 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
What I Saw and How I Lied
- By Judy Blundell
- Genre: Mystery
Common Sense Media says
Sophisticated, mature mystery better for older teens.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this National Book Award winner has references to and discussions of adulterous sex, a man almost has sex with a minor, and two minors begin to have sex but don't finish, this last incident described somewhat graphically. Also, all the adults smoke constantly and drink, sometimes to excess, and they lie, cheat, steal, and may get away with murder.
What's the story?
Just after WWII, Evie's stepfather, a just-returned soldier, drives Evie and her mother, Bev, from their home in Queens to Palm Beach, ostensibly for a vacation. There they meet, apparently coincidentally, a handsome young man whom Joe knew in the war, and Evie promptly begins falling in love with him. But she also begins to see that there are layers of secrets surrounding him, Joe, and Bev. And when tragedy occurs, and her parents are put on trial for a terrible crime, Evie has decide what is true, whom to believe, and what to do with that knowledge.
Is it any good?
It can be hard to define the difference between adult and young-adult fiction, and this noir-ish mystery, set in the '40s, certainly skirts the line, wherever that may be. Infused with ambiguous and questionable morality, driven by sexual awakening and relationships, and set in a period with very different values from those that prevail today, adults will find as much to enjoy in this riveting drama as older teens.
Author Judy Blundell, whose previous books are mostly Star Wars novels, here shows a confidence and sure touch when dealing with a very different type of book. The characterizations of both major and secondary characters are clear and vivid, the sense of place and time is palpable, and the mystery, though predictable, is compelling. The postwar era is evoked with a light touch, though the constant smoking by nearly all of the characters, while realistic, gets a bit tedious after a while. Nonetheless, it's an auspicious debut into the world of literary fiction.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about what separates a YA novel from an adult novel. This noir-ish mystery, set in the '40s, certainly skirts the line, wherever that may be. Which category would you put it in?
Parents can talk about the differing values between the time depicted in the book and now. What parts would be less likely to happen now? What things were normal then and unusual now? Have we advanced or gone backwards since then? Why have these things changed?
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AGE
This book was chosen by my daughter's literature circle at school. My daughter is 9, one of the girls in her group is 9 and one is 11 (Montessori mixed ages). I didn't think twice about it since it was a school book. When the other nine year old's mother called me saying her daughter was in tears over the ickyness of the book, I read a few chapters and was immediately concerned. I came to this website and read the information in the What to Watch section and was completely shocked! It is so not appropriate for a 4th grader! I do not believe in banning books or censorship of any kind, however, age-appropriateness is very important. Needless to say I sent an email to the teacher letting her know my daughter would not be reading any more of this book. This book is definitely for teens and older.
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AGE
Good Book, for Older Kids
"What I Saw and How I Lied" talks about the war, and how stereotypes and prejudice still existed in the 40's about the Jewish people, and African American people. There was some "iffy" content, but Blundell never went into detail, and it was most definitely NOT the focus of the book. Evie's views of her parents transform from people that she wanted to grow up to be, into people that she began to despise as a result of the things they did. In the end, this is a good book about the consequences that war has, and how a small little mistake, or white lie, or deception by one, or even two members of the family influence, affect, and rub off on other family members. Very real message, and in the end, when Evie may not be the most likeable character, or the best role model, at least she realizes it too.
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AGE
Great book for 12+
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is full of deatails about what it was like after the war. At some parts the book is kind of depressing, but it gives a realistic view. The message is: be yourself and don't try to grow up to fast.
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AGE
Good book for 13+
book was okay. i just finished it and i'm 13. i dont know why its a 15. the role models arent good in the book though because they are always smoking!!
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AGE
a good book club book
For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I love the style Blundell used to compose this novel. The characters are interesting and your thoughts about most of them change as the book progresses. It was very engaging and held my interest up until the last several chapters, which I thought were drawn out too long. The ending was what stopped me from rating this book 4 stars. I wasn’t altogether pleased with the ending, because the reader is left to decide what the truth is behind all the lies and stories. However, some might like this aspect. I would recommend this novel for teens from 13 to 15. There is smoking, but only by adults. Also, there is a little bit of swearing mixed in and two sex scenes. There is discrimination against Jews twice as well.
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AGE
Anybody in teens older
I love this book and I'm really glad that I took the time to read it
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AGE
I really enjoyed this book.... It is an amazing vivid picture of what it was like afte rthe war and what people went through to cover the truth she lied to a bunch of people about love her mother and step dad and lied under oath in the end she feels shes done bettter done right but she'll still always be haunted by the love she lost not only for Peter but for her parents and hey grandmother and for herself
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Kid, 12 years old
June 24, 2010
AGE
i love this book!!!!!!!!!!
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AGE
perfect love story
i loved the book!!! because it was full of drama and love between evie and peter.
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| Author: | Judy Blundell |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Mystery |
| Publisher: | Scholastic Press |
| Publication date: | November 1, 2008 |
| Number of pages: | 284 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 12 |
| Read aloud: | 15 |
| Read alone: | 15 |
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