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Lies My Girlfriend Told Me
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When Alix's charismatic girlfriend, Swanee, dies from sudden cardiac arrest, Alix is overcome with despair. As she searches Swanee's room for mementos of their relationship, she finds Swanee's cell phone, pinging with dozens of texts sent from a mysterious contact, L.T. The most recent text reads: "Please tell me what I did. Please, Swan. Te amo. I love you."
Shocked and be ...more
Shocked and be ...more
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Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
June 10th 2014
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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Review of ARC received at PLA, 2014:
Readers: please take note of this turning point in teen lit!
I loved this book. Mostly for what it is and what it represents than for the content itself. But what it represents in the broader context is so big, and so wonderful, it trumps any minor quibbles I may have with the plot and/or the writing.
The plot: A seventeen-year-old girl, Alix, is woken one morning by her parents telling her that her girlfriend, Swanee, has suddenly passed away. In the midst of h ...more
Readers: please take note of this turning point in teen lit!
I loved this book. Mostly for what it is and what it represents than for the content itself. But what it represents in the broader context is so big, and so wonderful, it trumps any minor quibbles I may have with the plot and/or the writing.
The plot: A seventeen-year-old girl, Alix, is woken one morning by her parents telling her that her girlfriend, Swanee, has suddenly passed away. In the midst of h ...more

i love this SO MUCH that i cannot read any of the one or two star reviews because i know i will end up vehemently arguing with people.
julie anne peters is important to me. when i was in high school, i kept keeping you a secret under my pillow and i think it's the book that made me finally visualize myself as a lesbian, with another girl. and i think she continues that here.
i gave this four stars because no, it's not a literary masterpiece or anything. the plot is solid, but fairly predictable. b ...more
julie anne peters is important to me. when i was in high school, i kept keeping you a secret under my pillow and i think it's the book that made me finally visualize myself as a lesbian, with another girl. and i think she continues that here.
i gave this four stars because no, it's not a literary masterpiece or anything. the plot is solid, but fairly predictable. b ...more

This book is straight-up fluff of the best kind. Despite the dark inital plot, this book is about two people healing together and learning to accept another’s death, along with her bad characteristics.
Alix and Liana have such a sweet relationship. Yes, their relationship is nothing particularly special, but tell me their banter and development isn’t a ton of fun. The idea of two girls getting together after their girlfriend dies is amazing, and was absolutely executed to my satisfaction.
Alix is ...more
Alix and Liana have such a sweet relationship. Yes, their relationship is nothing particularly special, but tell me their banter and development isn’t a ton of fun. The idea of two girls getting together after their girlfriend dies is amazing, and was absolutely executed to my satisfaction.
Alix is ...more

Okay! So It's been a good 8 months since I read this book. I gave it a short little review expressing how much I didn't like it. But here's the thing, it's that book you hate that doesn't leave you and you can't stop thinking about your seething hatred.
This book is... awful. From the first page I didn't like the writing. It was extremely basic and I'm a genuinely sorry, but her name is Alix? Really? Was the author just trying to make her seem unique?
This book has a lot of problems to it, even ...more
This book is... awful. From the first page I didn't like the writing. It was extremely basic and I'm a genuinely sorry, but her name is Alix? Really? Was the author just trying to make her seem unique?
This book has a lot of problems to it, even ...more

Perusing reviews of Lies My Girlfriends Told Me, it appears the books is a bit polarizing among readers. There are some who call is "ground breaking" while others are quick to dismiss it as your standard teen angst novel.
My thoughts on the subject are that yes, the novel is full of teen relationship angst and that it's not necessarily as ground breaking as some reviewers would have you believe.
When Alix's girlfriend Swanee passes away of cardiac arrest during a run, Alix's entire world is shat ...more
My thoughts on the subject are that yes, the novel is full of teen relationship angst and that it's not necessarily as ground breaking as some reviewers would have you believe.
When Alix's girlfriend Swanee passes away of cardiac arrest during a run, Alix's entire world is shat ...more

Mar 27, 2017
prag ♻
rated it
liked it
Recommended to prag ♻ by:
Elle (ellexamines)
Shelves:
lgbtqiap-plus,
sapphic-girls
ahh this is so cute and beautiful I love it 6/10 would recommend if you want something short and sweet

I really wanted to love this book, as a gay teenager growing up in a small town, I craved a novel like this where a gay relationship is just normal and not fraught with the agony of being outed, yet I have had to wait until I was an adult to find it. I can see how a teenager could really find an escapism in this and a hope that their relationship will just be accepted and treated the same way that a hetromormative relationship would be. All that being said, I just found the plot to be a bit lack
...more

This book is awesome! Of all the contemporary lgbt romance fiction I've read until now, this one is by far the best.
It has everything I want from a young adult novel and more. The story is intersting and never gets boring, the characters are realisticly written and likeable and the writing style is enjoyable.
I don't want to reveal too much about the plot or what happens, because I think you're better off if I tell you nothing about this book. Just buy your copy and start reading it! ...more
It has everything I want from a young adult novel and more. The story is intersting and never gets boring, the characters are realisticly written and likeable and the writing style is enjoyable.
I don't want to reveal too much about the plot or what happens, because I think you're better off if I tell you nothing about this book. Just buy your copy and start reading it! ...more

Julie Anne Peters’s latest – and last, it seems – novel, Lies My Girlfriend Told Me really made me think about what I want from LGBTQ YA. (It also made me want to check out Julie Anne Peters’s book Luna, which Wendy has read and reviewed.)
To begin: there are lots of things to like about this novel: it avoids the coming-out narrative and surrounding conflict that is common in LGBTQ YA; the queer protagonist isn’t destined to a life of solitude and unending misery; the prose is good (and there are ...more
To begin: there are lots of things to like about this novel: it avoids the coming-out narrative and surrounding conflict that is common in LGBTQ YA; the queer protagonist isn’t destined to a life of solitude and unending misery; the prose is good (and there are ...more

— A little predictable, but fast-paced and easy to read
— Unlike Julie Anne Peters's Rage, this novel offers a much more subtle — and realistic — portrayal of an abusive relationship: verbal abuse, lies, manipulation, coercion
— While also portraying the importance and elements of a healthy relationship (and family dynamic) without coming off as didactic
— A lesbian young adult novel that isn't a coming out story — all of the characters have already come out, and it's OK
— It's also totally OK to no ...more
— Unlike Julie Anne Peters's Rage, this novel offers a much more subtle — and realistic — portrayal of an abusive relationship: verbal abuse, lies, manipulation, coercion
— While also portraying the importance and elements of a healthy relationship (and family dynamic) without coming off as didactic
— A lesbian young adult novel that isn't a coming out story — all of the characters have already come out, and it's OK
— It's also totally OK to no ...more

dnf at 32%
I don't have time for bad writing and horrible characters. ...more
I don't have time for bad writing and horrible characters. ...more

Amazing book, so emotional. I really don't know how to review it without spoilers, but I do recommend it, I loved it!
I definitely felt LOTS OF THINGS T___T while reading this book.
...more
I definitely felt LOTS OF THINGS T___T while reading this book.


No one expects to die aged seventeen. So when Swanee (bad name) dies of a cardiac arrest while she's out running, she leaves a lot of loose ends untied. One of which is the fact that she's stringing along two girlfriends. In some respects it's kind of funny, but also kind of arsehole-ish. We never actually meet Swanee, we only hear about her through other characters' recollections of her, but she sounds like a fairly selfish person. The story itself is quite good though, and the MC makes some il
...more

Very easy read. It was great to see another LGBT novel on the library shelves. However, the plot and characters were lacking. I felt they were all the same: unlikable. The book was listed as a mystery but there was nothing that needed to be solved and the characters relationships were very unrealistic. Overall: meh.

Everyone would say that Swan is a mean girl, even though she died. But it's not everything about her. I think author wanted to show her readers that everyone deals with grief in their own way. Ups and downs in this book are so intense, and I like stories like that. Special thing about the whole story is that this is no ordinary love triangle. Go on and see yourself :)
...more

This was a wonderful story! As I'm not a lesbian, I can't really say, but I feel like it was great LGBT representation and a beautiful story. The main character Alix did start off pretty frustrating, but it got a lot better.
...more

4.5 stars.
AHHGHHHHHBHBDHSBDSHDBSHDBS THIS WAS SO GOOD!
Diverse, emotional, amazing.
I know I'm in the minority for this, but I just loved it SO much.
Critically, it's probably more of a 3.5-4, but I couldn't help but rate it up because I enjoyed reading it so much!!! ...more
AHHGHHHHHBHBDHSBDSHDBSHDBS THIS WAS SO GOOD!
Diverse, emotional, amazing.
I know I'm in the minority for this, but I just loved it SO much.
Critically, it's probably more of a 3.5-4, but I couldn't help but rate it up because I enjoyed reading it so much!!! ...more

I think I already said that, but I am going to repeat myself, this month is my diverse read month . I am picking only books with diverse characters without even realizing it. LOL and you know what??


So having this in mind, expect a lot of diverse book reviews coming your way ^^
Uhmm.... I am like 60% sure that this is the first time that I picked F/F character based book, but don't quote me on that it might be a wrong guess. Anyway, let me jump right into the review part.
This one was a totall ...more

Actual rating like a 2.5?
Ohhh boy. Buckle in kids, it's going to be a long one.
Okay so I really wanted to love this. I've only read one other Julie Ann Peters book - "Keeping You A Secret" - and I absolutely loved it. It was the first book I read with a f/f relationship and in hindsight it definitely had problems, but it was the first time I was that part of me respresented in fiction so it holds a special place in my heart. Because of this, I went into this book with a fair amount of hope.
I co ...more
Ohhh boy. Buckle in kids, it's going to be a long one.
Okay so I really wanted to love this. I've only read one other Julie Ann Peters book - "Keeping You A Secret" - and I absolutely loved it. It was the first book I read with a f/f relationship and in hindsight it definitely had problems, but it was the first time I was that part of me respresented in fiction so it holds a special place in my heart. Because of this, I went into this book with a fair amount of hope.
I co ...more

..I feel kind of bad giving this book only two stars, because I didn't dislike it, and it has a lot (a lot) of good points, but...I can't bring myself to give it a higher rating because I feel quite dissatisfied with it overall.
The main problem I have with this book is that everything is so...thin. By that I mean the plot and most of the characters felt somewhat rushed to me. There was so little (zero) exposition that I found it hard to care about what was happening until about halfway through ...more
The main problem I have with this book is that everything is so...thin. By that I mean the plot and most of the characters felt somewhat rushed to me. There was so little (zero) exposition that I found it hard to care about what was happening until about halfway through ...more

Lies My Girlfriend Told Me is an intense read. It’s a f/f YA novel, which I naively assumed to be fluffy and fun, and I did get that to a certain extent – but I also got a book with complex family drama, morally ambiguous characters, and the struggles of growing up.
There were moments I really loved Lies my Girlfriend Told Me and then there were other moments where I severely disliked it. Like I said – it’s a complex novel, especially for a YA.
Alix was an engrossing character: she had just lost w ...more
There were moments I really loved Lies my Girlfriend Told Me and then there were other moments where I severely disliked it. Like I said – it’s a complex novel, especially for a YA.
Alix was an engrossing character: she had just lost w ...more

I managed to pick up an ARC of this book at TBF 2014! Which I was really excited to start reading it right away. With that being said the book was okay. The story line and the idea was a great idea. But I think the author is relying on the topic too much. I think the author realized that because this book has to do with lesbians that it would draw people no matter what. I have not read anything else by this author but my understanding is that their other stuff was better than this. The reason I
...more

The premise of this book sounded really interesting, but it wasn't executed properly. The plot and characters were underdeveloped and the whole storyline was rushed. Joss's encounter with a grown man also didn't sit well with me and there was no follow up or full explanation on what happened when she went to the man's house. Joss's behavior and dialogue also seemed overly dramatic and unbelievable. I wasn't a huge fan of any character. This was just pretty disappointing overall
...more

I just couldn't get into it. I didn't enjoy the writing style, the plot was all over the place, it was quite unbelievable how naive the main character was, and just.... wow. Really offended that this girl would rebound after a tragedy and the author would encourage that and call it love. Don't even know what to do with this book other than give it a 1 star and try to forget I read it.
...more

I first came across Julie Anne Peters when I was thirteen. One of my friends - the first queer person my age that I'd ever met - told me that Luna was one of the only books with a trans character, and that it was really good. I did read it, a few months later, and at the time, I mildly enjoyed it. I read a couple more of her books when I was thirteen, and I enjoyed those as well. But then I turned fourteen, and suddenly, I didn't like any of her novels anymore. I've read three of her novels sin
...more

"We want you know we forgive you and we thank you for bringing us together."
Julie Anne Peters' Lies My Girlfriend Told Me offers fresh blood into YA. Not only does it focus on positive lesbian representation, but it's honest, sweet, and realistic. No one's buried (aka dies). No one suffers for their love. No one becomes this super representation of what being a lesbian precludes by becoming a caricature.
What this story does do is set a tone about grieving and finding friendship and love as res ...more
Julie Anne Peters' Lies My Girlfriend Told Me offers fresh blood into YA. Not only does it focus on positive lesbian representation, but it's honest, sweet, and realistic. No one's buried (aka dies). No one suffers for their love. No one becomes this super representation of what being a lesbian precludes by becoming a caricature.
What this story does do is set a tone about grieving and finding friendship and love as res ...more

Actual rating- 3.5
The main reason I was looking forward to Lies My Girlfriend Told Me is because it's a LGBT book. I had no idea what to expect from the book, but what is clear by the end of it is that it was- slightly if not overly- beyond my expectations. I haven't read any Julie Anne Peters book before, and now I can't wait to try more of the author's books. I am absolutely astounded and thrilled by the mystery surrounding this book. Lies My Girlfriend Told Me begins with the death of Alix's ...more
The main reason I was looking forward to Lies My Girlfriend Told Me is because it's a LGBT book. I had no idea what to expect from the book, but what is clear by the end of it is that it was- slightly if not overly- beyond my expectations. I haven't read any Julie Anne Peters book before, and now I can't wait to try more of the author's books. I am absolutely astounded and thrilled by the mystery surrounding this book. Lies My Girlfriend Told Me begins with the death of Alix's ...more

May 22, 2014
Jen • Just One More Page
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
lgbtqia-authors,
lgbtqia,
young-adult,
romance,
owned,
stand-alones,
contemporary,
death,
realistic-fiction,
stunning-covers
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Goodreads YA—Ask Julie Anne Peters a question! | 2 | 34 | May 21, 2014 11:53AM |
Julie Anne Peters was born in Jamestown, New York. When she was five, her family moved to the Denver suburbs in Colorado. Her parents divorced when she was in high school. She has three siblings: a brother, John, and two younger sisters, Jeanne and Susan.
Her books for young adults include Define "Normal" (2000), Keeping You a Secret (2003), Luna (2004), Far from Xanadu (2005), Between Mom and Jo ( ...more
Her books for young adults include Define "Normal" (2000), Keeping You a Secret (2003), Luna (2004), Far from Xanadu (2005), Between Mom and Jo ( ...more
Articles featuring this book
The author of Keeping You a Secret is back with Lies My Girlfriend Told Me. She answers your questions about dealing with critics, cheaters, and...
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4 trivia questions
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“Most of all I’m mad at Swanee for dying and taking from me the most precious thing I ever owned. I didn’t own her, but she was mine. Mine, Liana. Do you hear me?”
—
1 likes
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