First published 2006
Theodora Grumman calls herself a liar, which makes her summer assignment particularly challenging. Her mother gave her a notebook to fill with four daily truths during her stay at her grandparents' Jersey Shore house. The cramped quarters feel even more suffocating with her seven-year-old cousin Jocelyn constantly pestering her about the notebook's contents. Jocelyn proves to be the nosiest child alive, always wanting to spy on the family members crowding the house. Thea guards her secrets fiercely, especially the painful truth about losing her best friend Gwen. She refuses to explain what happened between them or why she feels responsible. When Thea gets stuck babysitting Jocelyn in the afternoons, their spying games take an unexpected turn. They spot Aunt Ellen and Aunt Celia at the boardwalk during work hours, then watch both aunts lie about their whereabouts. This discovery forces Thea to confront a troubling possibility. She may not be the only family member hiding something important this summer. The notebook meant to teach honesty becomes a mirror reflecting the complicated ways people protect themselves and each other.
Genres: fiction, coming-of-age, mystery, contemporary, young-adult, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Jersey Shore
Period: Summer
192 pages · Hardcover · Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Content warnings: mental-illness