REVIEW: Even When You Lie to Me by Jessica Alcott

Even When You Lie to Me by Jessica Alcott
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Book Description:
Fans of John Green's Looking for Alaska as well as Lauren Oliver and Sarah Dessen will embrace this provocative debut novel, an exploration of taboo love set against the backdrop of a suburban high school.

Charlie, a senior, isn't looking forward to her last year of high school. Another year of living in the shadow of her best friend, Lila. Another year of hiding behind the covers of her favorite novels. Another year of navigating her tense relationship with her perfectionist mom.

But everything changes when she meets her new English teacher. Mr. Drummond is smart. Irreverent. Funny. Hot. Everyone loves him. And Charlie thinks he's the only one who gets her.

She also thinks she might not be the only one with a crush.

In this stunning debut, Jessica Alcott explores relationships-and their boundaries-in a way that is both searingly honest and sympathetic.

From the moment that my friend recommended this to me, I couldn't wait to read it. Once I got it, I jumped right in. I loved the story. I loved the slow build of it, how they got to know each other. I liked the characters (except the horrible best "friend" that should have been pushed off a cliff).

What I hated was the ending. I guess, in a sense, there's a happy ending. But it wasn't the happy ending I wanted! For me, there was no HEA. And I have a huge problem with that. I read romance novels for the HEA. I want, no, NEED that HEA. And it pissed me off when I got to the end and all there was, was a goodbye.

The end itself lost the book a star. And since I'm pissed at the book, I knocked off another 1/2 for the horrible best friend.