Book Review: Alice Rue Evades the Truth by Emily Zipps

Alice Rue gets mistaken as the girlfriend of the man whose life she saves in this sapphic twist on the romcom While You Were Sleeping.

4/5 Stars

Local author Emily Zipps (to me in ABQ) truly shines in this modern take on a 90s classic. Alice has had a traumatic life, but being accidentally mistaken as the girlfriend of a comatose man might be the best thing that has ever happened to her. With the Altmans, Alice finds a caring support system, people to spend the holidays with, and a sense of belonging that she has been missing out on with what little family she has left. Her lie might come back to haunt her, though, as she starts to fall in love with the man's sister, the butch beauty Van. While navigating class differences, tons of triggers, and the ups and downs of serious illness, Alice tries to hold onto all the fantastic parts of this chapter in her life while trying to do the right thing, come clean, and blossom as the late bloomer she knows she has the potential to be.

This book was a wonderful read. For all the unbelievability of the premise (it's not my favorite 90s romcom), this book remains grounded in how genuine Alices' interiority is as she rationalizes continuing her lies. The side characters in this book are cute and charismatic, including children and puppies that contribute to some of the best one liners in the book. The author's portrayal of long-term disability is truly heartfelt, and you can tell so much care and first-hand knowledge went into it. And Van is soooooooo attractive, which- isn't that the point? This book was everything the genre celebrates, and it deserves to be added to your TBR pile immediately.