Tell Me No Lies by Adele Griffin Published by Algonquin Young Readers on June 12, 2018
Pages: 352
Goodreads
A riveting novel about secrecy, complicated friendships, and heartbreak, set against the iconic backdrop of the late 1980s. Lizzy Swift is a senior in high school, emerging from her nerd chrysalis to become a social butterfly. She starts dating popular Matt Ashley, whom she’s been pining for since freshman year. She’s delighted when rebellious new girl Claire Reynolds introduces her to Center City Philadelphia—clubs, street life, and the eye-opening art scene. As Lizzy begins to question her own long-held dreams, the changes in her life mirror the upheaval of a decade marked by a drug epidemic and the AIDS crisis. She’s no longer sure of her Ivy League ambition. While she has a special connection with Matt, something’s missing. And Claire carries around a mysterious sadness and talks about a breakup so bad she changed schools—but she won’t tell the whole story. Lizzy wants Claire to confide in her, even as she keeps her own embarrassing secrets. Before too long, the heady thrill of her new life starts to crumble under insecurities and deceptions. When the truth emerges from the wreckage, will it be too late for Lizzy, Claire, and Matt to save their love and friendships? Tell Me No Lies, a companion to the acclaimed Be True to Me, is a novel of unflinching emotional honesty about secrecy, lies, love, and identity.
Before I begin my review I just quickly have to thank Thomas Allen & Son for sending Tell Me No Lies by Adele Griffin to me.
It doesn’t matter what era you went to high school in, we all struggle to fit in some way or another. This is the case with Lizzy. She is a senior in high school. The story line takes place in the 80s and I totally got the references in the book.
Lizzy is basically your typical high school girl with the fantastic grades, always on top of things (ie homework/assignments) and even has a part-time job although she feels like she is in a rut. Enter the new girl to the school Claire. Claire is a mystery, she gives very little details about her life before arriving at the new school and is secretive when questioned. This intrigues Lizzy and before long the two are fast friends and it seems being with Claire has suddenly made Lizzy one of the popular kids with a secret crush finally being her new boyfriend, Matt.
It doesn’t take long before Lizzy is falling behind in sending off her early submissions for college, her grades are dropping, her parents are on her case, her friends are distancing themselves from her, she is lying, and keeping secrets.
But before long we realize that not only is Lizzy keeping secrets but so are Claire and Matt what will happen when it’s all revealed? Will their friendship stand the test of time?
This wasn’t a quick read for me but it definitely kept me interested because I admit I wanted to know what Claire was keeping a secret and why she refused to talk about things and why she would get upset and when I found out I was a little shocked as it wasn’t what I thought it would be.
I really enjoyed the book and it was only after I went to look up on my blog to see if I have read anything else by Adele and realized I have only read one previous book by her and that was Picture The Dead and I really enjoyed it and told myself I needed to read more but for some reason I haven’t. I will definitely need to read more of her books because I really enjoyed the two I read.