Book Review: The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens

A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens
Published by HarperTeen
Published on November 3, 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 336
Format: ARC, Paperback
Source: Publisher
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Sadie Kingston, is a girl living in the aftermath. A year after surviving a car accident that killed her friend Trent and left her body and face scarred, she can’t move forward. The only person who seems to understand her is Trent’s brother, Max.

As Sadie begins to fall for Max, she's unsure if she is truly healed enough to be with him — even if Max is able to look at her scars and not shy away. But when the truth about the accident and subsequent events comes to light, Sadie has to decide if she can embrace the future or if she'll always be trapped in the past.

Oh, this book. It was an emotional rollercoaster from page one, but in the best way possible. Almost a year after a car crash that left her best friend dead and her own body horribly scarred, Sadie is finding it hard to come to terms with her new normal. There are a lot of characters in this book, all of them integral, but Imma break this down:

Trent – Died in the crash. He was Sadie’s BFF & dating Gina.

Gina – Sadie’s BFF from grade school.

Grey – Sadie’s Ex. He & Gina hooked up after the accident, but he’s less douchey than he sounds.

Max – Trent’s younger brother who was also in the car when it crashed, and is now dating Sadie.

Okay, it’s not as confusing as I just made it sound. However, there’s a lot going on. There’s a lot of pain as these four best friends are left grieving in their separate ways. Add in some misunderstandings, hidden truth, and hurt feelings, and you get one hell of a ride. The tenderness in which these best friends all cared for one another, and the various reasons for the distance they now feel was heart-rending. I cried. A lot.

Sadie, while she feels lost and confused, ends up demonstrating so much strength as she fights her way through all the change. One of the big pulls in this book is the theme of forgiveness. You find that every single one of them keeps secrets to protect each other, and those secrets hurt worse than the truth. I felt like it was expertly handled and demonstrated the different facets of grief and love as Sadie and friends came to terms with forgiving one another and themselves. I loved how forgiveness didn’t make everything instantly great between the four of them.

“The past has to stay in the past,” I said. “And not because you cheated on me. Because we changed, and that’s okay.”

In the end, this book is about healing. The circumstances aren’t easy, and the characters are broken, but healing happens and it’s beautiful to watch unfold. There are even some swoon worthy moments between Max and Sadie, but their relationship never overshadows their journey. For a heartfelt contemporary, The Truth About Lies is a 5-star read.

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Hannah has been told she has an obsessive personality. She's currently obsessing over Medieval Armored Combat, chickens, nerdy tote bags, and finding the perfect bookish perfume.