The Secret to Lying

May 31, 2010
In Mitchell's (The Traitor King) engrossing and entertaining novel, the trick to the titular secret, according to 15-yearold James, is to "believe yourself and others will believe you, too." And in his first year at an elite public boarding school, he reinvents himself by doing just that. A punk haircut and a few casual lies about getting into fights and stealing cars convinces his fellow students that he's a tough rebel instead of the milquetoast he'd actually been. James enjoys all that comes with his new life—from makeout sessions with sexy, punk Jessica to the pranks he pulls with his outsider friends ("I figured my place in the trio would be to play the quiet, brooding rebel"). James also engages in late-night IM conversations with someone named ghost44, who seems to know too much about him, and deals with a series of disturbing dreams in which he's forced to confront his internal demons. Mitchell paints a vivid picture of teenage social and mental health issues, neither overdramatizing nor understating their impact, and the result is a great read. Ages 14–up.