Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

I read this book a while back, and I’m not really sure why it took  me so long to write my review for it.  It was an interesting thriller (and we all know I love YA thrillers) – well written and kept my attention to the very end.  I hadn’t read anything else by Becca Fitzpatrick before reading this book (I know pretty much everyone has read the Hush, Hush saga already), so I didn’t have the ability to compare it to her other books.  However, I can tell you that I know for a fact I will be checking out her other works now that I’ve read this.

Dangerous Lies is a delicious thriller that will have you devouring it chapter by chapter.  It’s an amazing thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book – the very first chapter is full of suspense, and it just builds and builds as the novel goes on.

Stella Gordon’s life is disrupted after she witnesses a crime, and is placed into the Witness Protection Program.  She’s sent out into the middle of nowhere, essentially…a small town in Nebraska, where she will be staying with an ex-cop who she doesn’t exactly get along very well with.  She has no car, no friends, and cannot even get in touch with her boyfriend.  She feels incredibly alone, and doesn’t know how to handle her situation except by being bitter.  So while she goes to the library occasionally and tries to get in contact with her boyfriend through their special e-mail address, she also awaits news from her mother, who is in rehab because of her drug addiction, but will be joining her as soon as she is out (she doesn’t want to be part of the Witness Protection Program).

When she meets Chet, a boy her age who starts to develop feelings for, she isn’t sure if she should even bother, since she’s about to turn eighteen and plans on leaving as soon as she can.  She also misses her boyfriend, and while she isn’t hearing from him, she still has feelings for him and feels like she’s cheating on him because of the feelings she has for Chet.

This book has a lot of things going on at the same time, and Stella’s having a difficult time figuring out how to cope with this new world she’s been thrown into.  I can’t imagine having to go through the same things, but I know for a fact that I would probably be a little bitter, too.  However, Stella has an attitude toward everyone – even the woman who is letting her live there.  I was really shocked by how bold she was, but I guess it’s kind of understandable.  I loved Chet’s character – he had the whole bad-boy turned great guy thing going on, and I couldn’t help but hope the romance between them would actually lead somewhere.

All in all, Dangerous Lies is a great book if you’re into thrillers.  It’s a well written story that makes you hope for the best in a difficult situation.

Note: I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.