My Life with the Liars

Perfect for fans of Kathryn Erskine’s Mockingbird and Holly Goldberg Sloan’s Counting by 7s, this is a stunningly unique and poignant story of one girl’s strength and courage as she decides who she is and what she will believe in.

Behind the white-washed walls of the Arizona compound, life was simple. Follow the rules, "live in the light," and all would be well. Zylynn was excited to turn thirteen and begin the work of bringing others into the light, to save them from the liars and the darkness of the outside world. But when she is taken away by a man who claims to be her father, Zylynn is confused, and desperate to return to her home.

Zylynn resists her new life—until she finds small comforts, like shampoo, the color pink, and strawberries. But as her thirteenth birthday approaches, Zylynn must make a difficult decision—to stay here with the enemy, or find her way back to the light. And neither may be what they seem.

“A searing story with a hopeful resolution.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Carefully paced. Readers will feel keenly the simultaneous wish to make Zylynn see how awful her life was while also allowing her to experience the grief of losing all she knew.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Readers will be transfixed. Zylynn is well portrayed as a devout but confused young girl. Carter takes readers on a journey with Zylynn to uncover her past and reconcile it with her future in this thought-provoking and highly discussible novel.” - School Library Journal

“Absorbing from page to page.” - Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor author