I loved how When the Truth Unravels is a story about friendship, depression, and still allows us to witness individual character growth.
Summary
Last month, Elin tried to kill herself.
She knows she’s lucky that her parents found her in time. Lucky to be going to prom with her three best friends, like any other teen. Like it never happened. And if she has anything to say about it, no one but her best friends will ever know it did.
Jenna, Rosie, and Ket will do anything to keep Elin’s secret—and to make sure it never happens again. That’s why they’re determined to make prom the perfect night. The night that convinces Elin that life is worth living.
Except, at prom, Elin goes missing.
Now it’s up to her friends to find her. But each of the girls has her own demons to face. Ket is being blackmailed by an ex. Rosie is falling in love for the first time. And Jenna . . .
Jenna is falling apart.
And no one, not even her best friends, knows why.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: suicide attempt, depression
When the Truth Unravels is fabulous. There’s mystery laced through the pages, but even more so it’s a book about telling our truths and finding support in friendship. Sometimes there are secrets we can’t even tell our best friends. This multiple POV novel looks at a mystery, Elin’s disappearance on Prom night and unravels all these threads about what happened. What secrets have we been keeping from each other, and can our friendship survive these hidden truths. It’s a tender story about depression, self-confidence, and never feeling like we can be enough.
Characters
I just wanted to protect each of these main characters. They made a place in my heart. Their tender vulnerabilities, fragile strength, and hidden secrets. Whether you love characters trying to cover up their insecurities, bury their trauma, or chase perfection. When the Truth Unravels has a character for you. There is something for you to treasure, that will resonate with you. And each one of their perspectives scream from the pages, highlighting their unique-ness, their own scars. I can’t pick my favorite character at all.
What I also loved was the depression representation in the book. It’s hard to talk about without spoiling how you find out about the depression, but it is fabulous. It’s multi-faceted and this conversation is one of the best I’ve read recently.
Overall,
And what propels the book is the mystery of why. It haunts the main characters in unspoken conversations. But what really keeps you reading is the friendship between all of these girls as they prepare to split off to go to college. It’s a time of transition, of great change, when everything can either break or promises are made. I think that’s the beauty of this book is that there is mystery and secrets, but at the heart of this book is about friendship. Moments you don’t know what to say, except to accept in silence, and trust that the truth will be unraveled.
Find When the Truth Unravels on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, and The Book Depository.