conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me a description for a book titled Tell Us Something True about River, Second, Chance with the genre: Teen & Young Adult, Literature & Fiction.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Gr 9 UpAfter River is unceremoniously dumped by his girlfriend on a paddle boat in the middle of a lake, a chance encounter with a Second Chance support group for teens with addictions sends him into a torrent of lies that spiral out of control. Feeling the need for a reason to return, he invents a marijuana addiction, to the suspicion of some members. Although the rules of the support group specifically state that members are not allowed to date, River falls for Daphne, a Latina struggling with her shoplifting addiction. Despite his research into pot addiction (using the blog of a pot-addicted teen to steal his stories at meetings), River must eventually break the real story to Second Chance and to Daphne, which results in unfortunate yet realistic consequences. River has an authentic, funny, and unpredictable voice; although his actions are questionable, they are ultimately rooted in his need to find connections with others. The unique characteristics of Los Angeles neighborhoods, from downtown to Westside, are briefly sketched. River's relationships with his mother and stepfather are genuine yet refreshingly positive, and his interactions with his eight-year-old stepsister are poignant. The culture of group therapy, with its frequent instances of humor and pathos, is aptly captured. An inclusion of a secondary male character with bulimia adds awareness for teens. VERDICT Although not without some problematic issues concerning River's many attempts to contact his girlfriend, this novel is recommended for libraries needing light realistic reads.Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first five paragraphs for this book.. Start with the sentence 'Tell Us Something True
  He still hadn't said a word'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Tell Us Something True
  He still hadn't said a word. He cracked every knuckle twice and tapped his fingers nervously on his thighs. Nobody rushed him. Time didn't seem to matter. Silence makes me nervous, but there was no way I was going to move to fill it. Finally, he let out a low, slow groan.
  So I wasn't alone. I hadn't wandered into the wrong place. My sadness, my story, what had brought me here to this room—Penny—it counted. It mattered. I wasn't the only one with a stomped-on heart.
  A beautiful girl with long dark hair and light brown skin, pink lipstick and gold hoop earrings, the girl who shoplifted, stood and walked over to the boy in the killer shoes and offered him a Kleenex from her purse. He shooed her away. He was going to hold on to the fiction that he didn't need to cry over Molly the way I'd held on to the rope in that boat.
  I thought about where to begin. The day I first saw Penny across the courtyard at freshman orientation? The first time I kissed her, at Jonas's party? The first time she let me—
  I nodded, because it was easier than saying I was here for the issues my girlfriend said I had that I didn't fully understand.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me five more paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Will looked at me in the rearview mirror. "So are you going to tell me where this Internet friend of yours lives?"
  I'd been avoiding this moment. Daphne lived not only east of Fairfax, but so far east, it might as well have been another country.
  Just as I was about to unlatch the front fence, Daphne stepped out of her house and closed both doors behind her. There was only one streetlamp and it cast a weak yellow glow in her yard, just enough for me to see the electric purple of her dress and the way it fit her. Perfectly.
  I slipped it off as I led her to the car. I introduced Will and Maggie, who grinned at her stupidly, unable to hide their elation that she was anyone but Penny.
  As we merged onto the freeway, Maggie turned down the radio. "So did anyone do any research on tonight's theme?"
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last five paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: I wanted to hold on to her hand like I'd held on to the rope that day in Echo Park Lake. But I let go.
  I reached into my pocket and pulled out the keys to Leonard's truck, dangling them in front of her. "I'll drive."
  I stood up and helped her to her feet. "Without you I'd probably still be waiting at the wrong bus stop."
  She was right. So was Leonard. There is always a way through the thicket. It might have taken me a little longer if I hadn't met Daphne Vargas, but luckily I had. Was it luck that brought us together? Fate? The stars aligning? Some otherworldly force? Or was it just real human connection?
  I held the truck door for her. She climbed in and buckled her seat belt. I got in behind the wheel. Pulled down the visor because the sun shone right in my eyes, and then I started driving toward it, just like they do in perfect endings.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Delete the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: I wanted to hold on to her hand like I'd held on to the rope that day in Echo Park Lake. But I let go.
  I reached into my pocket and pulled out the keys to Leonard's truck, dangling them in front of her. "I'll drive."
  I stood up and helped her to her feet. "Without you I'd probably still be waiting at the wrong bus stop."
  She was right. So was Leonard. There is always a way through the thicket. It might have taken me a little longer if I hadn't met Daphne Vargas, but luckily I had. Was it luck that brought us together? Fate? The stars aligning? Some otherworldly force? Or was it just real human connection?
  I held the truck door for her. She climbed in and buckled her seat belt. I got in behind the wheel.