The Truants

Product Information

There is a mystery element for sure but this is more about the relationships between the protagonists and the intrigue therein. In my teens, I started to look for books that were character-driven and beautifully written but with clever, and often thrilling plots, like Daphne Du Maurier, Patricia Highsmith, Donna Tartt and John Fowles.

THE TRUANTS | Kirkus Reviews

Jess is eminently sympathetic and likable, and Weinberg skillfully depicts the headiness of the transition to college life.The story is linear, but insights are always hindsight and aspects of the tale are revisited and turned over to reveal hidden intent. The Truants provides the readers an insight to the heady mind of a nineteen-year-old as she first ventures into the wide world outside of the stifling confines of family life. Persistent absenteeism can generally be traced back to issues relating to the child, the child’s peer-relationships, the child’s home life, or the school environment. Such a thing cannot be allowed to be a one-off, it’s too much fun and too important to the charities, so in 2011 23 Truants head off on a much harder ride, one that would set the standard for the future and demand training and serious pain and effort on the roads, tracks and paths.

The Truants by Kate Weinberg | Goodreads

Well it won’t be for lack of trying and with your help and a bit of golf too, of course the HMT and TT gangs can. No spoilers here, but after a while you start to guess that Alec has been playing a rowdy game of musical chairs with quite a few women! Weinberg’s gripping and luminous debut, The Truants, lays bare the lengths to which we will go to feel seen, even when this means being blind to the glaring faults of others. the ending left me a little conflicted; on the one hand i expected a bit more, but on the other i liked how the reader is kind of left to draw their own conclusions, largely contrasting to the neat endings of agatha christie’s novels (which is a big theme throughout this book).I'm rating this one a 4 out of 5 stars because the ending and the summing up left me wondering about Jess: would she finally break free from her fixation on Lorna and Alec and give life (and maybe even love) a chance? Having been ill for most of Freshers' Week, I have only just made it down to the English department to open my mail.

The Truants: : Kate Weinberg: Bloomsbury Publishing

The Truants is a mystery that sits firmly in the heart of the characters portrayed on the page, an insightful and subtle friendship drama, a set of women seen through a glass darkly. He owns a hearse which he uses not only for transportation; when Jess first sights him he is having vigorous sex with someone in the back. Ultimately, The Truants is a coming-of-age novel that follows a group of youngsters as they navigate their way around their worlds. lorna sees something in jess’ raw clay, or in her naked adoration of her, that is appealing enough to befriend and mentor her, intensifying jess’ covetous regard.

I was a little underwhelmed as even though there are some strong standout moments (especially the choice that Jess has to face), it wasn't really what I was expecting by some of the quotes on the blurb. Imagine The Secret History was written by an author who wrote contemp fiction novels for middle aged housewives and this is that book. The penalty notice regime relating to fining parents has subsequently been strengthened in law following a 2017 Supreme Court decision which ruled against a man from the Isle of Wight who had taken his daughter to visit Disney World in Florida during term time. When she escapes to Norwich College in Norfolk, Jess admits to falling in love with both Lorna and Alec: two loose cannons of unapologetic narcissism. The college aspect of the novel fades in the background, giving way to the usual melodramatic succession of betrayals and shocking secrets.

TRUANT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary TRUANT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

When a tragedy shatters their friendships and love affairs and reveals a terrible secret, Jess must face the question she fears most: What is the true cost of an extraordinary life? The way Weinberg introduced both the characters and the course topics covered was far more accessible than the prior two and, so, a more fast-paced and inclusive read was delivered. The second half of the book is set on a remote island off the coast of Sicily, at which point the pace and atmosphere become more like that of a thriller. Alas, Jessica's observant, analytical brain was no match for Alec's charisma: she was in thrall to Alec's power of seduction just like everyone else -with dreadful consequences.Bullying-induced truancy is thought to be more prevalent among children with special needs and members of the LBGTQ+ community.