Customer Reviews

And Then I Found Out The Truth

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off, it is best you read And Then Everything Unraveled before you enjoy this one. The plot is continued from that and only gets deeper. I really love the character of Delia as she has developed from the first novel. This is a perfect mini chick lit mystery that will have to staying up late to finish. The first one left me hanging and I hated that I had to wait a year to get to this one. The same thing happened here though. I am dying to get to the next installment.

AND THEN I FOUND OUT THE TRUTH is a satisfying conclusion to the wonderfully colorful mystery that began in AND THEN EVERYTHING UNRAVELED. While the plot may seem a little shaky and uneven at times, the character development is even stronger.

I had forgotten how funny Jennifer Sturman is in her first YA novel, but AND THEN I FOUND OUT THE TRUTH brought it all back for me. Delia narrates with an appreciable wryness that is 100% funny and 100% heartfelt. There is an eclectic cast of characters, but they never felt like stereotypes to me, the way some other stories with quirky characters and over-the-top humor might. You might not find these characters in real life, but they work exceedingly well in fiction for our entertainment.

In particular, I want to say how much more developed Quinn, Delia's love interest, was in this sequel. My one minor issue with the first book was the flatness of his character, but in this book Quinn is a much more well-rounded character, with strengths, gallantry, problems, and vulnerabilities.

The plot of AND THEN I FOUND OUT THE TRUTH fell a little short in my opinion, though that may have been because my expectations were high for the sequel. A lot of the detective strategies from the first book came back here, and Delia was, I felt, unfortunately restricted in her sleuthing in a lot of ways that were frustrating. The ending was more Spy Kids-esque than Minority Report-worthy, which is charming in its happiness but otherwise rather simplistic.

Even so, any weaknesses this book might have did not detract from my immense enjoyment. Jennifer Sturman does a great job of writing memorable three-dimensional characters into a complicated plot. I hope she writes more YA in the future!

In the first book, Delia's mother goes missing and is declared dead. Delia has to move places and go stay with her aunts in New York where she also meets Adam. Adam, other than being her love interest, helps Delia to find out more about her mother. And Then I Found Out The Truth is a continuation and needless to say it contains spoilers. You can try reading the second book without reading the first but I really wouldn't suggest it.

So if you haven't read the first book, this review contains spoliers. Skip to the end to know what I think of this book.

**********spoilers begin*****************

The first book ends where Delia finds out that her mother is not dead but is hiding somewhere in South America. In the second book she finds out the reason and the corporation involved in it. She and Quinn try to find out answers and although Delia does get sidetracked by Quinn and her friend (she is after all her teenager), she does get on track eventually. Besides, it gives the reader more to enjoy and laugh about.

**********spoilers end*******************

This book was as enjoyable as the first and as much fun. I was so happy to finally get all the answers. Even though this is a mystery involving Oil drilling, it does not get into the details. It is just a very happy and feel good book like the first one. The only thing I wished was this was one book instead of two. I really don't see the reason for splitting the two books since both are pretty small. I hope in the future this book is offered as a two-in-one promotional pack or something like that.

On the whole, if you want a fun and light book to go to, something to lift your mood, this book is just for you. I can't wait to see what Jennifer Sturman comes up with next.

On the same fun note as And Then Everything Unraveled, this sequel was equally witty and fascinating. Delia's voice is the best part of it once again, and the suspense of finding answers takes all the way to Argentina. The setting felt fascinating and it was so atmospheric I felt like I traveled with them. I love the way the author makes the time-line and the events feel so natural, any teenager can relate to the story.

All the characters were wonderful, except Quinn. I was really expecting more depth to his character all along. He disappears for the first part of the book, which made me dislike him quite a bit. Then makes his appearance again and sticks to his non-personality by being extremely perfect and not letting us know much about his feelings or showing any flaw. The pace of the book also felt a little awkward because while not much happens in the first half, the ending felt crammed and full of developments with no time for the reader to fully process and digest it. Still, it was the right ending and I felt fully satisfied. It just felt kind of abrupt to me.

Overall, another fantastic mystery/teen story so fresh and fun that I highly recommend it to everyone.

Picking up soon after And Then Everything Unraveled left off, And Then I Found Out the Truth was just as exciting and fun as its prequel! Jennifer Sturman is a terrific writer and she really knows how to spin a mystery and create unique and likable characters.

I read the prequel a few months ago, so I was a little worried I might have forgotten some of the more important clues and plot twists. Luckily, Sturman shared just enough background that made everything click in my head and I felt like I had just finished And Then Everything Unraveled yesterday!

Revisiting some of my favorite characters was one of the best things about this novel. Delia is a brave, determined, and caring main character and I love reading about her trials and triumphs. Her aunts are both back and better than ever. Charley and Patience both have bigger roles in this novel, and I liked seeing Charley and Delia's relationship grow even more. Natalie, Delia's best friend, also gets to use her computer genius to save the day once again. I really wish I had her talent when it comes to computers! I loved being able to see Gwyneth come out of her shell and to learn about some of her interests and hobbies.

The love interest returns and while Quinn doesn't have a huge role until closer to the end, I still liked him as much as I did in the prequel. You can feel Quinn and Delia's connection right away and they always have fun times together. There are a few other relationships introduced in this novel as well!

The major plot line involving the oil and Delia's missing mother returns full force. Now that TK is no longer MIA, Delia is now fighting to bring her back home safely. Unfortunately, the schemers that were involved with trying to kill TK in the first place are back. Delia is not only having to watch her back, she is having to unravel a mess of clues and try to figure out who is the main conspirator. I loved watching Delia, Charley, and the others try to solve the mystery and the last few chapters were especially exciting. It was interesting to find out who the real conspirators were and who was really innocent.

This was an overall terrific sequel and was filled with new twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The last few chapters were really exciting and some of my favorite of the whole series. Jennifer Sturman is an author to watch and I can't wait to find out what she writes next.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Delia Truesdale may be getting used to living in New York City, but there's no way she can ever accustom herself to balancing school, a social life, and figuring out the details of a secret worldwide oil scandal that has her mother hiding out in South America. Delia doesn't want to bother herself with such unimportant things as those physics pop quizzes she keeps on failing when her mother's life may be at stake. Of course, it's so easy to get sidetracked by Quinn, a gorgeous and sweet guy who seems to like Delia back. It's a good thing Delia's got a bunch of allies to back her up, including her wacky aunt Charley, a braniac best friend, a stuttering but effective detective, and an eccentric psychic because Delia definitely can't solve this mystery on her own.

And Then I Found Out the Truth, the sequel to And Then Everything Unraveled, continues Delia's investigation into a secret and highly illegal oil drilling project. The plot is definitely interesting with all the secrets, danger, and international flair. However, I felt that in this novel, Delia was too often sidetracked by Quinn, her best friend, by shopping with Charley, by a gambling scandal at school, and the list goes on. This took away from the main storyline of the illegal oil drilling and made it seem, while not any less intriguing, not as important. The conclusion of this story is expected and by no means particularly creative. With stories like this one, where there is a huge mystery usually involving a global scandal, it's difficult for there to be any major surprises at the end because the surprises on the way to the end make the ending predictable. Though not always well executed, And Then I Found Out the Truth is still a fun mystery to read.

I recommend this novel to fans of its prequel, And Then Everything Unraveled, as well as to those who enjoyed Dream Girl by Lauren Mechling, the Airhead trilogy by Meg Cabot, the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson, and Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson.

Delia Truesdale's life unraveled when her mother, T.K., went missing and everyone presumed she was dead. Sent from her Palo Alto home to live with her eccentric Aunt Charley in New York City, she proved that her mother was still very much alive, but in danger of certain evil-doers who would like to kill her mother--and her--if the truth about their illegal oil drilling got out. Now Delia's problem is finding out just who those evil-doers are. Unfortunately for her, all the evidence points to the father of her crush, Quinn, and as she digs even deeper, danger gets closer, following her even all the way to Buenos Aires, where Delia will uncover the truth.

This sequel to And Then Everything Unraveled is pitch-perfect, with a quick, sharp, intelligent sense of humor and a great balance between the mystery, suspense, and romance. Each character in this book is memorable; there's practical and determined Delia, flighty and eccentric Charley, mysterious and dreamy Quinn, and demanding and quirky Carolina, whose psychic insights are vague but right on the money. Sturman steadily builds up suspense throughout the novel, and carefully reveals each clue and stepping stone to a final, dramatic showdown in Buenos Aires (where Delia and Quinn have plenty of misadventures and bravely take on a foreign city without seeming too implausible) in which everything comes together quite neatly. Though readers will be happy with the conclusion to And Then I Found Out the Truth, it will be hard to let go of this fun and entertaining cast of characters, Here's to hoping that it won't be long before Sturman releases another YA book soon!

And Then I Found Out the Truth begins just after the end of And Then Everything Unraveled. Delia is still in New York with her Aunt Charley, only now they have confirmation that Delia's mother is still alive and hiding in South America. Quinn has also kissed Delia twice (but one time might not count), and is also in on their secret. Unfortunately, there's a chance that his father is behind the whole conspiracy. Can Delia find a way to bring her mother home safely? Can Quinn clear his father's name? And will Delia find a way to pass physics?

And Then I Found Out the Truth is just as enjoyable as its predecessor. Delia is determined to save her mother, and she's helped in her quest by her Aunt Charley, who has the perfect movie and takeout order combo for every occasion; her new friend Natalie, who can hack building security and secure a Homecoming date at the same time; a psychic named Carolina and a PI named Rafe; dreamy Quinn (who actually likes her!); and even, maybe, her cousin Gwyneth? It's impossible not to like a book with such an interesting mix of characters, and Delia is the most likable of all. If you like Meg Cabot or Michele Jaffe, then you'll really like these books.

My Rating: 4.5

And Then I Found Out The Truth was a fantastic follow-up to And Then Everything Unraveled. It had the same amount of mystery, action and originality. Usually I don't know what to expect from sequels. In spite of that, I was not disappointed. I was just as eager to unravel T.K.'s disappearance, as I was to determine the truth. Delia continued to blow me away with her spontaneity and constant search for her mother. Quinn, the evident partner in crime, started making an impression on Delia. He was the perfect person to ask for help.

Eventually, Sturman revealed the secrets and lies once Delia ended up in South America. I ended up figuring out some of the outcome, however a few of the revelations were indeed surprising. I'm not sure if there will be a third book in the series since the ending seemed to wrap up Delia's journey. Still, if a book three surfaces I am certain I'll immerse myself in another one of Delia and Quinn's adventures. These two books left me feeling impressed and I recommend you add them both on your radar!

If you've been a long time reader of my blog/reviews, you'll know that I'm a big fan of not only And Then Everything Unraveled, the prequel to this, but Ms. Sturman as well, since she always knows how to create some of the most fun mystery and suspense reads I've encountered as a reader. Thankfully, And Then I Found Out the Truth was no different, though I have to admit that it didn't have the same flare And Then Everything Unraveled contained, in my opinion, leaving it to come in secondary to it's prequel not only in sequence but by my liking as well.

Though, before we get to that, let's talk about the parts I did like, which was basically the whole book.

One of my least favorite parts of reading sequels to books is the fact of how spread out they are, since with the number of books I read in a year, I have a hard enough time keep the books I'm currently reading in track, let alone what has happened in some of my favorite series. Though, as if Jennifer Sturman could read my mind, she offered a brief summary of what had happened in the first few chapters, leaving everything to ding right into place, and then for me to become intertwined in Delia's new action packed adventure.

Delia is a character who I enjoy reading about for numerous reasons, one would be the fact of how normal she is, since she has school, boy, and parent trouble, like most of us do in real life. Also, I like how her relationship with Quinn is never exactly easy-going, because it causes for drama, something that makes every book complete in my book, and with the fun additions of characters such as her aunts, cousins, and friends, And Then I Found Out the Truth was also laugh-out-load funny.

As like it's prequel, the plot of And Then I Found Out the Truth was filled with action, action, and more action. I, as I'm sure most readers will as well, enjoyed seeing Delia solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance because it always contained a new little jolt that managed to throw off everything I had thought before, and the ending of this was also a part I adore, since it was sweet and cute in the way a Disney movie is.

Though, as mentioned above, And Then I Found Out the Truth was lacking the flare that made the first book a complete star, in my opinion, and I can't exactly put my finger on what that was. Maybe it was the fact that I felt some of the mystery was too conveniently solved or something else, but overall? Not the biggest problem out there, since it sure didn't detract too much from my overall liking.

In all, And Then I Found Out the Truth is a great addition to the And Then I... series, and a book that I can't help but suggest you pick up along with it's made of awesome prequel!

Grade: B+