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Five teens who grew up together in small-town Gap Mountain, California, and who playfully call themselves the monsters, are enjoying their last summer together after graduating high school. Hannah Warner, the sheriff’s daughter, is heading off to college to study criminology. She and her friends well know the dangers of wildfires and how vital it is to be careful with anything that could spark a fire. But then one day at the lake, a careless move leads to an enormous, catastrophic wildfire that causes millions of dollars of damage, destroys beautiful natural areas and wildlife habitats, and kills people and animals.
One immediate lie about their involvement turns into hundreds more, even as investigators find clues and question members of their group. But they can’t face the jail time and life-altering consequences — and they’ve vowed for years that the monsters always protect each other.
Then one of their number shows signs of wanting to tell, and they find themselves in an even worse situation. Hannah is determined not to let their secret get out, to ensure that her lifelong friends don’t suffer any more. She always thought she was one of the good ones; she’s going into law enforcement, after all. But sometimes good people do bad things. Is it right for them to pay a heavy price?
Lies Like Wildfire is a gripping book about accidents with devastating consequences. It explores the gamut of emotions and reactions a group of teenagers go through after unintentionally causing destruction and death, including rationalizations and justifications, guilt, and fear. It’s compelling and timely, with far too many people being familiar with the effects of wildfires in California. The author drew upon her own experiences living in a fire-prone area of the state, and the reality shows.
Rated: High. Profanity includes over 125 uses of strong language, over 60 instances of moderate profanity, almost 50 uses of mild language, and almost 70 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Sexual content includes a somewhat detailed scene where a teen has sex with a near-stranger in the back of a car and two other brief scenes. Violence includes a fight and deaths from drowning and from fire. The devastating effects of a huge wildfire are described.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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