LIE: A Novel

LIE made me angry. Very angry. And sad. I don't think I've ever had such a reaction to a book. Told in 10 different POVs, 5 adults and five teenagers, LIE is the story of a hate crime perpetrated by two popular, racist young men against two Latino young brothers. The older brother dies after being beaten by high school jock Jimmy while friend Sean watched. His girlfriend Skylar knows what really happened, but she has agreed to keep silent. Racism persists throughout these different POVs. At times I wanted to jump into the pages and shake the characters, particularly the adults, but mostly I felt sad that such attitudes really exist in our society.Having 10 POVs was an interesting strategy to tell the story of Jimmy's control and bullying, through the eyes of his peers, Latino coach, his father and the victim's mother and brother. I appreciated Caroline Bock's gritty use of racial insensitive verbiage to show the hearts and minds of the characters. I had empathy of certain characters, while hoping for severe punishment for others,LIE is a difficult, yet important read.

The premise of Lie springs from past headlines: when a hate crime takes place on Long Island, a group of teenagers agree to lie about what they witnessed that fateful night. Multiple characters offer their particular perspective on the incident, as well as many other incidents that led up to that night. Some of the characters are likable, some are misguided, and some are not likable at all. But together, they construct a storyline that compells you to continue reading. There were some big surprises along the way so that I felt glued to the book until I completed it. This is good, insightful reading that I think belongs on high school reading lists, but it's not just for kids. Adults would also benefit from the lessons learned in the pages of this book. Unfortuately, you never outgrow peer pressure. The question is, what would you do in a similar situation? It's a very compelling, original, and beautifully written book that I recommend highly.

LIE is just compelling; first, it's a masterful title, which we begin to comprehend as the story develops. A perfect adolescent read (but I'm a grown-up and I loved it too!); a narrative of a vulnerable young girl's impossible choices when she is deeply, madly in the throes of first love and unable to see the shadow that lurks within her beloved. This is a timely story, inspired as it is by brutal events that occur all too often. Everybody knows, nobody is talking - this recurrent phrase embodies the narrative arc of the story. The kids in this book are teenagers with roiling emotions, embryonic good sense and undeveloped ethical judgment, who in some cases have been schooled to hate by their elders. Here in the midst of a moral quandary lurks the suspense- will they do the right thing? Will they turn towards the good and the true, or will they stay on the path of deception? Bock manages the ten alternating points of view well - this is not an easy task and she is to be commended for her skill using this strategy to paint a full portrait of a community in crisis. She gets the "voices" right, so that clear distinctions are drawn between the characters. And she captures the angst of a generation of young people, both native dwellers and immigrants, as they wrestle with big social problems - disappearing jobs, a faltering economy, rootlessness, xenophobia in the culture at large, and the seeming inability of an older generation to instill core values in its young.

I flew through this book and loved it. It's thought provoking, fast paced, and very well written. The title is clever as well, representing both the setting of the book at the main theme. The narrative is rich, and switches between the characters, so you get to know them all. Definitely would recommend this book.

This was an exciting read from the first page to the last. A YA novel anyone over 14 will enjoy.

I loved this book! As soon as I started it, I did not want to put it down. I have not read young adult books in a long time (since I am in my early 40's), but I decided to try this one because it was based in part on a hate crime near where I grew up and still live now. I don't want to say too much and give anything away for those who will get the treat of reading the book. Thus, I will just say that the characters were interesting because they were not simple and one dimensional. As in life, the characters were complicated, and trying to understand them required thought and reflection. This is a great book for kids to read in class and for adults to read and discuss in book clubs!

LIE is a very original and interesting book. Throughout the story, there were many unexpected surprises that made me want to read more and more - only taking me four days to complete. In a world full of hate and crime, Bock perfectly portrays ten different points of views - not an easy thing to do! Ultimately focusing on immigration and race, LIE helps you understand these issues more in depth. The multiple meanings behind the title (which you begin to understand throughout the story) was clever in so many ways! I absolutely loved it, and highly recommend it.

I just finished reading Caroline Bock's riviting novel LIE and enjoyed it very much. It was a book I could not put down and, once finished, left me with many thoughts about the characters and the plot. I love the way she centers the action around each characters' point of view and how the plot unfolds from their observations. The end was a bit of a surprise for me which is an added suspenseful bonus since we as readers are fairly clear about the details of the crime early on. I strongly recommend this book for young ... and older adults too.