The Lie That Binds by Amy Argent – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

The Lie That Binds by Amy Argent
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nathan is popular, drop dead gorgeous and part of the group of popular kids in high school. The girls drool over him and want to be with him, and the boys want to be him. Nathan seemingly has it all but he’s harboring a deep, dark secret that could destroy everything he has worked so hard for. He is so terrified of having his secret discovered that he has built up lie after lie to protect himself. He bullies and torments anyone that is less popular than he is and keeps everyone at a distance so he can keep his secret from being discovered.

Holly has just started attending Nathan’s high school and is determined to be one of the popular kids so she can fit in. On her first day of school Holly approaches Nathan and the rest of the popular kids and asks them if she can sit with them at their table for lunch. She is instantly shot down, mocked, and left to feel inferior. Naturally after treatment like that from Nathan and his friends Holly is disgusted when her and Nathan end up as lab partners. Although she finds Nathan to be gorgeous, she also knows how much of a jerk he is and wants nothing to do with him.

When Holly accidentally discovers Nathan’s secret everything changes. Nathan decides the best way to handle the situation is to pretend to like Holly and ask her out. As both Holly and Nathan get to know one another better they fall deeply in love. When Holly finds out their relationship is a sham and based on a lie she is devastated. When the web of lies start to unwind both Nathan and Holly’s lives are changed forever. Will Holly and Nathan ever be the same afterwards?

The characters of Holly and Nathan were wonderfully written. Both were typical teenagers battling all the typical drama that comes with high school. Holly was a true sweetheart who saw there was more to Nathan than he let on. Nathan acted like a jerk on the surface but that is not who he was nor who he wanted to be. It was all an act to protect himself and enable him to navigate his way through high school. This book was wonderfully written and described very well the cliques, the bullies, the mean girls, the jealousy and all the rest of the teen drama that comes with high school. High school can be traumatizing, and a great deal of importance is placed on fitting in.

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