Seven Ways We Lie

February 15, 2016
Debut author Redgate neatly captures the heart, soul, and social intricacies of a high school in a conservative Kansas City suburb. This story of seven teenagers, all high school juniors carrying significant emotional baggage tied to the seven deadly sins, revolves around the pitfalls of hiding one's true self and the redeeming power of friendship. The teensâwhose difficulties include being abandoned by a negligent mother, addiction, and self-loathingâtell their stories in alternating first-person narratives. The seven stories and characters come together as the school reels from a rumor that a student is having an affair with a teacher. Redgate writes with much insight into the complicated world of contemporary high school, revealing both its hard edges (the taunts of jocks toward an eccentric outcast, vicious rumor mills) and its tender underbelly (the loyalty of friends, the pain of a broken first love, the excitement of new romance). By book's end, readers will feel like they have seven new friends. Ages 13âup Agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

December 15, 2015
The lives of seven teens intersect in expected and unexpected ways in this multivoiced novel that plays with the seven deadly sins. Olivia. Kat. Matt. Juniper. Valentine. Claire. Lucas. All are students at Paloma High, where an allegation of a teacher-student relationship has just been revealed. Who is the teacher--and who is the student? That's only one of the secrets among these seven. Yet while the alleged relationship is ostensibly what brings them together, in fact that relationship is less important than the characters' existing problems. Olivia and Kat are still struggling to accept their mother's abandonment, Matt crushes on Olivia, Claire tries to overcome her jealousy of her friends Olivia and Juniper, Lucas is in the closet even though he used to date Claire, while Valentine doesn't have any interest in relationships, romantic or otherwise. Meanwhile, the least of Juniper's troubles is performing well at her violin recital. And when the truth comes out about the teacher-student relationship, these seven students will see how their relationships have changed. While the characters are each distinct--Lucas' pansexuality and Valentine's asexuality are welcome explorations rarely seen in teen lit--the novel lacks much direction or tension, and the seven-deadly-sins theme fails to take hold. Without a plot that can really drive the action, this debut novel feels like a collection of well-written character studies. Despite the intriguing premise, this novel's reach exceeds its grasp. (Fiction. 14-18)

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February 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-The lives of seven high school students intertwine around a scandalous secret in this debut effort. Each character deals with an issue related to one of the seven deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony. Olivia has one-night stands that keep her from feeling anything real, Matt's a burnout with no real ambition, Lucas hides a struggle with his sexuality behind a big smile and brand names, Claire's arsenal of extracurriculars cover up her feelings of never being good enough, Valentine refuses to get too close to anyone, and Kat's anger at her mother's abandonment causes her to lash out at everyone. Finally, Juniper, the perfectly popular girl, falls in love with someone she can never have. When, by chance, their lives converge around Juniper's indiscretion, they learn that in order to save themselves, they have to help one another. Most of the characters' personal struggles are individually compelling, and most readers will find at least one person with whom they can identify. As a whole, however, the plot feels a bit overstuffed and certain stories are better fleshed out than others, such as Olivia/Matt vs. Valentine/Claire. Still, Redgate is right on trend with the type of story that's popular with teens at the moment, and her book is sure to find a fan base. VERDICT An additional purchase for large teen collections.-Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Hudson Library & Historical Society, OH

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 In her multiple-POV debut, Redgate provides a timely and fresh take on the seven deadly sins. When juniors at Paloma High get wind of a student-teacher affair, none of them immediately think of Juniper, their class salutatorian, who seemingly has all her ducks in a row. But, then again, how easily could their classmates guess the sins and secrets that they, too, bury far beneath the surface? The interconnected threads of this book explore wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony, without ever veering toward didacticism. Although these threads do not perfectly cohere into a story, they nevertheless demonstrate Redgate's deep understanding of character and empathy for the struggles today's teens face in a world that expects perfection and happiness. The narrative is effortlessly readable, though the voices are so of-the-moment that they may feel dated in a few years. Still only a college student herself, Redgate is certainly a writer to watch. A truthful take on the raw, messy, awkward lives of teenagers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)