Customer Reviews

Truth or Dairy

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another diary that will remind readers of Bridget Jones's Diary, although the narrator of this one, high school senior Courtney Smith, is less obsessed with weight and finding a man (although her relationships with various men play a large part in the story). Just before senior year begins, Courtney's boyfriend Dave breaks up with her. He's leaving for college in a nearby town, and thinks they need the space. Like most of the other problems in the story, this is treated lightly and with humor, although Courtney expresses her frustration with Dave and vows not to date again that year. Her plan is foiled by Dave's friend, Grant, who is a senior like Courtney, and who makes his interest in her clear almost as soon as Dave leaves. In addition, Courtney wins the position of ASB vice-president alongside a notorious womanizer, Tom Delaney, and struggles with his attitude and treatment of girls. Other complexities in the story involve her best friend's secret romance, her mother's ongoing battle with the phone company, her effort to maintain vegetarianism, and her father's new marriage and step-grandchild. Many more serious novels would crumble under the weight of so many issues, but in Truth or Dairy they become a source of humor. As with Bridget Jones's life, Courtney's is full of goofy misadventures and misunderstandings, and the occasional slapstick situation, and she generally pulls through without much damage. The story doesn't have any profound insights into the human condition, and the light, almost immature voice might not appeal to more mature readers, but in general, the plot is compelling and the story fun, with an ending that leaves open the possibility of a sequel.

This book was a fun read. It starts out with Courtney who is a vegetarian and works at Truth or Dairy where they sell smoothies and wheatgrass drinks, etc. getting dumped by her long-time boyfriend, Dave. Dave thinks they need to be apart when he goes to college.

So Courtney makes a pledge. No boys all senior year. Seems easy enough at the time considering she's in a slight depression. But what happens when Grant Superior comes around? What about other guys like the Tom? Can she keep her pledge?

It doesn't end just there though. Many fun characters throughout the book who you can't help to remember make this diary type form book one you will remember.

Truth or Dairy is the journal of a girl named Courtney Von Dargen Smith. She is a normal girl living a happy life. She is entering her senior year of highschool. She works at Truth of Dairy, the local hip cafe with her best friend Beth. Her boyfriend is heading on to college and tells Courtney that he would like to be free and clear. Courtney just can't seem to get him out of her mind. She is so angry and sad that she decides to make an anti-guy plan for senior year. Then she becomes close with her ex-boyfriend's friend. She struggles to keep her anti-guy pact.
Truth of Dairy is a good book and it is fun to read. Courtney goes through a lot of typical teen situations and it is fun to read about how she describes time in her diary. This book keeps your interest and you can't put it down. This book is more geared toward teenage girls. I recommend this book if you like a book with a little romance and a lot of excitment.

I'd seen this book at the bookstore a lot, and I'd always sort of laughed at it, thinking it would be stupid. But then I was out shopping, and I read a few pages of it. On a whim, I decided to buy it. I'm so glad that I did! I was hooked from the very first page, and it made me laugh out loud several times. When I put it down to go eat or take a phone call, I'd start thinking about when I'd be able to start reading it again.

The book is about a girl Courtney and her life. Nothing extraordinary happens in the book, but the way it's narrated makes it a great read. Courtney's boyfriend, who is starting college, breaks up with her so they can be "free and clear" (which Courtney thinks sounds like something from a cell phone or a zit cream commercial). She vows off guys for her entire senior year, which makes her friends and family laugh. She vows to stick to it, but I'll bet you can guess how that turns out! :)

I'd reccomend this book to any teenage girl. It's hilarious.

--Rachel

I kept seeing this book at the book store, & it looked good, but when I looked online, it seemed like nobody could make up their mind, do they like it or not? Well, I bought it @ the store & I couldn't put this book down! This was really good! I read it in one sitting. If some one asked me if it was good enough to read a second time, it is. A MUST READ! Read this, you'll like it, I'm sure.

~Atalanta

i thought that this was a very good book, grabbing me into it with the first line. it had an interesting plot, detailed characters, and the story was basically believable. i liked this book so much, i gave it to a girl in my class for christmas, along with a scarf. everyone told me that she wouldn't read the book, because she hates to read, and that she might throw the book away. well, she loved it as well, and ended up reading it for our next book talk in my english class. i highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read it!

The truth is that though I love the Alice series and halfway was amused by the writings of Louise Rennison on Georgia Nicolson, Truth or Dairy had all the flavor to me of a glass of wheatgrass juice. Courtney is a lame character whom even "the Tom" (the student council president who has tried to sleep with just about every girl in his class) refuses to be romantically interested. She works at a juice and ice cream shop by the name of Truth and Dairy, makes vague attempts at being a vegetarian, and refuses to go out with a guy for the school year.

There are some bright moments of reprieve in the book, such as when she admits how lame of a person she is in her diary and when her friends liven up the diary by adding their own entries. The supporting cast of characters: her brother Bryan, her friends Beth and Jane, nice guy Grant Superior, and others add just enough saving grace to keep from wanting to return this concoction of words for a refund.

Crazy James

The author wrote this book so well, it seems almost like you are in the characters position living it. The book will suck you in and keep you there for days. The ending, a little predictable, but the way you want to see it end. There are some very unexpected twists and turns in the book, but while very realistic help to make the book interesting. At the end, you wish that there were more pages to read!!!

Okay, maybe I can compact this review into one sentance. Here goes...

Although, it took me a total of one and a half years to read this book, I read three quarters of it in one day.

You see, at the time I began reading it, I had been hooked on Dreiser and Joyce. Catherine Clark was SUCH light reading that I feared the plot would float away if I didn't maintain my focus. I put the book up. Courtney seemed completely self absorbed and frivilous. The weight of the storyline had yet to drift down onto my scale of quality reading.

However, months and months later, I picked it back up again. In need of some airy excitement, I relished the witty and unmistakably original voice of Courtney. I LOVED the Tom. And I too drooled over Grant (like the lake) Superior.

So, in short I would sat that this is writing you kinda have to be in the mood for. But Courtney's voice is strong and if nothing else, can carry you through the book. I did end up buying the sequel, so hang in there all you deep thinkers. You'll get the hang of it.

Truth or Dairy was a great young adult novel that was really hilarious at times!

Courtney V.D. (Don't ask) Smith, 17, is having plenty of problems her senior year at high school. For one thing, just before school started, her long-time boyfriend, Dave, broke up with her... and then there is Grant, who she is convinced is trailing her for Dave... and then her not so little brother starts to date someone close to her... and then Courtney decides to give up guys for her senior year! This is all not to mention all the troubles with the rest of her family, her dog who has grand-mal seizures, getting on the Student Council at school, and about everything else that could happen!

This book was a funny, light-hearted read that I'd recommend for all teenagers ~ be sure to also read the Alice series (The Grooming of Alice, etc.) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor!