When Sara Black’s OCD father lands a job as a janitor at the elite Anton High, Sara, a junior, is given the opportunity to enroll in the school. Most students have to enroll freshman year. Anton High School is a change from the public high school life she was accustomed to. Most of Anton’s students come from privileged lifestyles, so when Sara’s classmates mistakenly believe she comes from London, England, instead of Lundon, Massachusetts, she goes along with it. She also does not tell her classmates that the janitor is her father or that her mother ran off with her old science teacher. Soon, however, some of Sara’s classmates feel their popularity is threathened by Sara, and her black lies soon catch up to her…
The best thing about Little Black Lies was Cohen’s ability to slowly reveal details about Sara’s family life, which added up to the bigger picture. These details were scattered around the book, but each time they perfectly flowed with whatever was happening at the moment. I loved reading about how Sara’s mother’s affair affected her father. Cohen’s portrayal of her father’s OCD was realistic. I also enjoyed reading about Sara’s relationship with her mother.
Sara’s classmates were reminiscent of Mean Girls, with Carling being the Queen Bee. Nothing too original, but entertaining nonetheless. I also really liked Leo, Carling’s boyfriend, who eventually became the love interest of Sara. Leo’s past with Sara’s lies were an interesting combination. I only had one major dislike about Little Black Lies. From the beginning, Sara realized her lies were wrong, yet she continued to consciously dig herself into a deeper hole, which completely frustrated me. Despite this, however, I still enjoyed the novel and wanted a sequel. This says a lot considering I am horrible when it comes to finishing series.
Fans of Mean Girls should be sure to look into Little Black Lies.
Related Links
Amazon
Powell’s
Tish Cohen’s site
Tower of Books 