Sometimes We Tell the Truth by Kim Zarins Book Tour + 2 Giveaways!

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Title:  Sometimes We Tell the Truth
Author: Kim Zarins
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Release Date:  September 6, 2016
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
In this contemporary retelling of The Canterbury Tales, a group of teens on a bus ride to Washington, DC, each tell a story—some fantastical, some realistic, some downright scandalous—in pursuit of the ultimate prize: a perfect score.

Jeff boards the bus for the Civics class trip to Washington, DC, with a few things on his mind:
-Six hours trapped with his classmates sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
-He somehow ended up sitting next to his ex-best friend, who he hasn’t spoken to in years.
-He still feels guilty for the major part he played in pranking his teacher, and the trip’s chaperone, Mr. Bailey.
-And his best friend Cannon, never one to be trusted and banned from the trip, has something “big” planned for DC.

But Mr. Bailey has an idea to keep everyone in line: each person on the bus is going to have the chance to tell a story. It can be fact or fiction, realistic or fantastical, dark or funny or sad. It doesn’t matter. Each person gets a story, and whoever tells the best one will get an automatic A in the class.

But in the middle of all the storytelling, with secrets and confessions coming out, Jeff only has one thing on his mind—can he live up to the super successful story published in the school newspaper weeks ago that convinced everyone that he was someone smart, someone special, and someone with something to say.


In her debut novel, Kim Zarins breathes new life into Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales in a fresh and contemporary retelling that explores the dark realities of high school, and the subtle moments that bring us all together.



"We all have more than one story to tell. We have hits and misses. Stories that speak to one moment and not to another" (257)

Sometimes We Tell the Truth by Kim Zarins packs in quite the punch. It contains stories after stories, and stories within stories. You will be so engrossed in each of them as it dive deeper and beyond what the surface of these stories are. If you check the description, you wouldn't be surprised, as it states it's a contemporary retelling of Chaucer's The Cantebury Tales. What makes Kim's retelling unique is how it brings to life the young age group it targets. As a young adult fiction, its characters are relatable, as they find out who they are. High school, the time when you step into adulthood, you start forming your dreams, your ideals, and what life have been like and what you want it to be. It's soul searching, as well as honest and raw. The language, hiding behind the crudeness, as well as their actions, filled with honesty and theatrics showcase the rawness of their hearts despite the facade many put on. Many characters, many personalities, some more prominent than the others, but interacts and balance each other beautifully to create a story about finding yourself through who you aren't singly and collectively.

"When people want to love you, let them.  When people open a door like that, never close it, not even to hide." (256)


For my clean readers, please note this book contains explicit profanity, sexual references, and some with LGBT slant. 


NOTE:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Point through Rockstar Book Tours for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.


TO PURCHASE A COPY

   





Kim Zarins has a PhD in English from Cornell University and teaches medieval literature and children’s literature at Sacramento State University.  Her debut novel, Sometimes We Tell the Truth, retells Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales with modern teens, and she wrote it with a gigantic smile on her face (there are funny bits).  She also published two picture books for very young children.  When she isn’t reading or writing or teaching, she is feeding peanuts to a very hungry scrub jay named Joe.


TO CONNECT WITH KIM: Website | Twitter | Facebook |Goodreads





GIVEAWAY #1
10 winners will receive a finished copy of SOMETIMES WE TELL THE TRUTH & stickers, US Only.


GIVEAWAY #2
Pre-order giveaway: if you pre-order the book by its release date, September 6th, drop Kim a message on her website or Twitter and she’ll send you a sticker featuring spot art from the book (if there is a character who intrigues you, let Kim know, and she’ll give you that sticker), along with a bookmark and signed bookplate!




Week One:
8/29/2016- Novel Novice- Guest Post
8/30/2016- A Gingerly Review- Review
8/31/2016- Twinning for Books- Guest Post
9/1/2016- The Petite Book Blogger- Review
9/2/2016- BookCatPin- Guest Post

Week Two:
9/5/2016- Just Commonly- Review
9/6/2016- Wandering Bark Books- Guest Post
9/7/2016- The Reading Nook Reviews- Review
9/8/2016- Literary Meanderings- Guest Post
9/9/2016- Eli to the nth- Review
                                                                                                                                                                      


CONVERSATION

4 comments:

  1. tisme143September 5, 2016 at 10:11:00 AM EDT

    This books sounds pretty interesting and a bit fun to read :) Looking forward to checking her out..
    @tisonlyme143

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lucy Reynolds September 5, 2016 at 8:23:00 PM EDT

    TY for the chance. ❤️💙💚💛💜
    leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Edye NicoleSeptember 5, 2016 at 8:33:00 PM EDT

    Thanks for the giveaway!!! Good luck with your books.

    ReplyDelete
  4. KristySeptember 11, 2016 at 2:04:00 AM EDT

    Sounds like a great read, very unique! Thanks for the chance!

    ReplyDelete

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