Review: The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie by Radhika Sanghani

The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie is a contemporary story with a twist of magic that utterly enchanted me:  a story that sparkles bright with so much heart and humour and with strong bonds of family and friendship.

Twelve-year-old Priya Shah has been keeping her truths inside, telling lies to her family and friends so that she doesn’t let anyone down, letting them believe that her life is perfect so that she doesn’t disappoint.

But her life is far from perfect.  She is grieving the loss of her Ba who was the one person who she felt she could speak honestly to.  She is struggling with the pressure of expectation in her gymnastics, feeling that she must win to get the prize money to help her parents pay for her training.  Her home life is chaotic with parental arguments and financial worries, so much so that she is losing sleep which, coupled with her heavy gymnastics training schedule, is making her fall asleep in class. 

After another terrible day, she is comforting herself by looking at the gold bangle her Ba had given her, a bangle with a broken clasp making it unwearable but, when the bangle suddenly opens, she puts it on, wondering if her life will, at last, get any better …

The next day, Priya discovers that she is unable to answer a direct question with a ready lie.  She finds herself telling the truth, no matter how hard she tries not to.  Could her inability to lie have anything to do with the bangle, a bangle which she cannot take off? 

Imagine being twelve years old and never being able to tell a lie – even a white lie – not to your teachers, your friends, your family and even the boy who you’ve been hiding your crush from.  Luckily for Priya, she has two amazing friends in Mei and Sami who are incredibly supportive, but even they can’t always prevent her brutal honesty from getting her into trouble.  Can Priya find a way to open up and be honest with those she loves without hurting them?  Will her truthful revelations help or hinder her in finding true friendship and bringing her the happiness she has been yearning for?

This is an incredibly powerful and thought-provoking read with plenty of humour and insight into the ups and downs of relationships.  There is so much opportunity to empathise with the situations of others as people often keep hidden what they are scared to share with others as they are worried about a negative reaction or being judged. 

Priya is an incredibly sympathetic young girl who is so busy protecting others that she is bottling up her emotions, her feelings of grief, her anxieties and worries and her loneliness.  Whilst her Ba’s gift doesn’t always feel like a blessing, it helps Priya find the courage to face up to her own truths.  I really enjoyed the friendship between Priya, Mei and Sami which felt so genuine and brought lots of humour.  I also adored her younger sister, Pinkie, who has ADHD, and is a force to be reckoned with, not scared to show her emotions, express her own style, and stand up for herself. 

An insightful, relatable and absorbing story of family and friendship for children of 9+ who I have no doubt will be discussing it with, and recommending it to, their friends.

Thank you to Usborne for providing me with a proof copy in exchange for my honest opinion.