May 2, 2016

Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate

Title: Seven Ways We Lie
Author: Riley Redgate
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, LGBT
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Paloma High School is ordinary by anyone’s standards. It’s got the same cliques, the same prejudices, the same suspect cafeteria food. And like every high school, every student has something to hide—whether it’s Kat, the thespian who conceals her trust issues onstage; or Valentine, the neurotic genius who’s planted the seed of a school scandal.

When that scandal bubbles over, and rumors of a teacher-student affair surface, everyone starts hunting for someone to blame. For the unlikely allies at the heart of it all, the collision of their seven ordinary-seeming lives results in extraordinary change.
I know that I give too many five star reviews, but I really think that this book deserves it, so hear me out. 

Seven Ways We Lie captured the complexity of being a person really well. Each character was very different from the rest, and there was a unique and clear voice when reading their chapters. It didn't underestimate the mindspace of a teenager, but it didn't overestimate it either. There were definitely bad choices that were made that an adult probably could have avoided, but it made the book feel real.

Plus, I loved the writing itself - if I shared every quote that I underlined with you guys I'd be sued for plagiarism. It's the style of writing that makes the book this amazing to me. The plot is good, too, but it isn't 5 stars good, you know what I mean? I can definitely see why someone else would rate it lower. If I hadn't fallen in love with Redgate's writing the book probably would have gotten about a 3 or a 4 from me.

I do have to warn you all, though, that it features a relationship between a student and a teacher, and one in which the student is a minor. I know that can be upsetting for some people, and even though it's stated in the summary I just wanted to be clear.


It's a book that I can already tell will be special to me. It's definitely earned a spot on my shelf instead of being put into a box in my basement, like most of my new purchases are. I look forward to see what Redgate writes in the future, and I'll be sure to read whatever she puts out next. (Sidenote - she wrote this while in college! I can barely balance high school and blogging, let alone writing an entire book. It's insane.)

So, in summary: I loved this book. So much. But you might not, and I would completely understand why.




My rating: 5/5 badly drawn books

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