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The Lies About Truth

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

In the same vein as Jandy Nelson and Gayle Forman comes a novel from the gifted author of Faking Normal, Courtney C. Stevens, about hope and courage and the struggle to overcome the pain of loss.

Sadie Kingston is living in the aftermath. A year after surviving a car accident that killed her friend Trent and left her body and face scarred, she can't move forward. The only person who seems to understand her is Trent's brother, Max.

As Sadie begins to fall for Max, she's unsure if she is truly healed enough to be with him. But Max looks at her scars and doesn't shy away. And Max knows about the list she writes in the sand at the beach every night, the list of things that Sadie knows she must accomplish before she can move on from the accident. And while he can help her with number six (kiss someone without flinching), she knows she's on her own with number three (forgive Gina and Gray) and the rest of the seemingly impossible tasks that must be made possible before she can live in the now again.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 31, 2015
      Stevens (Faking Normal) shows how a car accident affecting five teenagers is as damaging to their relationships as it is to their bodies. Sadie Kingston is trying to get back to a normal life after the accident left her with large scars on her arms, legs, and face (she names them things like Pink Floyd and Idaho, based on their shapes) and killed her close friend Trent. She also lost her boyfriend, Gray, and best friend, Gina, after they hooked up with each other. The only good to emerge from the tragedy has been a budding romance between Sadie and Trent’s younger brother, Max, which is endangered by Sadie’s shame about her scars, a secret she kept about Trent, and Gray’s inability to let Sadie go. Stevens uses the oft-seen plot device of a list Sadie works through in order to heal by the one-year anniversary of the accident, and the complications among the four living teens are tied up predictably. Still, many readers will enjoy watching a satisfying relationship develop between Max and Sadie. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

    • Kirkus

      September 15, 2015
      A girl survives a crash that killed her dear friend but must live with the emotional and physical scars. Four lifelong friends: Trent and Sadie were in one car; Gray and Gina were in the other. The collision killed Trent but sent Sadie flying through the windshield, leaving her with permanent scars on her face, arms, and legs. She names some of her scars (the one on her face is Idaho), and she hides inside and wears long-sleeve shirts and long pants even in the Florida heat. Someone is sending her envelopes with sentences that Sadie has privately kept for years in a stuffed animal. Who is doing something so intrusive? She has established an email friendship-possibly even a romance-with Trent's younger brother, Max, who's been away in El Salvador, but now he's coming home. And Gray, Sadie's former boyfriend, and Gina, who was cheating with Gray, want to re-enter Sadie's life. When Max returns and the other teens come together again, their complex relationships begin to resolve. Stevens keeps the focus on Sadie's turbulent emotions in this heartfelt examination of the consequences of disfigurement. Sadie just doesn't believe anyone can truly love her again, even though she has the support of her parents, a good psychologist, and her friends. If anything, the author portrays Sadie's friends and family as almost too good to be true. A good emotional wallow. (Fiction. 12-18)

      COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      August 1, 2015

      Gr 9 Up-A year ago, Sadie had four close friends and a boyfriend. Then, the accident happened and one of them didn't survive. Shortly after the tragedy, Sadie caught her now ex-boyfriend, Gray, kissing her former best friend, Gina. Now, Sadie is covered in scars she likes to name and Max, the only friend she still speaks with lives in El Salvador. They are all keeping secrets. Can they come together to learn the truth of the accident? The event changed everyone, but will they learn to love their current selves and each other or forever be stuck in the past? Sadie must learn to overcome her scars, physical and emotional, to find how to move forward, with or without her friends. Stevens weaves a tale not only of survival but also of learning to thrive. This realistic YA novel explores the weight of the past, the value of the truth, and the meaning and process of forgiveness, which teen readers will identify with. The narrative is told with a mix of flashbacks and past emails that bring perspective and a much needed history of the characters, giving them depth and authenticity. VERDICT A great addition to any YA collection.-Cyndi Hamann, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

      Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      November 15, 2015
      Grades 9-12 All it takes is one moment to change life forever. Five friends become four when a car accident claims the life of Trent and almost kills narrator Sadie. A year later, Gina, Gray, and Max have moved on emotionally, but Sadie still struggles with scars both visible and hidden. As Sadie grows close to Max, it just might be time for her to trust him and start accomplishing some milestoneskissing without flinching, driving again, returning to school, wearing a tank top. But will she be strong enough to weather the hard truths surrounding the accident? This lyrical novel explores loss and survivor's guilt, friendship and trust, and grieving and moving forward through the heart of a young woman who has lost much and yet feels paralyzed to reclaim her life. Journeys both big and small and e-mails and notes during the past year provide a unique framework for exploring the accident and its ramifications. Sadie's struggles are serious without feeling overwhelminginstead, hope is interwoven and small steps are celebrated.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

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