Okay but do I ever get to find out what happened to Mazzie's mother?!? ( )

Boarding school. Young love and lust. Poor grades. Unexplained night terrors. At first glance, this novel seems to be the perfect setup for the average young adult love story, and in the first half of the novel, it fulfills that cliché to a T. However, after quite a bit of typical romance and teenager confusion, the plot truly takes off and questions begin to develop about the main character, Emily Meckler’s, life views, plans, and overall background. I was entirely disappointed in Warman’s inability to tie all aspects of the plot together in order to make a cohesive book; however, the plot did keep me interested enough to read until the last page. I would not recommend the book unless you want a slow and possibly bad introduction to the world of young adult mystery novels.
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I enjoyed this book for many reasons. I think Warman does a great job of writing characters with secrets. Emily was an interesting choice for a protag, but I did like how truly naive she was, because I think a lot of girls really are that way. I was not expecting the pregnancy story line at all, it completely surprised me. I am not sure if I liked or didn't like the lack of focus on the pregnancy itself, the issue felt like it was pushed under the rug.
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The mention of the night terrors was what got me to read this book. I thought it might have some paranormal aspects to it because of that, but Where the Truth Lies is definitely a contemporary. So after I realized this, I basically had no idea where the book was headed and I was very surprised by where the book went.

This book was so strange. I didn't expect it to go in the direction it did, and while I was reading I kept hoping the main character would wake up and it all was a nightmare, but that never happened. Unfortunately.

One of my problems were the characters. They all annoyed at some point. Emily was the one I didn't have much of a problem with, but her 3 friends Stephanie, Franny, and Grace seemed so... weird. They treated each other like they would a little kid. They would always call each other 'hon' or 'sweetie' or would have 'cuddle time'. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I found that strange. They would be mad at each other for something, and then the next minute they would be fine. Emily and Stephanie were the two that really annoyed me the most.

Del was just a shady character to begin with and I don't know why Emily even got involved with him. But I was intrigued by how Del seemed to know more about Emily than she knew herself.

Overall I found the story interesting enough to finish, but it just left me wondering what I just read. ( )

Lately I've been reading a lot of books that are good, but not great. All that changed with WHERE THE TRUTH LIES. Jessica Warman had me totally and completely engrossed in Emily's story. I even spent dinner explaining to a patient friend what was happening in Emily's life - how compelling, yet shady I found the curiously named Del Sugar, my hypotheses about the secrets the various characters were hiding, and my fears regarding how the novel would end. I was, in short, consumed.

Poor Emily... she just can't get a break. There were very few times when I could confidently say that I knew what was going to happen next... and half of those times I still wasn't right. The more I read, the less I'm surprised by novels. That is, I feel that I've become more adept at noticing small details and interpreting foreshadowing, which means that I usually have a basic idea of how the novel will end. With WHERE THE TRUTH LIES, I honestly thought I knew where the clues were leading, but I hadn't even started to imagine all the lies and twists that were so intricately knotted around Emily and her past.

It almost seems like it'd be easy to judge Emily... for the reader to shake her head and think sadly, she was warned. But I felt as though I was there with Emily... and I was thinking, right along with her, but.... But they don't know him. But they don't know me. They just don't know. I know. And I understood her choices... her fears. Life is not simple and that fact is abundantly clear as Emily's story progresses.

Relationships are an important part of this novel. What makes a family? A best friend? A boyfriend? A true love? A mother? Yet none of these ideas are defined. Instead they are given a vague sort of shape, that can shift to fit to even the most unexpected individual... or the person you should have expected all along.

WHERE THE TRUTH LIES is a companion novel, but it isn't necessary to have read BREATHLESS before delving into this story. But I can assure you that you will want to have both novels on hand. You won't want to leave behind Warman's gorgeous writing... and, regardless, her characters will refuse to let you go. ( )