some sections are pretty, and there are quotes I want to put up in my room. (For example, "art saves lives" is one I'll tattoo on my neck, if I ever decide to get tattoos). Best recommended to those who love a love story that is sort-of forbidden. 

Rating: Four out of Five