Lies My Girlfriend Told Me

Gr 9 Up—Alix's world is turned upside down after falling for popular and confident Swanee, so much so that ditching her friends and playing by her love's rules seems almost too easy. When her mom breaks the news that Swanee has suddenly died of an unexpected cardiac arrest, Alix has a hard time accepting that her vivacious and seductive girlfriend is really gone. In Peters's newest offering, questions of love and honesty abound. After Alix gets ahold of Swanee's cell phone, she discovers texts revealing that Swanee had been carrying on an affair with another girl. To find out more about the mysterious L.T., she sends her a message, pretending to be Swanee, before ultimately tracking her down and giving her the news of Swanee's death. Alix finds out her name, Lianna, and that they share more than just a girlfriend in common. They begin spending more and more time together, and despite her best intentions, and the fact that she's falling hard for her, Alix can't bring herself to tell Lianna that she had sent the texts pretending to be Swanee. This dilemma, which naturally resolves itself into a happy high school love affair, is the largest conflict in the plot. Questions about Swanee's controlling nature arise, as do the effect her neglectful parents had on her and her sister, but the majority of the book leaves readers with what is largely a love story with a small mystery thrown in. The book does not focus on sexuality, and it's a pleasure to read a typical teen romance that just happens to be between two girls. Romance fans of any persuasion will be swept up in this slow-paced but ultimately sweet story.—Joanna Sondheim, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City