Reviewed by John Jacobson aka "R.J. Jacobs" for TeensReadToo.com
Moving to ASMA (American Science and Mathematics Academy) gave James a chance to change himself. No longer would he be the nerdy guy who didn't get a date or any attention. No longer would he be invisible. Instead, James can start a new life. Through lying.
Suddenly, James is seen as someone exciting. Sure, he's going to a school for math and science, but there is a definite sense of coolness about him now. He hangs out with his roommate, Dickie, and another boy dubbed Heinous. Together, they are a group of three troublemakers who pull off the occasional theatrical display and somehow manage to be respected by some at ASMA.
James also has something else going on at school. Or someone else. Ellie, aka the Ice Queen, is one of the most popular sophomore girls. She expertly ignores him, but he can't help but like her. His lies grow as his crush on her grows, and soon he finds himself talking to a mysterious stranger on IM named ghost44. He also begins to have strange dreams where he fights demons for two strangers named Nick and Kiana. Who is ghost44, and how can James manage to keep his real identity throughout all of the lying?
Mitchell creates a character the reader is intrigued by. James keeps his distance as the center of our story, and remains an enigma throughout. From the first page we see him build up an identity that isn't really his, pretending to have gotten into street fights and even cutting himself. It's rather a slow trend into his depression, and it's very dark and broken - much like the cover of the novel. He's rather unlikable sometimes, but the author's intent is rather obvious. As the reader, you are not supposed to like this journey at the beginning. James is, after all, denouncing himself.
I also appreciated the way he worked on relationships. James is curious about sex and does date someone named Jessica early on, but he quickly recognizes his feelings for her aren't really romantic. He is honest about this, and it was nice not to have a love triangle going on, or having a main character convince themselves that they should, in fact, be in love with said person. Mitchell treated the relationships realistically, and that was a highlight for me. I also enjoyed the friendship between Heinous, Dickie, and James. It was close but not super-close. It felt realistic considering the emotional distance James has and the way that teenagers have superficial relationships.
Some parts of the novel were not very exciting; this definitely isn't an action-adventure novel. James' emotional distance also hinders the reading experience somewhat, as you don't always feel emotionally invested in his story. There is also a level of complexity in the novel that, while interesting, makes it hard to get into for this type of read. The dreams are short and fairly average, but with ghost 44...they will make the reader try and search hard for a message that will not be easily apparent at the beginning of the novel. Overall, it is just a slower experience for the reader. It may hinder some, but it makes the book a deeper and more interesting read.
If you are looking for a book that is completely original with a gritty take on teenagerdom, THE SECRET TO LYING is right up your alley.
Moving to ASMA (American Science and Mathematics Academy) gave James a chance to change himself. No longer would he be the nerdy guy who didn't get a date or any attention. No longer would he be invisible. Instead, James can start a new life. Through lying.
Suddenly, James is seen as someone exciting. Sure, he's going to a school for math and science, but there is a definite sense of coolness about him now. He hangs out with his roommate, Dickie, and another boy dubbed Heinous. Together, they are a group of three troublemakers who pull off the occasional theatrical display and somehow manage to be respected by some at ASMA.
James also has something else going on at school. Or someone else. Ellie, aka the Ice Queen, is one of the most popular sophomore girls. She expertly ignores him, but he can't help but like her. His lies grow as his crush on her grows, and soon he finds himself talking to a mysterious stranger on IM named ghost44. He also begins to have strange dreams where he fights demons for two strangers named Nick and Kiana. Who is ghost44, and how can James manage to keep his real identity throughout all of the lying?
Mitchell creates a character the reader is intrigued by. James keeps his distance as the center of our story, and remains an enigma throughout. From the first page we see him build up an identity that isn't really his, pretending to have gotten into street fights and even cutting himself. It's rather a slow trend into his depression, and it's very dark and broken - much like the cover of the novel. He's rather unlikable sometimes, but the author's intent is rather obvious. As the reader, you are not supposed to like this journey at the beginning. James is, after all, denouncing himself.
I also appreciated the way he worked on relationships. James is curious about sex and does date someone named Jessica early on, but he quickly recognizes his feelings for her aren't really romantic. He is honest about this, and it was nice not to have a love triangle going on, or having a main character convince themselves that they should, in fact, be in love with said person. Mitchell treated the relationships realistically, and that was a highlight for me. I also enjoyed the friendship between Heinous, Dickie, and James. It was close but not super-close. It felt realistic considering the emotional distance James has and the way that teenagers have superficial relationships.
Some parts of the novel were not very exciting; this definitely isn't an action-adventure novel. James' emotional distance also hinders the reading experience somewhat, as you don't always feel emotionally invested in his story. There is also a level of complexity in the novel that, while interesting, makes it hard to get into for this type of read. The dreams are short and fairly average, but with ghost 44...they will make the reader try and search hard for a message that will not be easily apparent at the beginning of the novel. Overall, it is just a slower experience for the reader. It may hinder some, but it makes the book a deeper and more interesting read.
If you are looking for a book that is completely original with a gritty take on teenagerdom, THE SECRET TO LYING is right up your alley.
