The Big Lie

Reviews:

Mayhew explores the very unnerving scenario of a world in which the Nazi regime is still in power and thriving—and why...Terrifying and eerily timely, this is a difficult read—emotionally—for mature readers. An excellent choice for most YA shelves. ~School Library Journal (starred review)

Mayhew manages two feats, both crucial: she creates a believable modern-day Nazi society built on rules, silence, and surveillance, and a compelling depiction of a girl caught between what she has always been taught and what she is coming to suspect is true. As Jessika discovers, the truth is both dangerous and liberating. ~Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Readers who know their World War II history and enjoy extremely unreliable narrators will find great satisfaction in puzzling out the truth behind the horrors Jess leaves unspoken. ~Kirkus Reviews

Mayhew’s careful research and richly detailed plot create a frighteningly real world, and her thoughtful afterword explicitly spells out questions about our right and responsibility to create change through revolution. ~Booklist

Mayhew offers an intelligent, complex view of a dystopian society, one that reflects historical realities and, chillingly, our current world as well. In writing that’s quick, fresh, and witty she implicitly challenges readers, the “you” to whom Jess’s narrative is addressed, to choose between asking questions (“because you can”) and the alternative: “It’s all so easy, I don’t really have to think at all.” ~Horn Book

Beyond its alternate history premise, the book deftly examines the ways in which gender roles and sexuality play out under a society that strictly delineates them...There are surprises for both Jess and the reader in the ending, making this a timely piece for teens to consider what pacifism and/or protest looks like and the costs each entail; an author’s note explains her inspiration. ~Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books