This Is Why We Lie

This is a well-written mystery for young adults, but I would add mature young adults since the content is not for everyone. There is quite a bit of “hooking up” and expletives were used freely. Jenna is going to a private girls’ school in a small town, living with her aunt who is a police detective, when one of her friends is killed. When another friend is a suspect, Jenna starts investigating on her own, determined to find out who killed Colleen. There are two sets of teens who are the focus of the story. The girls are Serena, Imogen, Brianna, Hollie and Jenna, all friends who attend a school called Preston Prep. Then there are the bad boys who go to Rookwood, the boys’ private school that seems to be for the incorrigible throw-aways of society, the ones that their parents can’t or won’t control or who just don’t want to deal with them anymore. That group comprises Adam, Max, and Tommy. Of course, the girls are attracted to the bad boys and visit a cabin near the campus where they party together. The scene was well set for conflict since the kids were meeting outside of the bounds of acceptable behavior and they were doing things that their parents and the schools would not approve of. Therein lies the appeal to the younger generation since a central theme is rebellion against authority. The plot was complicated, but not so much so that it was not easy to follow. There were lots of red herrings along the way, as the story is told from the viewpoint of several of the main characters, especially Jenna and Adam. At first, I was not sure that they were reliable narrators because of their differing opinions about what had happened, but I discovered as I read that they were both reliable and accurate. They just saw things differently because they had their own perspective. With deep understanding of the teen psyche and what teens really need from life, this was a well done character study as well as a blockbuster of a mystery. I was guessing whodunit almost until the very end, and even then I was surprised by some of the revelations. Fans of YA mystery will enjoy this book and should enjoy discussing it with a book group or their parents since it brings so much information out about growing up and choosing friends wisely. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”