Gripping, intriguing, and brisk! Trust Me, I’m Lying is a young adult thriller/action novel in the spirit of Italian Job. The first person narration by protagonist, fifteen year old Julep Dupree, is irresistible and just that much more charming because at times she breaks that fourth wall with the reader; she keeps the reader appraised (sometimes hilariously so) of her thoughts every step of the way. Although there is humor to that provides some comic relief, this book is all business when it comes to peril and suspense and the bad guys really are serious. Julep is equal parts resilient, cynical, determined, mercenary, loyal, and human. Snappy dialogue, a life-and-death trail of clues, and likeable characters propel this story along.
The author ties the bow on the novel’s conclusion perhaps a little too tightly and too neatly, but given the novel’s other strengths it is easily forgiven. This novel stands by itself, but groundwork is laid at the end for the possibility of future adventures. Trust Me, I’m Lying is a fantastic young adult read and a welcome addition to that demographic.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 10 religious exclamations; 27 mild obscenities; 4 derogatory names; 4 scatological words; 1 anatomical term.
Violence/Gore: Property damaged; dead animal placed to scare individual, mention of guts; verbal threat; vehicle run off the road by another; character slaps another; report that a parent was killed violently, but no details as to how; Molotov cocktail explodes damaging property and resulting in injuries (non-descriptive); vague threats of harm; character shot point blank, brief mention of blood; character taken hostage; explosion resulting in destruction of property; characters struggle, stab with knife, shot with gun.
Sex/Nudity: Innuendo about male anatomy; reference to cleavage, stripers, boobs; characters kiss; characters hold hands; character strips to underwear to change clothes (non-sexual); characters embrace; characters touch face; minor characters sleep next to each other on a bed holding hands, no sex implied; characters kiss passionately; implication that characters are being forced to provide sexual services against their will.
Mature Subject Matter:
Abduction/missing person/parent, illegal activities (many various), lying, foster care, human trafficking.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
