Published by: Mira Ink, October 3rd 2014
Genre: YA, Historical
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook
It's 1959. The battle for civil rights is raging. And it's Sarah Dunbar's first day of school, as one of the first black students at the previously all-white Jefferson High. No one wants Sarah there. Not the Governor. Not the teachers. And certainly not the students – especially Linda Hairston, daughter of the town’s most ardent segregationist. Sarah and Linda have every reason to despise each other. But as a school project forces them to spend time together, the less their differences seem to matter. And Sarah and Linda start to feel something they've never felt before. Something they're both determined ignore. Because it's one thing to be frightened by the world around you - and another thing altogether when you're terrified of what you feel inside.
It's been around a month since I read this book, and while I remember how it impacted me, and will likely never forget the story, I've forgotten all the things I wanted to talk about. Luckily, I wrote down some points in my journal, which is the form my review is going to take this time.
So here's why you should read Lies We Tell Ourselves:
- The story is so important, and needs to be read. If you're hesitant like I was, about how you could connect to the characters and the situation (because as a white person you can never understand, only empathise with the victims of racism), read it anyway. I learned a lot while reading this book and it really made me think about my white privilege.
-One of the main characters is a white girl on a path of learning about her own privilege and her racist actions and words, and it's amazing to see from two points of view the change occuring. It's pretty horrific sometimes, what she thinks is acceptable and true and never once questions.
- I was out of my comfort zone with this, pushing myself to read historical, and romance without fantasy (something I almost never read), but I'm so glad I took a chance on this. So glad I read it.
- It's brutal, hard hitting, and honest. This book doesn't mess about. It's not light and fluffy despite the romance - it's awful and emotional and I will never forget it.
- It's not a book you enjoy reading, but one that must be read.
So here's why you should read Lies We Tell Ourselves:
- The story is so important, and needs to be read. If you're hesitant like I was, about how you could connect to the characters and the situation (because as a white person you can never understand, only empathise with the victims of racism), read it anyway. I learned a lot while reading this book and it really made me think about my white privilege.
-One of the main characters is a white girl on a path of learning about her own privilege and her racist actions and words, and it's amazing to see from two points of view the change occuring. It's pretty horrific sometimes, what she thinks is acceptable and true and never once questions.
- I was out of my comfort zone with this, pushing myself to read historical, and romance without fantasy (something I almost never read), but I'm so glad I took a chance on this. So glad I read it.
- It's brutal, hard hitting, and honest. This book doesn't mess about. It's not light and fluffy despite the romance - it's awful and emotional and I will never forget it.
- It's not a book you enjoy reading, but one that must be read.
Characters ★★★★☆
Setting/world-building ★★★★★
