Sometimes We Tell the Truth

by Kim Zarins

In this contemporary retelling of The Canterbury Tales, a group of teens on a bus ride to Washington, DC, each tell a story—some fantastical, some realistic, some downright scandalous—in pursuit of the ultimate prize: a perfect score.

Jeff boards the bus for the Civics class trip to Washington, DC, with a few things on his mind:
-Six hours trapped with his classmates sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
-He somehow ended up sitting next to his ex-best friend, who he hasn’t spoken to in years.
-He still feels guilty for the major part he played in pranking his teacher, and the trip’s chaperone, Mr. Bailey.
-And his best friend Cannon, never one to be trusted and banned from the trip, has something “big” planned for DC.

But Mr. Bailey has an idea to keep everyone in line: each person on the bus is going to have the chance to tell a story. It can be fact or fiction, realistic or fantastical, dark or funny or sad. It doesn’t matter. Each person gets a story, and whoever tells the best one will get an automatic A in the class.

But in the middle of all the storytelling, with secrets and confessions coming out, Jeff only has one thing on his mind—can he live up to the super successful story published in the school newspaper weeks ago that convinced everyone that he was someone smart, someone special, and someone with something to say.

In her debut novel, Kim Zarins breathes new life into Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales in a fresh and contemporary retelling that explores the dark realities of high school, and the ordinary moments that bring us all together.

• ISBN10: 1481465007
• ISBN13: 9781481465007
• Publish Date: 5 September 2017 (first published 6 September 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 448
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

An interesting peek into the minds of teens. This idea of each person presenting a story, that revealed a little part of themselves (or more) to their peers. How terrifying! There was also this idea that everyone has a voice and deserves to be heard, and they could be heard if given the opportunity. During all this storytelling, we have Jeff, the narrator, who is struggling with the desires of his heart and mind. Through this physical journey, he completes a mental journey that allows him to articulate what he really feels in his heart.

I have NOT read the Canterbury Tales, and I wish I had some more background to draw on considering that this is an adaptation. With that said, I do not think it is necessary to enjoy this book. There are so many characters, that the reader should find one to identify with, and I think most people would be able to relate to the teen angst.