Title: This Is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Everyone in Gardiners Bay has a secret.
When Jenna Dallas and Adam Cole find Colleen O’Dell’s body floating off the shore of their coastal town, the community of Gardiners Bay is shaken. But even more shocking is the fact that her drowning was no accident.
Once Jenna’s best friend becomes a key suspect, Jenna starts to look for answers on her own. As she uncovers scandals inside Preston Prep School leading back to Rookwood reform school, she knows she needs Adam on her side.
As a student at Rookwood, Adam is used to getting judgmental looks, but now his friends are being investigated by the police. Adam will do whatever he can to keep them safe, even if that means trusting Jenna.
As lies unravel, the truth starts to blur. Only one thing is certain: somebody must take the fall.
Review:
This Is Why We Lie by Gabriella Lepore is an intriguing young adult mystery.
Jenna Dallas lives with her aunt Kate in Gardiners Bay. She attends Preston Prep School and her best friend is Hollie Braithewait. While on the beach early one morning, she notices Adam Cole struggling to bring a body out of the water. Jenna realizes Collen O’Dell is the victim and she later learns her classmate was murdered. Soon after, Detective Drew Felton begins interviewing Jenna’s circle of friends, Adam and his friends at Rookwood Boarding School.
After the police zero in on a suspect, Jenna knows they are looking at the wrong person. She decides to poke around in order to find Colleen’s killers. Their group of friends have been spending a lot of time with some of the Rookwood students. Jenna hopes that Adam will help her with her secret investigation, but he has secrets he would rather no one uncover. Jenna quickly discovers Adam is not the only one with secrets, but who would kill to prevent the truth from being uncovered?
This Is Why We Lie is a perplexing young adult mystery with an engaging storyline. The narration seamlessly weaves back and forth between Jenna and Adam’s points of view. Interspersed with their chapters are police interviews with their classmates and local news stories. With Jenna edging closer to finding Colleen’s killer, another murder rocks the small town. With an absolutely shocking plot twist, Gabriella Lepore brings this suspenseful mystery to a dramatic, edge of the seat conclusion.
