The Best Reader:
jessica warman

1. I read that you loved to write, even as a young child; can you share some of the first stories you wrote? It’s funny you should ask, because in my office at home (which I’m sitting in right now) I’ve framed the first story I wrote. It’s hanging on the wall above my desk. It’s called “The Boy With the Seagull.” It’s written in blue magic marker, and it’s absolutely ridiculous. I was five years old. And when I was in elementary school, I used to spend hours on my dad’s computer every summer, writing (mostly fictional) accounts of “What I Did for My Summer Vacation.” I’d make up these crazy vacations that my family had supposedly gone on, and I imagined how impressed my teachers would be by these fabulous accounts of my amazing experiences. And every year, when school started, I always expected my English teachers to ask us to write an essay on how we’d spent our vacation, — I was always so excited to be so well prepared! But nobody ever asked. Somewhere at my parents’ house, there’s a drawer full of those stories. The funny part is that all I really did during my summer vacations was sit around writing. I guess it’s all paying off now.
2. It’s so interested that you went to the Linsly School in West Virginia. I lived in West Virginia until 3 years ago. What did you think about the school and the area? Did your experience influence the stories you write now?

I had a great time at the Linsly school, and I can honestly say that I got a fabulous education there. They offered so many great creative writing and specialized literature classes. I felt very lucky. And my experiences there have absolutely influenced my writing – Breathless , my first novel, is based heavily on my years at boarding school.
3. Where the Truth Lies is the companion novel to Breathless . Can you tell us a little about the relationship between these books?
First of all, they’re both set at boarding schools. But while Breathless is set in West Virginia, and the school in the book is based on a real place, Where the Truth Lies is set at a completely fictional school in Connecticut. Aside from that, there are a couple of crossover characters: Mazzie Moon gets a few mentions, and so does Renee (who was Katie Kitrell’s roommate at Yale in Breathless).

4. In Where the Truth Lies , Emily discovers lies that turn her world upside down. Can you tell us a little more about the deceptions Emily faces in this book?
Without giving too much away, I will say that they’re huge deceptions. They basically shake the entire foundation of her life. What’s most interesting to me is that, as the story progresses, something happens to Emily that really puts those deceptions into perspective. It certainly doesn’t make them any easier for her to accept or deal with, but I think that, as she grows, she is at least able to understand the motivations behind all the lies.
5. Can you tell us what you are currently working on? Will any future books have a connection to the characters in Breathless and Where the Truth Lies ?
I just finished my third novel, which is called Between . It will be out next year. I’m SO excited about it! It’s a supernatural thriller. It’s actually been pretty successful already – it’s been sold to publishers in ten different countries! I truly cannot wait to see how teenage readers respond to the story. And I’ve just started working on my fourth novel, which will be released in 2012. It’s a murder mystery, also with a somewhat supernatural element, about identical twins who share a very dark past. To answer your other question, neither of those upcoming titles have any connection to Breathless or Where the Truth Lies .
I really appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions for me!: ) Thanks!

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Where the Truth Lies by Jessica Warman Publisher: Bloomsbury (September 28th, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardcover: 320 pages
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Publisher On the surface, Emily Meckler leads the perfect life. She has three best friends, two loving parents, and the ideal setup at the Connecticut prep school where her father is the headmaster. But Emily also suffers from devastating nightmares about fire and water, and nobody knows why. Then the enigmatic Del Sugar enters her life, and Emily is immediately swept away—but her passionate relationship with Del is just the first of many things that aren't quite what they seem in Emily's life. As the lies she's been told start to unravel, Emily must set out to discover the truth regarding her nightmare; on a journey that will lead her to question everything she thought she knew about love, family, and her own idyllic past.

This companion novel to Warman's critically acclaimed Breathless proves that sometimes the biggest lies are told to the people you love the most. Review: Where the Truth Lies is a wonderfully written tale involving Emily, a junior, who begins her school year with many firsts, obstacles, and discoveries. The story begins with us getting to know Emily, her friends, and the details of the dreams that leave her breathless most nights. I thought that this book would focus heavily on these mysterious dreams Emily faces but I was wrong. While this is an important aspect of the story, Where the Truth Lies contains way more than this mystery. Early on Emily meets Del, a bad boy that immediately seems drawn to her. Their relationship puts her at odds with her parents and her friends, but deep down, Emily can't help but want to be with Del. Their secret encounters lead to much more than Emily ever anticipated.
As Emily faces unimaginable decisions, she finds out that Del may not be the person she thought he was. In addition, her parents, whom she has always trusted, may be hiding a dark secret that breaks apart the steady foundation that used to be her life. Emily's own strength and determination may be the only thing she can truly rely on.
Where the Truth Lies is not a quick read but I was completely submerged into Emily's story. The layers of the plot kept me guessing and gripping the pages. As I tried to piece together my own perception, the story would twist into a place I never considered. This, along with the outstanding characters, kept me wanting to read more. Jessica Warman's writing style is fantastic. She knows how to bring realistic situations to each page. Her descriptions, characters, and plot stayed true to what I imagine many teens face when dealing with love, friends, and family secrets.

Characters: Emily was very much like a typical teenage girl, struggling with school but enjoying her time with her friends and exploring love along the way. She, like many others, was not resistant to making mistakes or misjudging situations. As her story progressed I could see her grow and change into a stronger young lady. I enjoyed the light interactions she had with her best friends and seeing how they learned to deal with their own personal drama. Del was amazing because his personality didn't fall too much into one particular category. He wasn't too bad, too good, too perfect. He was mysterious and maybe a little damaged by his past, but I continuously wanted to know more about him. Emily's friends, and the wonderful"swoon" worthy Ethan, were all a great addition to the story because they were very multidimensional as well. Together, these characters made the perfect blend to bring together Emily's story.

Cover: I like this cover. I feel that it sums up the mystery aspect of the book with the school far in the background and the girl's hidden face.

Where the Truth Lies is the incredible story of a young girl, facing the challenges of life, and learning how to get past the lies in order to find the truth.

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Between by Jessica Warman
Publisher: Walker & Company (August 2nd, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Elizabeth Valchar--pretty, popular, and rich--wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday on the yacht where she'd been celebrating with her closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, she finds her own drowned body is hitting the side of the boat. Liz is dead.

She has no memory of what happened to her, and can only observe in horror the fallout of her death. She's also soon joined by Alex Berg, a quiet boy from her high school who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The two keep each other company, floating in and out of memories and trying to piece together the details of what happened to each of them.

In her regular life, Liz was a runner. It wasn't abnormal for her to run 8-10 miles per day. But as memories from closer to her death begin to surface, Liz finds that she'd been running much more than normal, and that she'd all but stopped eating. Liz's mother, who died when Liz was nine, had battled with anorexia as well, and those around her worried Liz was following in her mother's footsteps. But something more sinister was consuming Liz from the inside out..
Review: I was a huge fan of Jessica Warman's book Where the Truth Lies, so I had to read this one once I heard about it. I'm new to books that explore death in this way but I was not disappointed.

Between is from the perspective of a ghost, Liz. Liz just turned eighteen and her and her friends spent a wonderful night on her dad's boat. But then Liz wakes up and soon realizes maybe more happened that night than she can recall because somehow she ended up in the water, dead. But Liz is not alone. Alex is there with her and they soon learn that although they had a similar end, they were completely opposite in life. And, maybe something else unknown is bringing them together in death.

One of the things I liked about this book is that I hated Liz. Yes, that sounds strange. But Liz was not a nice person, at all! She was selfish, cruel, childish, and an all-around mean girl. It's rare to read a book where a character can be hated so much, but enjoyed at the same time. Liz is taken on a journey that explores her death and her life. She soon realizes the errors she made and seems to feel for the pain she caused.

Alex, on the other hand, was incredible! He is a character I just wanted to hug. I felt so horrible for what had happened to him but he was so mature and strong. Alex and Liz had some interesting conversations and they helped build a great foundation for friendship-- even if it was a little late.

Much of this story explores the mystery surrounding Liz's death. She can't remember what happened on the boat, or many of the details of her life. As time passes she slowly puts the pieces together, but in the end, the picture is not a pretty one. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters in this story. They did seem to represent the"typical" high school mean crowd but a few of them really learn a lot about each other after Liz dies.

Between brings in a heartwrenching story of a boy trying to find peace, and a girl trying to find out who she is. Jessica Warman delivers a book full of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the end.

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