Tell Me Lies

August 1, 2007
Gr 10 Up-Stephen is a directionless 18-year-old with a void where school used to be. Glad to be done with his A-level exams, he visits his brother in London. It's 1969 and sex, drugs, politics, and music are what the city is all about. He glides slowly into the scene and lives a squatter's life. Drug highs and anti-Vietnam War activism encompass his life until he is persuaded to move out to The Hollies, an abandoned house in the country. Spencer, a captivating alternative spiritual leader, welcomes him and the teen embraces the new focus of his life. Then, when one of his friends has a tragic accident, Stephen is cast into a sea of doubt, questions, and distrust. This personal journey through the social issues of the late '60s is a wonderful review of the life of an unfocused and naive teen of the period, with insight into the Vietnam War from the English point of view. Readers are given a glimpse of what life may have been like at the time, with descriptions of the drug culture, free love, and grassroots politics. With its underlying themes of decisions, direction, and difficult relationships, this novel will appeal to many of today's teens."Dylan Thomarie, Johnstown High School, NY"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.