The Book:
Two Truths and a Lie by Meg Mitchell Moore, 2020
The Characters:
Sheri and her daughter Katie
Rebecca and her daughter Alexa
The Plot (from Goodreads):
Truth: Sherri Griffin and her daughter, Katie, have recently moved to the idyllic beach town of Newburyport, Massachusetts. Rebecca Coleman, widely acknowledged former leader of the Newburyport Mom Squad (having taken a step back since her husband’s shocking and tragic death eighteen months ago), has made a surprising effort to include these newcomers in typically closed-group activities. Rebecca’s teenage daughter Alexa has even been spotted babysitting Katie.
Truth: Alexa has time on her hands because of a recent falling-out with her longtime best friends for reasons no one knows—but everyone suspects have to do with Alexa’s highly popular and increasingly successful YouTube channel. Katie Griffin, who at age 11 probably doesn’t need a babysitter anymore, can’t be left alone because she has terrifying nightmares that don’t seem to jibe with the vague story Sherri has floated about the “bad divorce” she left behind in Ohio. Rebecca Coleman has been spending a lot of time with Sherri, it’s true, but she’s also been spending time with someone else she doesn’t want the Mom Squad to know about just yet.
Lie: Rebecca Coleman doesn’t have a new man in her life, and definitely not someone connected to the Mom Squad. Alexa is not seeing anyone new herself and is planning on shutting down her YouTube channel in advance of attending college in the fall. Sherri Griffin’s real name is Sherri Griffin, and a bad divorce is all she’s running from.
Sheri and Katie were in witness protection. Sheri was paranoid that her ex or his henchmen would find them, but they never did.
The Ending:
The SUV that Alexa kept seeing that she thought was the “bad men” was just her father making sure she was okay. On the night of the big party, Alexa’s ex Tyler was stalking her. He stole her mom’s car and went to Cam’s house to “get his girl back”. Cam took the keys and was returning Alexa’s mom’s car, but hit a deer and died.
The Review:
I know we hate it when reviewers compare books to Big Little Lies, but this really did remind me of it. The rich seaside town and the gossipy mom squad? I loved it. I especially loved how the parts from the Mom Squad’s point of view were just a “we”, instead of a specific person, since they were a single hive-minded entity. So well done.
Two Truths and a Lie was the perfect entertaining beach read. I enjoyed all the characters and their private struggles, although there wasn’t much plot. If you’re looking for a character-driven book that’s entertaining and easy to follow, you’ll be satisfied with this one!
I also love reading books about places I know well. THEY GO TO BODA BORG. I LOVE BODA BORG. No one outside of Boston or Sweden (or apparently Ireland and Switzerland, who knew) is going to know what Boda Borg is, but I’ve been countless times and it’s hands down the funnest activity ever. I’ve done it for 8 hours straight before. I’ve never seen it mentioned before and don’t expect to ever again.
