The Undoing of Thistle Tate

May 15, 2019
Home-schooled 17-year-old Thistle Tate is a celebrated YA author--but she's wracked with guilt over knowing that she's a fraud. Her father, Theo, wrote the Lemonade Skies series himself and pretended to be Thistle in order to get a publishing deal. Meanwhile, Thistle goes on book tours, talks to fans, and even deceives her agent and editor. Her next-door neighbor and best friend, Liam Caruso, is the only one to whom she's told her secret. She's been crushing on Liam for years, but her feelings get complicated when she connects with 17-year-old Oliver Flynn, who comes to a book signing on behalf of his younger sister, a superfan who's sick with Crohn's disease. The tension ramps up and the lies spiral after her father breaks both his arms falling off a ladder right before the final manuscript is due, and Thistle must figure out how to finish the trilogy herself. Woven throughout are excerpts from the Lemonade Skies series--a fantasy about a girl caught in a love triangle who discovers a portal to the afterworld--which provide an interesting balance as Thistle grapples with budding romance and her unresolved grief over her mother, who died when Thistle was 3. Detweiler (Transcendent, 2016, etc.) delivers an intriguing tale about honesty and family, though the ending drags. All main characters are white. Uneven pacing disappoints, but the emotional journey is satisfying. (Fiction. 12-18)

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June 1, 2019

Gr 8 Up-Thistle Tate, a homeschooled teenager, has achieved recent fame for writing two of three books in an inventive fantasy series with an angsty love triangle for the YA/tween market. One small problem? She didn't write Girl in the Afterworld, book 1 of "Lemonade Skies"-the true author is her widower father, Theo, a former English teacher and frustrated novelist. Almost no one knows the truth-not their high-powered agent or fantastic editor, and certainly not Thistle's fans. Only one person knows the secret: Liam, her next-door neighbor, best friend, and recent romantic interest. Thistle's sheltered life in Philadelphia becomes broken up with book tours, and she meets Oliver at an event in her hometown when he comes to get a book signed for his sick sister. Before long, Thistle is not only mired in deception but also deep in a burgeoning friendship with Oliver and his sister based on the lie she detests. As the deadline for the third-and Thistle hopes last-"Lemonade Skies" book looms, misfortune and her own love triangle complicate the happy ending she had hoped would lead to an honest and independent adult life. Snippets from "Lemonade Skies" open every chapter, giving some concrete details that provide dimension for Thistle's story. VERDICT Fandom-savvy readers may enjoy Thistle's insights into the book business and the drama of her complicated life.-Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2019
Grades 9-12 Thistle Tate is seventeen and a big-name YA author with the final installment of her Lemonade Skies trilogy due very soon. Only Thistle, her dad, and her best and only friend, Liam, know her secret: Thistle's dad wrote the books based on her ideas. She can't wait until the final book publishes so she can bury the lie and get on with her life. Then she meets Oliver and her guilt deepens as their new friendship pulls her away from Liam. When incidents occur that threaten to expose her, Thistle takes charge and leans on her new friends. As her deadline approaches, information regarding Thistle's late mother adds yet another twist. This book is perfect for readers struggling with questions of how far to go to protect those you love. Detweiler, a literary agent and author, knows both sides of publishing, and it shows, giving this novel an extra oomph of realism. Thistle is affable and easy to commiserate with, and, despite her increasingly complicated situation, her plight is lovingly and respectfully written.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)