NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
(AND A FEW WHITE LIES)
Justina Chen Headley
Little, Brown for Young Readers
Fiction
ISBN-10: 0316011312
ISBN-13: 9780316011310
256 pages

Fifteen-year-old Patty Ho feels smothered with her mother's orders. Her Taiwanese mom incessantly hounds her to behave and to study hard, criticizes her for not being more accomplished, absolutely forbids her to date, and constantly disapproves of her every move. It's almost as if her mother blames Patty for being half-white, like Patty had anything to do with that. Patty can't talk to her dad because he's been out of the picture since she was two. And she can't confide in her older brother as he's their mom's favorite and has been accepted at Harvard for the fall term.

As if she doesn't get enough criticism at home, that jerk at school constantly makes fun of her mixed race. He even spit on her! But Patty holds all of the pain and frustration deep inside, neither brave nor confident enough to stand up for herself, not knowing how to live any other way.

When the fortune teller her mom hires prophesies that Patty will endure a terrible accident and fall in love with a white guy, Patty is quickly reserved a spot at Math Camp at Stanford University. Math camp? Patty doesn't even like math…and why would she want to be shipped off for four weeks with total strangers? Eventually, though, she meekly accepts her mother's sentencing.

But then she finds a few unexpected things at camp, including a wild and outgoing roommate who chips away at Patty's shell, a really cute potential boyfriend, a confidant who helps Patty see the good in herself, and an estranged aunt who becomes a friend. Then there's the hidden family secret Patty uncovers that starts to explain why her mom is so critical. Math camp turns out to be full of surprises, just as Patty discovers herself to be.

Justina Chen Headley has created an amazing piece of art with her story about kindhearted, self-conscious Patty. Headley's sense of humor and skillful use of realistic characters will pull readers into the pages, giving them the chance to realize just how special everyone's potential is, no matter what their racial background happens to be. Very highly recommended!

   --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

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