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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Review: Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen



Title: Little Black Lies
Author: Tish Cohen
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub. Date: 10/13/2009
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Popularity, Friends, Love, OCD, Divorce, Single Parents
Pages: 320
Plot (from back of ARC):
"Boston's most elite high school is a high-wire act and Sara Black is losing her balance.
Sara Black might as well be wearing a scarlet letter on her school uniform when she walks into Anton High for the first time. Anton is no ordinary public school - you can't even get in after freshman year (unless, like Sara, your dad is the janitor). But when nobody knows your past, you can become a whole new person.
For Sara, being new is the perfect escape from everything she's avoiding - like the fact that her mother has run off with her science teacher, and that her father's OCD is only barely under control. People even think she's from London, England, instead of Lundon, Massachusetts. But when one of the most popular girls at Anton starts looking into Sara's past, her little lies could come back to haunt her..."

I absolutely loved Little Black Lies! The main character, Sara, takes lying to a whole new level, and, while I don't think I could take it as far as she did, Tish Cohen mades it easy for me to understand Sara's actions.

I really appreciate that the author incorporated OCD into the plot. OCD is one of those conditions that everyone knows about, but many people haven't experienced first hand. I could imagine how debilitating it could be for the individual with OCD, but I never really considered the impact it could have on his or her family. Reading about Sara's father having OCD and the reactions of her high school classmates really made me think about how I would react in a similar situation as a onlooker or as a family member. It was actually really emotion and a lot more serious than I'd anticipated - I came very close to crying during a couple of passages.

While reading Little Black Lies, I was often frustrated with Sara. She seems to be a great girl with a lot going for her, but her low self-esteem and focus on what her peers think of her drive her to lie and do other horrible things. However, when Sara's past and her home life was revealed as I progressed through the book, I found myself sympathizing with her - even as she hurt the people that cared about her the most, and ultimately, herself. By the end of the book, I was proud of Sara's growth, she really came into her own!

Of course, I must mention the romance! There is a minor romantic plot line that I really enjoyed. It wasn't a main theme by any means, but it tied in well. I felt like the romance could have been explored a bit more, as the boy has a bit of a history that would have been nice to explore more. His story ended up being a lot less dramatic than I felt was originally implied.

Ratings (Out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 9
Writing: 10
Romance: 9
Originality: 10
Total: 48/50 (A)

I highly recommend Little Black Lies! I'm looking forward to seeing what Tish Cohen will release next and will definitely check out her already released titles.

Go here for a chance to win LITTLE BLACK LIES!



22 comments:

  1. This book sounds really interesting!
    I have been diagnosed with mild OCD and I know how hard it is for my family. I cannot imagine the effects severe OCD could have on a family/community.
    Since you said that the romantic plot was not explored deeply, it makes me think I'll be wanting a sequel by the time I finish this one!

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  2. Hi :)
    Thank you for the thoughtful review.
    Your review helped me decide to put Little Black Lies on my ToBeRead list.
    Thanks again,
    RKCharron
    xoxo

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  3. Really great review, you've definitely sparked my interest in reading this! I'd seen the cover around a few times but wasn't sure if it was my kind of book - you've convinced me otherwise. Need to read this now!

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  4. I saw this book reviewed on another site and thought it sounded good. I like that it includes a look at OCD. Very few books do. Thanks for the review.

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  5. I have been hearing good things about this book. I think I could relate to the story.

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  6. I'm glad it got a good review - I was wondering about it. Thanks.

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  7. First off, I really like this cover, there is so much going through my mind when I am looking at it. And the title is intriguing too! Great review!!

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  8. I just read another review of this, and you mentioned some things the other didn't. But you both still rated it highly, which I find encouraging. Great review!

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  9. I've seen this book around the Blogosphere and it sounds like a pretty good book. I hadn't read any reviews of it before now but I would really like to read this one now.

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  10. There are a lot more books coming out now that deal with mental health issues such as OCD and I think that's fabulous. They are so misunderstood and difficult to understand. I've read elsewhere as well that this book deals with that sensitively.

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  11. Wow! I wasn't expecting this one to get such a high rating from you! It's going on my TBR list now. It's not something I was immediately attracted to, but your review definitely opened my mind to it. Thanks!

    Natalie @ Mindful Musings

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  12. Wow, I don't usually find reviews very helpful (I generally prefer to just read a few pages). But this one really makes me want to read the book. Thanks for sharing.

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  13. I havent read any of Tish' books yet but this one sounds really good.

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  14. Woah this looks amazing. I love that this book has a character with OCD in it, they are usually very interesting people. And, I love that the main character lies, as bad as that sounds, lying makes for a great storyline. (Its a proven fact)

    Thanks for your review. It made me want to read this book even more. :)

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  15. I haven't yet heard of this book but it sounds like something In would enjoy.

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  16. This sounds very interesting. I don't know much about OCD and would like to learn more.

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  17. This book sounds great - very good review. I am going to recommend it to my teenage daughter!

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  18. Vary good review. This book sounds vary interesting.

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  19. Nice review, it sounds like a cool book!

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  20. Fantastic review. You definitely made me want to read it.

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  21. Great review! I think sometimes, we just have to let go, and be who we really are.

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  22. This book sounds really good. I have to get a copy of this!

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