Book Review + Giveaway: Where The Truth Lies by Jessica Warman

Where The Truth Lies by Jessica Warman

Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: Available Now
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Pages: 320
Source: Received from publicist for honest review (Blog Tour)

Summary: On the surface, Emily Meckler leads the perfect life. She has three best friends, two loving parents, and the ideal setup at the Connecticut prep school where her father is the headmaster. But Emily also suffers from devastating nightmares about fire and water, and nobody knows why. Then the enigmatic Del Sugar enters her life, and Emily is immediately swept away—but her passionate relationship with Del is just the first of many things that aren't quite what they seem in Emily's life. As the lies she's been told start to unravel, Emily must set out to discover the truth regarding her nightmare; on a journey that will lead her to question everything she thought she knew about love, family, and her own idyllic past. This companion novel to Warman's critically acclaimed Breathless proves that sometimes the biggest lies are told to the people you love the most.

My Review: Where The Truth Lies was a novel about friendship, family and detrimental secrets. These underlying lies had the capacity to spin an individual's life into a web of uncertainty and distrust. In presenting this concept, Jessica introduced a sequenced plot with nail-biting anticipation. Another well-executed aspect was the evolvement of main and secondary characters. The combination of personality qualities and flaws eased my character connection. Emily, daughter of her school's headmaster, was good-hearted by nature. Labeled as a "goody, goody" by her peers, Emily was an ordinary student who sought out love and attention from her friends and family. The friends within her circle were versatile and realistic. Each girl had her own problem that derived a minor story within this twisted world of unexpected events.

I really loved Renee, it was a friendship that blossomed out of nowhere. Her non-judgmental aura was admirable and a crutch for Emily. However, not every person in this novel had a good effect on Emily. When Del Sugar transferred into her existence, a level of love and spontaneity blinded her choices. His shady exterior identified him as bad news. But, in the end everyone in this novel carried a deep flaw that induced individual growth and actions for better survival. Overall, I read this book in two sittings. The inclination of truth behind each background grabbed my heart strings and wouldn't let go. Jessica's style was also detailed yet simplistic at the same time. A type of effort that's natural in engrossing the reader from beginning to end.

My Rating: (4.5)

Interested in this book? Bloomsbury was kind enough to give one of my readers a chance to win Where The Truth Lies. Thank you Kate! Check out details below..

CONTEST IS CLOSED.

::Contest Details::

-One person will win a copy of Where The Truth Lies.
-This contest is for U.S. residents only.
-Deadline will be on November 15, 2010 at midnight EST time.

(Please enter through form and not comments, thanks!)
!! FILL THIS FORM OUT TO ENTER !!

Author's Info:

Jessica Warman is also the author of Breathless. She has an MA increative writing and studied at prep school and Yale. She is in her twenties, a marathon runner, and a mother of two young girls. She lives in Pennsylvania.

For more info on Jessica, visit her site:

-Website