Lies I Live By (Lauren Sabel) student book review by Alyssa

Callie’s life is a little bit strange; on the outside, she might just seem like any normal teenager, with a loving boyfriend, super nerdy mom, and just getting ready to go to college. But unbeknownst to those closest to her, she is actually a secret government psychic, saving lives by seeing future disasters and helping the government prevent them. It is something her family can never know, lest they get put in danger; but what happens if her mom gets involved in some secret agency no one seems to know about, Callie’s boyfriend is seen injured in a vision, and she finds herself falling for another guy against her will?

Lies I Live By starts out a little bland, but once the action begins, the captivating mystery involved will keep the reader wanting more. My first impression of the book was that it was going to be another one of those cheesy romances; girl has perfect boyfriend, hot guy comes into her life, and suddenly she is cheating on him. I was a bit turned off by this assumption, but as soon as the action came in around halfway through the book, I couldn’t put it down. The different aspects of Callie’s visions kept me guessing the entire way through, and although the whole “end of the world” aspect came off as kind of cliche, I found myself pleasantly caught off guard by the plot twist at the end of the book - and hoping for a sequel.

The book does contain mild violence and some death, so there is that to be aware of, but it also teaches good lessons of loyalty and doing what is right for others, rather than for yourself. It is the perfect book to pick up on a boring, rainy day and enjoy a captivating read. Would be recommended for readers of a higher age group, just because of the more sophisticated themes, but it is specifically good for those in a late high school level in order to relate to the characters, who are around that age. Overall,the book is certainly enjoyable.  Definitely recommended for teens!