Lies We Tell Ourselves: Review
I read this book with high expectations as I found the whole idea of a young, queer black girl going to an all-white high-school in 1959 fascinating. I can honestly say that the book didn't disappoint in the slightest- I read it all in two days despite my disturbingly large pile of homework (the consequences of that came to haunt me not long after).
The book switches between the point of view of two characters: Sarah; the aforementioned black girl and Linda; the daughter of the head of a newspaper agency who writes against integration. In the beginning, Linda is openly racist towards Sarah and her friends but after being partnered with Sarah, she learns that they are more similar then she had thought. The changes in point of view adds delightful amounts of character depth that really allows you to sympathize with them. Warning for those wanting to read this book: have a box of tissues at the ready.
Linda's character interested me the most as you can really see her battling against what she has been conditioned to believe and what she is experiencing with Sarah. At the beginning, black people couldn't be smart or nice or pretty in her eyes but that soon begins to change. There were often times when I was screaming at the characters to look past the racial divide especially when it came to Sarah and Linda but, alas, they didn't hear me.
Massive issues like racism and homophobia are tackled but they are nowhere close to being solved. Lies We Tell Ourselves doesn't sugarcoat the disturbing truth of Southern America in 1959 and that means not everyone sees what is right by the end. It is strange to think that if I was there in 1959, I would think exactly the same as them and shout racist slurs and attack them just like everyone else. A part of me thinks I wouldn't but when I read the vivid descriptions I realise I would be too scared to do anything else.
Overall, the book was an easy read with an engaging plot line and I highly reccomend it for anyone who is looking for something new.
