ARC Review: Lies We Tell Ourselves - Robin Talley

Title: Lies We Tell Ourselves
Author: Robin Talley
Pub Date: September 30th 2014
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Page Count: 304

In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily.

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town’s most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept “separate but equal.”

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another.

Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.

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Beautiful, moving and a story that'll make you feel grateful for all that you have. - Nova @ Out of Time

This book was incredibly moving and so strong. Most of the time people question why I read teenfiction. "Omigod, you read Twilight?" "Go read classics or something!" Snobby book people. Don't love them, but you gotta have them somewhere. This book is what I want to shove in their faces. This is why I read. These kinds of books that educate a seemingly ignorant teen like me and make me feel like "yeah, there is a purpose to all the books I read." It was so powerful, so moving and maybe if all the teens at my school read this, I would hear the N-word a little (or a lot!) less.

The contrast between personalities in this book is mainly what I love. And these two characters are so different but they've both got to be so brave. Sarah is going to a school full of whites and is getting all the hate. She's gotta stay strong through that.
However, on the other side, Linda is a raised white girl who's got to go against the norm. I really connected with Linda because there are a lot of things I was taught to (and I do) believe in that other people will call me an asshole for. I'm not racist or anything considered "bad" but I have certain views that can (it's more like a will) piss people off because #MyUnpopularOpinion. Am I as brave as Linda and am willing to come out for what I believe in? Hell no. I'm still a scared teen and people will judge me, but Linda is someone I would want to be like.

Can you imagine going back on everything you've been taught in society because what is right isn't what's being done? While Sarah's experiencing abuse, Linda's got just as much to handle. These characters were just so developed and so moving.

I don't think this story was meant to be twisty or turny. I'm kind of glad. I got to experience everything head on. The first chapter, I cried. I was sobbing at how cruel it was back then. I cannot stand the N-word. Like I've said a lot in my fourteen years but the N-word is NOT one of them. I don't know; there's just something so disgusting about that derogatory term. And to hear it being used like fifteen times in the first chapter broke my heart. I knew there, that it was most likely going to be a book I would love. And I did. The writing was so real and so captivating. I pretty much loved everything.

However, I didn't really like the GirlxGirl part. Before you get typing-happy with your hate comments, it's not what you think. I didn't like it because there was so much going on. Racism is such a big deal to me. I'm not even kidding. So there was so much going on with the racism, it was like the author wanted to add more tension or maybe QUILTBAG empowerment, which is fine, but didn't work out. Instead of Racism being the topic, it was split 50/50 and then both topics (which are really big) got a little less emphasized. It also seemed a little rushed, though the part where they were both confused was a nice touch (and I assume), very realistic.

Overall, this book will stay in my memory for a long time as something that (I hope) has made me a better person. Maybe one day we'll just learn to accept everyone for who they are. Black, white, gay, straight. I don't know. This book makes me think life would be a easier that way.

Robin's Goodreads | Twitter | Website |

I grew up in Roanoke, Virginia, and escaped to Washington, D.C., at the first opportunity. I now live with my wife, our antisocial cat, and our goofy hound dog on Capitol Hill and work for a progressive nonprofit organization. I spend my nights and weekends writing young adult fiction about LGBT characters, reading books, and enjoying The Daenerys Show (you may know it as Game of Thrones).

My first novel, Lies We Tell Ourselves, will be released Sept. 30, 2014, by Harlequin Teen. It's set in 1959 Virginia, and it's about a black girl who's one of the first to integrate an all-white high school, and the white girl with whom she ultimately falls in love. My next book, Unbreakable, follows a high school couple -- Gretchen, who identifies as a lesbian, and Toni, who identifies as genderqueer -- whose relationship is tested when they're separated for their first year of college.

My website is at http://www.robintalley.com. You can reach me on Twitter at @robin_talley or by email at robintalley678 at gmail.com.