1. In what ways is Thea a typical child? What strikes you as unusual about Thea?

2. Which of the characters in the novel should the reader trust, and why?

3. How and why does spending time with Jocelyn change Thea?

4. Discuss Thea's relationship with each of these family members: her mother, father, grandmother, aunts Ellen and Celia, and cousins Liam and Austin. In what ways do these relationships present conflict, and what positive impact do they have on Thea?

5. How and when does Thea's maturity show, and when is she the naïve or immature child?

6. In what ways is Thea, an only child, changed by her reaction to the chaos of her extended family?

7. What impact has Thea's relationship with Gwen had on her, and what is significant about the way in which the author reveals the nature of the relationship?

8. How would you describe Thea's summer?

9. What is the significance of the author introducing other liars into the story?

10. What benefits does Thea receive from her practice of writing down truths? Is Thea likely to write more than 100 truths?

11. What, ultimately, is the author's message about the practice of lying?


This reading guide was created by the Minnesota Book Awards, a statewide outreach program of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.

back