Why Would I Lie?

Reach for this book when your teenager is struggling with the relentless pressure to be perfect or feels invisible compared to peers who seem to succeed effortlessly. Viveca North is a high achieving student at an elite prep school whose identity is tied to being valedictorian. When a charismatic new student named Jamison Sharpe arrives and starts winning everyone over with stories that seem too good to be true, Viveca becomes obsessed with exposing him as a fraud. This suspenseful novel explores themes of honesty, socioeconomic class, and the toxic nature of academic competition. It is highly appropriate for high schoolers, offering a realistic look at the anxiety and moral compromises that can stem from a desperate need for validation. It is a great choice for starting a conversation about why we value certain types of success over integrity.