***SHORTLISTED FOR THE CARNEGIE MEDAL 2016*** ***WINNER OF THE INAUGURAL AMNESTY CILIP HONOUR 2016*** Lie #1: I'm not afraid Lie #2: I'm sure I'm doing the right thing Lie #3: I don't care what they think of me Its 1959. The battle for civil rights is raging. And its Sarahs first day of school as one of the first black students at previously all-white Jefferson High. No one wants Sarah there. Not the Governor. Not the teachers. And certainly not the students especially Linda, daughter of the towns most ardent segregationist. Sarah and Linda are supposed to despise each other. But the more time they spend together, the less their differences matter. And both girls start to feel something theyve never felt before. Something theyre determined to ignore. Because its one thing to stand up to an unjust world but another to be terrified of whats in your own heart. The main characters are terrific in what is a moving YA novel. And an important one. The Telegraph This is so thought-provoking it almost hurts to read it, yet every word is needed, is necessary and consequently this is a novel that lingers long after you've finished it' Lovereading This is an emotional and compelling read that I did not want to put down. It is []beautifully written and the tension just simmers on the pages. Bookbabblers This book packs a very powerful punch Historical Novel Society With great characterisation, tough issues covered, and a plot which had me guessing right up until the last pages, this is a must-read. Massively recommended! The Bookbag This exceptional novel of first love and sexual awakenings is set against a backdrop of shocking racism and prejudice. It is incredibly well written as the tense, riveting story seamlessly combines fiction with historical fact. Booktrust *A Goodreads Choice Awards semi-finalist 2014*

 

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards

This book has been graded for interest at 11 years.

There are 384 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2014 by HarperCollins Publishers .

Other contributing authors include Suzanne Young, Marieke Nijkamp, Robin Talley, Stephanie Kuehn, E. C. Myers, Tim Floreen, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Justina Ireland, and Brandy Colbert.