There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake
Reviewed by: Carey Gibbons, Reference Assistant
Genre: Thriller, Fantasy
Suggested Age: Teens and Adults
What is the book about?: Shelby Jane Cooper’s only friend is her mom. Her dad is dead, and her mom is fiercely protective of Shelby, home schooling her and constantly warning her of the dangers of other people. But on Friday nights, Shelby is allowed to visit the public library. This is where she meets Mark, the only person Shelby talks to other than her mom. One night, while waiting for a ride home from her mom, Shelby is hit by a car. She only breaks her ankle, but this incident has brought all of her mom’s worst fears to life. Shelby’s dad isn’t really dead. In fact, he’s coming for them, and they have to run. And that guy from the library – Mark? It turns out he doesn’t actually exist. Except when Shelby closes her eyes and enters The Dreaming. Shelby’s life is about to get really, really weird.
My review: I liked this book a lot. If you’re going to read it, make sure you take the title literally. You can’t believe anything you read in the first two-thirds of the book, and that’s why I liked it so much. Lake does a great job of building this realistic, solid narrative and then breaking it all apart. Some of the lies are obvious, and some of them are so clever, because they’re lies within lies. Throw in a talking Coyote god and the magical land of The Dreaming, and you’ve got yourself a real mind mess. This book kept me guessing, and I like that. I also really liked Shelby’s voice. She’s smart and funny and wry and the only honest character in the whole book. I know this review is rather vague, but I don’t want to spoil any of the lies – or the truths (which are worse than the lies). I can only say it’s worth your time to pick it up and listen as Shelby Cooper tells you her story.
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!