Thursday 16 June 2016

Review: The Darkest Lie by Pintip Dunn

Is it better to live with a lie, or risk everything for the truth?

“Heartbreaking and heroic. You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough!” --Romily Bernard, author of the Find Me trilogy

In Pintip Dunn’s gripping and timely novel, a young woman whose life unravels in the wake of her mother’s alleged suicide sets out to clear her name.

“The mother I knew would never do those things. But maybe I never knew her after all.” Clothes, jokes, coded messages…Cecilia Brooks and her mom shared everything. At least, CeCe thought they did. Six months ago, her mom killed herself after accusations of having sex with a student, and CeCe’s been the subject of whispers and taunts ever since. Now, at the start of her high school senior year, between dealing with her grieving, distracted father, and the social nightmare that has become her life, CeCe just wants to fly under the radar. Instead, she’s volunteering at the school’s crisis hotline—the same place her mother worked.

As she counsels troubled strangers, CeCe’s lingering suspicions about her mom’s death resurface. With the help of Sam, a new student and newspaper intern, she starts to piece together fragmented clues that point to a twisted secret at the heart of her community. Soon, finding the truth isn’t just a matter of restoring her mother’s reputation, it’s about saving lives—including CeCe’s own…


Kindle Edition, 256 pages
Expected publication: June 28th 2016 by Kensington 
Genre: Young Adult/ Mystery


Kristine's Thoughts:

** I received an advanced readers copy from Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

This book had all of the things that appeal to the young adult audience. There was high school drama, the mean girl, a new boy and a love triangle of sorts. On top of all that, there was an edge of your seat mystery surrounding the death of CeCe's mother after a sex scandal with one of her students.

This book began six months after the death of CeCe's mother as CeCe tried to move on. Trying to fall under the radar was difficult when her mother was accused of having sex with a student and then committed suicide three days later. All CeCe wanted was to lay low and get through each day unnoticed but a new boy in the school and questions about what really happened to her mother made it impossible. When CeCe started receiving unusual text messages she could no longer ignore the possibility that her mother's death might not have been a suicide at all.

I have to say that this book is definitely written with a young audience in mind with the school bullying and cute new boy. However it doesn't mean that someone older (like myself) could not enjoy and appreciate it. Where I was all over the mystery, younger people would also appreciate the budding relationship that went hand in hand with it.

The story was well developed and kept me guessing from early on. With all the usual suspects I was able to narrow it down to two people and I am happy to report that I was on the money with my guess. I don't think that it was made obvious at all in the book but I made a lucky guess. So not only was I intrigued to find out what happened and who did it, all of my questions were answered by the time I turned the last page. There were no loose ends to leave me confused and frustrated.

I really enjoyed this YA mystery. It was quick and easy to read and delivered everything that I was hoping it would. It was the first book by this author for me but it certainly won't be the last.

 


About the Author
When her first-grade teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, Pintip replied, “An author.” Although she has pursued other interests over the years, this dream has never wavered.
Pintip graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL.
Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. She is a 2012 RWA Golden Heart® finalist and a 2014 double-finalist.
She lives with her husband and children in Maryland.
Connect with Pintip
 

No comments:

Post a Comment