Review: The Truth About You & Me by Amanda Grace

The Truth About You & Me 
by Amanda Grace aka Mandy Hubbard

Release Date: September 8, 2013
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 264
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Source: Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
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Smart girls aren't supposed to do stupid things. Madelyn Hawkins is super smart. At sixteen, she's so gifted that she can attend college through a special program at her high school. On her first day, she meets Bennet. He's cute, funny, and kind. He understands Madelyn and what she's endured - and missed out on - in order to excel academically and please her parents. Now, for the first time in her life, she's falling in love. There's only one problem. Bennet is Madelyn's college professor, and he thinks she's eighteen - because she hasn't told him the truth. The story of their forbidden romance is told in letters that Madelyn writes to Bennet - both a heart-searing ode to their ill-fated love and an apology.

ADD TO GOODREADS

The entire book is written as a letter from Madelyn to Bennet. So right off the bat you know they had a relationship and eventually he found out her age and it ended badly. I loved the writing style. It reminded me of Stolen by Lucy Christopher which is also written as a letter. As I read it I kind of felt like I was writing it so I felt a good connection to Madelyn.

Madelyn is writing to Bennet because she feels guilty. The letter felt like she needed to explain her feelings and why she lied about her age. She is really smart and was able to attend community college at 16. Bennet is her biology professor, and then she runs into Bennet on a hike and they spend some time together. Bennet says they have to wait until she is out of his class before anything can happen.

Honestly I thought Bennet was a bit of a douche wad. I mean he knows she is pretty young and probably about 18. She is almost 17 so that isn't that big of a difference. He is 26. Madelyn did check that the age of consent in their state is 16. Yet he totally overreacts. I thought he should have taken Madelyn's feelings into more consideration and talked to her more. Young love is very strong and it was sad to see his reaction.

Yes Madelyn never said she was 16 but then again Bennet never really pushed her to give him a direct answer about her age. When I was 18 I had guys sometimes ask to see my ID so if he really cared he could have asked. He knew she was young and it takes two. I think he wanted to be in denial about her age. I felt like he put all this guilt and shame on her when he was to blame too.

Madelyn is more mature and smart than the average 16 year old so she really enjoyed talking to Bennet. She has a lot of pressure from her parents to be perfect so this one time she decides to not be perfect and do something for her.  Bennet seemed to understand her and you can tell by her letter that she cared for him and he really did care for her. It was a really quick read. I would have liked a little bit more detail on the time they spent together. If you love forbidden romances then this is a great read. I am a big sucker for them!




"It's weird how I had this feeling like I needed to memorize the dawn moment, like I wouldn't experience it again, like I'd need to catalog it and hold on real tight, make sure I never let go of the memory. I must have known, right? That it would all go wrong."

"Maybe you felt as broken as I did. Maybe you were watching our future-that thing we'd talked about so often-slip through your fingers over two measly years. Why did those two years have to matter so much?"

"They didn't know it had been me fishing, me reeling you in, me lying."

"Boring," he said.
"Sh-I'm boring?" I asked.
"Past-tense, obviously. I think sleeping with your professor makes you something other than boring." He cleared his throat. "It's really disgusting, actually. I mean, dude, the guy is like six years older than me. What were you thinking?"

Rating: 4/5