WHY WOULD I LIE?

An ambitious high school senior suspects her academic rival isn’t who he says he is.

Overachiever Viveca North wants nothing more than to get into Everett College, which her late mother attended as a freshman before becoming pregnant and dying in childbirth. After an admissions interview goes south, she decides she needs to be valedictorian in order to secure a spot; the only problem is handsome new guy Jamison Sharpe, a recent transfer who’s vying for the top spot. Jamison’s hard to hate and quickly wins over all her classmates with his glamorous and exotic stories. However, Viveca can’t help but compare him to her dad, a pathological liar. She’s also eerily reminded of her past: In seventh grade she suffered a breakdown and made baseless accusations of cheating against another girl. Without having proof of her suspicions that odd facts about Jamison don’t add up, she knows no one will believe her—and now she’s becoming unhealthily obsessed with catching Jamison in a lie. Viveca’s fixation on her grades at the expense of genuine passion or intrinsic interest, all while pushing away friendships, delivers a nuanced depiction of burnout. Those expecting suspense will be disappointed by the fairly obvious plot twists and low-stakes pacing, but the charming, heartfelt characters, especially Viveca’s witty best friend, Wren, make this a worthwhile read. Main characters default to White; Wren uses they/them pronouns.

An entertaining story about the dangers of obsession.