Title: The Truth About Faking
Author: Leigh Talbert Moore
Number of Pgs. 328 ebook
Publication date: September 1, 2012
Genre: YA
Genre: YA
How I got the copy: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
From Goodreads:
Jason just wants a date with Harley.
Harley just wants a date with Trent.
Trent's still getting over Stephanie.
When Harley and Jason decide to fake date, they uncover a school of deceptions. Trent's got a secret, but so does Jason. And the more time Harley spends secretly kissing her fake boyfriend, the further she gets from her dreams with Trent.
Worst of all, Harley's mom is getting cozy with her hot massage therapy student, and even Harley's Reverend Dad can't fake not being bothered by it. But when the masks finally come off, can everyone handle the real truth?
I've been using a new way of reviewing that I saw over at Making the Grade. It breaks the book down and makes it easier to rate. The way it works is each category gets a score out of ten points. Then you add them all up + 50 (50% automatically for each book) and that's your score out of 100.
Plot 8/10: This book sounds like it would be a love triangle, but it's more of a love pentagon. It's also very realistic to how relationships work in high school where everyone dates each other's exes. I remember my senior year I worked at Applebees and it seemed like every week a couple would break up and go out with new coworkers. Things got messy, just like they did in this book. Although I did figure out the big twist before it happened, my interest never faded. I had to find out how it would all end! The plot was cute and fun one moment and then it would touch on a serious topic. It's great when books can do that without loosing the light feeling of the book.
Characters 9/10: I liked that Harley actually had parents and some morals! That alone made her stand out from other YA books. At first I kept picturing my brother's dog everytime someone said Harley in the book. Once I got over that I was able to picture the cheerleading reverand's daughter who is pretty, but still feels like she's stuck in her awkward teen phase. She was instantly likeable...her friend Shelly, not so much. Shelly disreguards everyone's feelings and blames her parent's divorce on her behavior. She's known Harley since Kindergarden and yet she doesn't realize she's hurting her? Either that or she just was selfish which made me hate her. Jason was exactly what every girl wants-minus the Gremlin, his rusty car with no AC. He's funny, charming, assertive, and actually cares about Harley. Oh and he's hot (just look at the cover). Trent seemed a little bland to me, but I guess I could see why Harley would be interested in him.
Setting 10/10: Since it's contempt it's mostly her house, school, and town, but I liked the idea of it being a cute and safe little town where everyone knows each other. And the scenes by the lake were my favorite. The skinny dipping incident made me giggle.
Pacing 10/10: It starts off with action and humor which is the best way to start a book, in my opinion. It reminded me of the beginning of Of Poseidon where I'm smiling right away as the two main characters meet in a funny way.
Style 10/10: I couldn't believe this was a self-published book. The quality of writing was so high. I loved that it felt authentic to a high schooler. All of Harley's thoughts, feelings, and actions seemed so realistic. She writes similarly to one of my favorite authors, Sarah Dessen. She tucks a few messages/life lessons in there when you're not looking. Like the message about accepting change in our lives. I was thinking about it this morning while I brushed my hair with my brush that has been broken for 3 years. I hate change and haven't replaced the brush because I like the one I have even if I constantly have to worry about it flying off the handle and landing in the toilet. Harley has dreamt of being with Trent for years and she's having a hard time accepting she can change her mind and be with Jason. She grew up with Trent and he is familiar, her feelings for him are familiar. Jason makes her feel out of that comfort zone so she fights against it. There were a few other messages, but I'll let you discover them.
Final Thoughts: If you're looking for a fun, cute, light read this is it! I see this book going far if enough bloggers read it and get the word out. So you should pick it up before it gets popular...so you were one of the cool ones who found it first! I hope L.T.M. write some more because I would totally read another book of hers. I know I said I wasn't going to read any indie books, but this one was so good, I'm starting to rethink that decision.
Total: 97/100
