Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate

Seven Ways We Lie

by Riley Redgate

In Seven Ways We Lie, a chance encounter tangles the lives of seven high school students, each resisting the allure of one of the seven deadly sins, and each telling their story from their seven distinct points of view.


The juniors at Paloma High School all have their secrets, whether it’s the thespian who hides her trust issues onstage, the closeted pansexual who only cares about his drug-dealing profits, or the neurotic genius who’s planted the seed of a school scandal. But it’s Juniper Kipling who has the furthest to fall.


No one would argue that Juniper—obedient daughter, salutatorian, natural beauty, and loyal friend—is anything but perfect. Everyone knows she’s a saint, not a sinner; but when love is involved, who is Juniper to resist temptation? When she begins to crave more and more of the one person she can’t have, her charmed life starts to unravel.
Then rumors of a student–teacher affair hit the fan. After Juniper accidentally exposes her secret at a party, her fate falls into the hands of the other six sinners, bringing them into one another’s orbits.
All seven are guilty of something. Together, they could save one another from their temptations—or be ruined by them.
Riley Redgate’s twisty YA debut effortlessly weaves humor, heartbreak, and redemption into a drama that fans of Jenny Han and Stephanie Perkins will adore.

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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I am going to start by saying - I am a Redgate fan, and I will definitely read her next book even though this one did not knock my socks off. Why? Because though I was not fully enamored by this story, there were elements I really liked.

I always love how much diversity Redgate packs into her books, and it never seems forced. Laila was a really complicated and interesting character. She loved writing and adored her writing class, but when her teacher was hospitalized, he was replaced by an award winning author, who was not a fan of Laila's work. She demanded a lot from her, and forced Laila out of her comfort zone in order for her to grow as a writer. During this exercise, Laila learns a lot about herself, with one of the biggest things being confronting her own sexuality. This was a part of the story I found very compelling, and Redgate did an incredible job exploring this with Laila.

I also was a fan of Laila's squad. They were an interesting group with a great dynamic. The dynamic gets a little complicated, but I kept hoping that their friendship was strong enough to weather the storm, because they really did share a special bond.

I don't think the pieces of Laila's writing accomplished what I think they should have. They sort of didn't work for me in the story, but that could totally be a case of "it's me, not you", because I have rarely enjoyed it in books I have read.

This was not a perfect read, but I did have some great take aways, and I felt a LOT of things. There were tears and smiles and frustration and joy too, and I always appreciate feeling the feels when I read.

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  • 5 March, 2017: Finished reading
  • 6 July, 2018: Reviewed
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  • 6 July, 2018: Reviewed