School started for this week, so it’s been incredibly busy. I have an awesome crew who I’m excited to work with this semester. Earlier in the week, on days when it wasn’t my turn to drive the carpool, I started Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy. I picked it up because I’m in that weird limbo place where I’m not sure what sounds like a good read. I liked Ramona Blue, so I figured Murphy’s backlist might strike my fancy.

Let’s start with Book Beginnings, a meme hosted by Rose City Reader.

If ever my parents gave me a religion, it was the gospel of honesty. Babies don’t come from storks, and my mom never dared to tell me that a flu shot would hurt her more than it would me. But even though we lived by the truth, there were some things I would never know how to say out loud. What I hadn’t said for the last year was: I miss Harvey. I couldn’t say it out loud, but that didn’t stop it from being true. In the collection of my memories there was no specific moment that I was most fond of, a moment that defined this whisper of loss. Still, every time I thought of simple things like eating pizza on Friday night, Harvey was there. And now, he was not.

This “gospel of honesty” idea plays out in interesting ways throughout the narrative. I wasn’t sure how it was going to conclude, but it wrapped itself up nicely.

And here’s what’s going on at 56% in my eReader for The Friday 56, hosted by Freda’s Voice.

I didn’t want Harvey to know about my mom. He loved her so much, and I didn’t want to ruin that for him. And part of me also felt foolish. Harvey only had one parent, and here I was, bitching because one of mine had slipped up. (56%)

I didn’t realize how important an earlier scene, the one to which Alice is referring, would be. The information she didn’t want Harvey to know seems to be the catalyst for all of Alice’s mean girl behavior. Sometimes this makes it hard to like Alice, but I’m convinced that’s the point.