“People seem to think that shining a light on something is always a good thing, but the truth is that sometimes bright light distorts familiar shapes.” 

          – Every Single Lie

     In the era of mass media, rumors fly fast. Beckett Bergen is a junior of a smalltown in Tennessee, who is still mourning the death of her late father. Ever since, rumors have flooded around town, about her, about her family and about the truth around her dad’s death. No matter what she does, no matter whether the rumors are true, Beckett can’t seem to shake the eyes and whispers that follow her, and things only get worse when she discovers the corpse of an unknown and unnamed newborn in the school locker room. First a police witness to the crime scene, and later a suspect, Beckett battles the false rumors that hurdle her way, and the unwanted attention by local media, all while trying to get to the bottom of the mystery – who is the baby’s mother?

     “Every Single Lie” is written from a first person narrative that captures the essence and perspective of what it is like to be a victim of cyberbullying. Author Rachel Vincent paints a clear picture of the negative side effects of social media and the rumors that can be produced from it. Readers follow Beckett as she navigates her life, at only sixteen years old, facing these challenges head on. From being accused of killing a child that isn’t even hers, to being without her dad, to having struggling relationships with family and friends, readers can only imagine what it’s like to be in her shoes. And this is only the beginning of the conflict to come.

      Beckett is a very relatable and realistic character to read from. While not everyone may be accused of being the mother of a deceased baby, everyone would react in a similar way to Beckett whether by becoming defensive, shutting down from society, or starting to accuse others of the same just to clear her own name.

     “Every Single Lie” is a fast read with shocking reveals and plot twists that readers don’t see coming until it’s right in front of them. Even better, though, is the underlying message of the story. As a society, people tend to have a focus set on self, and it’s easy to go through life in a routine. Playing the part without actually seeing. Vincent brings to live some of the consequential side effects that happen from this selfish nature through very thought provoking and reflective moments in the novel.

     While this is a great novel to read, and Beckett herself goes through a lot of character development and maturing, not a lot of other side characters get the same attention and development. This sometimes made it hard to read as it seemed like some of the characters were never changing or moving along with the story.

     As a former English Teacher, Rachel Vincent has authored many other novels along with “Every Single Lie.” Some of these include the adult series, “Shifters,” “Unbound” and “Menagerie,” and the teen series “The Soul Screamers,” “The stars never rise,” “Brave New girl” and “100 hours.”

     “Every Single Lie” can be bought at most bookstores such as Barnes & Nobles, Amazon, or any online bookstore. It can also be found on Audible, Kindle Store, Kobo and Google Play Books. Depending on where it is bought, prices range from $9.99 to $11.09 for ebooks, $10.99 for a paperback, or $17.99 for a hardcover. This book was written for young adults and high school students, and it does deal with higher level content, such as teen pregnancies, overdose and what happens when social media and rumors get out of hand.

     I would rate this book at least an 8/10. It was a new and creative storyline that was fast paced and easy to read right from the beginning. It’s realistic enough for readers to understand where the characters are coming from, and touches on themes that are really important in this day of age.