Todd Mitchell

If you read the blubs describing this novel, you might miss how funny it is. I’m often amused when reading, but rarely actually laugh out loud. I was laughing out loud at the cheers the ‘smart kids’ school used when playing against other schools in sports:
“That’s all right, That’s ok. You’re gonna work for us someday.”
“Forget Defense. Defenestrate!”

The beginning of this book is so clever and funny especially some of the pranks and Operation Ultimate Freak, a very funny show more protest over the school’s cafeteria food. However it gets much darker by mid-book. James is having strange dreams and is ‘haunted’ via IM by ghost44, who is one of his classmates, but which one?

I enjoy books that dare to go dark, but it would have been nice to spread some of the funny parts into the second half of the book, to break up the tension a little. However, it moves right along, and the many of the characters are really….characters! I liked it quite a bit, and would recommend it to any smart/quirky kids, my own smart, quirky kid loved it and is trying to figure out how to get away with some of the pranks!

I never comment on errors in ARCs, but this copy had a page that fell out on the very first reading, that’s rather annoying as I share my books with 7/8th grade classrooms. I also think that the cover and the title do not really 'fit' the story inside. show less

James is tired of being a nobody, the kid everyone overlooks because he's just plain average. He jumps at the chance to attend a public boarding school for gifted kids, where he reinvents himself as a rebel. He's got it made now - purple hair, ripped jeans, and a few lies have given him a reputation. But his dreams suggest that more is going on beneath the surface than even James realizes.

Todd Mitchell's first book for teens explores the common theme of identity in an inventive way. James' show more dreams reflect what he's doing to his self, and you see that acting one way and being another really affects his psyche deeply. I actually thought the dream sequences were the weakest part of the story, preferring the interactions with friends, teachers, and the IMs with "ghost44." Mitchell does a good job of discussing teen issues, like cutting, without ever making them the focal point of the story. The focus instead is all on James - who is he, and who will he choose to be? Moments of humor also keep this from being a heavy read; one of my favorite parts was his description of the gifted school's cheers as using words that the opposing team needed dictionaries to understand. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author. show less

High school sophomore James arrives at the American Science and Mathematics Academy boarding school (yes we are finally seeing a YA dork academy and not the gothic, creepy one normal to this genre) looking for a fresh start and a new life. James takes the opportunity to reinvent himself to the students. Instead of the nobody he was, he claims “rebel outsider” whom spent the majority of his time as a freshman, street fighting and stealing cars. Of course this places James in the ranks of show more drool-worthy stardom amongst the herd of nerds at this school and it’s not long before he stands out as a true rebel. While James finds some quick pleasure in the lies and friendships based upon his faulty exterior, inside he is a very sad and confused guy. Disturbing nightmares begin to take a toll on James as fantasy begins to mix with his reality. Sword fights in the dream land become real razors in the bathroom. Teachers, students and friends try to reach out and help James but addicted to his own destruction, he aimlessly tosses away one relationship after the other.

Mitchell’s use of the dark dreams and paranormal demon fighting were as I understood it- used metaphorically to link James mental turmoil in wanting to be that someone and the self-destruction of his cutting together. I understand why these elements were used but I felt it almost didn’t fit in with the coming of age story delivered. Not that this was a bad thing, but had it been left out it wouldn’t have been missed.

The Secret to Lying was a surprisingly humorous and almost heart breaking look into a young man’s mind of low self esteem and self-discovery. Todd Mitchell’s writing was fantastic, I felt he sincerely knew how to talk to the young teen, but was also able to pull me (a woman no longer a teen) back to a time in my life where James was highly relatable and recognizable. James is the average teen, and what I liked about this book even with the tad bit of paranormal flair on the side- he remains average. Never does James launch into this unbelievable super-hero of a guy but becomes the super-hero of overcoming real life issues. The ending for me was very heartfelt and left me with a sense of hope for the future life of this character. show less

I have mixed feelings about this book.

It was written smoothly and with a solid voice, and though sometimes it seemed the author tried a little too hard for humor, I did on several occasions chuckle out loud. My problem is, ultimately, with the main character. I was enjoying it well enough as it began, when the main character decided to start over at a new school and reinvent himself from a nobody to a somebody, but after a while I found I could not sympathize with him and he made me feel show more mildly uncomfortable. I think the discomfort was intentional on the author's part, given the way the plot moves, but the associated loss of sympathy, I think, wasn't. Teen readers may be more forgiving and empathize more. show less