This Is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore - OPTIONAL

This Is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore, 320 pages. Inkyard Press (HarperCollins), 2021. $11.

Language: R (112 swears, 5 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

The beach is a nice place to take pictures in the mornings, which is why Jenna, a high school senior preparing a portfolio for college, is there. And then she sees Adam going into the water in his clothes. Adam starts to call for help, and Jenna responds. He found a body in the water—one of Jenna’s classmates.

This mystery thriller is told in narrative, text messages, newspaper articles, and police investigation interviews, which makes for a fun variety for the reader. However, the skips in time from past to present could be disorienting. Lepore does a good job of making the antagonist present without giving them away for a satisfying conclusion and an overall entertaining read.

The majority of characters are implied White, and there is an LGBT character, but saying who is a spoiler. The mature content rating is for kissing, drug and alcohol use (including underage drinking), illegal activity, and partial nudity. The violence rating is for assault, corpses, and mentions of suicide and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson