ARC Review: The Size of the Truth
Image from publisher’s website
The Size of the Truth by Andrew Smith
Release: March 26, 2019
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Winger (2013) was the first book I ever read by Andrew Smith and I was so thrilled when he released his second novel in that world, Stand-Off (2015), where we meet the affable Sam Abernathy, a twelve year old wunderkind freshman with an affinity for cooking. In Stand-Off, we see Sam on the fringe as he navigates the new world of a private high school at a very young age. We witness his love of cooking, his first major crush, and the loyalty he exudes in his friendships.
Now, though, Smith has one upped himself and written his first middle grade novel that stars - you guessed it - Sam Abernathy! The Size of the Truth takes us waaaaay back (*note partial sarcasm since he is super young*) to two life changing time frames in Sam Abernathy’s life. Smith seamlessly navigates between four year old Abernathy as he spends three days trapped in a well, waiting for rescue (harassed by a talking armadillo the entire time), and Sam’s eighth grade school year (as an eleven year old) dealing with PTSD and his “claim to fame” as “the boy in the well”.
Smith has this uncanny ability to write teenage boys well; I’m always incredibly impressed with the realism he weaves into their lives with issues an actual teenage boy would have in his mind at any given moment. Smith continued this with Sam Abernathy, though I would argue that Sam sounds a bit older than he is in reality. I wasn’t bothered by this dissonance though and appreciated the humor with which Smith brings to light these serious issues within Sam’s life. It also helps that Sam still makes some pretty naive choices - so he isn’t all-knowing by any means.
Overall I’d give The Size of the Truth 4 out of 5 Awesome Austin Points. It’s a beautiful, hilarious, and heartwarming venture into the past of a beloved character (whoops, my bias is showing). I would recommend this to any child, young adult, or adult who wants to laugh, cry, and explore the depths of discovering oneself through youthful innocence. It comes out in a few weeks so go find a copy! :)
