Title: Deadly Little Lies
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Year of Publication: 2009
Genre: YA, mystery
Pages: 282
First Line: "I've been having trouble sleeping."
Summary: Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, the mysterious new boy at school who turned out to have a very mysterious gift -- psychometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry, and experiencing her own strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow rubbed off on her. Can the power of psychometry be transferred?
Even once Ben returns to school, Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Despite the romantic tension between them, Ben remains aloof, avoiding contact. Then, when a series of eerie warnings echoes the threats of last semester -- and Ben just withdraws further -- Camelia makes the painful decision to let him go, and move on. Adam, the new guy at her after-school job, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. Adam is easygoing and really seems to care about her.
But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events turns up secrets from Ben's past -- and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it's up to Camelia to figure out who -- before it's too late.
(Source: Back of book)
Review: I read the first of this series awhile ago and didn't bother to reread it before I picked this up (which is the first of its line of sequels). Usually that will be a problem for me because I read so much and stories sort of get blended together unless they were really excellent, but the simplicity of the characters in these novels make it so it doesn't really matter and the plot is memorable enough so that I could piece together what I had forgotten to read this one. While the plot seems pretty relevant throughout the book -- enough so for there to even have this story told -- I'm not sure I had that feeling when I finished it. I certainly expected something much more than what resulted and was kind of disappointed. Characters were pretty flat, including Camelia. They had their personality and stuck to it, with little mirroring of how people really work, with more than just one straight personality.
The writing itself isn't terribly gripping but interesting enough to keep reading. I did find that Ben and Camelia's relationship mirrors something (in so far as the we-can't-but-we-must-ness) similar in my own life, so while it was kind of annoying and felt unrealistic, I knew it was in fact quite realistic.
Probably worth a read if you read the first and plan on reading the next in the series, Deadly Little Games. Don't expect anything spectacular out of this -- or probably the next -- book, though.
Worst part: I was really disappointed with the main problem's ending. It felt really irrelevant -- almost as if it were only there to give a place for the sub plots to develop, which I expect will be more major in the next book.
Best part: I was surprised with the whole Ben/Camelia/Adam thing. I found that was much better done than the individual characters and, as a group, the three were more realistic.
Grade: B
Other Books by This Author: Project 17, Deadly Little Secret, Bleed, Blue Is for Nightmares, White Is for Magic, Silver Is for Secrets, Red Is for Remembrance, and Black Is for Beginnings
Other notes: Anyone have any comments on the X Is for Y series? I've been considering reading them, but haven't heard anything positive of negative about them. I don't want to invest in a series if it's not going to be any good....
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