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Read The Truth-Teller's Tale (2007)

The Truth-Teller's Tale (2007)

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Rating
3.94 of 5 Votes: 4
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ISBN
0142407844 (ISBN13: 9780142407844)
Language
English
Publisher
firebird

The Truth-Teller's Tale (2007) - Plot & Excerpts

I'm going to give this book a solid B. The characters are reasonably likable. The premise is interesting: mirror twin girls, one destined to always tell the truth, the other destined to always keep secrets. And, the plot threads for the most part tie up neatly (if a tad predictably) at the end. However I say predictable for someone who knows fairytale and mystery formula very well...there's a bread crumb trail of clues that I would call good writing. Keep in mind this is a YA book (and apparently part of a series?).I think where the story falls short is it doesn't push itself very hard. The world the Shinn sets up has the potential to be very interesting, but we get an incredibly narrow slice of it. In Jane Austen style, poor people are rarely acknowledged, and when they are it's mainly as an accessory for the rich. Our twins girls who have special powers of Truth-Telling and Secret-Keeping (called Safe-Keeper so the Harry Potter lawyers don't cry foul, I guess) are the poor (though still quite comfortable) relations who's parents only own a successful Inn.The plot could have been one steeped in political intrigue or with moments of true adventure, but instead we get plot more like a compact, fantasy version of Sweet Vally High. I was a Sweet Valley twins fan in elementary/junior high. Elizabeth and Jessica were identical twins with opposite personalities. Every book opened with a description of their matching dimples....however most of the SV books didn't reiterate this too many times of the course of the book. The Truth-Teller's tale redescribes the girls physical appearance in pretty much the same way 4-5 times over the course of the book. Adele and Eleda even have reversed names, something people rarely catch onto unless it's pointed out to them (the same wording is used to say this twice).The plot of the book rotates around the two girls and their best friend, which isn't a problem in most of the book, except for the rape. Adele makes Eleda sick so she doesn't sneak off to meet with an actor. When Eleda can't go, the actor rapes and beats some other girl that the twins don't like...whew, what a near miss for our heroine. This girl pops up later in the book nicer after her tragedy and planning her wedding (not with evil actor). And that's really the last we hear about her. I'm torn about how this make me feel...on one hand there's a cautionary thing going on here....charming older men may not want what you want them to want, so sneaking off with them is dangerous. But contrasted with the rather happily-ever-after tone in most of the story, it seems off somehow...not properly dealt with. Thankfully, I've never gone through something like that myself, but I know people who have. So I suppose I feel like if you're going to open that can of worms in a story, you need to properly deal with the consequences. Now, there's a positive way to look at the handling too. Acknowledge that something awful is awful, but don't let it dominate you. But it stills seems too off handed for the subject matter. Overall this story gets a thumbs up for a once read through, but it's not something I want to revisit over and over...

This is the second book in the Safe-Keepers series. I picked it up, since I wanted a book to read between some new books I was waiting to come out. I'm a Sharon Shinn fan. So, thought I'd give it a try. Glad I did.It's about two twins that are complete opposites. Adele and Eleda have opposite names, wear their hair parted on opposite sides, and even write with opposite hands. They are also opposite in deeds, one keeps all secrets while the other has to always tell the truth. They're called Safe Keepers and Truth Tellers. And it's the sequel to a brilliant new world introduced by Sharon Shinn. We follow the twins from age 12 to the significant age of 17. As inn keeper's daughters, they have to help out in all things such as the laundry, cleaning the rooms, and cooking meals for guests. We are led through their teen lives of girl gossip with the local rich girl, Roelynn, whose main problem in life is that she doesn't want to marry the Prince. She wants to marry for love. In fact, they all do. Roselynn tends to tary with boys not approved by her father, while Adele is secretly in love. Our narrator, Eleda, seems to fall the wrong guy. In the end, all of the events point to a satisfying ending. I did like the story quite a bit. It was simple and had the tastes of a YA. It wraps up with a simple, gratifying ending. So it is worth the read. I really like the world that is created. I could plunge into the first book now, and enjoy another trip into a place that people have safe-keepers instead of psychs and truth-tellers instead of judges. Something satisfying about that, that their is a magic compulsion to keeping secrets and telling the absolute truth. In all, anyone that likes a simple world with simple truths will enjoy this story.

What do You think about The Truth-Teller's Tale (2007)?

Charming and (mostly) sweet-hearted YA fantasy, somewhat light on the fantasy and a little heavy on the romance. It's a coming-of-age tale about sisters who are "mirror twins": one left-handed and the other right-handed; one with a blue left eye and green right eye, the other opposite. One, Adele, is a Safe-Keeper, charged with keeping secrets anyone may tell her; the other, Eleda, is a Truth-Teller, who cannot tell a lie. The nature and obligations of Safe-Keepers and Truth-Tellers underlie most of the plot of this book. It's an interesting concept, although I was never quite convinced that Safe-Keepers and Truth-Tellers would be as popular and useful to society as they seem to be in this world. But I was able to roll with it. Sharon Shinn writes very well, and this novel does have some interesting things to say about the nature of truth and secrets and deception. At times the plot takes a step in a deeper, darker direction: there's a character who's a user (alert: minor rape subplot; not graphic). There's also a father who physically threatens his daughter with a knife and semi-strangulation, and she blows it off afterwards with a comment along the lines of "I know he wouldn't really do anything to me," which was frustrating to me. But ultimately this book turns in a very romance-oriented direction, juggling three different relationships, which is fine if a little light fantasy romance is what you're looking for, but don't expect anything really deep. The girls are 17 years old and the romances are kisses only, although there are references to what happens behind closed doors in two or three spots.Overall I thought this was a fun, light YA read. Now I'm backtracking to read the first book in the series.
—Tadiana ✩ Night Owl☽

Actual rating: 4 1/2 starsImagine never being able to tell a lie or repeat a secret. This is the life of identical twin sisters--one keeps others' secrets while the other can only tell the truth. As young teenagers, Adele and Eleda help their parents run a busy inn and are sought after by those searching for the truth and others who desperately want it hidden. They also find themselves with their own adventures and in situations they'd rather remain undisclosed. Occasionally they even discover something that must be kept hidden or another thing that must be shared in order to protect the other twin. Decisions get a bit tricky for both of them in many instances, especially when they are mistaken for the other. The Truth-Teller's Tale is a sequel to The Safe-Keeper's Secret, both of which take place in the same setting, but few characters are the same and the time is set several years later. As with the first, the second book is such a fun and compelling story. Shinn once again makes you fall in love with the characters she's created and gives you the surprise ending you didn't know you wanted.For full content review go to http://www.compassbookratings.com/rev...
—Trimble

This is a well written book in an interesting world with (nearly) great characters. I just... I wanted to like it more than I actually did.I didn't entirely enjoy it for two reasons. One is that it's obvious. I mean, there's a one thing that I didn't expect because I wasn't looking for it but I can't say it surprised me. Everything else, (and I mean everything else) I knew the instant it was introduced. And I've been thinking that's kind of an odd grievance. I reread books all the time and obviously the second and third and 12th time I enjoy the story even though I know what's going to happen. Why does it bother me the first time? I haven't found the answer to that yet.Secondly, Eleda kind of bothered me. 80% of the time she's a decent character and being a Truth-Teller is interesting and her dynamic with her sister is engaging. But the rest of the time she's one of my least favorite characters - the one who overreacts in a negative manner. It's so annoying when they're talking to someone they know and trust and that person says one thing they don't understand and they're response is, "How can you ruin us!! I never thought you'd betray us!! How could you!!" And I'm like - come on. You know this person well enough to know that's not who they are and so you're just being dumb and it's really, really annoying.I liked Adele a lot and the story wouldn't have been the same told her from her point of view, but she's a much better character. And everyone else in the story is a well developed, interesting character. Eleda is too, I just didn't like her very much some of the time.The romantic elements are very subtle, but there's a sweetness to Gregory that I enjoyed. I really liked him.And really the world of Truth-Tellers and Safe-Keepers is really interesting. It elicits ideas and perspectives around truth and honesty and secrets and how people react to those things that are fun and engaging. If I'd enjoyed Eleda more I'd probably go back and read this a second time, eventually, just to see if I could enjoy the story better when I'm ok with knowing how it's going to play out.
—Lady

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