REVIEW: The Truth About Faking by Leigh T. Moore

REVIEW: The Truth About Faking by Leigh T. Moore

The Truth About Faking by Leigh Talbert Moore
Smash, 2012
[Goodreads | Amazon]

Jason just wants a date with Harley.
Harley just wants a date with Trent.
Trent’s still getting over Stephanie.

When Harley and Jason decide to fake date, they uncover a school of deceptions. Trent’s got a secret, but so does Jason. And the more time Harley spends secretly kissing her fake boyfriend, the further she gets from her dreams with Trent.

Worst of all, Harley’s mom is getting cozy with her hot massage therapy student, and even Harley’s Reverend Dad can’t fake not being bothered by it. But when the masks finally come off, can everyone handle the real truth?

When I accepted this book for review, I was hoping it would be a fun, cute contemporary read. And that’s exactly what it ended up being. Even though it took me a ridiculously long time to finish The Truth About Faking, it wasn’t really the book’s fault at all; I just had SO many real life things to take care of that reading became secondary. Even when I was annoyed with the main character for her choices and decisions, each time I set it down it was generally with a smile on my face. I enjoyed watching the main character’s growth as she realized that she’d been wrong, and I also enjoyed the fact that the book wasn’t really all about her, but also included some issues with her parents, her church, and some other issues that are definitely affecting teens today. All in all it was a really well-written book that I enjoyed quite a lot.

I had a bit of trouble adjusting to the main character’s name – Harley – at first, because I had a student by that name a few years ago and my Harley was very definitely a boy. So every time I read her name at the start, it threw me a bit. But aside from that, the book was instantly engrossing and fun. I loved watching how Jason – who wound up being my favorite character in the book – slowly turned Harley’s carefully planned life completely upside down. I loved how she couldn’t help herself from having fun with him on their “fake dates”, even when she didn’t want to. I liked watching her evolution, from someone who has an ideal “Mr. Right” to someone who realizes that sometimes what you have planned out for yourself is impossible, and actually not at all what you want.

What annoyed me with this book, though, was watching Harley jerk Jason around; she likes him almost from the get-go, but refuses to acknowledge it. She treats him terribly at times, and I actually sort of cheered when he finally stood up to her behavior. No guy should allow a girl to go back and forth like she was doing, and even though it’s obvious how much he cares for her, she really needed to get herself figured out. I also could see some of the revelations coming from a mile away; that sort of bothers me, particularly when the main character is always so shocked at the developments. But again, Harley’s inability to figure out what she wants made for a more detailed, better developed “growing up” process, and allowed the reader to really see her character growth.

If you’re looking for a light, fun, contemporary book to read, give this one a try. I definitely enjoyed it from beginning to end, and any book that leaves me with a smile on my face and warm fuzzies in my heart is definitely a good thing.