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zoes_human's review
3.0
Half the Lies You Tell Are True is a contemporary thriller with incredible relevance to a multitude of current events—the daily struggles of teachers, violence in schools, the dangers of accusations on social media, the manipulation of events by the press.
The first chapter comes out hard and strong. It pulls you in immediately, and the pace never slackens. I found myself curious and wondering, flipping theories back and forth in my head, and being drawn ever forward in the story. C.P. Wilson does an excellent job of examining the inherent horrors and struggles of modern schools.
As someone born and raised in the US, I can’t help but think what a radically different story this would have been here. It would have been a gun. More than one life would have been lost.
The first chapter comes out hard and strong. It pulls you in immediately, and the pace never slackens. I found myself curious and wondering, flipping theories back and forth in my head, and being drawn ever forward in the story. C.P. Wilson does an excellent job of examining the inherent horrors and struggles of modern schools.
sarahs_bookish_life's review
5.0
The story is set in three parts. We start off with the horrific knife attack by student Harry Jardine on a well thought of teacher, Dougie Black. Sadly this isn't just fiction. In the last two years there has been very similar attacks in high schools near me. It always makes you wonder why do these students do what they do.
In Half The Lies You Tell the author goes some way in to why these things happen and it makes for some shocking and emotive reading. We get to know both Dougie and Harry better and as much as I would never condone what Harry has done, my heart literally broke for both of them.
I like how the author incorporates social media and the mix of responses to the news. Everyone jumping on the band wagon coming straight out with what they think and going off hearsay. It is quite sad actually and I hope it makes people sit back and think about how damaging some of the things they say can be.
Frankie is a great character. A teacher who Dougie mentored and of who Frankie has a lot of respect for. No one really knows the man behind the teacher but students and teachers alike have always held him in high esteem. Having witnessed the attack, Frankie, like the reader is trying to get her head around what has happened.
Half The Lies You Tell is a hard hitting and powerful read that had me going through a whole array of emotions. I think it teaches the reader that in a world that is very quick to judge, we should sit back and look at the bigger picture and try and be more understanding about why these things happen. A gripping yet heart breaking read. Loved it.
In Half The Lies You Tell the author goes some way in to why these things happen and it makes for some shocking and emotive reading. We get to know both Dougie and Harry better and as much as I would never condone what Harry has done, my heart literally broke for both of them.
I like how the author incorporates social media and the mix of responses to the news. Everyone jumping on the band wagon coming straight out with what they think and going off hearsay. It is quite sad actually and I hope it makes people sit back and think about how damaging some of the things they say can be.
Frankie is a great character. A teacher who Dougie mentored and of who Frankie has a lot of respect for. No one really knows the man behind the teacher but students and teachers alike have always held him in high esteem. Having witnessed the attack, Frankie, like the reader is trying to get her head around what has happened.
Half The Lies You Tell is a hard hitting and powerful read that had me going through a whole array of emotions. I think it teaches the reader that in a world that is very quick to judge, we should sit back and look at the bigger picture and try and be more understanding about why these things happen. A gripping yet heart breaking read. Loved it.
shelleyann01's review
4.0
The story line pulled me in from the start and the way it played out held my attention throughout and the characters were intriguing. Mark Wilson is a very good story teller, he seems to understand the inner workings of how evil people can be and is really in tune to people and their motives. There was a very honest development of plot, where individuals were progressing and you were able to understand the basic idea portrayed as the chapters furthered on. Granted there may have appeared lots of developing schemes, that were overshadowed, yet the main focus stayed intact. Overall, it caught and held my attention until the end.
petra_reads's review
4.0
I found this far more emotional than I had expected. In [b:Half The Lies You Tell Are True|40118513|Half The Lies You Tell Are True|C.P. Wilson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1526290489s/40118513.jpg|62214648], [a:C.P. Wilson|16197826|C.P. Wilson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1484844496p2/16197826.jpg] dissects the before and after of an attack by a pupil on a respected teacher in a Scottish secondary school.
I was initially convinced I knew where this story was heading and was then shocked when I found out what had really been going on.
Bit by bit, the reader is introduced to the private personas of the experienced, helpful science teacher and the sixteen-year-old boy who stabbed him. Their backgrounds and relationships with families and friends are revealed and the story becomes increasingly tragic. It was impossible to not feel empathy for both of them. All the characters felt very real, so did the dialogue.
The (mis)use of social media and news reporting play an important role. This book made me feel glad that my children grew up with only "normal" peer pressure and not the added, constant pressure of social media.
A heartbreaking, powerful and topical book, that I was glued to. I'm glad I read it, but it left me emotionally worn-out.
I was initially convinced I knew where this story was heading and was then shocked when I found out what had really been going on.
Bit by bit, the reader is introduced to the private personas of the experienced, helpful science teacher and the sixteen-year-old boy who stabbed him. Their backgrounds and relationships with families and friends are revealed and the story becomes increasingly tragic. It was impossible to not feel empathy for both of them. All the characters felt very real, so did the dialogue.
The (mis)use of social media and news reporting play an important role. This book made me feel glad that my children grew up with only "normal" peer pressure and not the added, constant pressure of social media.
A heartbreaking, powerful and topical book, that I was glued to. I'm glad I read it, but it left me emotionally worn-out.
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