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YA Verse
One Too Many Lies
Paige and her friends tell the subtle lies that are a part of daily life. White lies to avoid insulting friends. Fibs to escape unwanted judgment from classmates. Half-truths to evade their parents’ watchful eyes. But could their lies become dangerous? What happens when the lies become a matter of life and death?
200 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2018
3 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 24, 2020
| Reader Fox Blog |
Had this been the sort of poetry I came across in any other random book, I might not have liked One Too Many Lies by L. A. Bowen. I can tend to be pretty picky with my poetry, which shows in the fact that there are very few compilations that I enjoy. Bowen accomplished something impressive with her collection of poems detailing the accounts of a group of 11th-grade girls as they navigate the world of adolescence.
I was quickly immersed in this world with three teenagers falling into the party scene and the habits of drinking and drugs and older boys. It was a high school I personally never experienced, but one I almost felt part of. I grew increasingly fascinated with Paige and her story and actually found myself genuinely enjoying the verse form through which it was presented.
This alone was a bit of a shock as the last book I read that functioned like this was one I did not enjoy at all.
But One Too Many Lies is a brilliantly woven story about a young girl struggling to find her place, developing through peer pressure and proximity from a shy and somewhat nerdy girl to one who regularly parties and nearly often into trouble with her friends. Paige’s journey in this poetry collection is brilliant and poignant in a number of ways.
I’ll say, I think the synopsis was a bit overdramatic, as was the final poem. But all in all, I really enjoyed this read. It was fairly quick, something I was able to start and finish within the span of a single day and definitely something I would consider reading again.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Had this been the sort of poetry I came across in any other random book, I might not have liked One Too Many Lies by L. A. Bowen. I can tend to be pretty picky with my poetry, which shows in the fact that there are very few compilations that I enjoy. Bowen accomplished something impressive with her collection of poems detailing the accounts of a group of 11th-grade girls as they navigate the world of adolescence.
I was quickly immersed in this world with three teenagers falling into the party scene and the habits of drinking and drugs and older boys. It was a high school I personally never experienced, but one I almost felt part of. I grew increasingly fascinated with Paige and her story and actually found myself genuinely enjoying the verse form through which it was presented.
This alone was a bit of a shock as the last book I read that functioned like this was one I did not enjoy at all.
But One Too Many Lies is a brilliantly woven story about a young girl struggling to find her place, developing through peer pressure and proximity from a shy and somewhat nerdy girl to one who regularly parties and nearly often into trouble with her friends. Paige’s journey in this poetry collection is brilliant and poignant in a number of ways.
I’ll say, I think the synopsis was a bit overdramatic, as was the final poem. But all in all, I really enjoyed this read. It was fairly quick, something I was able to start and finish within the span of a single day and definitely something I would consider reading again.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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March 1, 2019
ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
CW: underage drinking, underage smoking, blurry consenting
(I lost half my review to this and honestly considered giving up, but I retried)
I've read a few West44 books that I really enjoyed. This one wasn't quite where the others left me, but it wasn't bad. I like the idea of it, and the mesaage it's trying to convey to young readers.
It's not a bad book, but I didn't feel it much. It will probably be a good read for teens and others who've gone through the same situations as the MC.
CW: underage drinking, underage smoking, blurry consenting
(I lost half my review to this and honestly considered giving up, but I retried)
I've read a few West44 books that I really enjoyed. This one wasn't quite where the others left me, but it wasn't bad. I like the idea of it, and the mesaage it's trying to convey to young readers.
It's not a bad book, but I didn't feel it much. It will probably be a good read for teens and others who've gone through the same situations as the MC.
January 11, 2019
A well-done first book for L.A. Bowen. This book was written for a much younger demographic than I find myself in these days, but I appreciated the impact of the verse style on the story. It seemed that Paige's refusal to think very deeply about her choices was reflected in the succint lines. I also really enjoyed the clever play of words throughout. Looking forward to the next L.A. Bowen book.
October 2, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this copy in exchange for an honest review.
👎 This book is for a certain type of reader. I am not that reader. It's written entirely in verse and took sometime to get used to. We are also not given enough time to connect with the characters. As a result, the ending felt rushed and unfinished (like what happened to Abby? ), and most of the conflict was left unresolved (where's Morgan?). It was explained in the author description that this was based on her pst experiences. So maybe that's why? It wasn't actually resolved in real life?
👍 Disregarding the whole written-in-verse thing, I was surprised that I could mostly relate to the book. I could picture myself doing the exact same things - sneaking out, sneaking back in, saying one thing but actually meaning another, telling lie after lie after lie. It pretty much sums up my whole teenage experience. The writing is a bit simplistic, but I find that it actually contributes more to the story as it makes me focus more on the content rather than wasting time trying to find hidden depths to every line.
💭 It's a fun read and if you've ever been or or want to understand a little bit on what goes on in the life of a teenage girl, give this book a try.
👎 This book is for a certain type of reader. I am not that reader. It's written entirely in verse and took sometime to get used to. We are also not given enough time to connect with the characters. As a result, the ending felt rushed and unfinished (like what happened to Abby? ), and most of the conflict was left unresolved (where's Morgan?). It was explained in the author description that this was based on her pst experiences. So maybe that's why? It wasn't actually resolved in real life?
👍 Disregarding the whole written-in-verse thing, I was surprised that I could mostly relate to the book. I could picture myself doing the exact same things - sneaking out, sneaking back in, saying one thing but actually meaning another, telling lie after lie after lie. It pretty much sums up my whole teenage experience. The writing is a bit simplistic, but I find that it actually contributes more to the story as it makes me focus more on the content rather than wasting time trying to find hidden depths to every line.
💭 It's a fun read and if you've ever been or or want to understand a little bit on what goes on in the life of a teenage girl, give this book a try.
February 26, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a review copy.
I gave this a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed this poetry book, each poem continued the story. Some of the things mentioned in the beginning reminded me of some memories from when I was younger. Paige the main character followers what her friends were doing so their friendships wouldn’t fall apart. I tried that but not as bad as she did. She changed who she was and made some bad decisions. There weren’t any lines that stood out to me that I liked. There were some lines that did stand out to me but because I did g like the division the people made.
I gave this a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed this poetry book, each poem continued the story. Some of the things mentioned in the beginning reminded me of some memories from when I was younger. Paige the main character followers what her friends were doing so their friendships wouldn’t fall apart. I tried that but not as bad as she did. She changed who she was and made some bad decisions. There weren’t any lines that stood out to me that I liked. There were some lines that did stand out to me but because I did g like the division the people made.
September 27, 2018
Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have a special place in my heart for verse books. I love the creativity and uniqueness on them. I had high hopes for One Too Many Lies but it fell flat. The story was very clique and boring. There was no emotional connection to the characters thats makes these stories flow.
I have a special place in my heart for verse books. I love the creativity and uniqueness on them. I had high hopes for One Too Many Lies but it fell flat. The story was very clique and boring. There was no emotional connection to the characters thats makes these stories flow.
September 13, 2018
This novel in verse could have been powerful, but there was not enough story to connect with the main characters. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.
October 30, 2018
Starting the book I was a little confused, as it is only written in verse. I thought that it was only the beginning to have a different start into the story, but after not too long I noticed that the entire book is written in verse. It’s kind of like not rhyming poems telling you a story, which is actually pretty cool if you think about it. The downside is only that it is hard to connect to the characters as the book is also really short. At times it also feels quite rushed and especially the ending had me sitting there, waiting for all of my questions to be answered, as so many plot points are left not spoken of.
Due to it being written in verse and it not being very long, it also lacks depth to both the plot and the characters at times. I would have liked to not just read a story on teens that just scratches the surface, but the book being written in verse made it harder I suppose. But on the other hand did the simple writing make it easier to relate to the characters and it gives you real insight on the main character’s struggles and thoughts. I myself had some points in the book where I could see myself in the situation or the conflict and really liked that about the book. The thing was that you could understand the main character’s opinions and thoughts, but you still didn’t really get to know her and her personality.
What I also liked about the book was that the plot is realistic. It is said that the book is based on the author’s own experiences which could also explain the quick, abrupt and unsolved ending, maybe it was the same way as it had happened to the author.
In the end the plot was nice and different for a change, it was also a completely different experience for me to read a book entirely in verse, which I liked. The writing made it a bit hard to get to know the characters and the plot only scratched the surface of everything that could have developed from it.
The book was given to me by Net Galley in exchange for a honest review, this does not affect my opinion in any way.
Due to it being written in verse and it not being very long, it also lacks depth to both the plot and the characters at times. I would have liked to not just read a story on teens that just scratches the surface, but the book being written in verse made it harder I suppose. But on the other hand did the simple writing make it easier to relate to the characters and it gives you real insight on the main character’s struggles and thoughts. I myself had some points in the book where I could see myself in the situation or the conflict and really liked that about the book. The thing was that you could understand the main character’s opinions and thoughts, but you still didn’t really get to know her and her personality.
What I also liked about the book was that the plot is realistic. It is said that the book is based on the author’s own experiences which could also explain the quick, abrupt and unsolved ending, maybe it was the same way as it had happened to the author.
In the end the plot was nice and different for a change, it was also a completely different experience for me to read a book entirely in verse, which I liked. The writing made it a bit hard to get to know the characters and the plot only scratched the surface of everything that could have developed from it.
The book was given to me by Net Galley in exchange for a honest review, this does not affect my opinion in any way.
October 16, 2018
THIS BOOK WAS GIVEN TO ME BY EDELWEISS+ IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
OVERALL
The idea was there but I felt like the author didn’t go deep enough to make us feel something and feel connected with the characters. If you like character-driven novels in verses, this could your book!
Read the full review here
OVERALL
The idea was there but I felt like the author didn’t go deep enough to make us feel something and feel connected with the characters. If you like character-driven novels in verses, this could your book!
Read the full review here
November 28, 2018
*2.75 Stars*
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One Too Many Lies tells the story of Paige and her friends. They're juniors and soon, they lose themselves into parties and small lies that become much bigger ones after a while.
I read this in an hour, maybe two and that was cool. it's told in Verse and I like that, most of the time. I'm not really sure I loved that poetry but it was okay.
The story had ups and downs. I didn't love the main characters but my younger self could partly relate with them.
I didn't love that all those 16 year old end up dating college guys and that nothing ever came from that big problem.
All in all, I found it to be an uneven, fast read.
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One Too Many Lies tells the story of Paige and her friends. They're juniors and soon, they lose themselves into parties and small lies that become much bigger ones after a while.
I read this in an hour, maybe two and that was cool. it's told in Verse and I like that, most of the time. I'm not really sure I loved that poetry but it was okay.
The story had ups and downs. I didn't love the main characters but my younger self could partly relate with them.
I didn't love that all those 16 year old end up dating college guys and that nothing ever came from that big problem.
All in all, I found it to be an uneven, fast read.
December 19, 2019
One too many lies is about a teenage girl and her friends who like to lie to their parents quite a lot to go and drink and party. Every weekend they make up new lies to be able to go out and drink, the lies keep building up and up. My favorite character in the book is the main character Paige, she is relatable and also she’s a teen so most teens now a days do these things that she is doing with her friends such as drink and tell lies. This a story that you want to keep reading to figure out what lie they tell next or what crazy party are they going to that weekend. The book got a little repetitive because you knew they were going to come up with a lie. It was like one of those stories that you want to keep reading to see if they ever get caught and they sure do but not in a good way. They get into a car crash and that's when all the lies come out , but maybe it was a good thing because in the end they start to make better choices and do better for themselves. Which nowadays that happens kids get in trouble and they learn from it or they keep on doing it because they don’t think they will get caught. This book was a good one and I would tell teens to read it because it's relatable.
September 9, 2018
One Too Many Lies by L.A. Bowen - 3.5/5 stars
“Best friends forever.
(I hope.)”
*This book was sent to me by West 44 Books and NetGalley for an honest review, thank you very much!*
Overall
This isn't a bad book by any means I did enjoy reading it and it has gotten me excited to read more verse novels so if you want to start reading this format then I would recommend this book when it comes out as a stepping stone to longer and more complex ones!
For the full review click here
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October 22, 2018
Note: I was sent a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This just didn't turn out to be for me. I think that stories written in verse have the opportunity to come out really powerful, and this had the potential, but there wasn't enough time to familiarize yourself with the characters enough to become invested in what happened. The story wasn't bad and I think that if it had been a little longer with more time put into forming the characters (beyond their indiscretions), this would've been more up my alley. The girls had an interesting story to tell, but it almost felt like there just wasn't enough information about everyone and everything to get the full effect of said story.
This just didn't turn out to be for me. I think that stories written in verse have the opportunity to come out really powerful, and this had the potential, but there wasn't enough time to familiarize yourself with the characters enough to become invested in what happened. The story wasn't bad and I think that if it had been a little longer with more time put into forming the characters (beyond their indiscretions), this would've been more up my alley. The girls had an interesting story to tell, but it almost felt like there just wasn't enough information about everyone and everything to get the full effect of said story.
September 10, 2018
Overall I didn't mind this story. I liked the free verse poems it reminded
me of books such as Cut and Glass. However this one didn't really have much of a story and
I wish I connected with the main characters more. The whole thing seemed to just be one
scene almost and I felt that it could have been more in depth. I also felt that the characters
were a little on the flat side and I found the story very predictable. What little story that
there was was very expected. Not my favourite but I think that had mostly to do with the
length.
me of books such as Cut and Glass. However this one didn't really have much of a story and
I wish I connected with the main characters more. The whole thing seemed to just be one
scene almost and I felt that it could have been more in depth. I also felt that the characters
were a little on the flat side and I found the story very predictable. What little story that
there was was very expected. Not my favourite but I think that had mostly to do with the
length.
April 12, 2019
3.5 stars. ONE TOO MANY LIES is a great addition to your young adult collection, especially if you are looking for hi/lo books or books in verse. The story, while not particularly unique or surprising, has an authentic teenage voice and accurately portrays what many teenagers are living through -- peer pressure, substance abuse, fear of missing out, and lying. Also, it has a fantastic and appealing cover -- I am loving the titles being put out by West 44 Books.
June 2, 2019
I'm not sure whether it was the sheer stupidity of the protagonist (alcoholic!) or the use of verse to tell this story, but I really didn't feel any compassion for the main character. The book was one of a number of stories in verse I'm studying to see if I want to try to write a story in a similar way. I'll keep looking for one that triggers emotion in me -- I'm sure there's a verse story that will, somewhere!
September 18, 2018
I'm not a fan of poetry. I read this book cause the synopsis and the cover. But it surprises me. I never read a book wrote like a poetry that likes a romance book, but in verses. I really like it. It's short (for me), but well wrote. I thought that it was like the book "One Of Us Is Lying", but it is about the choices Paige for her life. It's really really good.
More review about this book in my blog: https://t.co/zH7XGXlrGr
More review about this book in my blog: https://t.co/zH7XGXlrGr
June 9, 2019
3.5 Quick read, relatable, cautionary. Didn’t realize this was part of a series of this type of verse novel which honestly took some of the “purity” away for me and therefore lowered the rating. I may come back later and change it due to hoe I feel as I ponder the idea of these intentional thought provoking books.
May 31, 2020
This book was quite underwhelming given what the synopsis promises. I thought that this could have been developed further and the story that we got felt unfinished with more interest being put into the verse format. If this book had been write in a standard prose style, it would've been better.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2020
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest, albeit very late, review. I've read a handful of YA verse novels, I expected more out of this one. I believe verse is a trickier medium for fleshing out a full story. I liked where this story was heading but I wish there was more to the ending. It was too wrapped up and needed a little more to be truly impactful. 2.5 stars.
April 4, 2019
A book in verse that deals with the ups and downs of three 11th grade girls experimenting with adulthood in all the wrong places. Coming to an understanding after experiencing what could have been a tragic conclusion and ending with the knowledge that adulthood can wait.
December 18, 2019
This was a pretty average read. Nothing stood out to me but there wasn't anything specifically bad about it. Paige did sort of remind me of myself but only at parts (a lot of the time, I just thought she was being an idiot). Not great but not awful.
September 14, 2018
While I did like the story, I felt like it was way too short for the reader to connect to any of the characters. The ending left too much up for question and I was disappointed.
September 17, 2018
wasn't expecting this book to be written in verse. Although it was a very quick read, I have no idea what I read. I finished it last night and I have no memory about anything related to this book.
January 3, 2019
Lies. I did remember something about this. That somehow conflicates everything surrounding you with your friends and family.
January 27, 2019
*I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
A cautionary free-verse tale that I feel like I've already read so many times before.
A cautionary free-verse tale that I feel like I've already read so many times before.
May 3, 2019
Part of a great series of hi-lo books. Compelling story about one girl's foray into the world of partying and older boys. It's fun for a while, but there are consequences...
Read
April 21, 2021It was a good book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 7, 2023
Honestly kind of boring.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews