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Book Summary and Reviews of True Letters from a Fictional Life by Kenneth Logan

True Letters from a Fictional Life by Kenneth Logan

True Letters from a Fictional Life

by Kenneth Logan

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  • Published:
  • Jun 2016, 336 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

This heartfelt debut novel explores the muddy landscape of truth and lies and lays bare the sometimes painful but often hopeful work of writing one's own authentic story.

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 his friend, a boy, who lingers in his thoughts.

James's secret letters are his safe space - but his truth can't stay hidden for long. Will he come clean to his parents, his teammates, and himself, or is he destined to live a life of fiction?

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. Just the right touch of humor, mystery, drama, and romance should earn this a place on every teen bookshelf. Ages 14-18." - Kirkus

"Logan tackles the complexities of coming out thoughtfully, presenting realistic (and not always fully supportive) responses to James's revelation, as well as his own sometimes-uncharitable attitudes. Ages 13–up." - Publishers Weekly

"Though readers may be turned off by the near-constant homophobia that permeates the story, Logan's look at a boy reconciling his private and public selves is well written and affecting. A solid addition to the LGBTQIA+ field." - School Library Journal

This information about True Letters from a Fictional Life was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Kenneth Logan

Kenneth Logan is a Doctoral Student in Literacy at New York University, where he studies language and literacy development. He lives in Brooklyn.

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