Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
There will be lies
Nick Lake
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
Shelby Jane Cooper is about to be hit by a car, but that’s just the start of her wild ride. As she and her mom escape into the unknown, Shelby must figure out who to trust when secrets blur the line between truth and lies. Every mile brings more questions—can Shelby uncover the real story before it’s too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Shelby and her mother flee a hospital and travel across the country toward the Grand Canyon, while Shelby struggles to tell what is real and who can be trusted. The story is tense and emotionally heavy, with questions about family secrets, a mother's behavior, and a shocking ending that recasts what came before. Parents should know it involves a car accident, unsettling psychological tension, and a fragile mother-daughter relationship, but it contains no graphic content.
Why we rated There will be lies ME (Moderate)
There will be lies is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 454 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.
We rate There will be lies as ME (Moderate, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, There will be lies explores adventure, family, secrets, trust, and coming of age — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, family, secrets.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
ME · Moderate · EmotionalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Discussion Potential
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781619634404
- Pages
- 454
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury USA Childrens
- Published
- 2015
- Type
- Fiction