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The Truth Lies Here
Stranger Things meets Men in Black in this funny and eerie young adult novel.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN BONE LAKE? THE TRUTH WILL SURPRISE YOU.
In small town Michigan, Penny Hardjoy, an aspiring journalist, teams up with the nerdy boy next door and the town’s star quarterback to find her conspiracy theorist father after he goes missing and several other people turn up dead in the woods.
The deeper she digs, the weirder things start to get. Townspeople repeat the same phrases—verbatim. Men in black suits stroll around Main Street. Chunks of Penny's memory go missing.
Pretty soon, her research leads her to the long-ago meteorite crash in Bone Lake’s woods, and she’s going to have to reconsider her definition of “real” if she wants answers. . . .
WHAT’S GOING ON IN BONE LAKE? THE TRUTH WILL SURPRISE YOU.
In small town Michigan, Penny Hardjoy, an aspiring journalist, teams up with the nerdy boy next door and the town’s star quarterback to find her conspiracy theorist father after he goes missing and several other people turn up dead in the woods.
The deeper she digs, the weirder things start to get. Townspeople repeat the same phrases—verbatim. Men in black suits stroll around Main Street. Chunks of Penny's memory go missing.
Pretty soon, her research leads her to the long-ago meteorite crash in Bone Lake’s woods, and she’s going to have to reconsider her definition of “real” if she wants answers. . . .
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2018
39 people are currently reading
4506 people want to read
About the author
Lindsey Klingele
5 books220 followersLindsey Klingele grew up in Western Michigan, where she read every book she could get her hands on. She eventually moved to Los Angeles (the real land of make believe) and worked as a writers' assistant for TV shows such as THE LYING GAME and TWISTED. She still loves living in LA, especially since it's home to great television shows, truly excellent cheeseburgers, and her pitbull, Bighead.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
August 19, 2018
When I saw the tag line of “Stranger Things meets Men in Black” I was 100000% here for it. Sadly, it was fairly disappointing for me.
I liked Penny well enough. Her struggle to fit back into a small town life felt realistic and I really enjoyed her tenacity. Dex was sort of adorable and I would have liked something a bit more tangible between them. There are a few other characters, but no one really stood out.
Plot wise it lagged a bit. I was all in on this concept, but at the halfway point, I could have easily set the book down and never finished it. The story lacked the tension and build up I expected and though the reveal was mildly interesting, by then I was just ready for it to be over.
Overall, it was an intriguing idea, but the execution just didn’t work for me.
**Huge thanks to Harper Teen for providing the arc free of charge**
I liked Penny well enough. Her struggle to fit back into a small town life felt realistic and I really enjoyed her tenacity. Dex was sort of adorable and I would have liked something a bit more tangible between them. There are a few other characters, but no one really stood out.
Plot wise it lagged a bit. I was all in on this concept, but at the halfway point, I could have easily set the book down and never finished it. The story lacked the tension and build up I expected and though the reveal was mildly interesting, by then I was just ready for it to be over.
Overall, it was an intriguing idea, but the execution just didn’t work for me.
**Huge thanks to Harper Teen for providing the arc free of charge**
July 13, 2018
Penny is back in her hometown of Bone Lake, Michigan for the summer prepared to write her college essay on the decline of the town after the military pulled their major contract causing the local factory to close several years ago.
Her dad doesn't show to pick her up at the airport, which doesn't surprise Penny who is used to be letting down by him. Dexter, the literal boy next door, picks her up and delivers her to her door, worried that her dad has seemingly disappeared.
Penny brushes it off as the normal flakey behavior of a conspiracy theorist. Her dad has made his career selling blurry photos of bears and passing them off as Big Foot in lame magazines. On top of that, just before the factory closed a giant meteorite crashed in the nearby woods and since then strange lights have appeared that her dad now attributes to The Visitors (i.e. aliens).
She figures her dad is gone on another story for the magazine and begins research for her own story by asking the locals what they remember about the factory closing and the impact its had on the town. Things take a strange turn when their vague answers all conclude with the same line: "It's best not to think too much about it."
Soon dead bodies are turning up in the woods, burned beyond recognition. Penny and Dexter team up like the new Mulder and Scully in search of Penny's dad who may actually be on to a huge (not to mention real) story for once. The fact that he's missing during the time bodies are piling up makes him a person of interest for the Sheriff, who's also holding an old grudge against him.
Penny knows there's a connection between the meteorite crash and the factory closing but when she goes to investigate, she wakes up on her back porch hours later with no memory of how she got there. A natural skeptic, she has to grudgingly admit that maybe her dad isn't the complete fraud she's made him about to be most of her life. She has to solve the mysteries of the burned bodies and strange lights in the woods in order to clear her dad's name ...and she still has to find him.
Full of major pop culture vibes (Stranger Things meets The X-Files meets Men in Black), The Truth Lies Here has a love triangle, a fractured father-daughter relationship, and a creepy supernatural mystery begging to be solved by the teenagers who obviously know more about what's going on than the adults do.
This was a fun YA read with a storyline that's obviously been done before yet remains entertaining! Thanks to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for my honest review. The Truth Lies Here is scheduled for release on August 21, 2018.
For more full reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
Her dad doesn't show to pick her up at the airport, which doesn't surprise Penny who is used to be letting down by him. Dexter, the literal boy next door, picks her up and delivers her to her door, worried that her dad has seemingly disappeared.
Penny brushes it off as the normal flakey behavior of a conspiracy theorist. Her dad has made his career selling blurry photos of bears and passing them off as Big Foot in lame magazines. On top of that, just before the factory closed a giant meteorite crashed in the nearby woods and since then strange lights have appeared that her dad now attributes to The Visitors (i.e. aliens).
She figures her dad is gone on another story for the magazine and begins research for her own story by asking the locals what they remember about the factory closing and the impact its had on the town. Things take a strange turn when their vague answers all conclude with the same line: "It's best not to think too much about it."
Soon dead bodies are turning up in the woods, burned beyond recognition. Penny and Dexter team up like the new Mulder and Scully in search of Penny's dad who may actually be on to a huge (not to mention real) story for once. The fact that he's missing during the time bodies are piling up makes him a person of interest for the Sheriff, who's also holding an old grudge against him.
Penny knows there's a connection between the meteorite crash and the factory closing but when she goes to investigate, she wakes up on her back porch hours later with no memory of how she got there. A natural skeptic, she has to grudgingly admit that maybe her dad isn't the complete fraud she's made him about to be most of her life. She has to solve the mysteries of the burned bodies and strange lights in the woods in order to clear her dad's name ...and she still has to find him.
Full of major pop culture vibes (Stranger Things meets The X-Files meets Men in Black), The Truth Lies Here has a love triangle, a fractured father-daughter relationship, and a creepy supernatural mystery begging to be solved by the teenagers who obviously know more about what's going on than the adults do.
This was a fun YA read with a storyline that's obviously been done before yet remains entertaining! Thanks to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for my honest review. The Truth Lies Here is scheduled for release on August 21, 2018.
For more full reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
June 6, 2018
I must admit that this just hasn’t been the best reading year for me so far. Many of my recent reads have turned out to be disappointing to put it kindly. Sadly, The Truth Lies Here was not the exception.
The story follows Penny, she needs a big story to include in her college application. So, she heads back to her hometown to interview people about a tragic event that happened many years ago. Around the time of her arrival, a series of mysterious murders start to happen. And the circumstances on which they occur suggests that there might be more to them than what meets the eye. On top of that, her dad goes missing, and nobody seems to care enough to go looking for him. So, when the police fail to provide a believable explanation, she decides to take matters into her own hands.
I was so excited when I learned I had been approved for an ARC. I’m a big fan of The X Files (which is constantly mentioned in the book), and I hadn't read any mysteries recently. In fact, I hadn't read any mysteries in a pretty long while.
I didn't have particularly high expectation for this book though, but I was still hoping to enjoy it. Which only makes my experience bleaker.
Penny was just… Bland, to say the least. Her entire personality is based on how disappointed she is of her dad. He sells stories for a living, the paranormal kind, about bigfoot and the yeti and aliens. When she was a kid she had the impression that he really believed in all these things. But after an accident she learnt that he only pursues them because they pay his bills. It was kind of the end of the world as she knew it. And everything that happened to her after it seems to derive from it.
She wants to be a journalist to uncover the truth, it’s her passion, supposedly, and yet there doesn't seem to be anything else that she likes about it, but the fact that it's the opposite of what her dad does.
She's obsessed with this idea of “The Truth” that she has. Where the world is always black or white, and people are either good and honest or bad and liars. She's naive like that. And her being so very sorry for all these poor people trapped in a small town, who will never the see the lights of the big city, was beyond annoying.
And in case her disdain for her dad's lifestyle wasn't obvious the first time around, she also manages to find a way to comment on it every ten minutes.
I grew tired of her quickly. Which sucks, because you're stuck with her for the entire book. I think it could have been bearable if at least one of the other characters were interesting. But they were more of the same, which takes me to the thing that really killed this book for me.
There is (drum rolls, please) a Love Triangle! Yes, with capital letters, because it's exactly the kind of love triangle that should be trademarked by YA authors. That is, the one between a girl and two guys, one of which is a best friend, skinny and geeky, opposite to the other, who is the crush, perfect in every way.
Please know that the mystery element was not nearly enough to make up for Penny figuring out of the two guys liked her. While also letting you know that all these strange things that are happening are indeed, very strange. It made the entire book feel juvenile, and took the seriousness away from the main issue, which were the murders.
I went through seventy percent of the book or so until I realized I didn't care enough to keep reading. I wouldn't recommend it, as you can tell. There must be better YA mystery books out there.
I’d like to thank the publisher and Edelweiss for providing this ARC.
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The story follows Penny, she needs a big story to include in her college application. So, she heads back to her hometown to interview people about a tragic event that happened many years ago. Around the time of her arrival, a series of mysterious murders start to happen. And the circumstances on which they occur suggests that there might be more to them than what meets the eye. On top of that, her dad goes missing, and nobody seems to care enough to go looking for him. So, when the police fail to provide a believable explanation, she decides to take matters into her own hands.
I was so excited when I learned I had been approved for an ARC. I’m a big fan of The X Files (which is constantly mentioned in the book), and I hadn't read any mysteries recently. In fact, I hadn't read any mysteries in a pretty long while.
I didn't have particularly high expectation for this book though, but I was still hoping to enjoy it. Which only makes my experience bleaker.
Penny was just… Bland, to say the least. Her entire personality is based on how disappointed she is of her dad. He sells stories for a living, the paranormal kind, about bigfoot and the yeti and aliens. When she was a kid she had the impression that he really believed in all these things. But after an accident she learnt that he only pursues them because they pay his bills. It was kind of the end of the world as she knew it. And everything that happened to her after it seems to derive from it.
She wants to be a journalist to uncover the truth, it’s her passion, supposedly, and yet there doesn't seem to be anything else that she likes about it, but the fact that it's the opposite of what her dad does.
She's obsessed with this idea of “The Truth” that she has. Where the world is always black or white, and people are either good and honest or bad and liars. She's naive like that. And her being so very sorry for all these poor people trapped in a small town, who will never the see the lights of the big city, was beyond annoying.
And in case her disdain for her dad's lifestyle wasn't obvious the first time around, she also manages to find a way to comment on it every ten minutes.
I grew tired of her quickly. Which sucks, because you're stuck with her for the entire book. I think it could have been bearable if at least one of the other characters were interesting. But they were more of the same, which takes me to the thing that really killed this book for me.
There is (drum rolls, please) a Love Triangle! Yes, with capital letters, because it's exactly the kind of love triangle that should be trademarked by YA authors. That is, the one between a girl and two guys, one of which is a best friend, skinny and geeky, opposite to the other, who is the crush, perfect in every way.
Please know that the mystery element was not nearly enough to make up for Penny figuring out of the two guys liked her. While also letting you know that all these strange things that are happening are indeed, very strange. It made the entire book feel juvenile, and took the seriousness away from the main issue, which were the murders.
I went through seventy percent of the book or so until I realized I didn't care enough to keep reading. I wouldn't recommend it, as you can tell. There must be better YA mystery books out there.
I’d like to thank the publisher and Edelweiss for providing this ARC.
INSTAGRAM | BLOG | PINTEREST | GOODREADS
Read
August 17, 2018I excited by the premise of The Truth Lies Here: a girl who wants to get into journalism school and has a father who is a conspiracy theorist. Penny Hardjoy (lol - does she sound like a Bond Girl or what?) leaves Chicago to spend the summer with her father in the small midwestern town where she lived until her parents spilt up. She plans to do research on the ways a plant closing impacted the residents' lives and instead gets embroiled in an X-Files style whodunit. Her father is missing, as are a couple of local teens. Then we find out that a meteorite hit town about 15 years prior and things have been weird since then.
So Penny - assisted at times by two guys, one a dreamy football player, one a more awkward guy-next door - soon ditches her planned story and starts trying to find her father.
Definitely a little bit of a Stranger Things/X-Files vibe. I wish the suspense had been ramped up more throughout. I wanted a little more fleshing-out on the paranormal stuff. There is a tiny bit of romance. Despite the two guys, the vibe didn't seem that triangle-y, if that is an issue for you.
Worth a try if you are looking for something with a paranormal bent!
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Check out my Bookstagram! Or check out my Jen In Ten reviews on Youtube - get the lowdown on current books in 10-30 seconds!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
So Penny - assisted at times by two guys, one a dreamy football player, one a more awkward guy-next door - soon ditches her planned story and starts trying to find her father.
Definitely a little bit of a Stranger Things/X-Files vibe. I wish the suspense had been ramped up more throughout. I wanted a little more fleshing-out on the paranormal stuff. There is a tiny bit of romance. Despite the two guys, the vibe didn't seem that triangle-y, if that is an issue for you.
Worth a try if you are looking for something with a paranormal bent!
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Check out my Bookstagram! Or check out my Jen In Ten reviews on Youtube - get the lowdown on current books in 10-30 seconds!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!
October 10, 2018
I really liked this creepy book. This book was the perfect Halloween book. The author made it subtle which many thriller books have trouble with. Also that there was more development in characters through the book. Horror books usually focus on the plot than the characters which made me like this book a lot.
SPOILER SECTION
Okay this book was crazy. This was filled with twist and turns which I should've seen coming. How the FBI got involved but really was the company. The story is about Penny finding out her dad went missing and he was in a giant conspiracy that is true. However the towns people keep saying the same phrase "best not to think about it". This creeped me out that I made me love it. I love getting nervous or creeped that it's very unlikely to happen. I liked that Mica was behind her father missing and people forgetting. I had no idea but it makes sense now. Mica's father worked at the plant and found a room called chemical that made people forget. I freaked out because Penny found the plant and Mica used it on her. But something happened and made him a monster of fire. How Mica thought his father knew what he was doing but the dad lost him mind. I liked the common theme of fathers not being the perfect hero. I can understand that children want to look at their fathers like gods and than the innocence disappears. The love interest was cute but I was really interested in the story. I was hooked and I loved the book.
SPOILER SECTION
Okay this book was crazy. This was filled with twist and turns which I should've seen coming. How the FBI got involved but really was the company. The story is about Penny finding out her dad went missing and he was in a giant conspiracy that is true. However the towns people keep saying the same phrase "best not to think about it". This creeped me out that I made me love it. I love getting nervous or creeped that it's very unlikely to happen. I liked that Mica was behind her father missing and people forgetting. I had no idea but it makes sense now. Mica's father worked at the plant and found a room called chemical that made people forget. I freaked out because Penny found the plant and Mica used it on her. But something happened and made him a monster of fire. How Mica thought his father knew what he was doing but the dad lost him mind. I liked the common theme of fathers not being the perfect hero. I can understand that children want to look at their fathers like gods and than the innocence disappears. The love interest was cute but I was really interested in the story. I was hooked and I loved the book.
September 21, 2018
9/14/18 Review:
Oh, look, a highly anticipated read that didn't fail me. Call me impressed.
As you can see, my pre-read review was allllllllllllllllll the fangirl feels since the premise was literally alllllllllllll of my buzzwords? I was like, all this book needs is some Bigfoot and it would be good, and how does this book start???? MC AND DAD ON A BIGFOOT HUNT. Omg, I was having a moment, y'all. Me was in the corner, heavy breathing because I just can't.
Overall, though, besides hitting all of my buzzwords, it was a pretty good read. There were a few parts that I thought could have grazed deeper than just the surface, but otherwise, I was vibing this story.
I really liked the storyline. I really wasn't quite sure where it was going. I was honestly thinking, is it aliens?? government mind wipe?? middle grade emotional Bigfoot - oh, wait, wrong book. I really couldn't figure out where this story would lead, and I was super enjoying the journey of Penny on the search for her father, trying to find out why all of the townspeople say the say things over and over, and what is really going on with all of the burned bodies. There were a lot of little things that added up to a bigger mystery, and I was in deep with all of them.
The characters were pretty good. I would have liked to dive a little deeper with them, but they were pretty good. I liked Penny well enough, and I thought she was a good main character. I got her motivations, and her journey with how she was a believer to being a not a believer to maybe a believer brought a lot of depth to her and made me really root for her. Dex was a nice character, but I would have liked a bit more from him. Reese was kind cartoonish for most of the time, but I got the psychology behind her. The dynamics between everyone was really interesting, too, and it definitely brought the interconnected small town feels.
The thing that I loved the most about this book was the setting/atmosphere. This honestly just felt like an X-Files episode sans Scully and Mulder. It had the same spookyish, fall atmosphere that brought the creepy small town feels. It bordered on the edge of is this normal/is this paranormal? It would bring intriguing plot twists and turns that you weren't expecting at the unexpected moments. It really was the closest I felt to The X-Files without honestly watching it. I was loving the mood it brought and it was perfect for spooky readathon and the start of fall.
The romance was okay. I wasn't vibing, but it was okay.
The writing was pretty easy to read as well. It flowed nicely and everything came together in a believable, complex but easy way.
Overall, this was a pretty good read. It lagged in a few places, but I really enjoyed it. It's definitely a great gateway to get into the fall, spooky season, but also brings a last little bit of summer. It has a cool vibe to it and it totally feels very X-Filesish. 4 crowns and an Ariel rating!
Pre-Read Review:
Stranger Things + Men in Black + The X-Files = Mandy's heart beating wildly, because it's like the author took everything I ever wanted out of my brain and put it into pages. Now, if Bigfoot could just pop out of the forest on that cover, I would become Deceased by Book.
August, why you gotta be so far away.
Oh, look, a highly anticipated read that didn't fail me. Call me impressed.
As you can see, my pre-read review was allllllllllllllllll the fangirl feels since the premise was literally alllllllllllll of my buzzwords? I was like, all this book needs is some Bigfoot and it would be good, and how does this book start???? MC AND DAD ON A BIGFOOT HUNT. Omg, I was having a moment, y'all. Me was in the corner, heavy breathing because I just can't.
Overall, though, besides hitting all of my buzzwords, it was a pretty good read. There were a few parts that I thought could have grazed deeper than just the surface, but otherwise, I was vibing this story.
I really liked the storyline. I really wasn't quite sure where it was going. I was honestly thinking, is it aliens?? government mind wipe?? middle grade emotional Bigfoot - oh, wait, wrong book. I really couldn't figure out where this story would lead, and I was super enjoying the journey of Penny on the search for her father, trying to find out why all of the townspeople say the say things over and over, and what is really going on with all of the burned bodies. There were a lot of little things that added up to a bigger mystery, and I was in deep with all of them.
The characters were pretty good. I would have liked to dive a little deeper with them, but they were pretty good. I liked Penny well enough, and I thought she was a good main character. I got her motivations, and her journey with how she was a believer to being a not a believer to maybe a believer brought a lot of depth to her and made me really root for her. Dex was a nice character, but I would have liked a bit more from him. Reese was kind cartoonish for most of the time, but I got the psychology behind her. The dynamics between everyone was really interesting, too, and it definitely brought the interconnected small town feels.
The thing that I loved the most about this book was the setting/atmosphere. This honestly just felt like an X-Files episode sans Scully and Mulder. It had the same spookyish, fall atmosphere that brought the creepy small town feels. It bordered on the edge of is this normal/is this paranormal? It would bring intriguing plot twists and turns that you weren't expecting at the unexpected moments. It really was the closest I felt to The X-Files without honestly watching it. I was loving the mood it brought and it was perfect for spooky readathon and the start of fall.
The romance was okay. I wasn't vibing, but it was okay.
The writing was pretty easy to read as well. It flowed nicely and everything came together in a believable, complex but easy way.
Overall, this was a pretty good read. It lagged in a few places, but I really enjoyed it. It's definitely a great gateway to get into the fall, spooky season, but also brings a last little bit of summer. It has a cool vibe to it and it totally feels very X-Filesish. 4 crowns and an Ariel rating!
Pre-Read Review:
Stranger Things + Men in Black + The X-Files = Mandy's heart beating wildly, because it's like the author took everything I ever wanted out of my brain and put it into pages. Now, if Bigfoot could just pop out of the forest on that cover, I would become Deceased by Book.
August, why you gotta be so far away.
February 18, 2018
Rating: 4.5 Stars
A throughly compelling coming-of-age story laced with mystery and a touch of Sci-fi.
Confession: I read this one by accident, so it will be quite a while before I post my full review. Until then, know that I only have good things to say about this book.
Full review to follow.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
A throughly compelling coming-of-age story laced with mystery and a touch of Sci-fi.
Confession: I read this one by accident, so it will be quite a while before I post my full review. Until then, know that I only have good things to say about this book.
Full review to follow.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
April 8, 2018
I really dug this book. A little bit strange, but a lot of fun, I kept reading up until the wee hours to see how everything was going to be resolved. The sci-fi angle was written in a way that made the book feel grounded. I loved the main character and enjoyed the mystery as well as her complex romantic and familial relationships. 5 Star Read for sure.
August 1, 2018
ARC provided by the publisher vis Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
4/5 stars for The Truth Lies Here! I had so much fun reading this book! I'm not going to lie, I requested this book 100% based on the fact that it's set in Michigan. That being said, I could not remember anything about the synopsis. This book is kind of like Stranger Things meets Men in Black meets the X-files - which is awesome. HOWEVER, aliens aren't REALLY my thing. Luckily, there was so much to love about this book that I hardly noticed.
WHAT I LOVED:
-The setting. I already kind of mentioned this, but I love ANYTHING set in Michigan - added bonus when the MC flies into the Traverse City airport, which I've been to many times! I always love seeing the little tidbits, names, and places that I recognize. It really adds to the story for me.
-Dex. Dex was my all-time favorite character in this book. He was light-hearted and fun, and I loved how he believed in all things supernatural with abandon. Above all of this, he was truly kind, and a loyal friend to both Penny and her father. Some of his scenes with Penny and with his Mom were, in my opinion, the most powerful to read. PLUS, I totally ship Dex and Penny - I love childhood friends to lovers storylines!
-Penny's character arc and development. I love how this book shows what it's like to go from a teenager, focused solely on your own problems, and on YOUR truth, to growing into a young adult - where your parents become actual PEOPLE, with other lives and problems. Penny learns throughout her search for the truth and for her father that there is more than one side to every story, and that her truth isn't necessarily everyone's truth. She learns that the world isn't simply black and white, and has to part with her beloved facts, learning that those facts may be slightly different for everyone. I liked Penny more and more as the story went on, and that's a rare thing for me with MC's.
-The pacing. This book started with a mystery and kept you guessing until the last couple chapters. I did NOT guess any of the twists at the end, which makes it even better. I had a few sneaking suspicions, but only one of them turned out to be right. This was a quick read and a total page-turner.
WHAT I DIDN'T:
-Love triangles. For the most part, I HATE love triangles, and this book definitely had one. I will say, I ended up liking both of the boys, but definitely shipped one more - and trusted one less.
-Like I said, despite loving Stranger Things, alien tales aren't really my thing. Luckily, this ended up being a smaller part of the plot than I thought it'd be. Besides that, I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Release date is August 21 - you won't want to miss this one.
4/5 stars for The Truth Lies Here! I had so much fun reading this book! I'm not going to lie, I requested this book 100% based on the fact that it's set in Michigan. That being said, I could not remember anything about the synopsis. This book is kind of like Stranger Things meets Men in Black meets the X-files - which is awesome. HOWEVER, aliens aren't REALLY my thing. Luckily, there was so much to love about this book that I hardly noticed.
WHAT I LOVED:
-The setting. I already kind of mentioned this, but I love ANYTHING set in Michigan - added bonus when the MC flies into the Traverse City airport, which I've been to many times! I always love seeing the little tidbits, names, and places that I recognize. It really adds to the story for me.
-Dex. Dex was my all-time favorite character in this book. He was light-hearted and fun, and I loved how he believed in all things supernatural with abandon. Above all of this, he was truly kind, and a loyal friend to both Penny and her father. Some of his scenes with Penny and with his Mom were, in my opinion, the most powerful to read. PLUS, I totally ship Dex and Penny - I love childhood friends to lovers storylines!
-Penny's character arc and development. I love how this book shows what it's like to go from a teenager, focused solely on your own problems, and on YOUR truth, to growing into a young adult - where your parents become actual PEOPLE, with other lives and problems. Penny learns throughout her search for the truth and for her father that there is more than one side to every story, and that her truth isn't necessarily everyone's truth. She learns that the world isn't simply black and white, and has to part with her beloved facts, learning that those facts may be slightly different for everyone. I liked Penny more and more as the story went on, and that's a rare thing for me with MC's.
-The pacing. This book started with a mystery and kept you guessing until the last couple chapters. I did NOT guess any of the twists at the end, which makes it even better. I had a few sneaking suspicions, but only one of them turned out to be right. This was a quick read and a total page-turner.
WHAT I DIDN'T:
-Love triangles. For the most part, I HATE love triangles, and this book definitely had one. I will say, I ended up liking both of the boys, but definitely shipped one more - and trusted one less.
-Like I said, despite loving Stranger Things, alien tales aren't really my thing. Luckily, this ended up being a smaller part of the plot than I thought it'd be. Besides that, I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Release date is August 21 - you won't want to miss this one.
August 20, 2018
*Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!*
”To believe blindly is to get burned, and I was smarter than that now. I knew better.”
Along with openly being a love letter to her childhood growing up in Michigan, this book was also a love letter to small town sleuthing, murder mysteries, and of course, good old science fiction flicks about aliens. While very little of this book was not following some well worn troupes, I enjoyed every page.
Penny serves as a human example of the saying “curiosity killed the cat.” Her best friend growing up, Dex, is aware of how large our universe truly is and prepared to advocate for extraterrestrials. There are also a few caricatures of people: the cute guy on the football team, Micah, the bitter beauty, Reese, and a few other high school cliches. Add in Penny’s father, a recently missing journalist whose articles are anything but pragmatic, and you’ve got an idea of this book.
With some hysterical one-liners, good old adventure and suspense, and surprisingly down-to-earth moments for a novel dealing with not-of-this-world topics, this was a quick, engaging read that left me smiling and smirking. Perfect read for fans of oddball books that take stereotypical ingredients but manage to whip up something unique and quippy. Highly recommend.
”You’re not an idiot for believing in something you wanted to be true.”
”To believe blindly is to get burned, and I was smarter than that now. I knew better.”
Along with openly being a love letter to her childhood growing up in Michigan, this book was also a love letter to small town sleuthing, murder mysteries, and of course, good old science fiction flicks about aliens. While very little of this book was not following some well worn troupes, I enjoyed every page.
Penny serves as a human example of the saying “curiosity killed the cat.” Her best friend growing up, Dex, is aware of how large our universe truly is and prepared to advocate for extraterrestrials. There are also a few caricatures of people: the cute guy on the football team, Micah, the bitter beauty, Reese, and a few other high school cliches. Add in Penny’s father, a recently missing journalist whose articles are anything but pragmatic, and you’ve got an idea of this book.
With some hysterical one-liners, good old adventure and suspense, and surprisingly down-to-earth moments for a novel dealing with not-of-this-world topics, this was a quick, engaging read that left me smiling and smirking. Perfect read for fans of oddball books that take stereotypical ingredients but manage to whip up something unique and quippy. Highly recommend.
”You’re not an idiot for believing in something you wanted to be true.”
January 15, 2019
This was like reading a classic 80's Sci-Fi movie, with a tinge of Stranger Things thrown in, I loved it. The small town vibes, mixed in with an intriguing mystery, with just the right amount of terror thrown in. For once, a cover buy has paid off, because the content lived up to the aesthetic!!
Klingele's writing style is pretty simple and straightforward, and there's certainly no groundbreaking literature going on here, but it had me hooked from the word go. The suspense builds up nicely, with lots of little twists and turns to keep you guessing whats going on. I couldn't put it down!
Klingele's writing style is pretty simple and straightforward, and there's certainly no groundbreaking literature going on here, but it had me hooked from the word go. The suspense builds up nicely, with lots of little twists and turns to keep you guessing whats going on. I couldn't put it down!
January 1, 2020
Maybe a 3.5, story was engaging but a bit of a let down in the ending.
August 17, 2018
Penny is supposed to spend summer vacations with her distant supernatural journalist father. When she reaches the small town she grew up before the nasty divorce, he is nowhere. She's sure she's been ignored or forgotten because of some unbelievable story but things in town seem too out of place.
I hadn't noticed before but this book has a lot to do with X Files, which should have been obvious even from the title. Like Scully, Penny is a non-believer who needs to pair up with one too-gullible-to-be-taken-seriously nerdy boy in order to complete her investigation and find her father. Still, it's nothing close to a retelling, just maybe a homage?
I confess I expected more excitement. This was kinda funny, kinda mysterious and things did happen in spite of being YA—meaning, people died here and in a gross manner. But it was lacking in all ways. I understood why Penny held it against her father, for example, and geez he left her all alone for some probably fake story. And yet, I couldn't relate.This illustrates my whole experience: I was supposed to like it more but the fact is that it was too lukewarm.
The conclusion isn't bad, though. I wasn't fully expecting all that and it kept me wondering what it would come out to be. Really, this is a nice book. It just lacked here and there and some more. Perhaps, it'll spike more interest from sci-fi lovers?
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
I hadn't noticed before but this book has a lot to do with X Files, which should have been obvious even from the title. Like Scully, Penny is a non-believer who needs to pair up with one too-gullible-to-be-taken-seriously nerdy boy in order to complete her investigation and find her father. Still, it's nothing close to a retelling, just maybe a homage?
I confess I expected more excitement. This was kinda funny, kinda mysterious and things did happen in spite of being YA—meaning, people died here and in a gross manner. But it was lacking in all ways. I understood why Penny held it against her father, for example, and geez he left her all alone for some probably fake story. And yet, I couldn't relate.This illustrates my whole experience: I was supposed to like it more but the fact is that it was too lukewarm.
The conclusion isn't bad, though. I wasn't fully expecting all that and it kept me wondering what it would come out to be. Really, this is a nice book. It just lacked here and there and some more. Perhaps, it'll spike more interest from sci-fi lovers?
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
November 9, 2018
Loved this book! It has such a Stranger Things vibe. So fun!
August 9, 2019
This was so disappointing. I was really in the mood for a mystery in genericville, America. The town of Bone Lake should have felt like its own character, and yet the descriptions of it were bareboned. How hard is it to put in descriptions? Tell me what it looks like from the shades and shapes of houses. Tell me what it smells like. Tell me anything that I can visualise. But not, that’s just too difficult.
The characters are about as flat as they can be. They have little personality outside of one thing. Penny wants to be a journalist. Dex is a conspiracy nutter. Micah has a tragic backstory. Reese is a horrid hag. The books tries to go an emotional route at the end with the twist but by that point I had already checked out.
There was also quite a bit of repetition. Example:
Character 1: Do you remember that thing?
Character 2, internally: I did remember that thing.
Character 2, continuing internally: this is exactly what the thing was.
It’s not a lot of text that’s used to tell us something before really telling us the information, but it slowed down the reading for me when it would happen again and again. Not to mention that every “story” that is being told to us has absolutely no bearing on the plot. I understand that it’s used to get us to know the characters better; I just didn’t feel anything and after a while I started skimming those pieces of texts. They felt like obligatory additions to pad the length of the novel.
Side note: what was with that airport scene at the start? What were we supposed to get out of that? That Penny is resourceful? Did we really need the customer behind her to say ‘Huh, I never would have thought to do that’? Really? You would have stood in queue forever?
Now that I think about it, we are being beaten over the head with the fact that Penny is can take care of herself.
This is not the worst I’ve read – not even the worst I’ve read this year. It was, all in all, pretty inoffensive. But I can’t get over the fact that I was so excited and then subsequently let down.
The characters are about as flat as they can be. They have little personality outside of one thing. Penny wants to be a journalist. Dex is a conspiracy nutter. Micah has a tragic backstory. Reese is a horrid hag. The books tries to go an emotional route at the end with the twist but by that point I had already checked out.
There was also quite a bit of repetition. Example:
Character 1: Do you remember that thing?
Character 2, internally: I did remember that thing.
Character 2, continuing internally: this is exactly what the thing was.
It’s not a lot of text that’s used to tell us something before really telling us the information, but it slowed down the reading for me when it would happen again and again. Not to mention that every “story” that is being told to us has absolutely no bearing on the plot. I understand that it’s used to get us to know the characters better; I just didn’t feel anything and after a while I started skimming those pieces of texts. They felt like obligatory additions to pad the length of the novel.
Side note: what was with that airport scene at the start? What were we supposed to get out of that? That Penny is resourceful? Did we really need the customer behind her to say ‘Huh, I never would have thought to do that’? Really? You would have stood in queue forever?
Now that I think about it, we are being beaten over the head with the fact that Penny is can take care of herself.
This is not the worst I’ve read – not even the worst I’ve read this year. It was, all in all, pretty inoffensive. But I can’t get over the fact that I was so excited and then subsequently let down.
April 5, 2018
Stranger Things, The X-Files and Men in Black make a compelling mix in The Truth Lies Here.
July 29, 2018
Penny Hardjoy is spending the summer with her father in Bone Lake, Michigan, while her mother is on sabbatical in Spain. Until she was ten years old, her father was her hero. She went with him on hunts for Bigfoot and loved all of his stories about supernatural creatures. But seeing him take a picture of a bear and call it Bigfoot and walking in on him kissing her best friend's mother tarnished his role as her hero. When her mother divorced him, she was glad to go with her Mom to Chicago. Her disillusionment with her father's stories has turned Penny into someone who believes only in black and white and truth only with evidence.
When Penny arrives in town, her father is missing which makes her angry first and worried second. Her childhood friend Dex has become her father's new disciple and devoted believer of all his stories. He is worried about where her father is but Penny keeps looking for logical reasons for his absence. No matter how much Penny wants things to be black and white, weird things are happening in Bone Lake.
The local plant closed a few years ago and Penny wants to interview the residents about the decline of the town but she keeps hearing the same thing - the exact same thing - from everyone she interviews. Then two kids she knew disappeared and she stumbles onto their burned bodies which is eerily similar to the burned body of a hiker that was found earlier by her father.
The story is filled with mystery and the tension keeps ramping up as the story progresses. Penny also grows and changes through the course of the story. Fans of fast-paced mysteries with a twist will enjoy this story.
When Penny arrives in town, her father is missing which makes her angry first and worried second. Her childhood friend Dex has become her father's new disciple and devoted believer of all his stories. He is worried about where her father is but Penny keeps looking for logical reasons for his absence. No matter how much Penny wants things to be black and white, weird things are happening in Bone Lake.
The local plant closed a few years ago and Penny wants to interview the residents about the decline of the town but she keeps hearing the same thing - the exact same thing - from everyone she interviews. Then two kids she knew disappeared and she stumbles onto their burned bodies which is eerily similar to the burned body of a hiker that was found earlier by her father.
The story is filled with mystery and the tension keeps ramping up as the story progresses. Penny also grows and changes through the course of the story. Fans of fast-paced mysteries with a twist will enjoy this story.
September 15, 2022
2.5 stars rounded down to 2.
This book had no business being this long and boring. The pacing was so slow and for what?
I think the reason I didn't DNF this was because the mystery itself still had me hooked, and I wanted to see it resolved. I appreciated the atmospheric writing too but plot-wise it felt so empty and long and dragged out. The resolution was also so ridiculous and lackluster? I went into this book expecting aliens and was actually really excited for it but instead of giving us an interpretation of a classic trope, the resolution was simultaneously boring and weird.
I feel like this book would've bored me less if it was written from Dexter's POV instead. He was arguably the best and most interesting character and he had a substantial backstory too. I didn't dislike Penny or anything but reading the story from a skeptic made me feel detached from it all. I also thought the romance felt very out of place.
Overall, the premise of this book sold me because it gave me strong BuzzFeed Unsolved vibes, and while I still think this is true and I don't think the book was awful, there was just very little I enjoyed about it.
This book had no business being this long and boring. The pacing was so slow and for what?
I think the reason I didn't DNF this was because the mystery itself still had me hooked, and I wanted to see it resolved. I appreciated the atmospheric writing too but plot-wise it felt so empty and long and dragged out. The resolution was also so ridiculous and lackluster? I went into this book expecting aliens and was actually really excited for it but instead of giving us an interpretation of a classic trope, the resolution was simultaneously boring and weird.
I feel like this book would've bored me less if it was written from Dexter's POV instead. He was arguably the best and most interesting character and he had a substantial backstory too. I didn't dislike Penny or anything but reading the story from a skeptic made me feel detached from it all. I also thought the romance felt very out of place.
Overall, the premise of this book sold me because it gave me strong BuzzFeed Unsolved vibes, and while I still think this is true and I don't think the book was awful, there was just very little I enjoyed about it.
April 24, 2018
Penny's parents are divorced after she discovered something that destroyed her friendship with her best friend. She gets to spend her vacation time with her father in the small town she grew up, but when she arrives she finds out her father isn't home. At first she believes he is hunting down another story. He is a journalist who spends all his time searching for mysterious and otherworldly stories; like his claim about the 'Others' who came to earth with the meteor that crashed in the woods. But when he doesn't show up in a long time, Penny teams up with her old nerdy friend to find out what happened to him.
Penny struggles with her feelings towards her father and that was a very believable aspect in the book. It gave the story extra depth, because slowly Penny comes to the realization she doesn't treat him fairly.
The plot has a chilling setting, with a town where people disappear and where nobody seems to notice something strange is going on. I liked how Penny and her friend worked together to figure out what is going on and I was actually surprised by the conclusion. I thought the author was going to take a different approach, so I really liked that!
Penny struggles with her feelings towards her father and that was a very believable aspect in the book. It gave the story extra depth, because slowly Penny comes to the realization she doesn't treat him fairly.
The plot has a chilling setting, with a town where people disappear and where nobody seems to notice something strange is going on. I liked how Penny and her friend worked together to figure out what is going on and I was actually surprised by the conclusion. I thought the author was going to take a different approach, so I really liked that!
November 23, 2021
Okay. It was sci-fi book with a pinch of mystery. It has been written in an amazing way, that I read it in two days. The plot was very interesting. At the end I was like: Oh. My. God. I didn't expect the finish like this at all. Imagine you're in some abandoned factory. This is the feeling which some parts of the book has. Yeah, some things were really unrealistic, but it didn't ruined whole feeling.
Aliens, mysteries and forget science. Thats mine! 👽👽👽
Aliens, mysteries and forget science. Thats mine! 👽👽👽
January 10, 2019
It was creepy with a hint of romance and I LOVED IT!
Best bit was the MASSIVE plot twist which I don’t think anyone could see coming! Honestly amazing. Definitely has a spot as one of my favourite reads ever!
Best bit was the MASSIVE plot twist which I don’t think anyone could see coming! Honestly amazing. Definitely has a spot as one of my favourite reads ever!
Want to read
August 19, 2018I just read the first two chapters via the Epic Reads Sneak Peak and HOLY CRAP. Does pre-ordering a book two days before release count as not breaking a book ban? Asking for a friend.
November 10, 2018
First of all. I felt like parts of this were a love letter to Michigan. Which I'm here for; I'm most prone to homesickness during this time of year (Fall/Winter), and simple things like lakes, Superman ice cream, M66, and such warm my soul.
Second and rest of all, this isn't my normal read. I like these types of stories, but normally I prefer to watch them, then read them. But this thing sucked me in, and I could hardly put it down. I honestly don't remember the last time I sat a read 100's of pages at once. A+ work on an engaged and driving story.
I waaaaaaas a little bit let down with the ending but idk what type of a big-bad I was expecting. It was still solid, but I was hoping for something a little different.
Second and rest of all, this isn't my normal read. I like these types of stories, but normally I prefer to watch them, then read them. But this thing sucked me in, and I could hardly put it down. I honestly don't remember the last time I sat a read 100's of pages at once. A+ work on an engaged and driving story.
I waaaaaaas a little bit let down with the ending but idk what type of a big-bad I was expecting. It was still solid, but I was hoping for something a little different.
September 19, 2018
(Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)
I saw this book described as Stranger Things meets Men In Black, which guaranteed that I would read it!
I hope to like every book I read, but I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book! The story was very intriguing (strange things happening in a small town with a sci-fi twist), and I really liked the characters.
It was a really engaging story. I didn’t want to put the book down – I needed to know what was going on!
This was a fun sci-fi mystery that exceeded my expectations. Recommended!
(From www.pingwings.ca)
I saw this book described as Stranger Things meets Men In Black, which guaranteed that I would read it!
I hope to like every book I read, but I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book! The story was very intriguing (strange things happening in a small town with a sci-fi twist), and I really liked the characters.
It was a really engaging story. I didn’t want to put the book down – I needed to know what was going on!
This was a fun sci-fi mystery that exceeded my expectations. Recommended!
(From www.pingwings.ca)
December 9, 2023
I feel like I just watched a mediocre teen sci-fi/mystery movie that I'm gonna forget in a week. The premise sounds cool, but the book itself is nothing special.
The plot wasn't that slow, but we still don't get much info until the end. It's mostly just Penny telling everyone how her dad is horrible, them saying that's not true, and then her getting in a love triangle of sorts. It's not that the romance took over or anything, but it was still annoying and for the life of me I couldn't see why she fell for any of these guys. One is her all time crush and the other her childhood BFF and neighbor BUT she basically didn't see any of them for YEARS. And now they are all suddenly into each other - and I didn't see any chemistry of feelings.
Then there's the whole mystery, which is, well..honestly it surprised me. Not gonna lie, the plot twist was cool but when you think about it, it's all kind of absurd. There are too many plot holes and not enough explanations.
Penny can be annoying with all her dad talk, and she also makes some dumb decisions like going to creepy and dangerous places in the middle of the night alone, or stalking possibly dangerous strangers. I didn't hate her, but I didn't connect with her either. She didn't have much of a personality besides all the "I wanna be a reporter when I grow up, but a REAL one, not like my HORRIBLE dad" stuff.
Even though the characters sometimes feel bland, I rather enjoyed reading this - it's light and easy, it has the "old school small town mystery" vibes and it's not that long. It wasn't predictable and I don't regret reading it, but it could've been a lot better.
The plot wasn't that slow, but we still don't get much info until the end. It's mostly just Penny telling everyone how her dad is horrible, them saying that's not true, and then her getting in a love triangle of sorts. It's not that the romance took over or anything, but it was still annoying and for the life of me I couldn't see why she fell for any of these guys. One is her all time crush and the other her childhood BFF and neighbor BUT she basically didn't see any of them for YEARS. And now they are all suddenly into each other - and I didn't see any chemistry of feelings.
Then there's the whole mystery, which is, well..honestly it surprised me. Not gonna lie, the plot twist was cool but when you think about it, it's all kind of absurd. There are too many plot holes and not enough explanations.
Penny can be annoying with all her dad talk, and she also makes some dumb decisions like going to creepy and dangerous places in the middle of the night alone, or stalking possibly dangerous strangers. I didn't hate her, but I didn't connect with her either. She didn't have much of a personality besides all the "I wanna be a reporter when I grow up, but a REAL one, not like my HORRIBLE dad" stuff.
Even though the characters sometimes feel bland, I rather enjoyed reading this - it's light and easy, it has the "old school small town mystery" vibes and it's not that long. It wasn't predictable and I don't regret reading it, but it could've been a lot better.
March 20, 2018
Y'all. this book was SO good. I didn't get this ARC from a publisher or anything, I actually got it for free from a little indie bookstore in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina while on Vacation because when you buy from them, you can choose to pick out an ARC. This one seemed the most promising so I gave it a try and I am so glad that I did.
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This was a super quick read for me and I throughly enjoyed every second of it, I got Stranger Things vibes as well as some X-files vibes thrown in there as well. I won't say too much because spoilers, but this was an awesome read and if you need to read something a bit different to spice up your reading life, I would highly suggest checking this out when it drops on August 21st!
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This was a super quick read for me and I throughly enjoyed every second of it, I got Stranger Things vibes as well as some X-files vibes thrown in there as well. I won't say too much because spoilers, but this was an awesome read and if you need to read something a bit different to spice up your reading life, I would highly suggest checking this out when it drops on August 21st!
September 9, 2020
What a strange, fun read. As a cryptid, I want to believe-er, when this book popped up on my shelves, I had to read it. And while the search for the Visitors is a big part of the book, the other story lines of family, and suspicions and truth and lies makes for a very compelling read.
January 11, 2020
This book was really good and had some good twists and turns!
November 6, 2024
The Truth Lies Here by Lindsey Klingele. This is an amazing paranormal fiction and mysterious book, it met every standard I had for a novel with this genre. In just 401 pages it took me through an adventure I have never dream of. I found this book at my high school’s library, while I was looking for a book whose cover stood out to me. This book stole my attention with ease, it takes place in a small town in Michigan called Bone Lake and the main character is a teenage girl named Penny short for Penelope. She has some close friends named Micah, Dex, short for Dexter, and Reese. Another important character is her father Ike who plays a big role in the story.
This story begins with Penny as a little girl and her and her father Ike going on crazy adventures to catch big foot and other mythical creatures. At the time Ike did everything he could to try and make the fantasy a reality to Penny. In his eyes he saw himself as a hero to her and he could never tell her the truth or reality. Penny soon found out that all the creatures were myths, and that Ike lied to her so hatred took over their once close relationship. Ike and his wife Penny's mom were having lots of arguments and fights, so Ike had an affair with Penny’s best friend Reese’s mom Harper. When Penny tried to tell Reese this she didn't believe her and the parents had a deal to never tell so it made Penny look like a liar, so after that day they never were friends again. Penny moved away to Chicago with her mom and only came to Bone Lake in the summers. Later on in the story while Penny was in Bone Lake for the summer, the town's plantation shut down and Penny was a journalist so she wanted to know all about it. Her dad was missing when she arrived in town and she grew uneasy about it and searched for him. A whole case came about the search for him that was much deeper than she expected, ending with lots of deaths and fire.
I think the book ended in a bad way with the authorities stepping in to take over Micah’s dad who was a flaming ball. At the end of the book Micah had Ike hostage in their friend’s barn chained up. Micah’s dad was involved in a failed project that led to him being brutally burned. He couldn’t control it so he would go into the woods and kill people. My favorite part in the book was probably when Reese, Penny, and Dex all came together to find a way to stop Micah and his dad. They showed teamwork and grit all together and really portrayed the mood of loving one another and looking out for each other. “I don't know if I should ground you or buy you a car” Ike said to Penny after everything had happened. Her finding her dad and saving him, and her saving Reese from Micah’s dad.
I have not read a book nearly close to The Truth Lies Here. It was a fantastic book and I looked forward to reading it everyday. I am sad that it is now over. I think if you are interested in any type of mysterious and sci-fi book this is a perfect match. What I would have wished the story ended with is Penny, Ike, and Dex getting to find out what the agents had to do with the whole situation. At the end of the book they told Penny that no one would believe their story and to give it up, but why?
This story begins with Penny as a little girl and her and her father Ike going on crazy adventures to catch big foot and other mythical creatures. At the time Ike did everything he could to try and make the fantasy a reality to Penny. In his eyes he saw himself as a hero to her and he could never tell her the truth or reality. Penny soon found out that all the creatures were myths, and that Ike lied to her so hatred took over their once close relationship. Ike and his wife Penny's mom were having lots of arguments and fights, so Ike had an affair with Penny’s best friend Reese’s mom Harper. When Penny tried to tell Reese this she didn't believe her and the parents had a deal to never tell so it made Penny look like a liar, so after that day they never were friends again. Penny moved away to Chicago with her mom and only came to Bone Lake in the summers. Later on in the story while Penny was in Bone Lake for the summer, the town's plantation shut down and Penny was a journalist so she wanted to know all about it. Her dad was missing when she arrived in town and she grew uneasy about it and searched for him. A whole case came about the search for him that was much deeper than she expected, ending with lots of deaths and fire.
I think the book ended in a bad way with the authorities stepping in to take over Micah’s dad who was a flaming ball. At the end of the book Micah had Ike hostage in their friend’s barn chained up. Micah’s dad was involved in a failed project that led to him being brutally burned. He couldn’t control it so he would go into the woods and kill people. My favorite part in the book was probably when Reese, Penny, and Dex all came together to find a way to stop Micah and his dad. They showed teamwork and grit all together and really portrayed the mood of loving one another and looking out for each other. “I don't know if I should ground you or buy you a car” Ike said to Penny after everything had happened. Her finding her dad and saving him, and her saving Reese from Micah’s dad.
I have not read a book nearly close to The Truth Lies Here. It was a fantastic book and I looked forward to reading it everyday. I am sad that it is now over. I think if you are interested in any type of mysterious and sci-fi book this is a perfect match. What I would have wished the story ended with is Penny, Ike, and Dex getting to find out what the agents had to do with the whole situation. At the end of the book they told Penny that no one would believe their story and to give it up, but why?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2018
Plot:
Penelope, who prefers the nickname Penny, lost faith in her father, Ike Hardjoy, at ten years old. When she used to believe all the fairy tales he told her, about werewolves, Nessie, fairies, all wandering around the woods waiting to be discovered. When hunting for Bigfoot, and found a black bear instead, her father used the blur out photos of the bear, claiming it to be Bigfoot. Losing the faith his daughter had in him during the process. Yet, that writing mindset never left Penny, and as she and her mother left Ike in Bone Lake Michigan for a life in Chicago, being a journalist is something Penny always wanted to do. When apply to university, Penny has the perfect article that will get her in: an in-depth study of the economic crash in Bone Lake Michigan after the plastic plant shut down due to a death. Everything cited, some quotes, fancy graphs show her data, Penny knew this would get her in. Yet there was one thing missing, a human element, something that would make readers feel for the Bone Lake citizens, and therefore gave Penny a reason to visit her father. From an interview to the elder residents who knew the plastic plant in its prime, to the younger ones who did not. Penny real goal was to interview Micah, her middle school crush, and whose father was Hal Jamison, the person who died that caused the plant to shut down. When her father fails to pick Penny up at the airport, she just assumes he left on a short camping trip to find another bear as Bigfoot. When days past and still no Ike, Penny began asking the townsfolk about the power plant getting the same response from everyone: “It’s best not to think so much about it” (41). No dad, creepy responses from the people who saw her grow up, Penny knew something was missing in this small town. With a shiny black car following her where she goes, Penny must become a true report and discover the truth about her tiny hick hometown.
Thoughts:
Lindsey Klingele wrote this sci-fi / monster mystery to be a bit of a thriller. With a prolog that captures the horror fans at heart, the book escalates quickly downhill from that. Penny is just a plain girl, who has nothing truly special going for her, besides what her dad does for a living. Diving into government secrets, this ‘Area 51 is where they hide the UFOs’ dad publishes his articles in the magazine Strange World. Since age 10, Penny has realized her father was a nut job, therefore the whole story was a coming-of-age, realizing maybe her father was onto something, and the world cannot be divided into a black and white category. Side story lines of the reason why her parents got divorced, why Reese hates her, best friend from childhood Dex turning into a cutie, gave the story more plot, and a bit of depth to Penny. When the light shine on the monster at the end, all ends are tied nicely up, Klingele gives this book a proper send off, and even broadens our minds to what is truly out there. After all, this planet, and even our solar system, is a very strange place to live.
Penelope, who prefers the nickname Penny, lost faith in her father, Ike Hardjoy, at ten years old. When she used to believe all the fairy tales he told her, about werewolves, Nessie, fairies, all wandering around the woods waiting to be discovered. When hunting for Bigfoot, and found a black bear instead, her father used the blur out photos of the bear, claiming it to be Bigfoot. Losing the faith his daughter had in him during the process. Yet, that writing mindset never left Penny, and as she and her mother left Ike in Bone Lake Michigan for a life in Chicago, being a journalist is something Penny always wanted to do. When apply to university, Penny has the perfect article that will get her in: an in-depth study of the economic crash in Bone Lake Michigan after the plastic plant shut down due to a death. Everything cited, some quotes, fancy graphs show her data, Penny knew this would get her in. Yet there was one thing missing, a human element, something that would make readers feel for the Bone Lake citizens, and therefore gave Penny a reason to visit her father. From an interview to the elder residents who knew the plastic plant in its prime, to the younger ones who did not. Penny real goal was to interview Micah, her middle school crush, and whose father was Hal Jamison, the person who died that caused the plant to shut down. When her father fails to pick Penny up at the airport, she just assumes he left on a short camping trip to find another bear as Bigfoot. When days past and still no Ike, Penny began asking the townsfolk about the power plant getting the same response from everyone: “It’s best not to think so much about it” (41). No dad, creepy responses from the people who saw her grow up, Penny knew something was missing in this small town. With a shiny black car following her where she goes, Penny must become a true report and discover the truth about her tiny hick hometown.
Thoughts:
Lindsey Klingele wrote this sci-fi / monster mystery to be a bit of a thriller. With a prolog that captures the horror fans at heart, the book escalates quickly downhill from that. Penny is just a plain girl, who has nothing truly special going for her, besides what her dad does for a living. Diving into government secrets, this ‘Area 51 is where they hide the UFOs’ dad publishes his articles in the magazine Strange World. Since age 10, Penny has realized her father was a nut job, therefore the whole story was a coming-of-age, realizing maybe her father was onto something, and the world cannot be divided into a black and white category. Side story lines of the reason why her parents got divorced, why Reese hates her, best friend from childhood Dex turning into a cutie, gave the story more plot, and a bit of depth to Penny. When the light shine on the monster at the end, all ends are tied nicely up, Klingele gives this book a proper send off, and even broadens our minds to what is truly out there. After all, this planet, and even our solar system, is a very strange place to live.
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