Robin Talley

In 1959 Virginia, Sarah, a black student who is one of the first to attend a newly integrated school, forces Linda, a white integration opponent's daughter, to confront harsh truths when they work together on a school project.

Lies We Tell Ourselves

Ellie 

Kirsty

** spoiler alert **
           “Other people will always try to decide things for you.” She says. “They’ll try to tell you who you are. Remember, no matter what they say, you’re the one who really decides.”

I enjoyed this book! It was a hard read; the first part is told from the point of view of Sarah, a girl who is one of the first coloured students to integrate into an all white school. It features an almost excessive use of the n-word, so just a warning to anyone who is sensitive, this is a very hard read and it will make you angry, but it’s supposed to make you angry! I’m glad it made me angry.

The middle was a little slow in my opinion, it became a bit repetitive and Linda, the white girl Sarah had feelings for, was a very problematic character who took too long to figure out her beliefs weren’t right, that they weren’t her own, but her fathers. The end saved it, most definitely. It felt a little rushed, but both characters grew so much and it has an open ending, a positive ending, which is so rare in wlw fiction. 

Over all, I enjoyed it and it was a book that managed to get me out of my reading funk!

tahmida tasmia

In all honesty, this is one of my favourite books of all time. Robin Talley is an extremely talented author, and I absolutely love her work. I would recommend this book to everyone. It discusses heavy topics such as homophobia and racism. The storytelling and delivery were amazing: it was as though I was right there on the front line of everything. I also love how the narrative changes persons. I feel like this type of storytelling gives you a better idea of what's happening from all sides of the story. Lies We Tell Ourselves will forever have a special place in my heart.

Ella Zegarra

También en: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Desde hace un buen tiempo busco personajes diferentes en mis lecturas, y los he encontrado mayormente en libros europeos, libros que por alguna razón son más fáciles de creer en cuanto a variedad étnica. Creo que esto mismo mencioné en What Milo Saw, donde personajes de alrededor del mundo se juntan y no es algo en lo que la historia haga hincapié, solo es y ya. En Lies We Tell Ourselves, es todo lo contrario ya que el racismo es el tema principal, está escenificado alrededor de 1950, cuando la reforma educativa quiere juntar a alumnos blancos y alumnos negros en una misma institución. Este tema siempre se ha hecho interesante, aquí en Perú (y gran parte de Latinoamérica, si no me equivoco) el problema con el racismo no es tanto con la gente negra sino más bien con nosotros mismos, es bastante irónico. Mi curiosidad nace en el momento en que veo tanta película basada en este odio de la gente blanca contra la gente negra ¿Cómo es eso posible? ¿Cómo puedes odiar o no gustar de alguien tan solo por su color de piel? Esperaba mucho que Lies We Tell Ourselves me respondiera un poco eso.

Como es costumbre en mí, no tenía idea sobre qué iba el libro, la portada tan curiosa te da una ligera idea y para mí fue suficiente. Narrada a dos voces, Lies We Tell Ourselves nos trae a Susan y Linda, la primera es parte del grupo de alumnos de color que se integra a este colegio, y la segunda es hija del líder del grupo que se opone. El libro comienza de una manera en la que lo único que me dio ganas de hacer es sacar mis chicos del libro y abrazarlos y decirles que todo estará bien a pesar que sé no estará bien y que no me guste tocar a las personas.

Más que racismo.

Lo que me gustó del libro es que la escritora no solo se concentró en un solo “problema” de la época, sino también en otro: La homosexualidad y el acoso. Si bien ahora tenemos un montón de información y gran parte del mundo ya se dio cuenta que no hay absolutamente nada de malo sentir lo que sentimos ¿Cómo sería ser un estudiante negro y gay? ¿Sin ningún tipo de idea que lo que estás sintiendo no está mal, no es pecado? Para mí es importante leer personajes lésbicos porque no hay muchos, si toman un poco de atención en comentarios que sobre todo hacen mujeres, ser hombre homosexual está bien y es cool pero ser mujer homosexual es bastante burlado e insultado, y como dije, es sobre todo por propias mujeres. No importa si eres fosforescente y quieras a quién quieras, este gato te querrá (siempre y cuando al que quieras sea legal, tampoco te aproveches del gatito)

Piensa por ti mismo

Linda, una de las protagonistas, te dije que es hija del líder de oposición. Aquí la pregunta es ¿Teniendo ese tipo de influencia, es fácil saber cuáles son tus creencias y cuáles son las creencias que te han impuesto? Eso es algo que Linda tiene que responderse y luchar durante el libro, si las cosas son estrictamente como se las han dicho o hay otras maneras de pensar y actuar, creo que en algún momento todos hemos pasado por eso, el momento en que tenemos que decidir por nosotros mismos lo bueno de lo malo, incluso si eso significa decepcionar a nuestros padres. Claro, no para todos ha sido tan dramático como eso pero entienden la idea xD Y de una forma totalmente distinta le pasa lo mismo a Susan, tiene que responderse si todo esa tortura por la que están pasando vale la pena, si exponer a sus hermanos y amigos hasta el daño físico es algo que importa ¿es que sus padres no lo ven? ¿Todo el daño?

América es un CONTINENTE

Esto va para mis kittens de otros continentes, solo Estados Unidos no es América, es PARTE de América. Así como Perú, México, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Canadá… y sigo y sigo. De poco en poco podemos cambiar eso, si te refieres a Estados Unidos, llámalo por su nombre, no sólo América. Porque, por ejemplo, si eres de Europa, ¿Te gustaría que solo se refirieran en todo el mundo como Europa solo a Inglaterra? O si eres de Asia ¿Solo China como Asia? O África solo…. *busca en Google* ¿Solo Etiopia? ¿No, verdad? Cambiemos eso u.u [AVISO POLiTICO CONTRATADO]

Lies We Tell Ourselves me gustó mucho y el hecho que le puse 4 de 5 estrellas es por la romántica de Susan, o sea, entiendo que estés en pleno crush, pero hay un límite chica, en serio.

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Kate

It took me a while to come up with a rating for this one. The queer feelings were spot on and moving. However, I really don't think this is a book that this author should have written. It contains extremely gratuitous use of racial slurs (including the n word) that I feel the author shouldn't have used at all - and if the story can't be told without them, then it's not her story to tell. Linda grows a little bit, but not nearly enough to make her an acceptable partner for Sarah, who absolutely deserves better. At the end of the book, she is still super racist, just not specifically toward Sarah! That's such a harmful relationship to present as romantic, in a YA novel especially.

Elad Schulman

This was so much better than I expected it to be. I went into this book basically expecting nothing, as I had heard nothing about it. I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the dual perspective, and the voice that Linda and Sarah had. I even loved the small things, like how each chapter title was a different lie. It tied very nicely to the title and the themes of the book. This book didn't stress plot - very little actually happened. However, I loved the message that this book conveyed, and I definitely think this a book more people should read.

Lie #1: I'm not afraid Lie #2: I'm sure I'm doing the right thing Lie #3: I don't care what they think of me It's 1959. The battle for civil rights is raging. And it's Sarah's first day of school as one of the first black students at previously all-white Jefferson High. No one wants Sarah there. Not the Governor. Not the teachers. And certainly not the students - especially Linda, daughter of the town's most ardent segregationist. Sarah and Linda are supposed to despise each other. But the more time they spend together, the less their differences matter. And both girls start to feel something they've never felt before. Something they're determined to ignore. Because it's one thing to stand up to an unjust world - but another to be terrified of what's in your own heart. 'The main characters are terrific in what is a moving YA novel. And an important one.' - The Telegraph' This is so thought-provoking it almost hurts to read it, yet every word is needed, is necessary and consequently this is a novel that lingers long after you've finished it' - Lovereading 'This is an emotional and compelling read that I did not want to put down. It is [...]beautifully written and the tension just simmers on the pages.' - Bookbabblers 'This book packs a very powerful punch' - Historical Novel Society 'With great characterisation, tough issues covered, and a plot which had me guessing right up until the last pages, this is a must-read. Massively recommended!' - The Bookbag 'This exceptional novel of first love and sexual awakenings is set against a backdrop of shocking racism and prejudice. It is incredibly well written as the tense, riveting story seamlessly combines fiction with historical fact.' - Booktrust 'Every now and then a Young Adult book comes along that I want to push into every readers hands both young and old and Lies We Tell Ourselves is that book for 2014' - Jess Hearts Books 'Talley has mixed two controversial topics together to create a firecracker of a story' - Cheryl M-M's Book Blog *A Goodreads Choice Awards semi-finalist 2014*

Lies We Tell Ourselves

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