Book Review: “Lie”

By Caroline Bock
St. Martin's Griffin, 2011
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Reviewed by Minerva Hernandez, 18
Texas

One of the questions we ask ourselves as we read books is whether we find the characters believable, whether they could be the everyday people, friends, family members. In the case of Lie, it is hard to believe the people whose story we share aren't real. Caroline Bock does not create a new world but rather seamlessly injects Skylar, Jimmy, Sean, Lisa Marie, Arturo, and Carlos, along with more minor characters, into ours.

This book is amazing not just because of its believability. The story told is one of sorrow. Lie is about racism against Latino immigrants, but it is driven by more than just that very powerful subject. It is about regret, loss, manipulation, faith in others, and most importantly, questioning our own motives.

"Everyone knew. No one told." is the motto of the group of characters after a weekend pastime of "beaner-hopping"—harassing and physically assaulting presumed illegal immigrants—goes too far. Now, two of the main characters, Jimmy and Sean, face jail time, and Skylar, Jimmy's girlfriend, wrestles with whether to tell what she knows.

This book sickened me. It made me angry, it made me sad, it made me doubt. It opened my eyes to flaws in the American justice system and how difficult it is to convict when such a motto is adopted. A crime is committed, and people are willing to stay quiet because their faith lies in those who do not deserve it.

This book is as delicate and beautiful as the protagonist, Skylar; it transcends the boundaries of racial intolerance and death. Above all, I learned that you must always remember that who you trust reflects upon yourself.