How Many Truths and a Lie? A look at SIX TRUTHS AND A LIE by Ream Shukairy

In March of this year, the book Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy was released. It has stuck in my head in part because I keep thinking about YA book title trends.

There are several books that have the X number of truths and a lie convention in their title. Six is the largest number that I have seen, and the Two Truths and a Lie by April Henry has been one of my favorite plays on this, in part because it uses the game for a killer to reveal themselves before, well, killing a lot of people. It’s a fun play on the game, if you like thrillers with a high body count.

Six Truths and a Lie is a much more serious take on the title convention as it involves Muslim teenagers who have been accused of terrorism.

Here’s the publisher’s book description:

Six Muslim teens are falsely accused of a deadly attack in this timely and harrowing examination of America’s justice system, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas and Samira Ahmed.

As fireworks pop off at a rowdy Fourth of July bonfire party, an explosion off the California coast levels an oil rig—resulting in chaos and worse, murder.

At the center are six Muslim teens – six patriots, six strangers, and six suspects.  

An old soul caught in the wrong place. An aspiring doctor. An influencer with a reputation to protect. A perfect daughter with secrets to hide. A soccer star headed for Stanford. An immigrant in love. Each with something to hide and everything to lose.

Faced with accusations of terrorism, The Six are caught in a political game that will pit them against each other in exchange for exoneration. They must frame each other to guarantee their own independence or expose their secrets to earn back freedom for them all.

Karen’s Thoughts: This book has gotten several starred reviews, and deservedly so. The narrative involves all 6 points of view, shifting between each at different times. This is an intense and difficult read, in part because it is something that is all too realistic for our Muslim teens. I highly recommend this book. It joins the powerful works of Samira Ahmed in revealing the horrific racism against Muslim people.

Filed under: Young Adult Fiction