The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie

Every day has been rubbish for 13-year-old Priya Shah recently. She keeps falling asleep in Maths because she’s so tired. And she’s tired because it’s tricky to sleep when your parents are arguing loudly, and then you have to get up early for gymnastics. Plus she’s having to do the class bully’s homework, and she hardly has time for her own. At least her best friends Sami and Mei love her, unlike her secret crush Dan Zhang.

Then she gets her grandma’s bangle stuck on her wrist. And something strange starts to happen. Suddenly, Priya can’t lie. She blurts out secrets and – worst of all – tells people how she really feels. Can Priya find a way to be honest before she loses her friends, her place on the gym team, and her family’s privacy?

Told with great humour and empathy, this brilliant story will have readers laughing, then considering their own relationship with the truth. Impressively for a debut, the diverse cast of characters feel very real and the issues like divorce, bullying and friendship dynamics are explored in a natural way.

There is lots to discuss with upper primary and lower secondary children. Funny, fresh and full of heart.