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Rumor: Daughter of Lies
Although a lie can be deceiving, the truth behind it often hurts ten times more. The small, fictional town of Hurley, Mississippi holds one secret that will decimate the perception of 12-year-old Rumor Arden's reality. As the truth of her long, lost mother who disappeared 8 years before comes to light, Rumor must navigate her transition into womanhood beneath the stigma of her mother's unknown past.Behind decades of secrets, Rumor will discover corruption, hate and crime in areas as unexpected as the highest echelons of Hurley's most powerful organization, the church. Can our faith in God's love be maintained even after we discover that a lie has somehow taken the place of that faith? Discover all of this and more between the covers of this powerful and dramatic novel, Daughter of Lies.
276 pages, Paperback
Published March 30, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 2, 2025
Whew… where do I even start? Rumor by J.E. Tyler isn’t just a book, it’s a buried truth wrapped in fiction. A layered, generational story about pain, silence, and how rumors can become weapons when left unchecked.
What starts off feeling like a coming-of-age novel quickly turns into something deeper. Darker. You think you’re reading about a misunderstood girl… but what you’re really reading is the aftershock of her mother’s unspoken trauma — rape, forced prostitution, abandonment not out of neglect but out of desperation, and a town that refused to protect the vulnerable.
Rumor is judged from the moment she’s born. Labeled based on a story that was never hers to begin with. Her identity is shaped by whispers about her mother — who the town called a whore and tossed aside — and Rumor is expected to carry the shame for things she didn’t do. And isn’t that exactly what happens in real life, especially to Black girls?
This book tackles:
Generational trauma
Sex trafficking
Church hurt and hypocrisy
Family secrets
Judgment disguised as protection
Cycles of abuse that get passed down until someone breaks
I had to pause so many times reading this. It’s heavy. It’s raw. But it’s necessary. It forced me to examine my own silence. The things we ignore because they’re “family matters.” The way we throw away Black girls for being “too grown,” instead of asking what made them grow up too fast.
I won’t lie, I cried. I got angry. I sat in stillness. This book gave me chills in the best and worst way. If you’re ready for something real, something that will shake you..pick up Rumor. Because once you read it? You’ll never unsee what you saw.
What starts off feeling like a coming-of-age novel quickly turns into something deeper. Darker. You think you’re reading about a misunderstood girl… but what you’re really reading is the aftershock of her mother’s unspoken trauma — rape, forced prostitution, abandonment not out of neglect but out of desperation, and a town that refused to protect the vulnerable.
Rumor is judged from the moment she’s born. Labeled based on a story that was never hers to begin with. Her identity is shaped by whispers about her mother — who the town called a whore and tossed aside — and Rumor is expected to carry the shame for things she didn’t do. And isn’t that exactly what happens in real life, especially to Black girls?
This book tackles:
Generational trauma
Sex trafficking
Church hurt and hypocrisy
Family secrets
Judgment disguised as protection
Cycles of abuse that get passed down until someone breaks
I had to pause so many times reading this. It’s heavy. It’s raw. But it’s necessary. It forced me to examine my own silence. The things we ignore because they’re “family matters.” The way we throw away Black girls for being “too grown,” instead of asking what made them grow up too fast.
I won’t lie, I cried. I got angry. I sat in stillness. This book gave me chills in the best and worst way. If you’re ready for something real, something that will shake you..pick up Rumor. Because once you read it? You’ll never unsee what you saw.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2025
WOW!!
Rumor by J.E. Tyler is an absolutely electrifying read from start to finish. The author weaves suspense, emotion, and intrigue into a story that kept me hooked with every page. The characters are compelling, the pacing is spot-on, and just when I thought I had everything figured out—boom! The ending hit me like a freight train.
The final twist was completely unexpected and left me staring at the book with my jaw dropped. It’s rare for a book to genuinely surprise me, but this one did it flawlessly. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers with deep layers and a jaw-dropping twists, this is the book for you.
J.E. Tyler has earned a spot on my must-read list. Highly recommend!
Rumor by J.E. Tyler is an absolutely electrifying read from start to finish. The author weaves suspense, emotion, and intrigue into a story that kept me hooked with every page. The characters are compelling, the pacing is spot-on, and just when I thought I had everything figured out—boom! The ending hit me like a freight train.
The final twist was completely unexpected and left me staring at the book with my jaw dropped. It’s rare for a book to genuinely surprise me, but this one did it flawlessly. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers with deep layers and a jaw-dropping twists, this is the book for you.
J.E. Tyler has earned a spot on my must-read list. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews