Every Single Lie is a wild ride of a story filled with twists, turns, suspense, and lies of course, all surrounding a girl who has found a dead baby in the locker room of her high school.
All is well and normal for teenager Beckett Bergen before things begin to go sideways for this small-town girl. Her boyfriend, Jake, begins hiding text messages from her and suspects him of cheating. She discovers her late father actually lost his job, no one can seem to get the last word on her or her family, and better yet, she ends up finding a dead baby in the locker room of her high school; With the baby being inside of Jake’s gym bag. Just when Beckett thought things could get worse, word begins to spread about the baby, and everyone thinks that she is the mother.
If I were to sum up this book in one word: Crazy. Absolutely crazy and filled with suspense, plot twists, and so many jaw dropping points to the progressing plot. This one was quite hard to stomach down at some points just because of how thought-provoking and heartbreaking some moments were. To me, this could very well fit in the genre of new adult as well since the topics go beyond anything a normal teenager should have to go through. This isn’t your stereotypical high school drama about a girl who encounters situations like being a wallflower or the jock of the school falling for her. This brings the topics of cyberbullying, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, and suicide into the light. After finding out this book was based on experiences that Rachel Vincent herself had encountered, I could not help but feel for her and shed a few tears.
Beckett is the first-person narrator of this book, and this was such a smart move to make on Vincent’s point because it gives a very clear perspective of what a victim of cyberbullying and losing a parent is like. At only sixteen years old, you can only imagine the hardships she has to endure throughout the duration of the novel. From dealing with being a suspected murderer of a child that is not even hers, to her boyfriend cheating, and her best friend, Amira, going MIA for suspicious reasons, this is just the beginning of the conflict that awaits her. She is the daughter of a single Mom, and her older brother, Penn, and her little sister, Landry seem to be hiding their own secrets as well.
Cyberbullying and drug addiction are also large topics discussed throughout the plot. The Crimson Cryer is the twitter account spreading the word about Lullaby Doe (the new nickname for the baby), and the messages and replies to the tweets are no pretty site, especially when Beckett is mentioned. Finding out her father had a drug addiction and may have died because of this is also very hard to digest. Despite knowing the truth of what really happened, this takes a toll on Beckett mentally and psychologically. However, she is able to develop into a more matured an adult version of herself by the book’s end, which always make for a fantastic protagonist.
To put it shortly, this novel was a joy to read! I have pondered and thought about how realistic this situation is for some teenagers in this digitally evolved world we now live in. The characters and the development they have undergone was the strongest aspect. The way the plot wrapped up was a bit predictable, but my jaw still dropped to the floor just a little bit at the very important (and large) plot reveal that seemingly pieced everything together. If you want to read something about teenagers involved in very adult-like situations and or reflect and better understand such triggering topics, this one is for you! This book is great for readers who want an introduction into the contemporary-mystery side of YA fiction, and I recommend it to anyone looking for something new to read within this subgenre!
Every Single Lie is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
In this gripping YA novel about social media bullying and half-truths, one girl’s discovery of a dead baby in her high school locker room rocks an entire community.
Nobody in Beckett’s life seems to be telling the whole story. Her boyfriend Jake keeps hiding texts and might be cheating on her. Her father lied about losing his job before his shocking death. And everyone in school seems to be whispering about her and her family behind her back.
But none of that compares to the day Beckett finds the body of a newborn baby in a gym bag-Jake’s gym bag -on the floor of her high school locker room. As word leaks out, rumors that Beckett’s the mother take off like wildfire in a town all too ready to believe the worst of her. And as the police investigation unfolds, she discovers that everyone has a secret to hide and the truth could alter everything she thought she knew.
