A review by writesofluid
The First True Lie by Marina Mander

4.0

A young boy continues with his everyday life, masking the fact that his mother is dead in a bid to prevent being sent to a horrible orphanage.

Mesmerising read. Hard to get into the swing of at first, Luca's observations soon make a captivating read; a mixture of imaginative and wise ramblings that he uses to control his feelings and as a distraction from the ever-obvious fact that his mother is dead.

The dramatic question of how this will be discovered makes this novel a page-turner. The ending, though abrupt, seems apt as we witness the last few moments of Luca's deceit and how he chooses to finally deal with it.

Full review to appear here soon.