Little Black Lies (ARC)

While I was sick with the plague-- bronchitis-- I didn't really have much to do besides homework and reading, so I got quite a bit done. The reason why I haven't posted about the wonderful books I have read is that I have been waaay too busy catching up with the full week of school that I missed.


The first book that I read was Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen.


The book is about Sara Black, also known as Sara "the black" by her cynically minded teacher (every schools' got one), a girl with a past full of cleaning supplies and little black lies.


Sara has grown up with a father whose life is controlled by his erratic Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a condition where you feel the need to perfect things and keep things clean. As a result, her father's chosen profession is custodian, more commonly known as a janitor.

Now that her mother has run off with her old teacher to France, Sara and her father move to a new town and a new school. Specifically, Anton High School, a school for geniuses.

Sara feels ashamed about her past and her family. So she does what a lot of teens do on a regular basis- she lies. Instead of coming from Lundun she is now from London England. Instead of having a father who fixes schools, she has a father who fixes brains. But what harm can a few little lies do when your social well-being is at stake?

What I like about this book is that even though you may be able to tell what is going to happen, it is not about the final result, it is about getting from A to B and the lessons that we learn in between. The writing in this story is also phenomenal and downright beautiful. While talking to Tish on facebook, she told me that she likes to "break certain rules" when it comes to writing, something I have been trying to do personally with every piece I create. The writing style has a greater likeness to The Book Thief by Markus Zusak than I did to most of the writing styles I have found in YA literature. The combination of the graceful writing with the painstakingly difficult and heartbreaking story makes this a book that you do not want to ignore.

As a personal side note, I give props to Tish for portraying Sara's father's OCD with compassion and sensitivity. As someone who has a disabled immediate family member, I love it when I find books that make people realize that just because someone is different does not mean they aren't people with feelings and lives and families.

To learn more about Tish and her books, you can visit her website.

More to come,
OfficiallyMRS