Rules For Lying

by Anne Corbitt

"After school, custodian Oliver Nix investigates a strange sound coming from the boys' locker room. What he finds rocks this suburban Atlanta community. Langley, a sophomore, claims she was forced, but Kevin, the accused, insists on his innocence while plotting his path out of town. His mother, Grace, defends her son despite having made a similar accusation twenty years before. Eleanor, Oliver's daughter, tries to reconcile her loyalty to best friend Langley, who created the rules for lying, with her unrequited love for Kevin. Rules for Lying follows the characters through a police investigation that makes them question their memories, allegiances, and actions, all while hiding secrets of their own."

312 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2016

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It is well written and presents a fresh take on issues of rape and truth in situations. It is set in Atlanta, so the familiar setting of home was comfortable for me. The story was well developed and well told. Not all characters were likable, which is realistic as not all people are likable. A terrific debut novel!

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful prose and intriguing characters!

[Valeria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I was a student in the author's creative writing class at my university and wanted to read her book upon finding out she had written one. Corbitt really entangles you in the scene and world of this book with her vivid descriptions and strong figurative language. I found myself rereading some lines that were just great over again because of their quality. I also found the subject matter very intriguing and dealt with in a careful manner. I felt that the adults (Nix and Grace) in this book were so well portrayed, but I found myself not getting the same pull towards the teens actually involved. I think that Kevin was the one I felt like I knew the most while I couldn't quite understand Eleanor or Langley as well as who they were together as friends. I think most of it was in the passiveness many of these characters possessed, which was perhaps the point as the situation was very blown up for what it was. I also didn't enjoy the subplot of the other girl who got harassed; it's not picked up again and I really didn't see how it added anything to the story by being dropped. The other girl was also one of the few explicitly mentioned characters of color, so I was a bit sad that was her only role and it wasn't given a lot of attention at that. Overall though the story was easy to get lost in and the style was certainly a lot to undertake. I enjoyed getting multiple perspectives on the matter and having the freedom to think about what happened afterwards.

[Ehmbee Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rules for Lying is full of so many characters—all with well-defined, clear motivations, individual quirks, and various flaws—that nearly any of them could serve as the book’s protagonist. Often, such writing can get confusing but, in Corbitt’s case, the care and believability she crafted around the book’s immense cast of characters only enriches the reader’s experience. All of them felt natural and, what’s more, I never found myself turning to previous pages, for any sort of clarity. Even the era in which the book takes place is so well-captured that it almost becomes a character of its own.

[Brandon Wicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very impressive--and suspenseful--debut about a community's fallout over teenage rape allegations. Corbitt never flinches from the moral complexity at the heart of the novel, and she develops her characters with a close and compassionate eye. A quite satisfying read.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing was really good and plot was interesting. I felt like the book ended with a lot of loose ends, but perhaps that was intentional?

[Rachel Monroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

These characters are heartbreaking and frustrating and so human. I loved reading through the layers of each one. The writing was beautiful and I had a hard time putting this one down.

[Dawn Major · Rating 5 out of 5]

You hear the term page-turner often, but in the case of Anne Corbitt’s novel, Rules for Lying, the expression is dead on. The chapters are extremely short (sometimes only a couple of pages long) and rapidly draw the reader into the character’s experience. The structure has the effect of leaving the reader on a cliffhanger every single time the chapter ends.

The author explores the ambiguity of consensual sex verses rape. It’s a controversial subject yet done effectively. You can’t choose sides, which is interesting for a reader who naturally picks or seeks an automatic protagonist and antagonist. If you want clear lines in the sand between good and bad, good luck here. I think that is the beauty of the novel. In the story, everyone agonizes over this accusation. It doesn’t just confine itself to the two families involved, but causes a tornado of blame within the community. I recently watched the documentary, Roll Red Roll, which touches on the impact social media has on rape culture and victim blaming. It's a worthy watch and is available on Netflix.

I had already read and reviewed Corbitt's novel and so decided go back to this review and recommend this documentary, because Corbitt addresses some of the same the issues the film does.

On a final note, the author subtly weaves music throughout her novel. Whether it’s a high school marching band or jazz at a seedy Atlanta bar, there is this constant musical thread that reminds us that we are all connected in the composition of life. The metaphor is that each character’s score has an accumulative effect on the main composition. They’re playing their parts. This sounds a little vague, but read the book and it will make sense!

[Nathan Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passed along from a friend who knows the author. Cool reading a book where Atlanta plays a central role. Writing was really top notch. Some of the plot was a little far fetched and ... wonky? I guess

[Megs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Corbitt's debut novel is the first book in a long time to make me slow down and savor truly good writing. Set in suburban Atlanta in the 1990's, this book was a step back in time for me as I relived my own high school experience in the same setting. The descriptions of a brief, impactful time in what is otherwise a boring suburb is haunting and gave me similar cloudy feelings as when I first read Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides. It's easy to be enthralled with stories set in a bustling big city but Corbitt reminds us how secretive and mysterious suburban America can be. It was equally impactful to me to finish this book and only then realize that it is devoid of social media and cyber bullying that would accompany such a story if set in present day. Yet somehow this story does not seem dated or stale. It simply removes the fake complications that the internet provides and leaves you with a raw story based on real human interaction, or the purposeful withdrawal from it. In some ways, the ending left me uncomfortable because there is no happy ending or a perfect bow tied around where the characters go from here. But I think that is appropriate and fitting with the rest of the book and life as it really is. Life is not comfortable and it doesn't have neatly wrapped up endings but typically the parts that are awkward and strange and messy are the parts that have the greatest impact and offer the most growth.

[Ann Colwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an incredible read. The language itself is so rich and beautiful - the author's descriptions make every moment, every sensation, every sound so tangible. I wish I could write like this. The storytelling is split between a handful of characters, and you never quite know who is lying, who is telling the truth, what truth means, and who to believe! It kept me on the edge of my seat, gave me heart palpitations, made me laugh out loud - a truly delightful read. I bought a copy to give away as a Christmas gift because I'm recommending it to all my friends!

[Tyler Askew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rules for Lying is a page turner from beginning to end. Corbitt's storytelling ability leaves the reader thirsting for more. The novel feels very close to home, and I couldn't help but imagine it taking place in my own high school. Corbitt goes beyond the tired "he said/she said" style of writing to provide a much more nuanced narrative, embedding the main plot line within a complex web of life experiences. Nothing is so simple as it may at first appear. A very rewarding read.