Name: What They Always Tell Us
ISBN: 9780385735087

Martin Wilson

Sixteen-year-old Alex feels so disconnected from his friends that he starts his junior year at a Tuscaloosa, Alabama, high school by attempting suicide, but soon, a friend of his older brother draws him into cross-country running and a new understanding of himself.

What They Always Tell Us

After being distant from each other for years, popular senior James and his outcast younger brother Alex finally find a way to bond through the encouragement of a new friend, Alex's sudden passion for running, and a newfound mutual respect.

Jeannette Ordas

I picked up this book after midnight last night and read most of it before I fell asleep. You bet it was the first thing I picked up this morning, even though today is Monday and I felt a bit guilty reading in bits during work-not-so-downtimes. Well written, real characters that I wanted to hold onto for a bit longer.

Why can't there be more?!

There is no real end and at the same time it's a very fitting end, if that makes any sense at all. But let's start at the beginning.

I love how we get to read about both brothers' life separately. Alex may be the mc, but James has his own life and he keeps living it after his brother's failed suicide attempt. Their relationship changes because of this, but it comes back to being very sweet (unexpectedly sweet) and leaves a warm feeling inside you.

There is some romance in this novel, but it's not the main focus. No, this is a story about recovery. And it's a good one, a hopeful one. I still liked the pairing very much.

I enjoyed how the writing reads like the characters' age. It's not often done and when it is done, it can easily be overdone.

So you may ask why I'm only giving 4 stars if I enjoyed the characters, the story, the message, the writing... It's all those girl bashing. Being female does not mean being weak. Yes I know a lot of males (and quite some females as well) see it that way, but guess what?

You can have characters being sexist and then have other characters telling them off for this! It's not hard to do, you know? And if a character is sexist in his thoughts, you can make him change his mind. I'm sorry (no, I'm not), but this is really hitting a sore point with me and I'm not willing to overlook it because I like the book.

You should still read it.

What They Always Tell Us

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