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Sin filtro y otras mentiras
Debes saber, desde ya, que soy una mentirosa.
Suelo decir pequeñas mentiras. Diminutas. Insignificantes. Casi no parecen mentiras. Pero lo son.
Ahora disponible en español.
Max Monroe, de 21 años, lo tiene todo: belleza, amigos y una vida esplendorosa llena de aventuras. Con montones de seguidores en Instagram, su existencia perfecta es casi envidiable.
Pero todo es falso.
"Max" es en realidad Kat Sánchez, una adolescente de 17 años, tranquila y sarcástica, que vive en la monótona Bakersfield, en California. Su existencia no tiene nada de glamurosa: suburbios, fiestas caseras fallidas, una familia fracturada, un curso escolar de mierda y la incomodidad de lidiar con el amor de su mejor amigo, Hari, que ella no corresponde.
Si bien la vida de Kat dista mucho de ser perfecta, tiene éxito como Max: ofrece consejos, comparte hermosas fotos, se relaciona con influencers famosos e incluso se hace amiga de una seguidora llamada Elena. Cuanto más se acercan Elena y "Max", mediante mensajes de texto, fotos e incluso llamadas, más siente Kat que debe mantener la fachada.
Pero cuando una de las publicaciones de Max se vuelve ultraviral y la persona a quien Kat ha estado robándole las fotos tiene conocimiento de esta, todo su mundo se derrumba. Kat tiene que encontrar la manera de salir de la enorme red de mentiras que ha tejido, sin herir a las personas a quienes ama.
Pero tal vez sea demasiado tarde.
ELOGIOS PARA NO FILTER AND OTHER LIES EN INGLÉS:
Un mejor libro para adolescentes de Seventeen
Un mejor libro nuevo para adolescentes de POPSUGAR
Un libro más esperado de Nerdist
Una selección estándar de oro del Junior Library Guild
* “Ultrainteligente.”—Publishers Weekly
“Hace pensar.”—POPSUGAR
“Impresionante.”—Nerdist
“Verdaderamente auténtica.”—YA Books Central
“Agridulce y complicado.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Cautivador y desgarrador.”—Shelf Awareness
Suelo decir pequeñas mentiras. Diminutas. Insignificantes. Casi no parecen mentiras. Pero lo son.
Ahora disponible en español.
Max Monroe, de 21 años, lo tiene todo: belleza, amigos y una vida esplendorosa llena de aventuras. Con montones de seguidores en Instagram, su existencia perfecta es casi envidiable.
Pero todo es falso.
"Max" es en realidad Kat Sánchez, una adolescente de 17 años, tranquila y sarcástica, que vive en la monótona Bakersfield, en California. Su existencia no tiene nada de glamurosa: suburbios, fiestas caseras fallidas, una familia fracturada, un curso escolar de mierda y la incomodidad de lidiar con el amor de su mejor amigo, Hari, que ella no corresponde.
Si bien la vida de Kat dista mucho de ser perfecta, tiene éxito como Max: ofrece consejos, comparte hermosas fotos, se relaciona con influencers famosos e incluso se hace amiga de una seguidora llamada Elena. Cuanto más se acercan Elena y "Max", mediante mensajes de texto, fotos e incluso llamadas, más siente Kat que debe mantener la fachada.
Pero cuando una de las publicaciones de Max se vuelve ultraviral y la persona a quien Kat ha estado robándole las fotos tiene conocimiento de esta, todo su mundo se derrumba. Kat tiene que encontrar la manera de salir de la enorme red de mentiras que ha tejido, sin herir a las personas a quienes ama.
Pero tal vez sea demasiado tarde.
ELOGIOS PARA NO FILTER AND OTHER LIES EN INGLÉS:
Un mejor libro para adolescentes de Seventeen
Un mejor libro nuevo para adolescentes de POPSUGAR
Un libro más esperado de Nerdist
Una selección estándar de oro del Junior Library Guild
* “Ultrainteligente.”—Publishers Weekly
“Hace pensar.”—POPSUGAR
“Impresionante.”—Nerdist
“Verdaderamente auténtica.”—YA Books Central
“Agridulce y complicado.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Cautivador y desgarrador.”—Shelf Awareness
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 8, 2022
76 people are currently reading
8423 people want to read
About the author
Crystal Maldonado
8 books730 followersCrystal Maldonado is a young adult author who writes inclusive stories about fat, brown girls. She is the author of The Fall of Whit Rivera, which People Magazine called a “pumpkin-spice-latte-flavored treat”; Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, which was a New England Book Award winner, a Cosmopolitan Best New Book, and a Kirkus Best YA Fiction of 2021; and No Filter and Other Lies, which was named a POPSUGAR and Seventeen Best New YA.
By day, Crystal works in higher ed marketing, and by night, she’s a writer whose work has been published in Latina, BuzzFeed, and the Hartford Courant. She has a degree in English and journalism from the University of Connecticut and lives in western Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog. Follow her everywhere @crystalwrote.
By day, Crystal works in higher ed marketing, and by night, she’s a writer whose work has been published in Latina, BuzzFeed, and the Hartford Courant. She has a degree in English and journalism from the University of Connecticut and lives in western Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog. Follow her everywhere @crystalwrote.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews
April 22, 2022
I think that I'm going to enjoy whatever Crystal Maldonado releases at this point. Her storytelling and character development is always on point. I read her debut last year and enjoyed it. I'm happy to say that it was the same experience for this book.
No Filter and Other Lies is messy. Extremely messy with an imperfect main character who doesn't get the redemption arc that readers will expect. The story revolves around Kat Sanchez, a teenage photographer who is obsessed with social media. As much as Kat loves social media, it doesn't love her. She can't seem to get enough traction on her number of likes and followers so she makes the decision to create a fake profile. It starts off small, but then Max Monroe AKA Kat begins to go viral causing dire consequences in Kat's real life.
The conversation revolving around social media is something that a lot of readers will relate to. While I'm not the target audience for this book, I have had my own personal struggles as it relates to social media growth. The way in which Maldonado captures those feelings of inadequacy on page is simply brilliant. I didn't expect to relate to Kat's feelings so heavily. While I wouldn't go as far as creating a fake profile, I know that it does happen in real life. And just like in real life, Maldonado does not hold back from forcing Kat to face those consequences. Things don't wrap up in a nice, neat little bow with a perfect redemption arc. Kat pays for her mistakes in a lot of different ways which made this book REAL. Readers will enjoy Kat, but will also recognize the selfishness that serves as the basis for her motives. This is the epitome of great character development. Kat is a real character that not only struggles with a decision she makes, but she's also defining her space as a fat, bisexual, Latinx woman. Like many teens, she has ups and downs with her friend group which includes figuring out a messy romantic situation with a close friend. The varied struggles and triumphs are something that teen readers will connect with.
For some readers, the pacing may be a little slow. It does take a little while for the book to get to the point in which Kat does make the the fake profile, but I think it's done intentionally to set the stage for the character development. It further gives Maldonado the opportunity to fully flesh out the differences in being fat and BIPOC on social media in comparison to thin and White. Overall, this was a fascinating story and I definitely am a fan of Crystal as an author. The writing, the character development, and the commentary all worked well together to create a fascinating story.
No Filter and Other Lies is messy. Extremely messy with an imperfect main character who doesn't get the redemption arc that readers will expect. The story revolves around Kat Sanchez, a teenage photographer who is obsessed with social media. As much as Kat loves social media, it doesn't love her. She can't seem to get enough traction on her number of likes and followers so she makes the decision to create a fake profile. It starts off small, but then Max Monroe AKA Kat begins to go viral causing dire consequences in Kat's real life.
The conversation revolving around social media is something that a lot of readers will relate to. While I'm not the target audience for this book, I have had my own personal struggles as it relates to social media growth. The way in which Maldonado captures those feelings of inadequacy on page is simply brilliant. I didn't expect to relate to Kat's feelings so heavily. While I wouldn't go as far as creating a fake profile, I know that it does happen in real life. And just like in real life, Maldonado does not hold back from forcing Kat to face those consequences. Things don't wrap up in a nice, neat little bow with a perfect redemption arc. Kat pays for her mistakes in a lot of different ways which made this book REAL. Readers will enjoy Kat, but will also recognize the selfishness that serves as the basis for her motives. This is the epitome of great character development. Kat is a real character that not only struggles with a decision she makes, but she's also defining her space as a fat, bisexual, Latinx woman. Like many teens, she has ups and downs with her friend group which includes figuring out a messy romantic situation with a close friend. The varied struggles and triumphs are something that teen readers will connect with.
For some readers, the pacing may be a little slow. It does take a little while for the book to get to the point in which Kat does make the the fake profile, but I think it's done intentionally to set the stage for the character development. It further gives Maldonado the opportunity to fully flesh out the differences in being fat and BIPOC on social media in comparison to thin and White. Overall, this was a fascinating story and I definitely am a fan of Crystal as an author. The writing, the character development, and the commentary all worked well together to create a fascinating story.
September 5, 2022
oof the crying came out of goddamn nowhere
July 4, 2023
what an experience. Halfway through reading this book it was going to be 3 stars at BEST but idk the more I read the more I just loved it. it had all my favorite things, a messy main character, moral ambiguity, good side characters, toxic mother daughter relationships and lying. it wasn't until I finished it did I realize I had a BLAST. This book is not for everyone it wasn't even for me...until it was.
February 4, 2022
This book was so difficult to read for me because Kat does some truly awful things throughout the novel. She was more than a mess with her lies and deceptions. I did like that Crystal set-up consequences to those actions, which, in a world lacking accountability, was very good to see. She also allowed a glimmer of hope in the most realistic way possible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 13, 2022give me a fat Brown bisexual babe every day of the week please! I loved this book so much! It's a lesson in both how validating social media can be and how debilitating and harmful it can simultaneously be.
Kat Sanchez is a high school senior who just wants to show off her photography. She and her best friends formed the photography club and set out to get the best shots. She and her best friend have some unresolved feelings going on while Kat also sorts through her own sexuality and crush on a girl. Kat loves dogs and volunteers at the local shelter where she works with Becca, thin beautiful white Becca. when Kat's own instagram fails to gain traction, she sets up a fake account as Max Monroe using Becca's image. When a potential real life friend and crush drops into Max's DMs, Kat is faced with the consequences of her own actions.
I loved how messy this one is. I loved the resolution at the end and how it doesn't all just perfectly fall into place. I also loved Kat so much. She is flawed but also a teenager dealing with living in a fat Brown body while also discovering her bisexuality and confronting a lot of challenges along the way.
I especially loved the way family dynamics and friendship dynamics were given a spotlight here. There's a lot going on for Kat in this book but it all meshes well and doesn't get too crowded. It's overwhelming for Kat but not as a reader with an outside perspective. Sometimes when authors try to tackle too many things, it gets muddled but that thankfully isn't the case here.
I truly enjoyed this one and can't wait to reread at some point. Crystal Maldonado is easily becoming an auto-buy author for me.
CW: mental health, fatphobia, lying, deceiving, familial break ups
Kat Sanchez is a high school senior who just wants to show off her photography. She and her best friends formed the photography club and set out to get the best shots. She and her best friend have some unresolved feelings going on while Kat also sorts through her own sexuality and crush on a girl. Kat loves dogs and volunteers at the local shelter where she works with Becca, thin beautiful white Becca. when Kat's own instagram fails to gain traction, she sets up a fake account as Max Monroe using Becca's image. When a potential real life friend and crush drops into Max's DMs, Kat is faced with the consequences of her own actions.
I loved how messy this one is. I loved the resolution at the end and how it doesn't all just perfectly fall into place. I also loved Kat so much. She is flawed but also a teenager dealing with living in a fat Brown body while also discovering her bisexuality and confronting a lot of challenges along the way.
I especially loved the way family dynamics and friendship dynamics were given a spotlight here. There's a lot going on for Kat in this book but it all meshes well and doesn't get too crowded. It's overwhelming for Kat but not as a reader with an outside perspective. Sometimes when authors try to tackle too many things, it gets muddled but that thankfully isn't the case here.
I truly enjoyed this one and can't wait to reread at some point. Crystal Maldonado is easily becoming an auto-buy author for me.
CW: mental health, fatphobia, lying, deceiving, familial break ups
September 4, 2024
Un roman very very cuuuute… et en même temps hyper sérieux et très réaliste. Quand j’ai commencé à voir où ça nous menait, avec toute l’histoire de catfish, je me suis dit « no way ». J’avais peur que le côté « romance ado » prenne le dessus et idéalise un peu cette intrigue mais, à mon grand soulagement, ça n’a pas du tout été le cas. C’est traité avec beaucoup de justesse et de douceur, mais ça fait passer les messages qu’il faut. Ça reste un roman drôle parfois, touchant souvent… très moderne et très addictif ! Une chouette lecture donc !
February 13, 2022
tws: catfishing, lying, on page panic attack, alcohol usage
I have not read Crystal Maldonado's Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, so I went into this book not knowing what to expect.
The summary honestly felt like it was catfishing me. When I read it, I assumed (incorrectly) that this catfish account already existed. In actuality, it took us about 35% of the way in to finally create this fake account. There also was very little "doling out advice" or "networking with famous influencers," which is fine, but just not what I was expecting, based on the literal summary given.
The summary also mentions one of Max's posts going ultra-viral (it got 10,000 impressions, so like, I don't think that's considered "ultra viral" but semantics) and how everything crashes down around Kat. This happens at about 85% of the way in. There were no twists, nothing to make me shocked, it was just - exactly as it said on the tin. By reading the summary, you literally know everything that is going to happen.
I think I was just expecting more from this book; it was a very middle-of-the-road book and while I love a good "hidden identity" trope, this one just wasn't it for me.
If you want to read a surface-level book (what you see is what you get) with great representation, I'd recommend this book to you. If you wanted a bit more substance or twists in a book, I'd probably say to skip this one. Maybe FC,CV will be better for me.
I have not read Crystal Maldonado's Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, so I went into this book not knowing what to expect.
The summary honestly felt like it was catfishing me. When I read it, I assumed (incorrectly) that this catfish account already existed. In actuality, it took us about 35% of the way in to finally create this fake account. There also was very little "doling out advice" or "networking with famous influencers," which is fine, but just not what I was expecting, based on the literal summary given.
The summary also mentions one of Max's posts going ultra-viral (it got 10,000 impressions, so like, I don't think that's considered "ultra viral" but semantics) and how everything crashes down around Kat. This happens at about 85% of the way in. There were no twists, nothing to make me shocked, it was just - exactly as it said on the tin. By reading the summary, you literally know everything that is going to happen.
I think I was just expecting more from this book; it was a very middle-of-the-road book and while I love a good "hidden identity" trope, this one just wasn't it for me.
If you want to read a surface-level book (what you see is what you get) with great representation, I'd recommend this book to you. If you wanted a bit more substance or twists in a book, I'd probably say to skip this one. Maybe FC,CV will be better for me.
August 25, 2022
Kat, girl, I relate so hard to your body issues. I sympathize greatly with her desire to fit in and have nobody she could relate to (especially since her friends and family, minus her grandparents, sucked). I also liked how this book touched upon “pretty privilege” since I believe it’s real and haven’t seen it much lately.
I will say that the actual catfish plot took a while to actually start and build. I thought it would’ve been there from the start and Kat kinda just catches us up. I feel like the important messages weren't discussed at much or at all and there weren't really any consequences for her actions or any resolution.
I will say that the actual catfish plot took a while to actually start and build. I thought it would’ve been there from the start and Kat kinda just catches us up. I feel like the important messages weren't discussed at much or at all and there weren't really any consequences for her actions or any resolution.
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March 1, 2022It feels almost like a cautionary tale about not letting social media take over your entire life.
I spent the entirety of the book listening in complete agony, mostly because I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop as they say, and felt anxious the entire time over the lies and deception Kat was doing.
I could understand Kat's motivations and really felt for her; her family situation was unique and a big reason for the way she saw herself and how she acted.
I wouldn't say I hated the book, but it was definitely a lot to take in. By the end it didn't wrap up neatly, which I guess makes sense since Kat's catfishing was definitely something that can't be easily fixed either.
All in all, this is more of a journey and learning and coping process for Kat than it is about a romance or about anything else like that.
I enjoyed seeing Kat's development and the different relationships she cultivated along the way. I especially enjoyed her journey in realizing that she also likes girls and how she explored that.
All in all it was a nice read, keep in mind if you're uncomfortable with topics such as catfishing and social media addiction to take it easy.
I spent the entirety of the book listening in complete agony, mostly because I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop as they say, and felt anxious the entire time over the lies and deception Kat was doing.
I could understand Kat's motivations and really felt for her; her family situation was unique and a big reason for the way she saw herself and how she acted.
I wouldn't say I hated the book, but it was definitely a lot to take in. By the end it didn't wrap up neatly, which I guess makes sense since Kat's catfishing was definitely something that can't be easily fixed either.
All in all, this is more of a journey and learning and coping process for Kat than it is about a romance or about anything else like that.
I enjoyed seeing Kat's development and the different relationships she cultivated along the way. I especially enjoyed her journey in realizing that she also likes girls and how she explored that.
All in all it was a nice read, keep in mind if you're uncomfortable with topics such as catfishing and social media addiction to take it easy.
February 20, 2022
Crystal Maldonado has done it again, and has written a heart-warming, adorable, fun, thoughtful and healing contemporary YA novel! Full RTC, but for now, let me just emphatically state just how much I ADORE Kat, her best friends, her loving grandparents, and Cash- the adorable three legged pit bull!
March 10, 2022
“i scroll through the likes, the followers, the comments… would they even care if they knew who was really behind the screen? that it was some girl who has no idea who she is or what she wants?”
crystal maldonado knows how to write the most messy and relatable of young adult characters. as seen in fat chance, charlie vega, and now in her sophomore novel, no filter and other lies, i really truly hope she never stops telling stories of fat brown girls!! though this book was very different than her debut, i still feel crystal’s voice and her storytelling skills deep in me. no filter and other lies follows kat sanchez, a photographer and animal lover who decides to make a hasty decision and post pictures of her friend becca on instagram without her consent, and create a fake online persona named max. as max, kat is slowly falling for someone on the platform, but secrets and lies aren’t meant to be kept forever.
i think one of the most important things about this book was kat’s desire to be seen, to have her work seen, and she wasn’t able to receive that through her photos alone. honestly, i think this is something we can all relate to in some way or form, whether it be striving for views on social media or searching for external validation elsewhere. this is hard, and especially for a YA book, i think this had some deeper themes that i wasn’t even really expecting. writing a social media-based book can be hard, and often comes off and cringey or annoying, but this was most definitely not the case. kat’s relationship with instagram and her self worth were so intertwined in this story, especially with her realizing posing as a skinny white girl would get her more views.
i did appreciate that this was a book with a fat protagonist that didn’t center around fatphobia/struggles with weight! both stories are important, but this was a nice breath of air. also, with the fat rep, i have to talk about how there is a fat love interest!! as in two sapphic fat girls in one story? sapphic fat rep feels so scarce so i loved this. like i said, there is so much to unpack, but i also loved and appreciated the family and friends of kat. some very messy relationships were depicted with her parents, however, she had very supporting grandparents, and such a fun friend group. kat’s grandparents specifically were such a light in this story, and i definitely liked seeing this positive relationship!
i think the biggest thing you need to know is that kat makes mistakes. a lot of them. at times, even i found it hard to still feel for her, to still stand by her as she was figuring stuff out. but if you can learn to love her and understand where she’s coming from, the title rings so true. genuinely, this is one of the most authentic YA books i’ve read.
content warnings: fatphobia + fat jokes, strained familial relationships, mentions of death and cancer, anxiety, underage drinking, physical fight, vomit, depression, catfishing, anxiety attack, mention of getting pulled over by police
crystal maldonado knows how to write the most messy and relatable of young adult characters. as seen in fat chance, charlie vega, and now in her sophomore novel, no filter and other lies, i really truly hope she never stops telling stories of fat brown girls!! though this book was very different than her debut, i still feel crystal’s voice and her storytelling skills deep in me. no filter and other lies follows kat sanchez, a photographer and animal lover who decides to make a hasty decision and post pictures of her friend becca on instagram without her consent, and create a fake online persona named max. as max, kat is slowly falling for someone on the platform, but secrets and lies aren’t meant to be kept forever.
i think one of the most important things about this book was kat’s desire to be seen, to have her work seen, and she wasn’t able to receive that through her photos alone. honestly, i think this is something we can all relate to in some way or form, whether it be striving for views on social media or searching for external validation elsewhere. this is hard, and especially for a YA book, i think this had some deeper themes that i wasn’t even really expecting. writing a social media-based book can be hard, and often comes off and cringey or annoying, but this was most definitely not the case. kat’s relationship with instagram and her self worth were so intertwined in this story, especially with her realizing posing as a skinny white girl would get her more views.
i did appreciate that this was a book with a fat protagonist that didn’t center around fatphobia/struggles with weight! both stories are important, but this was a nice breath of air. also, with the fat rep, i have to talk about how there is a fat love interest!! as in two sapphic fat girls in one story? sapphic fat rep feels so scarce so i loved this. like i said, there is so much to unpack, but i also loved and appreciated the family and friends of kat. some very messy relationships were depicted with her parents, however, she had very supporting grandparents, and such a fun friend group. kat’s grandparents specifically were such a light in this story, and i definitely liked seeing this positive relationship!
i think the biggest thing you need to know is that kat makes mistakes. a lot of them. at times, even i found it hard to still feel for her, to still stand by her as she was figuring stuff out. but if you can learn to love her and understand where she’s coming from, the title rings so true. genuinely, this is one of the most authentic YA books i’ve read.
content warnings: fatphobia + fat jokes, strained familial relationships, mentions of death and cancer, anxiety, underage drinking, physical fight, vomit, depression, catfishing, anxiety attack, mention of getting pulled over by police
April 18, 2022
Crystal Maldonado is easily one of my favorite new YA authors. I wish I had books like hers to read when I was a teenager. Kat is chaotic with her lies, but it's easy to see where she's coming from. I really liked how she faces dire consequences for her actions. Her friend group is also great - they aren't perfect, but they stand by each other. Also, the three-legged doggy! DESERVES ALL THE RIGHTS!
October 27, 2023
I refuse to accept this was written by the same author as Charlie Vega.
While I appreciated the ending, the whole message of the book is still a bit... unclear to me. I also didn't like all this social media talk and the slang-elements in the writing. I also struggled to understand some of the reasons behind especially Kat's actions.
While I appreciated the ending, the whole message of the book is still a bit... unclear to me. I also didn't like all this social media talk and the slang-elements in the writing. I also struggled to understand some of the reasons behind especially Kat's actions.
January 19, 2025
sorry but girlie was let off a bit too easily for my liking
August 8, 2022
Proceed With Caution:
This book contains panic attacks, catfishing, and violence.
The Basics:
No Filter and Other Lies is narrated by seventeen-year-old Kat, a budding photographer. She's also addicted to Instagram and is upset that she doesn't have as many followers as her friends and others, because she's doing important work! Then after a wild night, she makes a fake account using a friend's photo and starts getting the attention she feels like she deserves. She knows what she's doing is wrong, but she can't stop, especially after she meets a great girl through this fake account.
My Thoughts:
Several things bothered me when reading No Filter and Other Lies. The first being Kat's friend group. Luis is the absolute worst. She even doesn't seem to like him very much. He definitely felt like a real teenage boy, but there's no way Kat was friends with him. We were given no history to how they even became "friends" or at least in the same friend group. As for Marcus, I kept forgetting he exists. He had no personality outside of overachiever. Then there's Hari, who wasn't so bad. He's Kat's #1 BFF, but he felt like he was just there to add extra tension, since Kat really doesn't face any real problems.
I also had to agree with Hari that Kat's secret is stupid. Her feelings about being left behind by her parents are totally legit and I felt bad for her, and did really want to know why that happened. But the fact that she's so scared of people finding out that she lives with her grandparents is bizarre. Is she really so self-absorbed to think that she's the only kid who lives with their grandparents (or other family member? heck, even non-family) or that anyone would actually care? It's not like it would make her less popular than she already is.
Sure, other kids probably don't live literally down the street from their parents, but no one has to know those details unless she specifically tells them! No one is going to automatically assume she's being raised by her grandparents because her parents decided to move house and not take her with them. There's a small explanation as to where this "lie" started, so I get as a child she listened to what her mom wanted, even if she didn't understand. But she's seventeen now. She knows it's wrong. She should also know that living with her grandparents isn't something awful that other kids will mock her for.
Then there's the Instagram issue. I desperately wanted to read No Filter and Other Lies because of Kat's catfishing. She uses photos she took of a friend to make a second Instagram account, because no one seems to care about her photography on her main account. That's all fine and messed up and intriguing, until I realized something. When Kat started posting as "Max" she used a gorgeous photo, like she did on her main, but she paired it with a thoughtful caption, alt-text, proper hashtags, and she even wrote out an editotal calendar! Not once did she mention doing any of that for her real account.
I'm not arguing that people don't prefer to follow pretty white women, but Kat's photography account would have gotten a ton more engagement than it currently was if she put in that same level of effort. If she was doing all that, it was never mentioned, so I'm assuming she didn't. Instagram isn't 100% against her just because she's a fat brown girl showing fashionable brown people like she thinks it is. Plus, Elena is proof of that. She's fat and doing great!
Which brings me to my next issue with No Filter and Other Lies. Of course, it's inevitable that Kat is going to start chatting with someone as "Max" and catching feelings while being caught up in her messy web of lies. I was quite looking forward to how that would go. But early on, Kat is having a bad day and needs to talk, so she turns to Elena, her new online friend. Instead of talking about her current problem (but changing some details because she is a liar and Max is not her), she makes up a totally different, unrelated situation. How is that going to help you? It's not like Elena would know the difference?! I don't have a problem with Kat being a liar, but the author chose some weird lies.
I wanted to love No Filter and Other Lies, but it simply didn't work for me. The fake Instagram account using a real person premise is fantastic! But everything else was a big ol' mess. What saved it from being a complete disaster was that amazing ending. First, I cried, because dogs always make me cry. But beyond that, there are real consequences for Kat's actions. There's no limp slap on the wrist because she "made a mistake." She screwed up and she gets what's coming to her. I definitely appreciate the author giving this a realistic and hard-hitting ending.
Read more at Pinkadot Pages.
This book contains panic attacks, catfishing, and violence.
The Basics:
No Filter and Other Lies is narrated by seventeen-year-old Kat, a budding photographer. She's also addicted to Instagram and is upset that she doesn't have as many followers as her friends and others, because she's doing important work! Then after a wild night, she makes a fake account using a friend's photo and starts getting the attention she feels like she deserves. She knows what she's doing is wrong, but she can't stop, especially after she meets a great girl through this fake account.
My Thoughts:
Several things bothered me when reading No Filter and Other Lies. The first being Kat's friend group. Luis is the absolute worst. She even doesn't seem to like him very much. He definitely felt like a real teenage boy, but there's no way Kat was friends with him. We were given no history to how they even became "friends" or at least in the same friend group. As for Marcus, I kept forgetting he exists. He had no personality outside of overachiever. Then there's Hari, who wasn't so bad. He's Kat's #1 BFF, but he felt like he was just there to add extra tension, since Kat really doesn't face any real problems.
I also had to agree with Hari that Kat's secret is stupid. Her feelings about being left behind by her parents are totally legit and I felt bad for her, and did really want to know why that happened. But the fact that she's so scared of people finding out that she lives with her grandparents is bizarre. Is she really so self-absorbed to think that she's the only kid who lives with their grandparents (or other family member? heck, even non-family) or that anyone would actually care? It's not like it would make her less popular than she already is.
Sure, other kids probably don't live literally down the street from their parents, but no one has to know those details unless she specifically tells them! No one is going to automatically assume she's being raised by her grandparents because her parents decided to move house and not take her with them. There's a small explanation as to where this "lie" started, so I get as a child she listened to what her mom wanted, even if she didn't understand. But she's seventeen now. She knows it's wrong. She should also know that living with her grandparents isn't something awful that other kids will mock her for.
Then there's the Instagram issue. I desperately wanted to read No Filter and Other Lies because of Kat's catfishing. She uses photos she took of a friend to make a second Instagram account, because no one seems to care about her photography on her main account. That's all fine and messed up and intriguing, until I realized something. When Kat started posting as "Max" she used a gorgeous photo, like she did on her main, but she paired it with a thoughtful caption, alt-text, proper hashtags, and she even wrote out an editotal calendar! Not once did she mention doing any of that for her real account.
I'm not arguing that people don't prefer to follow pretty white women, but Kat's photography account would have gotten a ton more engagement than it currently was if she put in that same level of effort. If she was doing all that, it was never mentioned, so I'm assuming she didn't. Instagram isn't 100% against her just because she's a fat brown girl showing fashionable brown people like she thinks it is. Plus, Elena is proof of that. She's fat and doing great!
Which brings me to my next issue with No Filter and Other Lies. Of course, it's inevitable that Kat is going to start chatting with someone as "Max" and catching feelings while being caught up in her messy web of lies. I was quite looking forward to how that would go. But early on, Kat is having a bad day and needs to talk, so she turns to Elena, her new online friend. Instead of talking about her current problem (but changing some details because she is a liar and Max is not her), she makes up a totally different, unrelated situation. How is that going to help you? It's not like Elena would know the difference?! I don't have a problem with Kat being a liar, but the author chose some weird lies.
I wanted to love No Filter and Other Lies, but it simply didn't work for me. The fake Instagram account using a real person premise is fantastic! But everything else was a big ol' mess. What saved it from being a complete disaster was that amazing ending. First, I cried, because dogs always make me cry. But beyond that, there are real consequences for Kat's actions. There's no limp slap on the wrist because she "made a mistake." She screwed up and she gets what's coming to her. I definitely appreciate the author giving this a realistic and hard-hitting ending.
Read more at Pinkadot Pages.
February 27, 2022
I really enjoyed this book!
No Filter and Other Lies follows teenage Kat Sanchez. Kat is a fat Boricua and she owns it. She just wishes someone besides her friends or grandparents would hear what she has to say. When she creates a profile and uses her friend Becca's face, Max Monroe is born. Then one of Max's photos goes semi viral and for once people are listening to what Kat has to say. After feeling invisible for so long, the power is intoxicating. But when one of Max's followers starts to become a true friend to Kat, she doesn't know how to untangle her web of lies.
Wow this book was so timely. The way Instagram functions and the way it can impact us is wild. We really see the highs and lows of social media through Kat's story. I loved getting to know Kat. Her love of dogs was easily one of my favorite parts of her. The way she uses her love of photography to help the animals at a local shelter get adopted melted my heart. And the way Kat champions Cash, a three legged pitbull, was just so adorable. More animal companions in books? Yes please!
The way this book addresses relationships was so good. Kat tends to hold in a lot of her feelings, but through this book we see her start to find her voice and begin to express some of the things she's been holding in. I loved how this book addressed boundaries and how setting them can be scary, but true friends will respect them.
Kat's relationship with her grandparents was everything. Her grandparents basically raised her and they're all still so close. I loved her interactions with them so much. Her parents on the other hand. That was something else. I liked that Kat was allowed to set a boundary with her mom and she's in charge of how, when or if that relationship will be continued. Her dad was more of a passive participant, but I was really glad with what he told her at the end of this book. I'm so glad to see toxic parents not being granted their every whim and want.
Kat's actions in this book definitely had me tugging at my hair, but I completely understand why she did what she did. It wasn't right, but she does ultimately face up to what her actions did and accepts the consequences dealt to her. I think this book is extremely timely and I hope young people who use social media will use this story as a cautionary tale on what not to do.
Rep: Fat Puerto Rican bisexual female MC with anxiety, fat white sapphic female love interest, Indian cishet male side character, Puerto Rican cishet male side character, Puerto Rican side characters.
CWs: Panic attacks, emotional/verbal abuse, child abuse, child neglect, gaslighting, mental illness (anxiety), parental abandonment, toxic relationship (parent/child). Moderate: fatphobia, underage alcohol consumption.
No Filter and Other Lies follows teenage Kat Sanchez. Kat is a fat Boricua and she owns it. She just wishes someone besides her friends or grandparents would hear what she has to say. When she creates a profile and uses her friend Becca's face, Max Monroe is born. Then one of Max's photos goes semi viral and for once people are listening to what Kat has to say. After feeling invisible for so long, the power is intoxicating. But when one of Max's followers starts to become a true friend to Kat, she doesn't know how to untangle her web of lies.
Wow this book was so timely. The way Instagram functions and the way it can impact us is wild. We really see the highs and lows of social media through Kat's story. I loved getting to know Kat. Her love of dogs was easily one of my favorite parts of her. The way she uses her love of photography to help the animals at a local shelter get adopted melted my heart. And the way Kat champions Cash, a three legged pitbull, was just so adorable. More animal companions in books? Yes please!
The way this book addresses relationships was so good. Kat tends to hold in a lot of her feelings, but through this book we see her start to find her voice and begin to express some of the things she's been holding in. I loved how this book addressed boundaries and how setting them can be scary, but true friends will respect them.
Kat's relationship with her grandparents was everything. Her grandparents basically raised her and they're all still so close. I loved her interactions with them so much. Her parents on the other hand. That was something else. I liked that Kat was allowed to set a boundary with her mom and she's in charge of how, when or if that relationship will be continued. Her dad was more of a passive participant, but I was really glad with what he told her at the end of this book. I'm so glad to see toxic parents not being granted their every whim and want.
Kat's actions in this book definitely had me tugging at my hair, but I completely understand why she did what she did. It wasn't right, but she does ultimately face up to what her actions did and accepts the consequences dealt to her. I think this book is extremely timely and I hope young people who use social media will use this story as a cautionary tale on what not to do.
Rep: Fat Puerto Rican bisexual female MC with anxiety, fat white sapphic female love interest, Indian cishet male side character, Puerto Rican cishet male side character, Puerto Rican side characters.
CWs: Panic attacks, emotional/verbal abuse, child abuse, child neglect, gaslighting, mental illness (anxiety), parental abandonment, toxic relationship (parent/child). Moderate: fatphobia, underage alcohol consumption.
April 22, 2022
I’ll be honest: Maldonado’s first book was a bit disappointing for me, but I also like giving second chances and the premise of this story + all the representation made me excited to give this one a try, so I did and oh, I’m SO happy I did, because I loved No Filter and Other Lies with my whole heart! I cannot recommend this one highly enough and I hope that if you pick it up, you love it as much as I do.
January 6, 2022
This book really shows that life is messy and sometimes we don’t make the best choices but it’s okay because that’s life. Our main character, Kat, definitely learns that her actions have consequences and I really liked that the author held her accountable. The ending is probably one of my favorites that I’ve read because it was honest and happened as it should have!
September 15, 2024
4.5/5
Throughly enjoyed reading about Kat and her life in Bakersfield. Not only we are navigating her friendships but the impact of social media (both positive and negative).
Easy and quick read, highly recommend it.
Throughly enjoyed reading about Kat and her life in Bakersfield. Not only we are navigating her friendships but the impact of social media (both positive and negative).
Easy and quick read, highly recommend it.
Read
July 19, 2022kat has many things going wrong and complicated in her life:
1. her parents doesn’t want her to live in the same house but is perfectly fine acting as if they do and are a happy family
2. despite her great photography skills, her instagram isn’t gaining the traction and follower count as compared to her other friends who just post selfies.
3. this hookup thing with hari, her friend, is making him question “what are we” and she isn’t ready.
for one, i really didn’t like how her parents, especially her mother, is treating kat. there’s a lot of manipulation going on. however, grandma and grandpa to save the day. they are great.
for two, one drunken night, she created a new instagram profile using becca’s photos (that she has taken) with another name. and that profile is gaining more followers at a fast rate
for three, i was turned off by how kat was treating hari. she kept stringing him on without thinking about his feelings. she’s on and off, hot and cold with him, doesn’t want their friends to know that there’s something going on between them. i didn’t like that. honestly, hari’s the nicest person within this whole book and she treated him really badly. basically, she was hurting his feeling the entire time.
i skimmed read after the 40% mark.
i understand that kat has a lot of things to work through but i can’t seem to be focused on the story at all. none of the plot lines captured my attention enough so i started skimming to find out what happened next. i’m glad that kat came clean in the end and managed to talk to everyone she has hurt. kat has been too blinded by the numbers and social media fame for too long.
i really liked fat chance, charlie vega. unfortunately, no filters and other lies isn't for me. maybe one day i'll revisit this book but for now, i'm leaving it with no rating.
1. her parents doesn’t want her to live in the same house but is perfectly fine acting as if they do and are a happy family
2. despite her great photography skills, her instagram isn’t gaining the traction and follower count as compared to her other friends who just post selfies.
3. this hookup thing with hari, her friend, is making him question “what are we” and she isn’t ready.
for one, i really didn’t like how her parents, especially her mother, is treating kat. there’s a lot of manipulation going on. however, grandma and grandpa to save the day. they are great.
for two, one drunken night, she created a new instagram profile using becca’s photos (that she has taken) with another name. and that profile is gaining more followers at a fast rate
for three, i was turned off by how kat was treating hari. she kept stringing him on without thinking about his feelings. she’s on and off, hot and cold with him, doesn’t want their friends to know that there’s something going on between them. i didn’t like that. honestly, hari’s the nicest person within this whole book and she treated him really badly. basically, she was hurting his feeling the entire time.
i skimmed read after the 40% mark.
i understand that kat has a lot of things to work through but i can’t seem to be focused on the story at all. none of the plot lines captured my attention enough so i started skimming to find out what happened next. i’m glad that kat came clean in the end and managed to talk to everyone she has hurt. kat has been too blinded by the numbers and social media fame for too long.
i really liked fat chance, charlie vega. unfortunately, no filters and other lies isn't for me. maybe one day i'll revisit this book but for now, i'm leaving it with no rating.
Read
February 8, 2022Kat is a fat bisexual brown teen in California who so desperately wants to be seen and becomes addicted to social media as a means of finding that validation. When she fakes an Instagram account using the images of a girl she works with at the animal shelter, she soon begins a relationship with a girl named Elena -- discovering she is, indeed, bisexual and that she's developed real feelings as a fake person. How does she come clean? And what happens when the coworker discovers her face has been used on a fake profile?
This is a solid story about identity, about the desire to fit in and be seen, and what it is to be a family. Kat's terrified of people at school knowing her living situation, as it's unconventional, but she learns once she opens up as herself and not a fake version of who she wants to be, she's able to find her people . . . and maybe they were there all along.
If you liked Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, you'll love this. My one tiny thing .
This is a solid story about identity, about the desire to fit in and be seen, and what it is to be a family. Kat's terrified of people at school knowing her living situation, as it's unconventional, but she learns once she opens up as herself and not a fake version of who she wants to be, she's able to find her people . . . and maybe they were there all along.
If you liked Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, you'll love this. My one tiny thing .
November 22, 2021
Social media is such a massive part of our young readers’ lives and yet its reach and impact is so often left out of YA fiction. No Filter and Other Lies addresses the addiction of social media, it’s dangers and its benefits head on. It also addresses the inherent racism and sizeism of social media and the challenges teens face in navigating this online world.
Kat is a photographer, friend, granddaughter and dog lover. She’s also pretty good at lying. For years, she’s been lying to everyone but her best friends about where she lives. Most people think she lives with her parents, as evidenced by the perfect family photos her mother shares on Facebook. But Kat actually lives with her grandparents. So, when the opportunity arises to share her work as a photographer on Instagram to a much wider audience, Kat takes it. It’s only a small lie and what’s that in the scheme of her life? Yes, she has to borrow her friend’s (perfectly gorgeous, white, thin) face after she expressly said she didn’t want to go back on social media. But, Kat will also use the account to share about the dogs at the shelter she works at, so there will be some good come from the whole thing. But when Kat starts to fall for a girl she chats with online, things get complicated. Especially when that girl thinks Kat is a 21-year-old college girl called Max.
I loved, loved, loved how this book explored Kat’s love-hate relationship with social media, Instagram, in this case. It’s easy to spot Kat’s addiction to the platform. Constantly checking her phone, searching for likes, desperate to have her voice heard on a wider reach. Her friends call her out on it, but since they are not the most supportive friends and call her out for things like being fat, it’s hard to take their concerns seriously. It starts as a small step across the line between right and wrong - posting from an account as someone else. As Kat reasons, millions of people share photos that have been photoshopped and altered. Nothing on social media is real anyway, right? It brings up some very important issues that teens are dealing with right now. It also calls out the very blatant white, thin, pretty bias of social media. Kat shares her photos as herself and as Max and the difference in response is staggering. Kat must face the consequences of her choices and she grows so much from this, but I felt like the consequences fell very heavily upon her and not on the problems of the platforms themselves or her friends and the harm they in turn caused her. Just another sign of the times, and very true to reality I suppose.
Kat’s false Instagram account is not the only lie in this book. I very much enjoyed reading Kat’s story of living with her grandparents but pretending to live with her parents. How Kat’s own use of social media portrayed alongside Kat’s mother’s use of Facebook and Instagram to share a story of a perfect family, a story that isn’t true, is very powerful. The backstory is explained but it really comes down to how Kat feels about it. Again, how Kat works through this, grows and refused to let herself get bitter about it but instead chooses to be better and the bigger person, was amazing.
The ending surprised me. I quite literally flipped the last page and was shocked that I had come to the acknowledgements. It’s not that the story isn’t finished, it is. I just thought we’d get more of a happily ever after. And we do. Just not in the way I expected. And I loved that!! I loved how the author took my expectations and turned them on their head and gave me something far more realistic, far more painful but also far more fulfilling. Full credit to Crystal Maldonado.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
Kat is a photographer, friend, granddaughter and dog lover. She’s also pretty good at lying. For years, she’s been lying to everyone but her best friends about where she lives. Most people think she lives with her parents, as evidenced by the perfect family photos her mother shares on Facebook. But Kat actually lives with her grandparents. So, when the opportunity arises to share her work as a photographer on Instagram to a much wider audience, Kat takes it. It’s only a small lie and what’s that in the scheme of her life? Yes, she has to borrow her friend’s (perfectly gorgeous, white, thin) face after she expressly said she didn’t want to go back on social media. But, Kat will also use the account to share about the dogs at the shelter she works at, so there will be some good come from the whole thing. But when Kat starts to fall for a girl she chats with online, things get complicated. Especially when that girl thinks Kat is a 21-year-old college girl called Max.
I loved, loved, loved how this book explored Kat’s love-hate relationship with social media, Instagram, in this case. It’s easy to spot Kat’s addiction to the platform. Constantly checking her phone, searching for likes, desperate to have her voice heard on a wider reach. Her friends call her out on it, but since they are not the most supportive friends and call her out for things like being fat, it’s hard to take their concerns seriously. It starts as a small step across the line between right and wrong - posting from an account as someone else. As Kat reasons, millions of people share photos that have been photoshopped and altered. Nothing on social media is real anyway, right? It brings up some very important issues that teens are dealing with right now. It also calls out the very blatant white, thin, pretty bias of social media. Kat shares her photos as herself and as Max and the difference in response is staggering. Kat must face the consequences of her choices and she grows so much from this, but I felt like the consequences fell very heavily upon her and not on the problems of the platforms themselves or her friends and the harm they in turn caused her. Just another sign of the times, and very true to reality I suppose.
Kat’s false Instagram account is not the only lie in this book. I very much enjoyed reading Kat’s story of living with her grandparents but pretending to live with her parents. How Kat’s own use of social media portrayed alongside Kat’s mother’s use of Facebook and Instagram to share a story of a perfect family, a story that isn’t true, is very powerful. The backstory is explained but it really comes down to how Kat feels about it. Again, how Kat works through this, grows and refused to let herself get bitter about it but instead chooses to be better and the bigger person, was amazing.
The ending surprised me. I quite literally flipped the last page and was shocked that I had come to the acknowledgements. It’s not that the story isn’t finished, it is. I just thought we’d get more of a happily ever after. And we do. Just not in the way I expected. And I loved that!! I loved how the author took my expectations and turned them on their head and gave me something far more realistic, far more painful but also far more fulfilling. Full credit to Crystal Maldonado.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
February 28, 2022
I really enjoyed this latest book by Crystal Maldonado. Her debut, Fat chance, Charlie Vega was one of my favorite YA reads last year and this newest did not disappoint! Kat Sanchez is a fat, bisexual Puerto Rican American teen who loves photography and volunteering at the animal shelter. Raised by her grandparents, she comes from a complicated, dysfunctional family. Her parents live in town too with her younger brother but she constantly feels left out and neglected. In an attempt to find validation and adoration, Kat becomes very invested in growing her social media accounts and gaining more followers. The lengths she goes to achieve this though end up costing her some important friendships. Full of heart, found family and body positivity, this book is very relatable and I just loved Kat and her friends so much!! Highly recommended and great on audio!
December 17, 2022
I struggled reading this book - the main character constantly spews lies and deceits, which makes her especially difficult to like. There were some good lessons, but reading a character that was so dishonest (even though there were outside influences that made her that way) made it a difficult book to read.
July 16, 2024
1/5 ⭐️
March 9, 2022
3.5 stars 🌟 🤩 ✨️
Read
September 12, 2022Really enjoyed this.
February 24, 2022
I did struggle with one part of the story but upon reflection I think my issue was that it wasn't stereotypical and that actually makes it better. Plus the ending (also not stereotypical) was pretty awsome
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