Teen/YA Review: Dangerous Lies

During the R.I.P. Challenge in October, I enjoyed a unique YA thriller about the Witness Protection Program, Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Stella Gordon is starting over in the tiny, remote town of Thunder Basin, Nebraska. Her name isn't even really Stella, but that's the name she's been given by the Witness Protection Program (WITSEC), after witnessing a shooting in her own home involving a dangerous drug cartel. Now, a U.S. Marshal has dropped her off at a farmhouse that feels like the middle of nowhere to Stella. An ex-cop named Carmina is pretending to be Stella's foster mother, as part of her cover story. Nothing in Thunder Basin feels familiar, and Stella misses her old neighborhood in Philadelphia, her best friend, and especially, her boyfriend, Reed, who is also in WITSEC now. The only thing Stella doesn't miss is her addict mother, who also witnessed the murder but was put into a treatment program. Stella's been the only responsible one in her household for as long as she can remember, and at least it's a relief not to be worried about her mom for now. She tries to settle into Thunder Basin, and to pass the endless boring hours, she gets a job and joins a local softball team. The first friend she makes is a guy that lives down the road from Carmina, Chet, who wears a cowboy hat and mows her lawn for her. Over the summer, Stella and Chet get closer, and Stella wants so badly to tell him who she really is, but the danger of being found is always there, plus unexpected dangers right in town.

I'm fascinated by WITSEC (if you are, too, check out the TV show, In Plain Sight), so I was hooked right from page one of this fast-paced novel. Stella is prickly and defensive, but she grows on you, as you see the hurt and vulnerabilities beneath. The author has created interesting, real-feeling characters and a story that pulled me right in. Suspense and tension come from multiple places in the plot, as Stella encounters problems in town, as well as the ever-present danger of being found and the stress of pretending to be someone else. There were plenty of surprising twists that kept me turning the pages. This is more than just an action-packed thriller, though. It's also the tender, warm story of a young girl finding a home and learning to feel safe and loved.

384 pages, Simon & Schuster

This book fits in the following 2023 Reading Challenges:

 

Mount TBR Challenge (extra points for being on my shelf for 8 years?)

R.I.P. Challenge
 

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