Where the Truth Lies: Review

Title: Where the Truth Lies
Author: Jessica Warman
Release Date: September 2010
Published By: Walker Books
Pages: 320
Goodreads Rating: 3.76 stars


Review: Emily leads a seemingly perfect life attending a Connecticut prep school: she has three best friends, a kind headmaster father, and a loving mother. Her intense nightmares are the only sign that not all is right. But when the enigmatic Del Sugar shows up, she's swept away in a passionate romance. With Del comes discoveries, not the least of which being secrets about herself and her past. They unravel her perfect life and lead her on a journey where she questions love, family, and her own history.

Don't be fooled by the idyllic cover - this book contains a raw story that packs a powerful punch. The prose is simple yet effective, each word conveying every emotion needed. Though this isn't often the case with contemporary novels, the plot was suspenseful and could sometimes border on emotionally draining, but in a good way. Everything about WHERE THE TRUTH LIES makes you feel, from the honestly portrayed characters to the twists in the story.

The characters were all developed fully, with their good and bad sides clearly on display. Each has their own heart-wrenching story, but I didn't find this getting in the way of the plot itself. Similar to the characters themselves, the relationships between them were rather complex as well and had their ups and downs. Del was definitely not the perfect dream nice guy mothers would wish upon their daughters, and this was shown without being preachy or overbearing.

This book is a heart-breaker. While I didn't cry or tear up when I read this, it pulled on my heart strings all the same and I can see how others would cry during this. Grabbing you from the first page and never letting go, WHERE THE TRUTH LIES is a gritty, honest account of a girl exploring her hidden past and growing up in the process.