Trust Me, I'm Lying

August 18, 2014
Debut author Summer’s series kickoff accompanies its shrewd protagonist on a myriad of escapades as one of the best “fixers” in Chicago. At first, 15-year-old Julep Dupree is content to run small-time cons for a fee and a favor—finagling a geek’s date to a dance with a popular girl or fabricating fake IDs for St. Agatha’s Preparatory School’s precocious socialites. But when her apartment is ransacked and her father (also a hustler) goes missing, Julep must figure out who is responsible, even if it means getting suspended from school, risking foster care, evading the FBI, and hunting down a Ukrainian mob kingpin. Julep’s investigations and quick escapes keep the high-stakes story entertaining and readers guessing, yet her inability to read some characters’ all-too-obvious motives is surprising given her wealth of talents as a grifter. Scenes involving a gun battle, a stabbing, an explosion, and a surprising death make for action-packed albeit gruesome reading, and enticing clues dropped at the end of the novel pave the way for Julep’s next tussle. Ages 12–up. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency.

September 1, 2014
A girl grifter becomes caught up in a scheme that might be too big to handle. At only 15, Julep already is an accomplished grifter. No wonder: She learned from the best. Her dad is such a great con artist that he's never been caught. Despite his success, Julep must run cons and fixer services for her rich classmates to keep paying her tuition to a select private school because Dad throws his money away on the horses. When she arrives home one night to find their apartment trashed, she realizes that her dad has become involved with some dangerous characters and sets out to find him. Meanwhile she has to pay the rent as well as her tuition and living expenses while hiding her parentless state to avoid foster care, so she steps up her services, involving her best friend, Sam, and her possible new heartthrob, wealthy and handsome Tyler. Her efforts to track her father down hinge on cryptic clues he left for her, and following the trail puts her, Sam and Tyler into real danger. Summer creates a standout character in Julep. She lies and cheats with so much confidence and skill that readers will cheer her on, but she also adheres to her own strict moral code. The nature of the crime her father is caught up in, when revealed, just ratchets up the suspense. A memorable debut; here's hoping for a lot more from Summer. (Thriller. 14-18)

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September 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Julep Dupree is a liar. Trained by her father in the family grifting business, she is adept at trading lies for money to pay the bills. Good thing, too, because the tuition for St. Agatha's High School is high. Julep isn't alarmed when she returns home one evening to find that her father missing, but the tousled state of the apartment leaves her with a hollow feeling and sets her on a chase to find him and the "mark" that perpetrated the ransacking. Best friend Sam is worried for her, but the teen pushes off his concern, even as she begins to get unusual and convenient attention from the class heartthrob, Tyler Richland. Together, the three high school students work to discover answers to all of Julep's questions, a mission that will prove deadly for one of them. Summer has penned a debut novel chronicling the life of a teenage grifter that is outrageous and believable. In Julep, the author explores a young female character who must call into question the actions of all those with whom she has contact, drawing upon inner strength to fortify her, even in the face of mortal danger. Summer's characters are well developed and leave readers looking forward to the next installment in this series.-Colleen S. Banick, Westport Public Schools, CT

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