Judy Blundell's What I Saw and How I Lied

"Truth, justice...I always thought they were absolutes, like God. And Mom. And apple pie.
But you could make apple pie from Ritz crackers. You could make cakes without sugar. We learned how to fake things, during the war." (p 249)

I always fall for it; no matter how old I get, I'm always going to be a bit of a sucker when it comes to coming-of-age stories. Judy Blundell's What I Saw and How I Lied was no exception. The story revolves around a teenage girl's first love and her family's dark secrets. Blundell eloquently paints the pictures, writing from the perspective of Evie - a sixteen-year-old with a war veteran step-father and a head-turning mother.

When Joe (step-father) suddenly sends the family on a trip to Florida, the past is hot on their heels. The worst part? I saw it coming...I saw it coming for pages and I didn't want to admit what would happen.

Don't worry...I wont spoil it. It's an easy read, with small pages and large font. But don't let it fool you! It maybe written for young adult readers, but the story is captivating anyway. As an adult I saw it all unfolding from Evie's perspective and it broke my heart for her.

But as you might hope in a true coming-of-age tale, Evie rises to the occasion. There is certainly no "happily ever after" here. However, Evie concludes her story, now a "truth teller" and much "tougher" for having been through it all.

This book will take you back; that is, it will take you back if you were ever the awkward type. If you found love and romance and popularity easily...well, good for you. However, most people I know at least claim some solidarity with the awkward duckling-to-swan types. And many of us will gladly admit that there isn't always such a dramatic swan transformation...and I think Blundell does a nice job of avoiding that cliche, as well.

Oh, and this was a little PG-13 for the reading level. I was surprised at some of the detail. It wasn't too much or even Harlequin-esque for me, but I would probably have a fit if I had a preteen reading it...But it's honest.

Overall, an interesting novel exploring first love, loyalty, post World War II sentiments, hate and deception.