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Why Would I Lie?
A ripped-from-the-headlines thriller about a charismatic, sociopathic valedictorian . . . and the only girl brave enough to try to bring him down.
Bitter. Angry. Paranoid.
It doesn’t matter how you label Viveca North. Her focus is on academic excellence, not popularity. She’s always tried her best to be perfect, and now that she’s a senior, it’s time for all her hard work to pay off. The early-morning runs. The constant studying. The peer tutoring. It will all be worth it when she’s named valedictorian and finally granted admission to her dream school, the elite Everett College. Too bad Jamison Sharpe is trying to steal it from her….
Or is he? Jamison doesn’t need to try to be perfect. Everything seems to come so easily to him. He’s charming, funny, and has the ability to make anyone feel special. He has his pick of glowing college recommendations and his grades are flawless. Obviously Viveca is just jealous, right?
Viveca knows something is off about Jamison. But as she investigates his past, she seems to find a web of lies and deceit that she struggles even to fathom. The further she goes in her quest for the truth, the more impossible her own dreams become.
Will Viveca be able to take down her school’s golden boy and reveal him as a fraud? Or will she—and what she believes—be silenced by labels?
In this twisty, suspenseful thriller Adi Rule weaves the unforgettable story of a girl who won’t back down from what she knows she deserves.
Bitter. Angry. Paranoid.
It doesn’t matter how you label Viveca North. Her focus is on academic excellence, not popularity. She’s always tried her best to be perfect, and now that she’s a senior, it’s time for all her hard work to pay off. The early-morning runs. The constant studying. The peer tutoring. It will all be worth it when she’s named valedictorian and finally granted admission to her dream school, the elite Everett College. Too bad Jamison Sharpe is trying to steal it from her….
Or is he? Jamison doesn’t need to try to be perfect. Everything seems to come so easily to him. He’s charming, funny, and has the ability to make anyone feel special. He has his pick of glowing college recommendations and his grades are flawless. Obviously Viveca is just jealous, right?
Viveca knows something is off about Jamison. But as she investigates his past, she seems to find a web of lies and deceit that she struggles even to fathom. The further she goes in her quest for the truth, the more impossible her own dreams become.
Will Viveca be able to take down her school’s golden boy and reveal him as a fraud? Or will she—and what she believes—be silenced by labels?
In this twisty, suspenseful thriller Adi Rule weaves the unforgettable story of a girl who won’t back down from what she knows she deserves.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2022
83 people are currently reading
4633 people want to read
About the author
Adi Rule
6 books136 followersAdi Rule earned her MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
July 10, 2022
2.5
Have you ever read a book that you didn't want to put down, yet it wasn't really good? It's more like a car crash you can't look away from and you want to see if it can somehow get any worse. I can never tell if these kinds of books are worse than books that are so boring they take me months to trudge through.
Have you ever read a book that you didn't want to put down, yet it wasn't really good? It's more like a car crash you can't look away from and you want to see if it can somehow get any worse. I can never tell if these kinds of books are worse than books that are so boring they take me months to trudge through.
May 19, 2022
Why Would I Lie? does not come across as a thriller. The novel primarily focuses on Viveca’s paranoia and readers never gain sympathy enough for her point of view to find any of her claims suspenseful. The plot was a dull circle of Jamison achieving/claiming something and Viveca crying foul. The resolution also fell flat, with it being revealed that Jamison was, in fact, an imposter. This doesn’t come off as surprising, and he is never villainous enough to make him nearly getting away with his lies as that big of a deal.
I found myself hoping throughout the book that Viveca’s chronic paranoia would be proved empty at the end. She alludes to needing to go to therapy after intense stress and perfectionism in 8th grade pushed her to outlandish accusations against everyone. These accusations somehow ruined her victim’s school experience and forced the victim to change schools (though it doesn’t add up as to why that would be the case). While I feel a more detailed flashback would have enriched the story, this at least told the significant impact negative thinking has had on Viveca’s life and the life of those around her. One of the streaks of gold throughout this book were Viveca’s use of cognitive behavioral therapy to challenge her intrusive paranoia, though this is not labeled explicitly.
This could have been a novel about mental healing and growth when battling severe anxiety and paranoia. After I realized a couple of chapters in this was not a thriller, I was truly hoping healing/romance/recovery was the direction the book would take. I wanted Viveca and Jamison to develop a relationship and for Viveca to let go of her perfectionism.
Instead, aside from some brief throwaway paragraphs near the end, Viveca’s paranoia and jumps of logic are validated when it’s revealed Jamison has been cheating on tests and manipulating crowds’ attention. But, to be honest, I just didn’t care at the end.
As a final aside, Viveca’s father being a chronic liar was also a potential gold mine, but it was left untapped. I am unsure if his inability to tell the truth is an accurate representation of that struggle, but I appreciated that the book addressed living and caring for a parent that frustrates you. I feel like this could have been explored more, but it is always a brief discussion that never bears much fruit.
My middle-school students have also expressed the book is “a little boring” and not their favorite. I will probably swap this book out of my classroom library since this wasn’t what we were looking for.
I found myself hoping throughout the book that Viveca’s chronic paranoia would be proved empty at the end. She alludes to needing to go to therapy after intense stress and perfectionism in 8th grade pushed her to outlandish accusations against everyone. These accusations somehow ruined her victim’s school experience and forced the victim to change schools (though it doesn’t add up as to why that would be the case). While I feel a more detailed flashback would have enriched the story, this at least told the significant impact negative thinking has had on Viveca’s life and the life of those around her. One of the streaks of gold throughout this book were Viveca’s use of cognitive behavioral therapy to challenge her intrusive paranoia, though this is not labeled explicitly.
This could have been a novel about mental healing and growth when battling severe anxiety and paranoia. After I realized a couple of chapters in this was not a thriller, I was truly hoping healing/romance/recovery was the direction the book would take. I wanted Viveca and Jamison to develop a relationship and for Viveca to let go of her perfectionism.
Instead, aside from some brief throwaway paragraphs near the end, Viveca’s paranoia and jumps of logic are validated when it’s revealed Jamison has been cheating on tests and manipulating crowds’ attention. But, to be honest, I just didn’t care at the end.
As a final aside, Viveca’s father being a chronic liar was also a potential gold mine, but it was left untapped. I am unsure if his inability to tell the truth is an accurate representation of that struggle, but I appreciated that the book addressed living and caring for a parent that frustrates you. I feel like this could have been explored more, but it is always a brief discussion that never bears much fruit.
My middle-school students have also expressed the book is “a little boring” and not their favorite. I will probably swap this book out of my classroom library since this wasn’t what we were looking for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2022
i liked this a lot, for the most part, but i think the ending was a bit abrupt and it would have been nice to see the entirety of how everything turned out at the end. even though the ending was a bit weak, it wasn't bad enough to ruin the entire book for me and overall i really enjoyed it.
Want to read
May 19, 2021y'all this one sounds GOOD
July 5, 2023
I really really wanted to give this book a 1 or a 2 and hate it so much, but unfortunately, it won my back at the end and made me bring the score up to 3 stars.
It's basically just the plot of Miraculous Ladybug, where Viveca is Marinette and Jamison is Layla (lie-lah).
Viveca finds herself losing her beloved place in the Race To The Top! valedictorian list to, who would've guessed, Jamison! However, near the middle of the book, Viveca finds out that her dad broke a promise, one that could've saved her from her life in West Bore. And now, she doesn't have the financial aid to go to her dream college, even though she got accepted.
Earlier in the book, Viveca is given a chance to write an essay about her future. If she won, it could give her $20,000! So, being her perfect self, she perfectly types a perfectly constructed essay, finding buzzwords and metaphors that the essay website used. She even imagines what the judges would think, appealing to THEIR life and not HERS.
Throughout the story, Viveca gets deeper and deeper into her obsession with finding out if Jamison is really telling the truth about anything he says. And when she finds something revolutionary, Viveca is quick to accuse Jamison. But I already knew what would happen because, uh, I've seen Miraculous already. She gets humiliated with every accusation she makes, but the worst one was at the Halloween Party. Oh my gosh that made me cringe SO hard. But as Viveca loses everything- scholarships, money, friends- she soon realizes that her essay was completely faked. She doesn't want to be a report card or a checklist. She wants to be Viveca. So she begins to write her essay all over again. Unfortunately, you can imagine that someone would take it...
I'm going to be honest, the first part of the book was total trash. I had no interest in it, and it felt like I was just watching a car crash. But I'm glad I didn't take my eyes off yet, since the end of the book was absolutely unpredictable. It made me actually feel harsh emotions that I couldn't really express, but I did notice that I got really frustrated at almost every character EXCEPT the side character. I found some pieces of myself in Viveca, like her competitive spirit and always wanting to be on top/the best. But after reading this book, I'm going to try to not be as focused on grades and other things like that. Sure, grades are important and I'll try to always get A's, but I'd also like to find more about myself and what things I enjoy.
It's basically just the plot of Miraculous Ladybug, where Viveca is Marinette and Jamison is Layla (lie-lah).
Viveca finds herself losing her beloved place in the Race To The Top! valedictorian list to, who would've guessed, Jamison! However, near the middle of the book, Viveca finds out that her dad broke a promise, one that could've saved her from her life in West Bore. And now, she doesn't have the financial aid to go to her dream college, even though she got accepted.
Earlier in the book, Viveca is given a chance to write an essay about her future. If she won, it could give her $20,000! So, being her perfect self, she perfectly types a perfectly constructed essay, finding buzzwords and metaphors that the essay website used. She even imagines what the judges would think, appealing to THEIR life and not HERS.
Throughout the story, Viveca gets deeper and deeper into her obsession with finding out if Jamison is really telling the truth about anything he says. And when she finds something revolutionary, Viveca is quick to accuse Jamison. But I already knew what would happen because, uh, I've seen Miraculous already. She gets humiliated with every accusation she makes, but the worst one was at the Halloween Party. Oh my gosh that made me cringe SO hard. But as Viveca loses everything- scholarships, money, friends- she soon realizes that her essay was completely faked. She doesn't want to be a report card or a checklist. She wants to be Viveca. So she begins to write her essay all over again. Unfortunately, you can imagine that someone would take it...
I'm going to be honest, the first part of the book was total trash. I had no interest in it, and it felt like I was just watching a car crash. But I'm glad I didn't take my eyes off yet, since the end of the book was absolutely unpredictable. It made me actually feel harsh emotions that I couldn't really express, but I did notice that I got really frustrated at almost every character EXCEPT the side character. I found some pieces of myself in Viveca, like her competitive spirit and always wanting to be on top/the best. But after reading this book, I'm going to try to not be as focused on grades and other things like that. Sure, grades are important and I'll try to always get A's, but I'd also like to find more about myself and what things I enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2022
I thought the premise of this book sounded interesting, but it wasn't interesting, it was just bad on all levels. I didn't like the main character Viveca (what kind of name is that anyway?) who seemingly had NO personality other than wanting to be valedictorian and getting into college. Her home life seemed stressful, but I wanted more of this plotline. What was the real reason her dad lied on the financial aid forms (other than to impress his girlfriend)? There was no confrontation of this--unless I missed it through my skimming. At one point her friend points out that isn't really invested in the major she's chosen and Viveca's response is that it's "her best class." WTF!!!!!???? I also couldn't deal with her weird obsession with the new kid, Jamison. Yes, he was weird and was lying about stuff, but is it that easy to get into student records so fast? They aren't easy to access....everything about this book was wrong to me. Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you should ruin their life. That's the message here, I think. But to me, this wasn't really a mystery, it was just about a girl who needed some help.
I just couldn't get into it, thankfully I got it out of the library. This should've been a lot better.
I just couldn't get into it, thankfully I got it out of the library. This should've been a lot better.
Want to read
February 19, 2022Pre-read/review thoughts (2/19/22): Solely reading this book because Jamison sounds a lot like my high school class's valedictorian- perfect grades on paper but has a very arrogant personality and is rude to people he deems to be not on the same level of intelligence as him- so I'll be vicariously living through Viveca North in this book when she gets to take him down hehe.
September 12, 2022
viveca is such a paranoid person
i honestly hated her
i had to put the book down and recollect to keep my sanity
i still read it though, it was painfully predictable
i honestly hated her
i had to put the book down and recollect to keep my sanity
i still read it though, it was painfully predictable
November 1, 2022
Forget blood and gore: This is some real life horror.
The term gaslighting is overused these days, but it’s exactly what happens here to protagonist Viveca, an obsessive perfectionist whose desperation to attend her college of choice and change her life has driven her to some semi extreme measures in the past.
So when a new kid at school who seems to have everything looks to have designs on her spot as valedictorian, everyone dismisses Viveca’s claims that he’s up to something as her own competitiveness and paranoia.
At some point in life, most of us have met an operator like Jamison. Someone who manages to charm everyone in our orbit to the point where they dismiss our concerns and say we’re paranoid, overreacting, or sometimes outright making it up.
It’s an unbelievably isolating situation to be in, and this book does an excellent job of showing what it can do to a person, and how it affects their other relationships when they know they have righteous anger in their corner and yet no one takes their concerns seriously, often even siding with the gaslighter.
Viveca hasn’t done herself any favors with her super competitive nature and social awkwardness, but as any Academic Validation gal will tell you, sometimes the roots of this aren’t really about trying to one up others. I really felt for her and thought she was an exceptionally well-drawn character.
It’s an interesting portrait of just how damaging the kind of manipulation employed by someone like Jamison can be, and how hurtful it is when the effects of it creep into other relationships in one’s life.
I’ve been there with a supposed friend, and sadly I don’t think my experience was uncommon. But at the time it was incredibly upsetting and isolating, and this book does a good job of communicating that feeling.
In the end Viveca gets more justice than most of us do when it comes to dealing with a person like this, but she also learns to be a better version of herself as a result of the experience.
The stakes feel relatively low compared to other YA mystery/thrillers (no one is getting murdered here), but it showcases a real life problem that I think will be relatable to most readers.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
The term gaslighting is overused these days, but it’s exactly what happens here to protagonist Viveca, an obsessive perfectionist whose desperation to attend her college of choice and change her life has driven her to some semi extreme measures in the past.
So when a new kid at school who seems to have everything looks to have designs on her spot as valedictorian, everyone dismisses Viveca’s claims that he’s up to something as her own competitiveness and paranoia.
At some point in life, most of us have met an operator like Jamison. Someone who manages to charm everyone in our orbit to the point where they dismiss our concerns and say we’re paranoid, overreacting, or sometimes outright making it up.
It’s an unbelievably isolating situation to be in, and this book does an excellent job of showing what it can do to a person, and how it affects their other relationships when they know they have righteous anger in their corner and yet no one takes their concerns seriously, often even siding with the gaslighter.
Viveca hasn’t done herself any favors with her super competitive nature and social awkwardness, but as any Academic Validation gal will tell you, sometimes the roots of this aren’t really about trying to one up others. I really felt for her and thought she was an exceptionally well-drawn character.
It’s an interesting portrait of just how damaging the kind of manipulation employed by someone like Jamison can be, and how hurtful it is when the effects of it creep into other relationships in one’s life.
I’ve been there with a supposed friend, and sadly I don’t think my experience was uncommon. But at the time it was incredibly upsetting and isolating, and this book does a good job of communicating that feeling.
In the end Viveca gets more justice than most of us do when it comes to dealing with a person like this, but she also learns to be a better version of herself as a result of the experience.
The stakes feel relatively low compared to other YA mystery/thrillers (no one is getting murdered here), but it showcases a real life problem that I think will be relatable to most readers.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
April 5, 2025
lying, cheating rat. you disgust me. You disgusting, manipulative worm. the most abhorrent, loathsome being ever to roam the earth. You're not real but I really wish you were so I could punch your stupid rat face. Die, foul creature.
...
Anyway, three stars because who doesn't love antisocial main characters with issues?
...
Anyway, three stars because who doesn't love antisocial main characters with issues?
June 24, 2022
what a spoiled focking furry you are, ViViCa
And Jamison, fock off. I want to murder you and your family that you lied about.
And Jamison, fock off. I want to murder you and your family that you lied about.
January 15, 2025
not much of a thriller. this book gives me second hand embarrassment.
July 20, 2023
DNF'd @ p. 68
Why Would I Lie? by Adi Rule sounded interesting, but the more I read the less interested I was in continuing.
Why Would I Lie? by Adi Rule sounded interesting, but the more I read the less interested I was in continuing.
December 4, 2022
I really enjoyed this YA thriller. It was entertaining, infuriating and thrilling.
This book about a high school valedictorian who has done and will do anything she can to be valedictorian and get into the college her dead mom went to, finds herself targeted by the new kid, who is definitely lying, about well, everything.
I can relate to Viveca the main character, to some extent. I wasn't nearly as go-getting as she is or anywhere close to valedictorian but I had to try hard for my A's B's and even C's. Viveca had a lot stacked against her and had to juggle many things on top of schoolwork which I can also relate to.
I really was on the edge of my seat on the couch so angry. Angry about the things Jamison was doing and getting away with and lying about. I was with Viveca the whole way. I was like "get him again for me!"
However I do believe a bit of the novel could have been cut out and the ending felt a bit rushed with only a one page conclusion.
I liked the friendship between Wren and Viveca. I will admit I was a bit jealous of Viveca and her drive to succeed in school. Even though at times it was her achilles heel in some ways. I just really love and hate stories/novels where one person is being wronged and no one else believes them...like it was so infuriating reading the parts where Jamison would get a one up on Viveca when she was so close to exposing him.
I have been wanting to read this book, since I read the synopsis last year and I am so glad I did! I do wonder what "ripped from the headline" story it is based on, because I haven't found the real story.
Readers of YA thrillers who want something that doesn't have to do with murder, kidnapping or SA, would eat this book up...
This book about a high school valedictorian who has done and will do anything she can to be valedictorian and get into the college her dead mom went to, finds herself targeted by the new kid, who is definitely lying, about well, everything.
I can relate to Viveca the main character, to some extent. I wasn't nearly as go-getting as she is or anywhere close to valedictorian but I had to try hard for my A's B's and even C's. Viveca had a lot stacked against her and had to juggle many things on top of schoolwork which I can also relate to.
I really was on the edge of my seat on the couch so angry. Angry about the things Jamison was doing and getting away with and lying about. I was with Viveca the whole way. I was like "get him again for me!"
However I do believe a bit of the novel could have been cut out and the ending felt a bit rushed with only a one page conclusion.
I liked the friendship between Wren and Viveca. I will admit I was a bit jealous of Viveca and her drive to succeed in school. Even though at times it was her achilles heel in some ways. I just really love and hate stories/novels where one person is being wronged and no one else believes them...like it was so infuriating reading the parts where Jamison would get a one up on Viveca when she was so close to exposing him.
I have been wanting to read this book, since I read the synopsis last year and I am so glad I did! I do wonder what "ripped from the headline" story it is based on, because I haven't found the real story.
Readers of YA thrillers who want something that doesn't have to do with murder, kidnapping or SA, would eat this book up...
June 25, 2022
okay I have very mixed feelings about this book
first, it took forever to get into. it was very slow
second, jamison was a complete d*ck and i don't understand why everyone was in love with him. like i get the whole "he's popular i love him" but it was to the extreme in this book
third, i absolutely loved wren's character, they were such a good friend and i didn't even blame them when they temporarily dropped vivica
fourth, vivica was soooooo dry. like yes we get it youre valedictorian. oh no there's a bad guy. oh your dad is a liar. she didn't understand why she wanted any of the things she wanted, she seemed so fake to me
fifth, the whole scenario about what happened in vivicas past where she went paranoid was weird. like it didn't dive deep enough into it to for us to get the whole picture, we briefly saw it and then it was dropped
sixth, does vivica have some sort of panic or anxiety disorder? the way she collapsed to the floor at the party and after piano class when her knife was almost found made me think that maybe she was having an anxiety attack
seventh, i really wanna know what was true about jamison because how the hell do you just lie about everything including your freaking last name? and why? it doesn't make sense
eighth, was jamison supposed to resemble vivicas dad with the whole chronic lying thing? like i think so but idk
ninth, i did like that they didn't force any romance
anyway it was interesting-ish but overall just kinda dry and not as interesting as i had hoped
first, it took forever to get into. it was very slow
second, jamison was a complete d*ck and i don't understand why everyone was in love with him. like i get the whole "he's popular i love him" but it was to the extreme in this book
third, i absolutely loved wren's character, they were such a good friend and i didn't even blame them when they temporarily dropped vivica
fourth, vivica was soooooo dry. like yes we get it youre valedictorian. oh no there's a bad guy. oh your dad is a liar. she didn't understand why she wanted any of the things she wanted, she seemed so fake to me
fifth, the whole scenario about what happened in vivicas past where she went paranoid was weird. like it didn't dive deep enough into it to for us to get the whole picture, we briefly saw it and then it was dropped
sixth, does vivica have some sort of panic or anxiety disorder? the way she collapsed to the floor at the party and after piano class when her knife was almost found made me think that maybe she was having an anxiety attack
seventh, i really wanna know what was true about jamison because how the hell do you just lie about everything including your freaking last name? and why? it doesn't make sense
eighth, was jamison supposed to resemble vivicas dad with the whole chronic lying thing? like i think so but idk
ninth, i did like that they didn't force any romance
anyway it was interesting-ish but overall just kinda dry and not as interesting as i had hoped
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2022
Imagine being this obsessed with grades and essays and college :')
The book revolves around 2 people. Our main character and our antagonist per say. To be honest, I cannot relate. If I were in this book, I'd probably be some background character. The girl who is forever surrounded by academically smart people, but you could probably care less about school itself. I think the plot was really engaging, but man that was intense. This book gave me trust-issues towards all the characters. It was crazy. I couldn't tell if the main character was being too intense or if everything really was the way she described it? Would read again. I would probably give this for someone to read in their senior year because it hits close to home.
I think this whole book can be a sort of allusion to the senior life. You have a lot of pressure put on you to be perfect and over-succeeding. What hurts you the most is the competition. There's always that fear where you think you'll be lower than someone else or in Adi Rule's words "depressingly average." Students go above and beyond to fit and exceed someone's standards. Though our main character was super smart--too smart really :')--she still had these doubts. So that was great!
The book revolves around 2 people. Our main character and our antagonist per say. To be honest, I cannot relate. If I were in this book, I'd probably be some background character. The girl who is forever surrounded by academically smart people, but you could probably care less about school itself. I think the plot was really engaging, but man that was intense. This book gave me trust-issues towards all the characters. It was crazy. I couldn't tell if the main character was being too intense or if everything really was the way she described it? Would read again. I would probably give this for someone to read in their senior year because it hits close to home.
I think this whole book can be a sort of allusion to the senior life. You have a lot of pressure put on you to be perfect and over-succeeding. What hurts you the most is the competition. There's always that fear where you think you'll be lower than someone else or in Adi Rule's words "depressingly average." Students go above and beyond to fit and exceed someone's standards. Though our main character was super smart--too smart really :')--she still had these doubts. So that was great!
February 21, 2023
3.5 ⭐
i have mixed feelings about this book because it was kind of slow for the first 150 pages or so, but it got really interesting and fast-paced for the second half of the book. at first, i thought this was going to be an acdemic rivals to lovers but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't. instead, it was about Viveca North finding her way into this world. ihrough friendships, hardships, and guilt she found out that she will always be finding her path and that journey will never stop.
i have mixed feelings about this book because it was kind of slow for the first 150 pages or so, but it got really interesting and fast-paced for the second half of the book. at first, i thought this was going to be an acdemic rivals to lovers but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't. instead, it was about Viveca North finding her way into this world. ihrough friendships, hardships, and guilt she found out that she will always be finding her path and that journey will never stop.
Read
January 24, 2022I found this really entertaining, refreshing, and frustrating (in the best way). Once i reached the halfway point, i couldnt put it down.
July 7, 2022
nothing makes my blood boil like liars.
October 7, 2022
This book was so weird...
I couldn't put it down but it wasn't really that good.
I couldn't put it down but it wasn't really that good.
April 19, 2024
help because why was this book so good????
Viveca North is valedictorian. At least, she's on track to be. But when handsome, funny, charming Jamison Sharpe waltzes in, things start to go downhill.
I love how the book explores Viveca's mind as she tries to wrap her head around Jamison as a person. And I love how realistically her slow spiral into obsession was navigated. We get to learn about how her past directly relates to her current situation and how she convinces herself that there's something suspicious going on with him. Speaking of Viveca and Jamison, let's discuss some characters!
Needless to say, Viveca was my favorite character in this book. Being known as the "genius loner", I found myself really relating to her. Especially with her wanting to get out of her town and have a fresh start. Adi Rule did a great job of completely immersing me in Viveca's mind, which actually caused me to shed a few tears when because I felt her desperation and utter hopelessness. But her character development??? 100/10
"I lean back in my chair. 'Your future depends on that essay,' I told myself before. But that's wrong. Nobody's future depends on one essay. My future has depended on so many different things for so long."
Wren is the best best friend ever.
Not only do they stick with Viveca as her obsession with Jamison develops, they HOLD HER ACCOUNTABLE when it goes to far!
And I really appreciate the fact that they had their own personality and other friends. Often times in books, the main character's best friend ends up being known as just that - the "Main Character's Best Friend". So it was incredibly refreshing to see this book break that stereotype.
Viveca and her dad have a complicated relationship. Due to his pathological lying, the two of them are rather distant. BUT when he Viveca confronts him. This puts further strain on their relationship but he's still there for her, and eventually, they make up. It was so heartwarming to see their relationship blossom. 💖💖
"'You, Viveca? ...You make sense of this world, Viveca, in your own way. And you make this world make sense for me."
Anyways, I think it's time to end this yap session. This is my first writing a review like this so any tips are welcome!
Final rating: 💖💖💖✨✨🥰🥰🌻🤣😭🙏/5
Viveca North is valedictorian. At least, she's on track to be. But when handsome, funny, charming Jamison Sharpe waltzes in, things start to go downhill.
I love how the book explores Viveca's mind as she tries to wrap her head around Jamison as a person. And I love how realistically her slow spiral into obsession was navigated. We get to learn about how her past directly relates to her current situation and how she convinces herself that there's something suspicious going on with him. Speaking of Viveca and Jamison, let's discuss some characters!
Needless to say, Viveca was my favorite character in this book. Being known as the "genius loner", I found myself really relating to her. Especially with her wanting to get out of her town and have a fresh start. Adi Rule did a great job of completely immersing me in Viveca's mind, which actually caused me to shed a few tears when because I felt her desperation and utter hopelessness. But her character development??? 100/10
"I lean back in my chair. 'Your future depends on that essay,' I told myself before. But that's wrong. Nobody's future depends on one essay. My future has depended on so many different things for so long."
Wren is the best best friend ever.
Not only do they stick with Viveca as her obsession with Jamison develops, they HOLD HER ACCOUNTABLE when it goes to far!
And I really appreciate the fact that they had their own personality and other friends. Often times in books, the main character's best friend ends up being known as just that - the "Main Character's Best Friend". So it was incredibly refreshing to see this book break that stereotype.
Viveca and her dad have a complicated relationship. Due to his pathological lying, the two of them are rather distant. BUT when he Viveca confronts him. This puts further strain on their relationship but he's still there for her, and eventually, they make up. It was so heartwarming to see their relationship blossom. 💖💖
"'You, Viveca? ...You make sense of this world, Viveca, in your own way. And you make this world make sense for me."
Anyways, I think it's time to end this yap session. This is my first writing a review like this so any tips are welcome!
Final rating: 💖💖💖✨✨🥰🥰🌻🤣😭🙏/5
August 16, 2025
I don’t care if she was right, Viveca was absolutely INSUFFERABLE the entire book. Not one singular redeeming moment. Also, why does the valedictorian have one friend and no social life? What? Like it’s THAT hard? AND why were the financial aid packets sent through SNAIL MAIL? And college acceptances received via mail, not email? What decade are we living in? Yes, this book kept me so engaged for the entire 300+ pages (re: me finishing it in basically 24 hours), but omg? You can skip this one.
January 19, 2024
This one makes me feel like I can justify anything. There was SO much manipulation and lying in this
February 10, 2024
This was such a good book!! I loved the characters and the plot and character development. Overall, 10/10, would recommend.
September 26, 2024
The characters suck and it was hard to read at times but when I did I couldn't stop.
February 23, 2024
A good YA book that I read with my 11 year old daughter.
June 18, 2024
I am trying to think of an adjective to describe this book... Great? Exciting? Delicious?
I found it very hard to put down after I hit the halfway mark. I NEEDED to know what happened at the end. I found that there were times when I couldn't trust the narrator of the story. That never happens when I read books! This book had me on the edge of my seat until the very last word. You need to check it out!
I found it very hard to put down after I hit the halfway mark. I NEEDED to know what happened at the end. I found that there were times when I couldn't trust the narrator of the story. That never happens when I read books! This book had me on the edge of my seat until the very last word. You need to check it out!
March 27, 2022
There are no margins in Viveca’s plan to escape her small town and go to college. A senior, she is well on her way to Valedictorian and has ticked off every necessary extracurricular volunteer opportunity from her checklist. If she can just get her father to fill out the financial aid forms honestly - he is a consistent liar and exaggerator. Then golden boy Jamison transfers in presents a master class in gaslighting, taking in everyone but Viveca, taking the top academic spot in the senior class, stealing and taking credit for her prizewinning essay, and accusing her of plagiarism.
Those familiar with being on staff in a high school will have to suspend their disbelief in the ways that student files are so easy to find, and though Viveca experiences thoughtful character development, Jamison lacks nuance. Those who like plot-driven suspense stories won’t mind. EARC from Edelweiss.
Those familiar with being on staff in a high school will have to suspend their disbelief in the ways that student files are so easy to find, and though Viveca experiences thoughtful character development, Jamison lacks nuance. Those who like plot-driven suspense stories won’t mind. EARC from Edelweiss.
June 18, 2022
hmm 3.75 maybe??
this book stressed me tf out lmao. but i actually liked how the author made viveca such an unreliable narrator (due to her past actions) that even i thought she was crazy and delusional.
anyways moral of the story is that men are the biggest gaslighters and also i’ve unfortunately grown out young adult novels
this book stressed me tf out lmao. but i actually liked how the author made viveca such an unreliable narrator (due to her past actions) that even i thought she was crazy and delusional.
anyways moral of the story is that men are the biggest gaslighters and also i’ve unfortunately grown out young adult novels
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