Review: Bad Apple by Laura Ruby

A good book with smooth writing and a thoughtful message.

Many people think Tola Riley as a really strange girl. A girl with too much imagination. A freakish green-haired girl. A girl who has piercing on her nose and maybe some mysterious parts on her body. The hottest news about Tola Riley is, she has affair with her art teacher, Mr. Mymer, and the teacher gets suspended because of their love thing.

People talk about Tola all the time. Classmates mock her. Enemies stalk her. Family refuses to talk about the affair issue. Reporters digging news around the neighborhood, interviewing everyone who thinks that they know the real story. Do they really know?

No one ever listens, so why bother to explain? Why not leave up to their expectation? Why not enjoy the amusement of being a bad girl?

The truth is not as glamour as it sounds. Tola does dye her hair emerald green, and the only piercing she has is on her nose. She is a talented artist who loves to paint based on her fairytales fantasy. She loves Grimm’s fairytales very much and she loves to bring Grimm’s book all the time because she wants to remind people that fairytales are grim. And Tola is never, ever has an affair with her art teacher. She’s friends with Mr. Mymer, yes, and she does accidentally meet him in the museum that day. But nothing has ever gone between them.

No one has bothered to listen anyway. Everyone quickly jump into conclusion that Tola is a confused, young girl who has been persuaded by her art teacher. Tola’s mother is furious, and she will do anything to make Mr. Mymer fired. No one will listen, because Tola is a liar. 

Will Tola tell the truth? Will people believe in her? And most importantly, will her family finally listen to her and break the ice between them?

Bad Apple is a simple and quick-read book, and I enjoy reading it. Tola’s character seems very real to me with her artistic side and her obsession with fairytales. Tola is very fond of telling the fairytales when people are begging her to tell the truth. Fairytales, with the twist of fate and wicked step-mother, seem like a sort of escape for Tola. Ever since her father leaved her family, Tola always tells fairytales, so much that people call her liar.

There will be times when you start wondering: who is telling the truth, Tola or people around her? Sometimes you can’t tell whether Tola is making up fairytale to herself or she speaks honestly. I am pleased that Tola and her family are growing up throughout the story. I don’t feel quiet much attachment with this book though. I think there are not much left stories about supporting characters like June or Seven. Still, I like this book, the repeatedly mentioned of some fairytales, and the clear message of the story.

You have to figure out what you believe all for yourself.

I rate this book:

Three maples! Like it, but doesn’t give me much impression. Recommended to read in spare time.