The Book of Lies

August 1, 2017

Gr 7-10-A thriller fantasy novel complete with ferocious hounds, a chilling moor landscape, and mysterious twin sisters separated at birth. Told in alternating chapters, readers learn that Quinn Blackwood lives a harsh life on the moors under the watchful and disapproving eye of her grandmother. She is often punished and warned of her darker element, but has no grasp of its meaning. Piper lives a lavish life filled with many friends, a doting father, and a present mother. When the twins' mother is mysteriously attacked and killed by a pack of dogs, Piper and Quinn are secretly reunited at her funeral. Piper's boyfriend, Zak, is the only other person to know about the discovery and assists them in uncovering their family history. As the twins trade places to learn about each other's lives, Piper discovers vulnerabilities in Quinn and Quinn becomes aware of Piper's uncanny ability to lie and manipulate others. Quinn is increasingly drawn to Zak but committed to exploring a loving relationship with a sibling. When Quinn returns to Dartmoor, she dreams of a frantic chase by hounds while Piper dreams more frequently of the hunt and the taste for blood. One twin is drawn to the kill, and Quinn's darkness may have been misread. Several flashbacks draw readers to the origins of the Blackwood curse. Terry weaves elements of time travel, witches, cursed hounds, and betrayal in a style that is heavier on mystery and relatable characters. VERDICT A great addition for those who enjoy thrillers or fantasy fiction.-Monica Cabarcas, Albemarle High School, Charlottesville, VA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2017
When identical twins tell each other lies, the result could be deadly.Piper has led a posh life in Winchester, England, with loving parents, popularity in school, and boyfriend Zak (the only character of color) at her beck and call. Her identical twin, Quinn, was raised by their eccentric, fortuneteller grandmother in remote Dartmoor, never attended school, and only saw their mother, Isobel, sparingly. Because Isobel kept them separated, the 17-year-olds first meet at her funeral. Quinn wants to know all about the father she never had; Piper wants to know Quinn's mysterious background. The twins' mutual curiosity and suspicion instantly set a mood of intrigue in this thriller, which alternates their perspectives in short, first-person chapters. Reluctantly agreeing to work together to piece together their pasts, Piper and Quinn discover a bond forged through shared dreams of darkness, an inheritance, and a family curse. Readers must constantly guess who is manipulating whom as secrets and lies mount in an effort to claim the inheritance--by any means necessary. Murky bogs, stormy moors, haunted woods, and supernatural beings add to the intensity and sinister atmosphere. With elements of gothic literature (and a few references to Wuthering Heights), this story could serve as a bridge to gothic classics. Thriller readers may simply enjoy the creepy mystery. (Thriller. 13-17)

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April 23, 2007
M
oloney (A Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove
) starts off with an interesting premise before meandering into pedestrian fantasy territory. A boy is brought to an orphanage and implanted with a false memory and given the name Marcel. He meets a girl named Bea who tells him of the magician Lord Alwyn who lives in the tower above the orphanage. Bea shows Marcel a book created by Lord Alwyn when he was “Master of the Royal Books”; this “book of lies” magically displays any spoken words that are untrue. Then a note arrives from someone claiming to be a friend of Marcel’s father, asking him to flee; Marcel and three friends manage to escape the orphanage. He and a girl named Nicola learn that they are siblings—and heirs to the throne, which is currently held by the usurper Pelham who ousted their parents. Starkey, the man who wrote the note to Marcel, enlists their help in freeing the “real” king and queen; his motives seem suspicious from the start, making the tale’s twist less than surprising. Opening chapters are atmospheric and creepy, and the book of lies itself is one of the most fascinating characters. However, clichés abound—lengthy travel sequences, prophecies of doom, complex monarchial trees—which may disappoint some readers in the end. Ages 8-12.

July 1, 2018
Quinn and Piper are identical twins, although they first meet at their mother's funeral when they're seventeen. The girls share a face and want many of the same things, but it is their differences and the perils of falsehoods and half-truths that may be the undoing of one of them. A twist-and-turn psychological thriller in alternating narratives slowly reveals the dark supernatural elements at play.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)