Parents' Guide to

One Great Lie

By Mary Cosola, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Moving tale of teen girl whose idol sexually harasses her.

Book Deb Caletti Coming of Age 2021
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What's the Story?

ONE GREAT LIE tells the story of Charlotte, a teen who's in love with books: reading them, talking about them, writing them. Literature is her passion, and Luca Bruni, one of the biggest names in modern literature, is her literary idol. She can't believe her luck when she's accepted on scholarship to an exclusive writing retreat he is running in Venice, Italy. Not only will she get to hone her skills and network with other talented young writers, but she also hopes to learn more about a female poet way back in her in family tree. Family lore has it that her ancestor is the true author of a famous and much-studied poem credited to a legendary Venetian male poet. The retreat takes place at Bruni's stunning villa, across the water from Venice and all the history and culture on offer there. After poking around on her free days, trying to figure out how to unearth information on her ancestor, Charlotte meets Dante, a college student who works in literary archives and restoration, who helps her in her research. At the writing program, Charlotte's energized by Bruni's advice and challenged by the writing prompts and feedback. The exciting, highly charged atmosphere turns dark when some of the writers start to question Bruni's actions and intentions. Charlotte's at war with herself, trying to figure out whether someone she idolizes could actually be a terrible person and wondering whom to believe. When she's directly affected by his behavior, everything is upended: her participation in the program, her research, her desire to write, and her self-confidence.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This compelling coming-of-age story about a teen attending a writing program in Italy tackles issues of what it takes be a writer, sexual harassment, and the treatment of women throughout history. In One Great Lie, author Deb Caletti does a good job of showing how strong, smart, creative women are often vilified for the very things their male counterparts are lauded for. Charlotte's a relatable and believable character. The reader can see the red flags in Luca Bruni's behavior, but we also see how easily people talk themselves out of believing bad things about others. The story accurately illustrates why women don't come forward when they've been sexually harassed. They doubt themselves and often are treated horribly when they tell the truth. When there's a power imbalance, such as a powerful, successful man taking advantage of younger women just starting their careers, it is all the more difficult for the victims.

Caletti also shows the beauty and power of writing and reading, with especially good insights into the creative mind of a writer. The plot line with Charlotte's poet ancestor is interesting, to a point. The two plot lines are bit much to follow, and the story goes too far into the poet's life, when more detail or a fuller resolution on the issue with Bruni would have been more satisfying. Switching between the story lines makes the pacing slow and the book a bit too long, but none of that overshadows the important messages in this book.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way famous men sometimes use their power and reputations to get away with treating people badly, as happens in One Great Lie. How do you feel when you see news stories about misdeeds by famous men? Do you believe the accusers? Do you think books and movies about this help people understand what it's like for the victims?

  • Do you feel you can separate a person's art or other creative work from them as an individual? Many iconic musicians, painters, and writers have been cruel or abusive to people in their lives. Does that ever diminish what you think of their work?

  • What are your passions? Do you have plans to pursue them as a career? What steps do you think you need to take to make it happen?

Book Details

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