Lying About Last Summer

Gr 8 Up–The many depictions of grief shine in Wallman’s latest mystery-thriller. Skye’s life has changed a lot since last summer. Not only did her sister die but her mom and dad have also spent so much money trying to treat her brother’s heart issues that they had to sell their home and move. Plus, Skye can’t swim anymore and hasn’t kept in touch with her friends. A summer camp for teens who have lost loved ones might be Skye’s chance to change all of that. Then, she starts receiving mysterious messages from an impossible source—her sister. As Skye tries to figure out what’s really going on, something even more sinister is happening at camp, and Skye will have to face her fears to prevent even more death. This story focuses on Skye’s experiences with the other campers and coming to terms with her sister’s death. The mystery-thriller elements of the story are lacking; the mystery behind the messages Skye receives lacks urgency and comes to a predictable end. Meanwhile, the pacing of the additional thriller plotline is very rushed and only becomes important in the last few pages. ­Readers who like stories about grief will enjoy reading about Skye and the other teens at the camp, all of whom are presumed white except Brandon, who is ­half-Black. Those who are looking for a mystery-thriller may be disappointed. ­