Seven Ways We Lie

Gr 8 Up—The lives of seven high school students intertwine around a scandalous secret in this debut effort. Each character deals with an issue related to one of the seven deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony. Olivia has one-night stands that keep her from feeling anything real, Matt's a burnout with no real ambition, Lucas hides a struggle with his sexuality behind a big smile and brand names, Claire's arsenal of extracurriculars cover up her feelings of never being good enough, Valentine refuses to get too close to anyone, and Kat's anger at her mother's abandonment causes her to lash out at everyone. Finally, Juniper, the perfectly popular girl, falls in love with someone she can never have. When, by chance, their lives converge around Juniper's indiscretion, they learn that in order to save themselves, they have to help one another. Most of the characters' personal struggles are individually compelling, and most readers will find at least one person with whom they can identify. As a whole, however, the plot feels a bit overstuffed and certain stories are better fleshed out than others, such as Olivia/Matt vs. Valentine/Claire. Still, Redgate is right on trend with the type of story that's popular with teens at the moment, and her book is sure to find a fan base.