A teenage boy's self-reinvention gets out of control in a sharp, funny, poignant, and compulsively readable novel that gives a familiar theme a surprising twist. (Candlewick Press, June, 2010, ages 14 & up.) Click here to read a sample chapter.
Reviews:
"Engrossing and entertaining... Mitchell paints a vivid picture of teenage social and mental health issues, neither overdramatizing nor understating their impact, and the result is a great read." —Publishers Weekly
"The Secret to Lying masterfully delves into one teen’s struggle to be noticed. Bold writing... coupled with an endearing plot that very cleverly manipulates the lines between dreaming and awake, fiction and reality, create a perfect novel for an emotional ride the reader is guaranteed to remain on until the ending." —A Good Addiction Book Reviews
"An impressive debut... Mitchell brilliantly explores the pain of isolation so many teens experience." —The Buffalo News
"...a surprisingly humorous and almost heart breaking look into a young man’s mind. Todd Mitchell’s writing was fantastic, I felt he sincerely knew how to talk to the young teen, but was also able to pull me (a woman no longer a teen) back to a time in my life where James was highly relatable and recognizable." —Tina's Book Reviews
"A novel to be recommended, not only for teen readers, but for parents of teens, as well, as it takes readers for an inside look at some self-destructive adolescent behaviors and the reasons that may lie behind them." —The Examiner (Five stars)
"...a great book with a male main character, YA especially, and one that will appeal to boys but also to girls." —The Book Spot (rated Buy)
"The author's voice captures the reader's attention immediately and the plot sucks you in even more. All in all, it was a one-of-a-kind book. Even after you finish it, you want to linger on the ending and think about the characters." —Flamingnet Book Reviews
"Tactical strikes of humor and perceptive insights... keep this investigation of teen identity issues aloft, and the unusual focus on a male cutter helps set it apart.” —Booklist
"James’s character is compelling as he straddles the line between fantasy and reality, builds friendships, pulls off outrageous pranks, and deals with the angst of first love... This coming-of-age novel is imbued with wry humor and offers a thoughtful take on the importance of learning to live in your own skin." —School Library Journal
"[Mitchell's] voice is definitely one to watch." —Kirkus
"...real issues of cutting and eating disorders are confronted in a poignant and interesting fashion. ...a thought-provoking look at intelligent kids and the trouble isolation and loneliness can create." —VOYA
"James is a credible, well-developed character ...[the book depicts] a satisfying arc of growing beyond the need to be noticed into the need to be known, to which many readers will relate." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Opening your eyes and seeing the world —really seeing it— that's what this powerful book is about." — Lauren Myracle (bestselling author of TTYL and Bliss)
"Don't miss this fascinating, funny, and utterly engaging read for teens and adults alike!" —Laura Resau (author of Red Glass and The Indigo Notebook)
"James and his friends hit all the usual marks, as in any well-written YA novel, but what elevates this story above the crowd and what will make it worth talking about is this: while James is playing out his seemingly self-destructive reinvention, he's also experiencing life on a couple of extra levels: he's having a series of mysterious IM conversations with 'Ghost44', who seems to be a fellow ASMA student who can see right through his inventions, and he's having a series of relentlessly vivid dreams in which he explores a city in his subconscious, battling demons, aided by a pair of spirit guides. While any one of these three plot devices -invented history, IM conversations, Matrix-like alternate reality-would be sufficient for the average YA novel, I have to applaud Todd Mitchell for finding a way to bring them all together in a richly layered narrative. Fans of John Green's novels, especially Looking for Alaska, may come to The Secret to Lying expecting a clone of the master's work, but they'll be pleased to discover they've gotten a surprise upgrade." —John Mesjak Click for the full review
Want to know more? Here are some recent interviews about this and other books:
High Plains Library District Interview
A Good Addiction Interview