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

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

In the same vein as Jandy Nelson and Gayle Forman comes a novel from the gifted author of Faking Normal, Courtney C. Stevens, about hope and courage and the struggle to overcome the pain of loss.
Sadie Kingston is 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. But Max looks at her scars and doesn't shy away. And Max knows about the list she writes in the sand at the beach every night, the list of things that Sadie knows she must accomplish before she can move on from the accident. And while he can help her with number six (kiss someone without flinching), she knows she's on her own with number three (forgive Gina and Gray) and the rest of the seemingly impossible tasks that must be made possible before she can live in the now again.

The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens is another book that has sat on my shelves for far too long — at least five years. However, given that this is my year of reading from the shelf and clearing more space, it seemed a good time to pick this book up. This is the second book I’ve read by Stevens. The first was Faking Normal which I liked but was not wowed by. The Lies About Truth, however, really hit me in the best possible way. I am glad I picked it up while I was feeling the contemporary YA urge. It scratched the itch.

Sadie Kingston, main character of The Lies About Truth is living in the aftermath of the wreck that killed one of her best friends – Trent. She survived the wreck but still carries many physical and emotional scars from it. This book takes place about a year after the wreck. Sadie’s two former best friends Gray – her ex boyfriend and Gina her ex best friend have tried to earn Sadie’s forgiveness, but she can’t do it. They also have a role to play with this, but you’ll find out as your read the book. Sadie is hoping to move somewhat forward as she forms a bond and relationship with Trent’s younger brother Max, who seems to be the only one who understands Sadie. He is now back in town from Guatemala and the two begin to build their relationship in person versus emails.

I enjoyed The Lies About Truth so much more than Faking Normal. This is a book that I read in the span of twenty four hours. I could not set it down. Stevens weaves this story of teenagers who have really been through it and who are still growing. I found this book so compelling and heart wrenching. Somehow I ended up caring about all of the characters deeply. The parents are extremely well written. There is a therapist who is portrayed in a positive light, yay normalizing mental health care. Plus, the healing aspect of this book is truly something to behold. This one is a little bit older but absolutely worth getting your hands on.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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