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Two Truths and a Lie is a story about the daily pressures faced by today's modern teens; sex, alcohol, deception, and belonging. Brandy, sensitive, immature, and bright sophomore in high school, has controlling parents and a dorky friend, Celia. Kirsten, a hip cheerleader offers Brandy popularity, and through her, Brandy gets caught up in a sinful world, leaving Celia in the dust.Charismatic English teacher, Mr. Connors intrigues students with lessons on Julius Caesar, a play of betrayal and murder, that parallels character's actions in the novel. He makes eyes at pretty female students and opens the door for David to do worse. Meanwhile, Brandy's wild activities with Kirsten deepen and verge upon uprooting Brandy's morality.Kirsten urges Brandy to take strong action bucking her parent's authority and the law. That night she encounters the beginning of the worst nightmare she's ever experienced. She begins to question her values, her choices, herself. Racked by guilt, Brandy begins repairing her mistakes, snitching to the principal about a plot against a substitute teacher. But it may be too late to do any good for poor Celia, target of David's bullying. She's been hurting in more ways than one, and Brandy becomes afraid for her safety. Celia no longer trusts her, will not let her help.Alone, Brandy is now the object of gossip. Kirsten reveals her true colors, savagery and a scandalous affair. Brandy stumbling to make things right, encounters David and Jerry, a cute blonde, who unfortunately is David's best bud. David has only threatened her verbally, but now looms a menacing physical danger. David expects his friend, Jerry, to stand by him through the attack, as he has in the past. But Brandy has forged a fragile relationship with Jerry, in spite of both their pasts. Has she lost everything? Two Truths and a Lie is a finalist in the Foreword Magazine BOTYA Awards (2007) in the Young Adult Fiction Category.Amanda Griffith, a 7th Grade ELAR teacher at Dowell Middle School in McKinney, Texas |
Terry Watkins, Authorhouse
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| From the title (it comes from a game that a high school English instructor has his students play in class) to the plot, the character development and its themes, Amanda Griffith's first novel written for young adults-- and we hope not her last-- should appeal first to teenage girls. It also has something to say, however, to young men, teachers, parents and other adults as well as anyone who enjoys reading an enthralling story.
Although it has been a long time since I was a teenager, parts of this very well-written novel took me back many years to my high school days when being accepted by the cheerleader/football crowd was everything and being different was anathema. (You never, never wore green on Thursdays, for example.) Apparently some things never change.
Ms. Griffith tells her story through Brandy, a very bright and pretty sophomore in a Connecticut high school, who is from an upper middle class family, and who desperately wants to belong to the in-crowd at school that is run by Kirsten and Brittany, who hang out with David, a troubled, devious young man, and his friend Jerry. Brandy's chum Celia has a weight problem. There is also a young woman named Jenna, Brandy's parents, the high school principal and several teachers including Mr. Conners (who is teaching Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" in his English class) among this writer's cast of characters.
Ms. Griffith, an English instructor for twenty years, gets into the heads and hearts of teenagers. Her characters are extremely well developed and completely believable, from their teenage slang to their dress, their makeup, their group cruelty or the tendency to gang up on the underdog. Their abuse of Ms. Sutton, the substitute math teacher, rings true on every page. Another truth: Coach Cromwell is the lazy history teacher, who puts his feet up on the teacher's desk in a room "shared by those who floated in when they weren't doing what they considered to be their real jobs out on the athletic field." (In my high school he taught driver's ed.) But the plot is just as good as Griffith's characters and has a surprise or two for the reader. She writes unflinchingly about the perils of teenage drinking, sexual predators, how important honesty and character are, and what makes a good friend, lessons we all need to be be reminded of again and again.
Each chapter of the novel begins with a quotation from "Julius Caesar." Since I have not read the play since I was a sophomore in high school, I'm sure I didn't get all the parallels between the play and this story although there are certainly betrayal and assassination (if only character assassination in the latter) in both.
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE should be in every high school library. |
H.F. Corbin
Amazon Top 500 Reviewer |
| I have Mrs.Griffith as my teacher this year in 7th grade (2009) and i read her book. i was amazed as to how much it resembled a true teenagers life. i hope she makes many more in the future! |
Delaney Gamradt
Texas |
| I LOVE YOU MRS GRIFFITH!!! you are my all time favorite teacher!! i\'m promise that i\'m going to buy your book soon and i know i\'m going to like it!!! |
Rachelle
McKinney |
| I bought this book from Mrs. Griffith and was amazed. I had her in 3rd and 4th period language arts last year (2006-7), but I never realized she was not only amazing teacher, but an amazing author. When I started reading this book, I absolutely could not put it down. I swear I can RELATE to this book, like how the girl in the story wants to fit in and tells you what can happen if you go too far. |
Natasha
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