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Lies My Girlfriend Told Me
When Alix's charismatic girlfriend, Swanee, dies from sudden cardiac arrest, Alix is overcome with despair. As she searches Swanee's room for mementos of their relationship, she finds Swanee's cell phone, pinging with dozens of texts sent from a mysterious contact, L.T. The most recent text reads: "Please tell me what I did. Please, Swan. Te amo. I love you."
Shocked and betrayed, Alix learns that Swanee has been leading a double life--secretly dating a girl named Liana the entire time she's been with Alix. Alix texts Liana from Swanee's phone, pretending to be Swanee in order to gather information before finally meeting face-to-face to break the news.
Brought together by Swanee's lies, Alix and Liana become closer than they'd thought possible. But Alix is still hiding the truth from Liana. Alix knows what it feels like to be lied to--but will coming clean to Liana mean losing her, too?
Shocked and betrayed, Alix learns that Swanee has been leading a double life--secretly dating a girl named Liana the entire time she's been with Alix. Alix texts Liana from Swanee's phone, pretending to be Swanee in order to gather information before finally meeting face-to-face to break the news.
Brought together by Swanee's lies, Alix and Liana become closer than they'd thought possible. But Alix is still hiding the truth from Liana. Alix knows what it feels like to be lied to--but will coming clean to Liana mean losing her, too?
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 10, 2014
111 people are currently reading
14320 people want to read
About the author
Julie Anne Peters
32 books1,717 followersJulie Anne Peters was born in Jamestown, New York. When she was five, her family moved to the Denver suburbs in Colorado. Her parents divorced when she was in high school. She has three siblings: a brother, John, and two younger sisters, Jeanne and Susan.
Her books for young adults include Define "Normal" (2000), Keeping You a Secret (2003), Luna (2004), Far from Xanadu (2005), Between Mom and Jo (2006), grl2grl (2007), Rage: A Love Story (2009), By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead (2010), She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not... (2011), It's Our Prom (So Deal with It) (2012), and Lies My Girlfriend Told Me (2014). Her young adult fiction often feature lesbian characters and address LGBT issues. She has announced that she has retired from writing, and Lies My Girlfriend Told Me will be her last novel. She now works full-time for the Colorado Reading Corps.
Her books for young adults include Define "Normal" (2000), Keeping You a Secret (2003), Luna (2004), Far from Xanadu (2005), Between Mom and Jo (2006), grl2grl (2007), Rage: A Love Story (2009), By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead (2010), She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not... (2011), It's Our Prom (So Deal with It) (2012), and Lies My Girlfriend Told Me (2014). Her young adult fiction often feature lesbian characters and address LGBT issues. She has announced that she has retired from writing, and Lies My Girlfriend Told Me will be her last novel. She now works full-time for the Colorado Reading Corps.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 636 reviews
April 8, 2017
Another book that I read completely on a whim and ended up loving! I just want to read all the F/F YA romances I can get my hands on tbh
June 21, 2015
i love this SO MUCH that i cannot read any of the one or two star reviews because i know i will end up vehemently arguing with people.
julie anne peters is important to me. when i was in high school, i kept keeping you a secret under my pillow and i think it's the book that made me finally visualize myself as a lesbian, with another girl. and i think she continues that here.
i gave this four stars because no, it's not a literary masterpiece or anything. the plot is solid, but fairly predictable. but there were points where i had to put my phone (kindle app) down because i was smiling and kicking my feet so hard. the fact that these are three gay girls comes so easy (by the way, NONE OF THEM have past boyfriends! or are worried about their girlfriend leaving them for a boy! there are no boys except dads or brothers in this book!!), and instead it's a drama that we've seen unfold in SO MANY hetero romantic movies. except with an added depth of realizing that the person they were unknowingly fighting over was kind of not good for them, and realizing what's different in a healthy, good relationship. and that's SO GOOD.
julie anne peters is important to me. when i was in high school, i kept keeping you a secret under my pillow and i think it's the book that made me finally visualize myself as a lesbian, with another girl. and i think she continues that here.
i gave this four stars because no, it's not a literary masterpiece or anything. the plot is solid, but fairly predictable. but there were points where i had to put my phone (kindle app) down because i was smiling and kicking my feet so hard. the fact that these are three gay girls comes so easy (by the way, NONE OF THEM have past boyfriends! or are worried about their girlfriend leaving them for a boy! there are no boys except dads or brothers in this book!!), and instead it's a drama that we've seen unfold in SO MANY hetero romantic movies. except with an added depth of realizing that the person they were unknowingly fighting over was kind of not good for them, and realizing what's different in a healthy, good relationship. and that's SO GOOD.
March 24, 2014
Review of ARC received at PLA, 2014:
Readers: please take note of this turning point in teen lit!
I loved this book. Mostly for what it is and what it represents than for the content itself. But what it represents in the broader context is so big, and so wonderful, it trumps any minor quibbles I may have with the plot and/or the writing.
The plot: A seventeen-year-old girl, Alix, is woken one morning by her parents telling her that her girlfriend, Swanee, has suddenly passed away. In the midst of her grieving, Alix comes across her dead girlfriend's cell phone and impulsively decides to take it. Alix quickly learns through observing text messages and missed calls that Swanee was clearly seeing another girl - who also very clearly doesn't know that Swanee has passed away. Enter drama, confusion, healing, love, and all the things that teen lit so typically is.
And THAT is what makes this book so amazing. It's just a teen book about romance and relationships and school and life. Not about being gay! There are minor references to when characters came out to their families and how their families are dealing, but it's in NO way central to the plot of this book. It's just a book about teen romance (and betrayal) that features lesbians as the main characters! How fabulous is that??
Julie Anne Peters' book very clearly illustrates how society is changing, and beautifully mirrors those changes that in this plot. And I'm not talking some kind of gay utopia high school a la Boy Meets Boy; this is the real deal. An actual setting (in Northern Colorado) with real characters and real issues that go beyond telling their friends & family that they like people of the same sex. This book discusses what happens (or might happen) next in a young LGBTQ teen's life AFTER that coming out...
This book is a clear barometer of how LGBTQ teen lit is changing on-the-whole. And I'm ridiculously thrilled about that! I can't wait for my library to own it so I can recommend it constantly to teens from all walks of life.
Thank you, Julie Anne Peters!!
Readers: please take note of this turning point in teen lit!
I loved this book. Mostly for what it is and what it represents than for the content itself. But what it represents in the broader context is so big, and so wonderful, it trumps any minor quibbles I may have with the plot and/or the writing.
The plot: A seventeen-year-old girl, Alix, is woken one morning by her parents telling her that her girlfriend, Swanee, has suddenly passed away. In the midst of her grieving, Alix comes across her dead girlfriend's cell phone and impulsively decides to take it. Alix quickly learns through observing text messages and missed calls that Swanee was clearly seeing another girl - who also very clearly doesn't know that Swanee has passed away. Enter drama, confusion, healing, love, and all the things that teen lit so typically is.
And THAT is what makes this book so amazing. It's just a teen book about romance and relationships and school and life. Not about being gay! There are minor references to when characters came out to their families and how their families are dealing, but it's in NO way central to the plot of this book. It's just a book about teen romance (and betrayal) that features lesbians as the main characters! How fabulous is that??
Julie Anne Peters' book very clearly illustrates how society is changing, and beautifully mirrors those changes that in this plot. And I'm not talking some kind of gay utopia high school a la Boy Meets Boy; this is the real deal. An actual setting (in Northern Colorado) with real characters and real issues that go beyond telling their friends & family that they like people of the same sex. This book discusses what happens (or might happen) next in a young LGBTQ teen's life AFTER that coming out...
This book is a clear barometer of how LGBTQ teen lit is changing on-the-whole. And I'm ridiculously thrilled about that! I can't wait for my library to own it so I can recommend it constantly to teens from all walks of life.
Thank you, Julie Anne Peters!!
June 28, 2016
Okay! So It's been a good 8 months since I read this book. I gave it a short little review expressing how much I didn't like it. But here's the thing, it's that book you hate that doesn't leave you and you can't stop thinking about your seething hatred.
This book is... awful. From the first page I didn't like the writing. It was extremely basic and I'm a genuinely sorry, but her name is Alix? Really? Was the author just trying to make her seem unique?
This book has a lot of problems to it, even small ones. First off, girlfriend that died (her name is also trying to make her seem unique) was horrible. She displayed abusive characteristics that just weren't addressed which REALLY bothered me.
Next, Alix texting the girl her girlfriend is cheating with, it was just awful of her. And I'm just gonna say it, other girlfriend is stupid. Girlfriend that died gave her a fake name but she somehow didn't connect that the name given to her that was almost identical to her real name, the name plastered on TV (without her picture somehow) wasn't the same girl. That is just unbelievable.
There was a moment she referred to the other girlfriend as her enemy and I was actually shocked. No, this girl is going through exactly what you did, she is in no way your enemy.
Next is that jab at open relationships. It was revealed that girlfriend that died parent's are in an open relationship and it was treated as the reason she had multiple girlfriends. Ok, I'm personally not polyamorous but I found this just to be really disrespectful since open relationships are 100% consensual and for it to be treated as a reason someone cheated is just disrespectful to all polyamorous people.
There's also a point where Alix refereed to girlfriend who died sister as a slut. The issue with this was that the sister was clearly going through trauma and was seeking attention from men. It wasn't 'she could put herself in danger with older men being a minor' this was 'wtf she's dressed like a slut'. Again, found that to be horrible.
It's a shame I didn't like this book. I was really excited about the book, I was excited about the mystery. But the mystery part was short and turned into some I hated, into one of my most hated books. I don't usually tell people to not read a book, but don't read this book. It's one of the worst books I've read. There are better lesbian books you could read, this is not one of them. This actually makes me want to not read the authors most popular book Keeping You A Secret'. Maybe it's better, maybe it'll make me break my kindle, I don't know. I'm just angry I wasted my time on this book
This book is... awful. From the first page I didn't like the writing. It was extremely basic and I'm a genuinely sorry, but her name is Alix? Really? Was the author just trying to make her seem unique?
This book has a lot of problems to it, even small ones. First off, girlfriend that died (her name is also trying to make her seem unique) was horrible. She displayed abusive characteristics that just weren't addressed which REALLY bothered me.
Next, Alix texting the girl her girlfriend is cheating with, it was just awful of her. And I'm just gonna say it, other girlfriend is stupid. Girlfriend that died gave her a fake name but she somehow didn't connect that the name given to her that was almost identical to her real name, the name plastered on TV (without her picture somehow) wasn't the same girl. That is just unbelievable.
There was a moment she referred to the other girlfriend as her enemy and I was actually shocked. No, this girl is going through exactly what you did, she is in no way your enemy.
Next is that jab at open relationships. It was revealed that girlfriend that died parent's are in an open relationship and it was treated as the reason she had multiple girlfriends. Ok, I'm personally not polyamorous but I found this just to be really disrespectful since open relationships are 100% consensual and for it to be treated as a reason someone cheated is just disrespectful to all polyamorous people.
There's also a point where Alix refereed to girlfriend who died sister as a slut. The issue with this was that the sister was clearly going through trauma and was seeking attention from men. It wasn't 'she could put herself in danger with older men being a minor' this was 'wtf she's dressed like a slut'. Again, found that to be horrible.
It's a shame I didn't like this book. I was really excited about the book, I was excited about the mystery. But the mystery part was short and turned into some I hated, into one of my most hated books. I don't usually tell people to not read a book, but don't read this book. It's one of the worst books I've read. There are better lesbian books you could read, this is not one of them. This actually makes me want to not read the authors most popular book Keeping You A Secret'. Maybe it's better, maybe it'll make me break my kindle, I don't know. I'm just angry I wasted my time on this book
April 7, 2017
This book is straight-up fluff of the best kind. Despite the dark inital plot, this book is about two people healing together and learning to accept another’s death, along with her bad characteristics.
Alix and Liana have such a sweet relationship. Yes, their relationship is nothing particularly special, but tell me their banter and development isn’t a ton of fun. The idea of two girls getting together after their girlfriend dies is amazing, and was absolutely executed to my satisfaction.
Alix isn’t the most developed character of all time, but she’s a good contemporary narrator. She’s occasionally dramatic, but it never gets to be too much; her anxiety is portrayed realstically.
It’s not necessarilly the best book of all time - not even close. But it’s a fun read and defnitely deserves the four stars I gave it (side eyes @Pragya).
Alix and Liana have such a sweet relationship. Yes, their relationship is nothing particularly special, but tell me their banter and development isn’t a ton of fun. The idea of two girls getting together after their girlfriend dies is amazing, and was absolutely executed to my satisfaction.
Alix isn’t the most developed character of all time, but she’s a good contemporary narrator. She’s occasionally dramatic, but it never gets to be too much; her anxiety is portrayed realstically.
It’s not necessarilly the best book of all time - not even close. But it’s a fun read and defnitely deserves the four stars I gave it (side eyes @Pragya).
September 17, 2025
Another insightful story by Julie Anne Peters. Our MC Alix wakes on the day she is supposed to go on a ski holiday with her first love Swanee, only to be told she died that morning of cardiac arrest while running. Devastated, she finds Swanee's mobile phone when getting things she'd left in her room at her parents home. Alix finds many texts from L. T. who it turns out also was in a relationship with Swanee. Once Alix and Liana finally meet up, they come to terms with all the lies they'd been told and find solace with each other.
Beautifully written, the lives of three families all play an important role in this poignant story. Well done, 4 solid stars.
Beautifully written, the lives of three families all play an important role in this poignant story. Well done, 4 solid stars.
August 14, 2014
Perusing reviews of Lies My Girlfriends Told Me, it appears the books is a bit polarizing among readers. There are some who call is "ground breaking" while others are quick to dismiss it as your standard teen angst novel.
My thoughts on the subject are that yes, the novel is full of teen relationship angst and that it's not necessarily as ground breaking as some reviewers would have you believe.
When Alix's girlfriend Swanee passes away of cardiac arrest during a run, Alix's entire world is shattered. But not nearly as much as when Alix sneaks into her girlfriend's room and discovers her cell phone full of voice-mails and text messages from LM. Seems that Swanee had more than her fair share of secrets, including the fact that she was in a relationship with not only Alix, but also this mysterious LM.
Driven by a need to find answers, Alix quizzes Swanee's younger sister, Joss for clues and eventually begins to answer back the mysterious LM's texts. Alix eventually founds out that LM is Liana, a cheerleader at another school who Swanee assured Alix she'd broken up with when they got together. Confused, Alix seeks out Liana, wanting to find answers and possibly get some closure. But things get complicated when Alix and Liana share a connection, becoming friends and possibly more.
Lies My Girlfriend Told Me has teenage angst that comes off the page (or in my case through your earbuds) in waves. Alix's conflict about the Swanee she thought she knew and the real Swanee helps drive the novel and helped keep me interested during the first half of the book. The story shows us just how manipulative Swanee really was (she gets Alix to drop all of her friends, see her parents as terrible people for wanting her to help out around the house and not buying her a car, etc.) and it's a nice character arc for Alix to slowly realize that while she loved Swanee, that Swanee wasn't necessarily the great girlfriend in the world. We also see Alix come to realize that Swanee's family has some fundamental problems that she wasn't aware of when Swanee was alive (Swanee's mom reveals that she encouraged her daughter to date as much as possible while she was young. It feels almost as if Mom gave her approval of how manipulative Swanee and her sister Joss are of other's feelings).
A little teen angst can be a good thing, but there are times when it feels like Lies My Girlfriend Told Me seems to be pouring it on. Early on, I realized that Swanee was being emotionally manipulative of both Alix and Liana (she convinces Liana to buy an expensive engagement ring, promising that she'll buy one as well while she has no intention of doing so. She also promises both parties they will go to college together and have their own apartment). Seeing both girls come to terms with this is the novel's most interesting character arc and one that is well earned by the Julie Anne Peters.
Where the novel stumbles is in its portrayal of Alix (at times). There were moments I wanted to reach through the ear buds and tell her to wake up and realize that she was being a perfect little snot to her friends, family and those who care about her. I get that Peters is trying to help us understand just how much Swanee manipulated Alix, but there are times when Alix's feeling of entitlement became a bit cloying and annoying.
There's also the elephant in the room of that fact that Lies My Girlfriend Told Me is a main-stream young adult novel that centers on romantic relationships between people of the same sex. There were times as I listened to the story that the story worked and there were time I felt like this book was being as manipulative to readers (or potential readers) as Swanee was to Alix and Liana. Part of it comes from a lack of really significant or interesting character development. I kept finding myself hoping for a bit more development or understanding of what made Swanee the way she was or why these girls found her so irresistible. Unfortunately, we don't get any answers to this.
And while Alix does go on a bit of a journey, it doesn't necessarily seem like an earned one. Nor does her change feel natural enough or reasonable enough to support some of her parents' decisions (allowing her to take care of her little brother for the weekend, buying her a car) in the novel's closing pages. It felt like this was a bit of wish fulfillment on the part of Alix and Peters with a sudden turnaround in Alix's life that isn't earned. And don't get me started on how easily forgiven Alix is once Liana learns the truth about how they met.
All in all, what started out as a novel with an interesting hook turns out to be little more than a standard YA angst and wish fulfillment novels. It's not as ground-breaking as some would want you to believe, but it's not entirely worth dismissing. Go into it with lowered expectations and you'll probably enjoy most of what Peters is trying to do here.
My thoughts on the subject are that yes, the novel is full of teen relationship angst and that it's not necessarily as ground breaking as some reviewers would have you believe.
When Alix's girlfriend Swanee passes away of cardiac arrest during a run, Alix's entire world is shattered. But not nearly as much as when Alix sneaks into her girlfriend's room and discovers her cell phone full of voice-mails and text messages from LM. Seems that Swanee had more than her fair share of secrets, including the fact that she was in a relationship with not only Alix, but also this mysterious LM.
Driven by a need to find answers, Alix quizzes Swanee's younger sister, Joss for clues and eventually begins to answer back the mysterious LM's texts. Alix eventually founds out that LM is Liana, a cheerleader at another school who Swanee assured Alix she'd broken up with when they got together. Confused, Alix seeks out Liana, wanting to find answers and possibly get some closure. But things get complicated when Alix and Liana share a connection, becoming friends and possibly more.
Lies My Girlfriend Told Me has teenage angst that comes off the page (or in my case through your earbuds) in waves. Alix's conflict about the Swanee she thought she knew and the real Swanee helps drive the novel and helped keep me interested during the first half of the book. The story shows us just how manipulative Swanee really was (she gets Alix to drop all of her friends, see her parents as terrible people for wanting her to help out around the house and not buying her a car, etc.) and it's a nice character arc for Alix to slowly realize that while she loved Swanee, that Swanee wasn't necessarily the great girlfriend in the world. We also see Alix come to realize that Swanee's family has some fundamental problems that she wasn't aware of when Swanee was alive (Swanee's mom reveals that she encouraged her daughter to date as much as possible while she was young. It feels almost as if Mom gave her approval of how manipulative Swanee and her sister Joss are of other's feelings).
A little teen angst can be a good thing, but there are times when it feels like Lies My Girlfriend Told Me seems to be pouring it on. Early on, I realized that Swanee was being emotionally manipulative of both Alix and Liana (she convinces Liana to buy an expensive engagement ring, promising that she'll buy one as well while she has no intention of doing so. She also promises both parties they will go to college together and have their own apartment). Seeing both girls come to terms with this is the novel's most interesting character arc and one that is well earned by the Julie Anne Peters.
Where the novel stumbles is in its portrayal of Alix (at times). There were moments I wanted to reach through the ear buds and tell her to wake up and realize that she was being a perfect little snot to her friends, family and those who care about her. I get that Peters is trying to help us understand just how much Swanee manipulated Alix, but there are times when Alix's feeling of entitlement became a bit cloying and annoying.
There's also the elephant in the room of that fact that Lies My Girlfriend Told Me is a main-stream young adult novel that centers on romantic relationships between people of the same sex. There were times as I listened to the story that the story worked and there were time I felt like this book was being as manipulative to readers (or potential readers) as Swanee was to Alix and Liana. Part of it comes from a lack of really significant or interesting character development. I kept finding myself hoping for a bit more development or understanding of what made Swanee the way she was or why these girls found her so irresistible. Unfortunately, we don't get any answers to this.
And while Alix does go on a bit of a journey, it doesn't necessarily seem like an earned one. Nor does her change feel natural enough or reasonable enough to support some of her parents' decisions (allowing her to take care of her little brother for the weekend, buying her a car) in the novel's closing pages. It felt like this was a bit of wish fulfillment on the part of Alix and Peters with a sudden turnaround in Alix's life that isn't earned. And don't get me started on how easily forgiven Alix is once Liana learns the truth about how they met.
All in all, what started out as a novel with an interesting hook turns out to be little more than a standard YA angst and wish fulfillment novels. It's not as ground-breaking as some would want you to believe, but it's not entirely worth dismissing. Go into it with lowered expectations and you'll probably enjoy most of what Peters is trying to do here.
March 28, 2017
ahh this is so cute and beautiful I love it 6/10 would recommend if you want something short and sweet
September 5, 2018
I really wanted to love this book, as a gay teenager growing up in a small town, I craved a novel like this where a gay relationship is just normal and not fraught with the agony of being outed, yet I have had to wait until I was an adult to find it. I can see how a teenager could really find an escapism in this and a hope that their relationship will just be accepted and treated the same way that a hetromormative relationship would be. All that being said, I just found the plot to be a bit lacking...
This novel felt like it was aimed at the 15/16 kind of age bracket within YA and I do have to applaud the author for making the teenagers feel like actual teenagers, definitely something that other YAs can struggle with. However, there were times that the characters felt more like they were 13 than 16/17 – which I know is only 3/4 years but there is a lot of growing up happens in that time!
For me, the reason that this story gets an extra star is due to the representation of teen lesbians, it feels honest and real. I loved seeing a story that is centered around a group of lesbians without it being focused on coming or struggling to come to terms with their sexuality. It is worth nothing that the story does fall into the typical lesbian storyline of someone had to die.
I do find the title to be mildly misleading, it sounds like it should be some kind of thriller but that is not even close to what the book actually is. It may start off with being a story about grieving but it quickly develops into a story about healing and falling for someone.
This story isn’t going to change your world but it is a light and easy read, full of fluffy fluffy goodness. A solid 3 star read.
This novel felt like it was aimed at the 15/16 kind of age bracket within YA and I do have to applaud the author for making the teenagers feel like actual teenagers, definitely something that other YAs can struggle with. However, there were times that the characters felt more like they were 13 than 16/17 – which I know is only 3/4 years but there is a lot of growing up happens in that time!
For me, the reason that this story gets an extra star is due to the representation of teen lesbians, it feels honest and real. I loved seeing a story that is centered around a group of lesbians without it being focused on coming or struggling to come to terms with their sexuality. It is worth nothing that the story does fall into the typical lesbian storyline of someone had to die.
I do find the title to be mildly misleading, it sounds like it should be some kind of thriller but that is not even close to what the book actually is. It may start off with being a story about grieving but it quickly develops into a story about healing and falling for someone.
This story isn’t going to change your world but it is a light and easy read, full of fluffy fluffy goodness. A solid 3 star read.
September 27, 2014
— A little predictable, but fast-paced and easy to read
— Unlike Julie Anne Peters's Rage, this novel offers a much more subtle — and realistic — portrayal of an abusive relationship: verbal abuse, lies, manipulation, coercion
— While also portraying the importance and elements of a healthy relationship (and family dynamic) without coming off as didactic
— A lesbian young adult novel that isn't a coming out story — all of the characters have already come out, and it's OK
— It's also totally OK to not have sex if you're not ready! Another important message conveyed well
— Chock full of terrible Spanish. Hard to believe that Liana's a native Spanish speaker, when her character mixes Spanish and Italian and passes it off as Spanish. Why doesn't anyone proofread the non-English lines thrown into English-language books? (Pro tip: Amore is not a Spanish word. Nor do kids tell their parents, Te amo.) There were also some grammatical and spelling errors that would have never gotten through had they been in English.
— With the obvious exception of Far from Xanadu, why does it seem that all of Peters's lesbian characters are very feminine? I wouldn't mind if I didn't read about another character again who wears thongs and makeup
— Was the Hooters scene really necessary??? I mean, seriously.
— Unlike Julie Anne Peters's Rage, this novel offers a much more subtle — and realistic — portrayal of an abusive relationship: verbal abuse, lies, manipulation, coercion
— While also portraying the importance and elements of a healthy relationship (and family dynamic) without coming off as didactic
— A lesbian young adult novel that isn't a coming out story — all of the characters have already come out, and it's OK
— It's also totally OK to not have sex if you're not ready! Another important message conveyed well
— Chock full of terrible Spanish. Hard to believe that Liana's a native Spanish speaker, when her character mixes Spanish and Italian and passes it off as Spanish. Why doesn't anyone proofread the non-English lines thrown into English-language books? (Pro tip: Amore is not a Spanish word. Nor do kids tell their parents, Te amo.) There were also some grammatical and spelling errors that would have never gotten through had they been in English.
— With the obvious exception of Far from Xanadu, why does it seem that all of Peters's lesbian characters are very feminine? I wouldn't mind if I didn't read about another character again who wears thongs and makeup
— Was the Hooters scene really necessary??? I mean, seriously.
June 25, 2021
This book is awesome! Of all the contemporary lgbt romance fiction I've read until now, this one is by far the best.
It has everything I want from a young adult novel and more. The story is intersting and never gets boring, the characters are realisticly written and likeable and the writing style is enjoyable.
I don't want to reveal too much about the plot or what happens, because I think you're better off if I tell you nothing about this book. Just buy your copy and start reading it!
It has everything I want from a young adult novel and more. The story is intersting and never gets boring, the characters are realisticly written and likeable and the writing style is enjoyable.
I don't want to reveal too much about the plot or what happens, because I think you're better off if I tell you nothing about this book. Just buy your copy and start reading it!
September 17, 2014
Julie Anne Peters’s latest – and last, it seems – novel, Lies My Girlfriend Told Me really made me think about what I want from LGBTQ YA. (It also made me want to check out Julie Anne Peters’s book Luna, which Wendy has read and reviewed.)
To begin: there are lots of things to like about this novel: it avoids the coming-out narrative and surrounding conflict that is common in LGBTQ YA; the queer protagonist isn’t destined to a life of solitude and unending misery; the prose is good (and there are moments of unexpected humor that really worked for me). I am really pleased about all these things – coming-out stories are important, but LGBTQ teens have other kinds of stories, too, and it’s nice to see those other stories getting some attention. Lies My Girlfriend Told Me is great in that respect; our protagonist Alix’s sexuality – or that of any of the other queer characters in the novel – is never questioned and is integrated seamlessly into the narrative. The real focus of the story is Alix’s relationships. And this is all really wonderful, I think. Julie Anne Peters deserves all the props for writing so many different kinds of stories for LGBTQ youth.
See more at The Midnight Garden.
To begin: there are lots of things to like about this novel: it avoids the coming-out narrative and surrounding conflict that is common in LGBTQ YA; the queer protagonist isn’t destined to a life of solitude and unending misery; the prose is good (and there are moments of unexpected humor that really worked for me). I am really pleased about all these things – coming-out stories are important, but LGBTQ teens have other kinds of stories, too, and it’s nice to see those other stories getting some attention. Lies My Girlfriend Told Me is great in that respect; our protagonist Alix’s sexuality – or that of any of the other queer characters in the novel – is never questioned and is integrated seamlessly into the narrative. The real focus of the story is Alix’s relationships. And this is all really wonderful, I think. Julie Anne Peters deserves all the props for writing so many different kinds of stories for LGBTQ youth.
See more at The Midnight Garden.
dnf
August 25, 2021dnf at 32%
I don't have time for bad writing and horrible characters.
I don't have time for bad writing and horrible characters.
August 5, 2019
Actual rating like a 2.5?
Ohhh boy. Buckle in kids, it's going to be a long one.
Okay so I really wanted to love this. I've only read one other Julie Ann Peters book - "Keeping You A Secret" - and I absolutely loved it. It was the first book I read with a f/f relationship and in hindsight it definitely had problems, but it was the first time I was that part of me respresented in fiction so it holds a special place in my heart. Because of this, I went into this book with a fair amount of hope.
I could tell straight off the bat from chapter three that Swanee was the actual worst. Here I present to you my evidence:
1. The cheating.
2. Swanee was jealous of Alix's relationship with her best friend Bethany, to the extent where Alix felt like she needed to stop hanging out with her; cutting off someone she's been close with since elementary school.
3. Showed up to dinner with Alix's parents high as a kite (the dinner where she met them for the first time might I add). Then proceeded to call Alix's dad an asshole because he made Alix drive when they left after dinner?? Because Swanee was clearly high and he wanted his daughter to be safe???
4. She was constantly talking about how Alix's parents were the worst because they wouldn't buy her a car, they gave her a curfew, etc. She actively encouraged Alix to fight her parents, not because they were bad parents but because they gave their daughter the kind of boundaries a teenager needs to grow into a healthy, self-sufficient adult. Swanee actually called it "slavery" when Alix told her that her parents would flip if she skipped school. Like ???
5. Speaking of, she persuaded Alix to ditch school, drink, and smoke weed. Alix actually said that she influced her to "liberate" herself. I understand that Alix is her own person who made her own choices - and believe me, she's on my shit list too - but it really goes to show the kind of influence Swanee had on Alix.
6. Swanee continuously dared her younger sister Joss to do awful things, knowing that her sister would do anything she asked. She pushed her younger sister to send a nude to someone which was later shared around and "went viral".
7. At one stage, Swanee told Alix that she needed to lose weight and exercise more and often made Alix feel "guilty and diminished".
Not only was Swanee a shit girlfriend to Alix, but also to Liana. I mean, who leads someone on to the point where they think that they're going to get MARRIED once they finish school, all the while she's lying about almost every aspect of her life? Her name, where she lives, her family. Liana dropped some cash on an engagement ring all for what? I honestly felt so bad for her the entire book.
But Alix doesn't get off scot free. (Welp, I'm going to need to use dot points again.)
- Look, I know she's a teenager and sometimes teens can be little shits, but for the love of god she was so rude. She was petulant with her parents, and a pretty crap friend .
- Also, the amount of times that she went to Swanee's house and just let herself in while the fam was on vacation? Just because she knew where the spare key was hidden doesn't mean she had permission to just spend her time there without the family knowing.
- The LYING. Almost every second thing she said to her parents was a flat out lie - "it almost becomes a game". It sort of seemed like she had started to use lying a coping mechanism, but mostly she was just lying to get what she wanted. This girl has serious issues and should be seeing someone about working through them.
- Slut shamed a 15 year old girl who was grieving for her sister in what was clearly a self-destructive way .
Other issues with the story:
- Swanee's parents are in an open relationship, which would be fine if it wasn't portrayed as...NOT fine. Alix judged the parents on this, ruminating on what kind of morals they taught Swanee and how it was "no wonder Swanee was the way she was". At no point is this line of thinking showed to be wrong which is a major fuck you to anyone polyromantic. Not only that but Swanee's mum had actually encouraged Swanee to date around, even though the whole basis of an open relationship is that both parties are aware and happy to participate. It's not an open relationship if one person is in multiple relationships and the other doesn't know it. That's just straight up cheating.
* I've seen a few reviews that have hated on the romance between Alix and Liana, but I didn't really have an issue with the relationship itself. The issue was more about HOW it came to be. Both girls were in very vulnerable places, both having found out after her death that Swanee was cheating both of them. There's a lot of emotion that comes from that, and I feel like they projected onto each other, almost seemed like textbook transference? They'd known each other for barely a few weeks before they start having feelings for each other. It doesn't seem like they would've had had enough time to work through their complicated feelings for Swanee, let alone time to build the foundation of a relationship that would last.
* The Spanish. Not good.
* The fucking Hooters scene. What in the fresh hell?
Now that I've laid all of that on you, I feel the need to say that I didn't actually hate this book. Plot twist, right? So what did I like?
First, the writing. While I was decently annoyed about MANY things, I never really thought about DNFing the book. It was an easy listen, and I found myself actually listening to it without my mind drifting. It wasn't mindblowing, but it was good writing.
I also thought the depiction of grief was done well. We have multiple characters who grieved for Swanee differently. Not everyone deals with the death of a loved one in the same way, and I liked that this book showed the ugly truth of it.
While Swanee's parents were terrible, the depiction of Alix's parents was a breath of fresh air. You don't often get two supportive parents who try their best to be their for their child. Yes they were working parents so they would often not be home, but they were also present.
Alix does grow throughout the novel...somewhat. While Alix definitely still needs to learn and grow further, she does become a better person in some ways. My list of things I hated was actually a little longer but then as the novel progressed, Alix gained some character development and I was able to delete some of my length dot points lol.
So yeah, thanks for reading my mess of a review.
Ohhh boy. Buckle in kids, it's going to be a long one.
Okay so I really wanted to love this. I've only read one other Julie Ann Peters book - "Keeping You A Secret" - and I absolutely loved it. It was the first book I read with a f/f relationship and in hindsight it definitely had problems, but it was the first time I was that part of me respresented in fiction so it holds a special place in my heart. Because of this, I went into this book with a fair amount of hope.
I could tell straight off the bat from chapter three that Swanee was the actual worst. Here I present to you my evidence:
1. The cheating.
2. Swanee was jealous of Alix's relationship with her best friend Bethany, to the extent where Alix felt like she needed to stop hanging out with her; cutting off someone she's been close with since elementary school.
3. Showed up to dinner with Alix's parents high as a kite (the dinner where she met them for the first time might I add). Then proceeded to call Alix's dad an asshole because he made Alix drive when they left after dinner?? Because Swanee was clearly high and he wanted his daughter to be safe???
4. She was constantly talking about how Alix's parents were the worst because they wouldn't buy her a car, they gave her a curfew, etc. She actively encouraged Alix to fight her parents, not because they were bad parents but because they gave their daughter the kind of boundaries a teenager needs to grow into a healthy, self-sufficient adult. Swanee actually called it "slavery" when Alix told her that her parents would flip if she skipped school. Like ???
5. Speaking of, she persuaded Alix to ditch school, drink, and smoke weed. Alix actually said that she influced her to "liberate" herself. I understand that Alix is her own person who made her own choices - and believe me, she's on my shit list too - but it really goes to show the kind of influence Swanee had on Alix.
6. Swanee continuously dared her younger sister Joss to do awful things, knowing that her sister would do anything she asked. She pushed her younger sister to send a nude to someone which was later shared around and "went viral".
7. At one stage, Swanee told Alix that she needed to lose weight and exercise more and often made Alix feel "guilty and diminished".
Not only was Swanee a shit girlfriend to Alix, but also to Liana. I mean, who leads someone on to the point where they think that they're going to get MARRIED once they finish school, all the while she's lying about almost every aspect of her life? Her name, where she lives, her family. Liana dropped some cash on an engagement ring all for what? I honestly felt so bad for her the entire book.
But Alix doesn't get off scot free. (Welp, I'm going to need to use dot points again.)
- Look, I know she's a teenager and sometimes teens can be little shits, but for the love of god she was so rude. She was petulant with her parents, and a pretty crap friend .
- Also, the amount of times that she went to Swanee's house and just let herself in while the fam was on vacation? Just because she knew where the spare key was hidden doesn't mean she had permission to just spend her time there without the family knowing.
- The LYING. Almost every second thing she said to her parents was a flat out lie - "it almost becomes a game". It sort of seemed like she had started to use lying a coping mechanism, but mostly she was just lying to get what she wanted. This girl has serious issues and should be seeing someone about working through them.
- Slut shamed a 15 year old girl who was grieving for her sister in what was clearly a self-destructive way .
Other issues with the story:
- Swanee's parents are in an open relationship, which would be fine if it wasn't portrayed as...NOT fine. Alix judged the parents on this, ruminating on what kind of morals they taught Swanee and how it was "no wonder Swanee was the way she was". At no point is this line of thinking showed to be wrong which is a major fuck you to anyone polyromantic. Not only that but Swanee's mum had actually encouraged Swanee to date around, even though the whole basis of an open relationship is that both parties are aware and happy to participate. It's not an open relationship if one person is in multiple relationships and the other doesn't know it. That's just straight up cheating.
* I've seen a few reviews that have hated on the romance between Alix and Liana, but I didn't really have an issue with the relationship itself. The issue was more about HOW it came to be. Both girls were in very vulnerable places, both having found out after her death that Swanee was cheating both of them. There's a lot of emotion that comes from that, and I feel like they projected onto each other, almost seemed like textbook transference? They'd known each other for barely a few weeks before they start having feelings for each other. It doesn't seem like they would've had had enough time to work through their complicated feelings for Swanee, let alone time to build the foundation of a relationship that would last.
* The Spanish. Not good.
* The fucking Hooters scene. What in the fresh hell?
Now that I've laid all of that on you, I feel the need to say that I didn't actually hate this book. Plot twist, right? So what did I like?
First, the writing. While I was decently annoyed about MANY things, I never really thought about DNFing the book. It was an easy listen, and I found myself actually listening to it without my mind drifting. It wasn't mindblowing, but it was good writing.
I also thought the depiction of grief was done well. We have multiple characters who grieved for Swanee differently. Not everyone deals with the death of a loved one in the same way, and I liked that this book showed the ugly truth of it.
While Swanee's parents were terrible, the depiction of Alix's parents was a breath of fresh air. You don't often get two supportive parents who try their best to be their for their child. Yes they were working parents so they would often not be home, but they were also present.
Alix does grow throughout the novel...somewhat. While Alix definitely still needs to learn and grow further, she does become a better person in some ways. My list of things I hated was actually a little longer but then as the novel progressed, Alix gained some character development and I was able to delete some of my length dot points lol.
So yeah, thanks for reading my mess of a review.
December 25, 2014
..I feel kind of bad giving this book only two stars, because I didn't dislike it, and it has a lot (a lot) of good points, but...I can't bring myself to give it a higher rating because I feel quite dissatisfied with it overall.
The main problem I have with this book is that everything is so...thin. By that I mean the plot and most of the characters felt somewhat rushed to me. There was so little (zero) exposition that I found it hard to care about what was happening until about halfway through the book, due to knowing literally nothing at all about any of the characters. Swanee who? They were going out how long? Et cetera.
As more (but not much more more) was revealed, I got more invested in the story, but it grated with me that a lot of things were just kind of...skimmed over. Why was Swanee such a bitch to everybody? Why did no-one try to help Joss? What was up with their whole family? Why did Alix's parents inexplicably go from treating her pretty harshly in the days/weeks after the death of her girlfriend to doting on her at the end (because she 'earned it'? What?)? How much time has passed? Seriously, the timing didn't seem to make any sense, unless I was missing something. Weeks and weeks were skipped so frequently that I had no idea how long it had been since Swanee died, which made a lot of Alix's behaviour...confusing. I just kept thinking 'didn't your girlfriend just die?' before realising that months had passed, not just a couple of weeks as it seemed.
The whole plot was fairly rushed; the drama towards the end seemed unnecessary and was solved so quickly that it was completely superfluous.
Having said that, there were a lot of things that I liked. It's always great to see more LGBT representation, and I was glad that there was never any drama over the characters' sexuality; no homophobic bullying or angst or anything like that, just a standard romance. It's great to see lots of female characters interacting well with one another .
I feel like there was a lot of potential to this book, but nothing was really explored in enough depth to make an impact. We hardly saw how anyone was actually affected by Swanee's death. I would have liked to see more of Joss, and more of Swanee's whole family really. I feel like the story would have benefited from a different time setting or point of view, maybe some events taking place before Swanee died, or even just more about Swanee to give a different side to the story.
The two-star rating still stands, despite the many things I enjoyed about this book; there were just too many things that were rushed or skipped over or even just ignored (JOSS)to warrant a higher score.
The main problem I have with this book is that everything is so...thin. By that I mean the plot and most of the characters felt somewhat rushed to me. There was so little (zero) exposition that I found it hard to care about what was happening until about halfway through the book, due to knowing literally nothing at all about any of the characters. Swanee who? They were going out how long? Et cetera.
As more (but not much more more) was revealed, I got more invested in the story, but it grated with me that a lot of things were just kind of...skimmed over. Why was Swanee such a bitch to everybody? Why did no-one try to help Joss? What was up with their whole family? Why did Alix's parents inexplicably go from treating her pretty harshly in the days/weeks after the death of her girlfriend to doting on her at the end (because she 'earned it'? What?)? How much time has passed? Seriously, the timing didn't seem to make any sense, unless I was missing something. Weeks and weeks were skipped so frequently that I had no idea how long it had been since Swanee died, which made a lot of Alix's behaviour...confusing. I just kept thinking 'didn't your girlfriend just die?' before realising that months had passed, not just a couple of weeks as it seemed.
The whole plot was fairly rushed; the drama towards the end seemed unnecessary and was solved so quickly that it was completely superfluous.
Having said that, there were a lot of things that I liked. It's always great to see more LGBT representation, and I was glad that there was never any drama over the characters' sexuality; no homophobic bullying or angst or anything like that, just a standard romance. It's great to see lots of female characters interacting well with one another .
I feel like there was a lot of potential to this book, but nothing was really explored in enough depth to make an impact. We hardly saw how anyone was actually affected by Swanee's death. I would have liked to see more of Joss, and more of Swanee's whole family really. I feel like the story would have benefited from a different time setting or point of view, maybe some events taking place before Swanee died, or even just more about Swanee to give a different side to the story.
The two-star rating still stands, despite the many things I enjoyed about this book; there were just too many things that were rushed or skipped over or even just ignored (JOSS)to warrant a higher score.
August 10, 2021
The premise of this book sounded really interesting, but it wasn't executed properly. The plot and characters were underdeveloped and the whole storyline was rushed. Joss's encounter with a grown man also didn't sit well with me and there was no follow up or full explanation on what happened when she went to the man's house. Joss's behavior and dialogue also seemed overly dramatic and unbelievable. I wasn't a huge fan of any character. This was just pretty disappointing overall
June 17, 2015
Very easy read. It was great to see another LGBT novel on the library shelves. However, the plot and characters were lacking. I felt they were all the same: unlikable. The book was listed as a mystery but there was nothing that needed to be solved and the characters relationships were very unrealistic. Overall: meh.
December 14, 2015
Amazing book, so emotional. I really don't know how to review it without spoilers, but I do recommend it, I loved it!
I definitely felt LOTS OF THINGS T___T while reading this book.
I definitely felt LOTS OF THINGS T___T while reading this book.
June 22, 2019
3.5 stars
October 25, 2018
No one expects to die aged seventeen. So when Swanee (bad name) dies of a cardiac arrest while she's out running, she leaves a lot of loose ends untied. One of which is the fact that she's stringing along two girlfriends. In some respects it's kind of funny, but also kind of arsehole-ish. We never actually meet Swanee, we only hear about her through other characters' recollections of her, but she sounds like a fairly selfish person. The story itself is quite good though, and the MC makes some ill-advised decisions, which makes for a good plot.
January 21, 2024
3.5 ⭐
May 26, 2014
I managed to pick up an ARC of this book at TBF 2014! Which I was really excited to start reading it right away. With that being said the book was okay. The story line and the idea was a great idea. But I think the author is relying on the topic too much. I think the author realized that because this book has to do with lesbians that it would draw people no matter what. I have not read anything else by this author but my understanding is that their other stuff was better than this. The reason I feel that this was merely okay was because of the lack of character development. AND I MEAN COMPLETE LACK. You get some basic stuff but that’s it. And the relationships between the characters are overwhelmingly underdeveloped (note Alix and Joss). This underdevelopment makes me feel that the author did not spend enough time in general.
Also for those calling this a turning point in Teen Lit….Please stop! First off do not make a big deal out of it! Which is exactly what this book did. With the world we live in today you can have a gay character and not have that be the focus and still have it be successful ( something Laurie Halse Anderson said she has often considered!) Other authors are busy working on WELL DEVELOPED stories rather than worrying about trying to start a “Turning point” or be the first one with a book like this out.
If you want to read it for what you feel it represents go ahead as I agree it is good to get this stuff out there but if you are looking for a good read LOOK ELSEWHERE!
Also for those calling this a turning point in Teen Lit….Please stop! First off do not make a big deal out of it! Which is exactly what this book did. With the world we live in today you can have a gay character and not have that be the focus and still have it be successful ( something Laurie Halse Anderson said she has often considered!) Other authors are busy working on WELL DEVELOPED stories rather than worrying about trying to start a “Turning point” or be the first one with a book like this out.
If you want to read it for what you feel it represents go ahead as I agree it is good to get this stuff out there but if you are looking for a good read LOOK ELSEWHERE!
October 18, 2014
I just couldn't get into it. I didn't enjoy the writing style, the plot was all over the place, it was quite unbelievable how naive the main character was, and just.... wow. Really offended that this girl would rebound after a tragedy and the author would encourage that and call it love. Don't even know what to do with this book other than give it a 1 star and try to forget I read it.
January 12, 2016
Everyone would say that Swan is a mean girl, even though she died. But it's not everything about her. I think author wanted to show her readers that everyone deals with grief in their own way. Ups and downs in this book are so intense, and I like stories like that. Special thing about the whole story is that this is no ordinary love triangle. Go on and see yourself :)
March 31, 2016
This was a wonderful story! As I'm not a lesbian, I can't really say, but I feel like it was great LGBT representation and a beautiful story. The main character Alix did start off pretty frustrating, but it got a lot better.
May 8, 2018
4.5 stars.
AHHGHHHHHBHBDHSBDSHDBSHDBS THIS WAS SO GOOD!
Diverse, emotional, amazing.
I know I'm in the minority for this, but I just loved it SO much.
Critically, it's probably more of a 3.5-4, but I couldn't help but rate it up because I enjoyed reading it so much!!!
AHHGHHHHHBHBDHSBDSHDBSHDBS THIS WAS SO GOOD!
Diverse, emotional, amazing.
I know I'm in the minority for this, but I just loved it SO much.
Critically, it's probably more of a 3.5-4, but I couldn't help but rate it up because I enjoyed reading it so much!!!
March 14, 2018
I think I already said that, but I am going to repeat myself, this month is my diverse read month . I am picking only books with diverse characters without even realizing it. LOL and you know what??
So having this in mind, expect a lot of diverse book reviews coming your way ^^
Uhmm.... I am like 60% sure that this is the first time that I picked F/F character based book, but don't quote me on that it might be a wrong guess. Anyway, let me jump right into the review part.
This one was a totally blind read for me, I knew nothing about it only that there is a LGBT representation and that's it. Truth be spoken, I am glad to tell you that I did not know anything, cuz I would have been much more disappointed than I actually was.
We start off knowing that Alix's girlfriend has passed away suddenly at the age of 17 (or 18 not quite sure here) and everything unfolds from here. The mystery vibe was very much appreciated, I liked how the main character dealt with her grief in the beginning. Another thing that I really liked was the acceptance from the parents on both sides for their children being openly gay. We do not go through the whole coming out of the closet part, we jump right into the middle of it.
Everything was going fine until Alix decided to do what she did with that cellphone and it all went downhill from there...
I don't really want to say much, because spoilers, but just keep in mind that shortly after the death of Swanee, Alix is already falling head over heals with another girl...Not cool, I did not like this nor the way it all happened. It was wayyy too fast, way too chaotic and just going forward and getting to discover all those mysteries involving Swanee's life (which is the dead girl) felt just too pushed and unbelievable even? uhmm Just nope it did not add up to me, that certain things could happen to a 17 year old girl nowadays.
Really wanted to like this book, but I was not driven to the characters nor the plot and just left me feeling MEH..
The main reason that made me drop the vote even more, was the i-did-a-terrible-thing-to-you-without-you-knowing- it-that-i-should-have-told-you-in-the-beginning-but-when-i-tried-to-something-always-kept-coming-up trope that I HATE WITH ALL MY BEING. For f... sake just say itt SHOUT IT I don't care even if someone interrupts you just freaking say it aghrrr even thinking about this makes me sooo angry.
Overall I gave it 3 stars, because I did like it in the beginning and I did love the F/F representation.
If you have plans on reading it, I am not going to make you change your mind. It might turn out to be just your cup of tea so go ahead and pick it.
August 19, 2022
Lies My Girlfriend Told Me is an intense read. It’s a f/f YA novel, which I naively assumed to be fluffy and fun, and I did get that to a certain extent – but I also got a book with complex family drama, morally ambiguous characters, and the struggles of growing up.
There were moments I really loved Lies my Girlfriend Told Me and then there were other moments where I severely disliked it. Like I said – it’s a complex novel, especially for a YA.
Alix was an engrossing character: she had just lost what she thought was the love of her life, and then discovered that the same love was cheating on her. She struggled after the death of Swanee, and her relationship with her parents took a hit. She “rebelled” against them – “rebelled” in quotation marks because her version of rebelling was lying about where she was (all teens do this) and forgetting to call them – and seemed to strain under their regulated rules that she had always lived with.
I was absolutely fascinated by Alix’s growing relationship with Liana, primarily the way it began. Imagine knowingly starting up a relationship with the person your significant other was cheating on you with – what kind of thoughts would run through someone’s head to do that? What kind of a person would do that? I wanted answers to these questions, and for the most part I got them.
Despite the strange way their relationship started, I really adored Alix and Liana’s slow developing romance. There was a lot of cute banter, and enough fluffy scenes to make me swoon.
I absolutely despised Swanee, although the more we learned about her life, the more we understood how she came to be such a person – although that is not an excuse for her behaviour. She was an incredibly abusive young woman, not only to her girlfriends, but to everyone around her, including her younger sister.
Speaking of the younger sister – who’s name I have forgotten, oops – Alix frequently slut-shamed the young girl, who had just lost the person she was closest to in the entire world, and sought attention in all the wrong places. Not to mention, there was a scene where the sister began sleeping with a much older man while she was underage (14/15), and instead of being concerned for this young girl, or even helping her, Alix reinforced the slut-shaming behaviour. Ughhhhhhhhhhhh, no.
Lies my Girlfriend Told Me is definitely not the best f/f YA novel out there, but for the most part, I enjoyed the novel. There were a few instances where I was angry and annoyed at the characters, but I was able to put aside my feelings and enjoy a majority of the book.
There were moments I really loved Lies my Girlfriend Told Me and then there were other moments where I severely disliked it. Like I said – it’s a complex novel, especially for a YA.
Alix was an engrossing character: she had just lost what she thought was the love of her life, and then discovered that the same love was cheating on her. She struggled after the death of Swanee, and her relationship with her parents took a hit. She “rebelled” against them – “rebelled” in quotation marks because her version of rebelling was lying about where she was (all teens do this) and forgetting to call them – and seemed to strain under their regulated rules that she had always lived with.
I was absolutely fascinated by Alix’s growing relationship with Liana, primarily the way it began. Imagine knowingly starting up a relationship with the person your significant other was cheating on you with – what kind of thoughts would run through someone’s head to do that? What kind of a person would do that? I wanted answers to these questions, and for the most part I got them.
Despite the strange way their relationship started, I really adored Alix and Liana’s slow developing romance. There was a lot of cute banter, and enough fluffy scenes to make me swoon.
I absolutely despised Swanee, although the more we learned about her life, the more we understood how she came to be such a person – although that is not an excuse for her behaviour. She was an incredibly abusive young woman, not only to her girlfriends, but to everyone around her, including her younger sister.
Speaking of the younger sister – who’s name I have forgotten, oops – Alix frequently slut-shamed the young girl, who had just lost the person she was closest to in the entire world, and sought attention in all the wrong places. Not to mention, there was a scene where the sister began sleeping with a much older man while she was underage (14/15), and instead of being concerned for this young girl, or even helping her, Alix reinforced the slut-shaming behaviour. Ughhhhhhhhhhhh, no.
Lies my Girlfriend Told Me is definitely not the best f/f YA novel out there, but for the most part, I enjoyed the novel. There were a few instances where I was angry and annoyed at the characters, but I was able to put aside my feelings and enjoy a majority of the book.
February 19, 2016
I first came across Julie Anne Peters when I was thirteen. One of my friends - the first queer person my age that I'd ever met - told me that Luna was one of the only books with a trans character, and that it was really good. I did read it, a few months later, and at the time, I mildly enjoyed it. I read a couple more of her books when I was thirteen, and I enjoyed those as well. But then I turned fourteen, and suddenly, I didn't like any of her novels anymore. I've read three of her novels since then, and I didn't like any of them. I've also done a full 180 on my opinion of Luna, as well as By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead, the other Peters novel I read when I was thirteen. Now that I'm older and I know more about YA, I recognize the cheap devices Peters was using to shallowly relate to her audience. I recognize how poorly-developed her characters were, I recognize the troubling Problem Novel tropes, and I see a lot more transmisogyny in Luna. After reading Between Mom and Jo almost a year ago, I gave up on ever enjoying a Peters novel again.
So what I'm saying is, I really didn't expect to like this book, despite its very interesting premise. I just have so many consistent issues with Peters' writing. Her characters are poorly developed. Her prose is bland and doesn't give her characters distinct voices. The books always feel more like MG than YA. She writes Problem Novels that attempt to represent all teenagers going through a particular issue. Her attempts to relate to teenagers are shallow and cheap. I really didn't think there was any way I could like an author that does things like that so consistently.
Well, all of those things are true about this novel, to an extent. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the shit out of it.
I think the thing that saves this book is that Alix is the first protagonist from a Peters novel that I've felt any connection to. Don't get me wrong, she definitely feels like Peters' previous protagonists, to an extent. She shares their melodrama, their detachment from the world. But something about her feels much more human than any other character Peters has written. I think it's because she doesn't feel manufactured to fit this story perfectly. This isn't the first Peters novel that hasn't fit the bill of a Problem Novel, that would be She Loves You, She Loves You Not.... But this is the first time that Peters has written a character that feels multi-fractured, and independent of the plot. One of the problems with Daelyn from By the Time You Read This I'll Be Dead was that everything about her - from her detachment from the world to her atheism - could be explained by her suicidal depression. That's not the case here. Alix's perfectionism, the way she's easily embarrassed, her difficulty connecting with her family... none of it feels like it was exclusively a product of Swanee's death. Sure, you can see that she was affected by the death, but she doesn't feel defined by it. The same goes for Liana, Alix's love interest. I had given up on Peters' ability to write characters that weren't defined entirely by the story, but maybe I underestimated her. And looking back, I can see the roots of this kind of development in She Loves You, She Loves You Not.... I guess you could call this the result of Peters gradually improving her writing over time.
Peters also does a very good job of exploring the topic at hand. This story doesn't feel like it's supposed to represent every teenager who's had their significant other die, mostly because of the genuinely unique (in YA at least) twist that Swanee was lying to Alix. We find out that Swanee was also in a relationship with Liana at the same time she claimed to be in love with Alix - Swanee had been lying to both of them. There are surprisingly few flashbacks, but the ones we do get are successfully nostalgic and sad. Peters did a good job of showing Alix and Liana conflicted between missing Swanee and being angry at her for lying. It's difficult to describe, except to say that it feels real. I hate to define this book entirely by contrasting it with Peters books that I don't like, but after spending a week and a half writing about her career on my blog, it's hard not to.
This book definitely has some of the flaws that other Peters book features. For one thing, Peters is one of the most consistently melodramatic authors I've ever read, and in YA, that's saying something. Her narrators always feel like whatever minor inconvenience they're going through is the end of the world, be it getting a bad grade on a test or having to take care of her little brother. I think that's a big part of what makes so many of Peters novels feel dated, or feel like MG. We see a lot of that melodrama here, but because Alix is a much more developed character than most of Peters', it feels more warranted. I understand Alix's anxiety, and it feel justified. I think that's why this is the first Peters novel I've ever read that actually feels like YA, rather than MG with more sex. This novel's plot is also pretty strong. Alix has a definite growth and character arc throughout this novel, and Peters does a good job of allowing the story to serve her development. This has always been the one thing Peters is good at - writing stories that perfectly support whatever theme it is that she's getting across. This is just the first time that she's actually had something worthwhile to say. This is the first time I've seen her genuinely connect with her audience.
I won't pretend this book is flawless. There's a lot of missed potential regarding Joss' character arc, and the subplot with Bethany felt forced and swept under the rug. But this is still easily the best Julie Anne Peters novel I've read. I really was going to give up on her permanently, but this novel has given me some hope. Maybe she does have more good books in her. Maybe this is the beginning of a new era, in which she tries harder to connect to her audience, rather than just explore a Serious Issue. And I have to wonder: is Peters aware of this transition? Has she said anything about what her upcoming books will be like on her website?
Oh. Well, this was nice while it lasted, I guess.
This review can also be found on my blog.
So what I'm saying is, I really didn't expect to like this book, despite its very interesting premise. I just have so many consistent issues with Peters' writing. Her characters are poorly developed. Her prose is bland and doesn't give her characters distinct voices. The books always feel more like MG than YA. She writes Problem Novels that attempt to represent all teenagers going through a particular issue. Her attempts to relate to teenagers are shallow and cheap. I really didn't think there was any way I could like an author that does things like that so consistently.
Well, all of those things are true about this novel, to an extent. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the shit out of it.
I think the thing that saves this book is that Alix is the first protagonist from a Peters novel that I've felt any connection to. Don't get me wrong, she definitely feels like Peters' previous protagonists, to an extent. She shares their melodrama, their detachment from the world. But something about her feels much more human than any other character Peters has written. I think it's because she doesn't feel manufactured to fit this story perfectly. This isn't the first Peters novel that hasn't fit the bill of a Problem Novel, that would be She Loves You, She Loves You Not.... But this is the first time that Peters has written a character that feels multi-fractured, and independent of the plot. One of the problems with Daelyn from By the Time You Read This I'll Be Dead was that everything about her - from her detachment from the world to her atheism - could be explained by her suicidal depression. That's not the case here. Alix's perfectionism, the way she's easily embarrassed, her difficulty connecting with her family... none of it feels like it was exclusively a product of Swanee's death. Sure, you can see that she was affected by the death, but she doesn't feel defined by it. The same goes for Liana, Alix's love interest. I had given up on Peters' ability to write characters that weren't defined entirely by the story, but maybe I underestimated her. And looking back, I can see the roots of this kind of development in She Loves You, She Loves You Not.... I guess you could call this the result of Peters gradually improving her writing over time.
Peters also does a very good job of exploring the topic at hand. This story doesn't feel like it's supposed to represent every teenager who's had their significant other die, mostly because of the genuinely unique (in YA at least) twist that Swanee was lying to Alix. We find out that Swanee was also in a relationship with Liana at the same time she claimed to be in love with Alix - Swanee had been lying to both of them. There are surprisingly few flashbacks, but the ones we do get are successfully nostalgic and sad. Peters did a good job of showing Alix and Liana conflicted between missing Swanee and being angry at her for lying. It's difficult to describe, except to say that it feels real. I hate to define this book entirely by contrasting it with Peters books that I don't like, but after spending a week and a half writing about her career on my blog, it's hard not to.
This book definitely has some of the flaws that other Peters book features. For one thing, Peters is one of the most consistently melodramatic authors I've ever read, and in YA, that's saying something. Her narrators always feel like whatever minor inconvenience they're going through is the end of the world, be it getting a bad grade on a test or having to take care of her little brother. I think that's a big part of what makes so many of Peters novels feel dated, or feel like MG. We see a lot of that melodrama here, but because Alix is a much more developed character than most of Peters', it feels more warranted. I understand Alix's anxiety, and it feel justified. I think that's why this is the first Peters novel I've ever read that actually feels like YA, rather than MG with more sex. This novel's plot is also pretty strong. Alix has a definite growth and character arc throughout this novel, and Peters does a good job of allowing the story to serve her development. This has always been the one thing Peters is good at - writing stories that perfectly support whatever theme it is that she's getting across. This is just the first time that she's actually had something worthwhile to say. This is the first time I've seen her genuinely connect with her audience.
I won't pretend this book is flawless. There's a lot of missed potential regarding Joss' character arc, and the subplot with Bethany felt forced and swept under the rug. But this is still easily the best Julie Anne Peters novel I've read. I really was going to give up on her permanently, but this novel has given me some hope. Maybe she does have more good books in her. Maybe this is the beginning of a new era, in which she tries harder to connect to her audience, rather than just explore a Serious Issue. And I have to wonder: is Peters aware of this transition? Has she said anything about what her upcoming books will be like on her website?
I do hope you’ll purchase [Lies My Girlfriend Told Me] because it’s the last [book] I’m going to write. I’ve retired from writing and am now working full-time with the Colorado Reading Corps tutoring kids to read up to their grade level. I figure if we don’t have readers, we don’t need writers.
Oh. Well, this was nice while it lasted, I guess.
This review can also be found on my blog.
June 5, 2018
"We want you know we forgive you and we thank you for bringing us together."
Julie Anne Peters' Lies My Girlfriend Told Me offers fresh blood into YA. Not only does it focus on positive lesbian representation, but it's honest, sweet, and realistic. No one's buried (aka dies). No one suffers for their love. No one becomes this super representation of what being a lesbian precludes by becoming a caricature.
What this story does do is set a tone about grieving and finding friendship and love as respectful follow-ups, and that's refreshing. It's not depressing.
Pros:
1. Realistic characters . Alix, Liana, and Joss speak, think, and act like teens. There is not a shred of Whedon-esque speech in the text. I believe these girls are their ages. They have typical teen concerns and they work through them as you would expect. Also, you get various styles of parenting. No super parents. No missing ones, either (though there's a set that's rather neglectful via ther means).
2. Proper teen lesbian representation . Liana, Swanee, and Joss are lesbians. But, they're not super lesbians as in they are representing themselves as humans with flaws, desires, and coming of age moments afforded to straight characters.
3. Cohesive and Realistic Plot . The grieving's natural. This book does not read like an Aaron Spelling teen drama. No meddling middle. No horrid ending. Peters creates a believable series of events for which you see yourself, the reader, as part.
4. Quick. Engaging.
Cons :
1. Cover . I'm not particularly fond of it. But, it's a nitpick.
2. Title . It reads more thriller than actual contemporary romance.
Overall, I would like to see this story step farther into the spotlight. LGBTQA representation deserves good storytelling in the forefront, and this one's should be seen.
4/5 Cheerleading Routines (One less star for the cover and title)
Julie Anne Peters' Lies My Girlfriend Told Me offers fresh blood into YA. Not only does it focus on positive lesbian representation, but it's honest, sweet, and realistic. No one's buried (aka dies). No one suffers for their love. No one becomes this super representation of what being a lesbian precludes by becoming a caricature.
What this story does do is set a tone about grieving and finding friendship and love as respectful follow-ups, and that's refreshing. It's not depressing.
Pros:
1. Realistic characters . Alix, Liana, and Joss speak, think, and act like teens. There is not a shred of Whedon-esque speech in the text. I believe these girls are their ages. They have typical teen concerns and they work through them as you would expect. Also, you get various styles of parenting. No super parents. No missing ones, either (though there's a set that's rather neglectful via ther means).
2. Proper teen lesbian representation . Liana, Swanee, and Joss are lesbians. But, they're not super lesbians as in they are representing themselves as humans with flaws, desires, and coming of age moments afforded to straight characters.
3. Cohesive and Realistic Plot . The grieving's natural. This book does not read like an Aaron Spelling teen drama. No meddling middle. No horrid ending. Peters creates a believable series of events for which you see yourself, the reader, as part.
4. Quick. Engaging.
Cons :
1. Cover . I'm not particularly fond of it. But, it's a nitpick.
2. Title . It reads more thriller than actual contemporary romance.
Overall, I would like to see this story step farther into the spotlight. LGBTQA representation deserves good storytelling in the forefront, and this one's should be seen.
4/5 Cheerleading Routines (One less star for the cover and title)
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