Little White Lies

November 23, 2015
When Coretta White’s new Tumblr, Little White Lies, becomes an overnight sensation, she’s overwhelmed by the attention and opportunities that arise. So Coretta, a privileged, high-achieving black 17-year-old, secretly enlists the services of a 41-year-old white ghostwriter, Karl, to pose as her on Little White Lies, thereby creating the biggest Little White Lie of all—until their secret is revealed to the world. Chapters alternate between Coretta and Karl’s perspectives, but Karl’s often self-aggrandizing and condescending adult narration feels out of place in the story. Soon-to-be-outdated political, social, and pop-culture references pepper the novel, along with long-outdated ones from Karl, which are awkwardly explained in an appendix. Plot inconsistencies (such as why Karl posts without Coretta’s permission almost immediately after he promises that he won’t), scandals heaped atop scandals, and frequent shifts into text/email/chat exchanges make for a jumbled narrative. Baker and Hastie, both newcomers to YA, aim to explore tricky ethical and racial territory, but their novel largely feels like it’s at war with itself. Ages 14–up. Agent: (for Baker) Kristyn Keene, ICM; (for Hastie) Don Fehr, Trident Media Group.

November 1, 2015
Is co-opting a persona or a culture that's not one's own ever OK--even when given permission to do so? Seventeen-year-old black high school senior Coretta White starts her Tumblr, Little White Lies, to vent some redirected aggression against her parents' opinions about politics and life. As the blog swells in popularity, Coretta collapses from her "teen-on-the-go" responsibilities of keeping up with her schoolwork, after-school activities, and social media-mediated social life. She gains respect from her popular "black Ken doll" boyfriend, Mike Cornelius, his "very prominent African-American venture capitalist" parents, and her peers, but she feels her friendship slipping with her best friend, Rachel Berstein. Exhausted, Coretta confesses to Rachel that, as much as she loves blogging, she can't maintain it. Rachel helps out, and through a mysterious family connection, she brings in professional ghostwriter Karl Ristoff, a "middle-aged white man," to take over writing the blog just as Coretta is offered a chance at her own TV show. And Karl does--almost too well and with some nasty ethical repercussions. Authors Baker and Hastie tell a jovial-enough yarn about an innocent-enough racial, gender, and age ventriloquism act that goes humiliatingly awry. But, like too many adults writing fiction for teens, they try too hard to be hilariously hip, and it shows. As the kids say nowadays, that's not OK. (Fiction. 14-18)

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December 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Coretta White is a bright 17-year-old black girl whose new "Little White Lies" Tumblr-an expose of her clueless and awkward parents-has gone viral virtually overnight. She finds herself stuck between celebrity and success, unable to keep up with the demands for new content. She secretly hires a ghostwriter, Karl-a 41-year-old white man. Now, with thousands of followers and a TV deal in the works, Coretta must decide if she can stand the guilt of her false successes. The protagonist eventually confesses, and she loses everything-her media deal, boyfriend, and reputation-while she watches Karl get all the recognition and step into her place in the limelight. This book offers a modern teenage dream in real time that ultimately leads to a crash and burn-proving that people are not always what they appear. At times, this novel reads like a trendy gossip magazine, but the fun, quick pace and strong female protagonist elevate it. Coretta's parents, refreshingly, aren't the typical absent parents of YA. VERDICT This book screams pop culture but may also spark deeper discussions about cultural appropriation and honesty.-Christina Pesiri, Michael F. Stokes Elementary School Library, Island Trees-Levittown NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 Because she can no longer idly sit by and consume the Little White Lies that her parents tell, Coretta channels her frustration into a debut blog post about power, politics, mixed-race identity, Afros, and Rosa Parks. The blog goes viral, and Coretta's 4.0, extracurriculars, college apps, and relationships begin to falter. Desperate, she hires Karl, a social media wordsmith, as a ghostwriter, and the middle-aged white man pulls off impersonating an African American teenage girl. When the billionaire Skool twins give Coretta her own TV show, she and Karl are confronted with a challenge neither ever expected. Written in alternating she-saidhe-said chapters by comedian Baker and real-life ghostwriter Hastie, this is an over-the-top, ripped-from-the-headlines morality tale sure to be in demand by media-savvy teens familiar with Bey and Kanye, #BlackTwitter and white privilege, after-school altruism, and scam laptop donations to Africa. Today's brave new world demands more than just the three Rs; Baker and Hastie prove revenge and redemption are requirements, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)