Lydia Cooper Is a Lie

 

One photo. That’s all it took to turn Lydia Cooper’s quiet life with her dad into a full-on run for survival.

Lydia’s dad works in cybersecurity, so he knows exactly what the internet can do to a person. No social media, heavy parental controls, the whole lockdown. Lydia thinks he’s just being the most overprotective dad on the planet. So when she gets left out of yet another group chat and misses movie night at her crush’s house, she’s had enough. She figures out his password, makes the account everyone at school is on, and finally starts to feel like she belongs. Then an innocent group photo she’s tagged in changes everything, and suddenly she and her dad are running for their lives from people she didn’t know existed.  

Turns out her whole history is built on secrets, and she’s not even sure who she really is.

Lydia Cooper Is a Lie is smart, fast, and packed with twists. What I loved most is that Meaghan McIsaac writes Lydia as an actual kid. No eye-rolling sarcasm, no 13-going-on-30 attitude, just an earnest girl who wants to fit in, which makes you root for her hard when things go sideways. 

Jensen Olaya’s narration is a big part of why it works. Her voice sounds young, and she nails all the swirl of nerves and confusion Lydia’s feeling. It’s the everyday middle school stuff, fitting in, first crushes, the pull of social media, dropped into a movie-style thriller, and the combo really works. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Quick note for parents: this gives your middle grade reader a genuine thriller without anything beyond a PG-13 rating.

 

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted early listen. Out tomorrow. 

If you enjoyed this review, you might also be interested in Julie A. Swanson's book North of Tomboy.

About the Author

Meaghan McIsaac is the author of several books for young readers, including Lydia Cooper Is a Lie, Cheat Code, Movers, and The Bear House. She has an MA in writing for children from the University of Winchester and is also an illustrator for picture books and graphic novels. 

Follow Meaghan on Instagram and find more news and information about her books at her website.