True Letters from a Fictional Life by Kenneth Logan
Published June 7th 2016
If you asked anyone in his small Vermont town, they’d tell you the facts: James Liddell, star athlete, decent student and sort-of boyfriend to cute, peppy Theresa, is a happy, funny, carefree guy.
But whenever James sits down at his desk to write, he tells a different story. As he fills his drawers with letters to the people in his world–letters he never intends to send–he spills the truth: he’s trying hard, but he just isn’t into Theresa. It’s a boy who lingers in his thoughts.
He feels trapped by his parents, his teammates, and the lies they’ve helped him tell, and he has no idea how to escape. Is he destined to live a life of fiction?
I wasn’t sure what to expect with True Letters from a Fictional Life but I ended up really enjoying it.
I really liked the writing style and how honestly it was written. I felt like the plot was fairly realistic and I appreciated that a lot. I didn’t really start to love this book until the second half. The first half was good but it wasn’t until the last 175-150 pages that I felt like the story really came alive for me.
I really loved James but I never really connected with him. I personally couldn’t relate to him but I think a lot of people could. I did become really invested in James though and I was really rooting for him.
I’ve seen a lot of people comparing it to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han, which is an all time favorite of mine, and I do see how they’re similar because of the letters but other than that, I don’t think they’re very much alike.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, mostly the last half. I liked the main character a lot and I think quite a few people could relate to him. I wasn’t completely emotionally invested but I was definitely rooting for James. If you’re looking for quick contemporary or wanting to pick up an LBQTQ+ book, I’d recommend True Letters from a Fictional Life.
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