LS 5623 What I Saw and How I Lied

Blundell, Judy. What I Saw and How I Lied. Scholastic: New York, 2008.

ISBN: 0-439-90346-7

Evie lives in Queens and spends time with her best friend, pretending to be grown-ups or, in Evie’s case, make believe they are Lana Turner or Barbara Stanwyck. After Evie’s stepfather, Joe, returns home after fighting the Nazis, he decides to take Evie and her mother on an impromptu trip to Florida after a mysterious phone call looking for “Joe Spooner from the Forty-second.” When they get to Florida they meet a man named Peter who knew Joe from the service and they soon spend time together, which Joe is not happy about. Things soon go sour after they meet; furtive glances between Evie’s mom and Peter, Joe’s increasing alcohol consumption, and a mysterious disappearance bring trouble to Evie’s world.

In the subplot-filled What I Saw and How I Lied, Evie is faced with obstacles: she wants act like a grown up but is treated like a child. She wants “adult” love but is too naïve to know what it really involves. She practices deceit, to her own determent. Finally, she tries to make amends on those she perceived as wronged and begins to gain that maturity she so desperately wants.

Blundell “navigates this multidimensional plotline with unique, well-developed characters and insightful dialog,” states the review in the December 2008 issue of School Library Journal. The suspense and unknowing in the novel make this a good choice for a YA book discussion group. The obstacles Evie faces and the choices they lead to add good fodder for discussion. This novel sticks with the reader till the very end, Evie’s final obstacles, involving her family and another hotel guest form Florida, and the choices she makes to overcome them will resonate with readers. What I Saw and How I Lied is a winner of the National Book Award and very much recommended.