Review: Fake by Beck Nicholas

How well do you really know the people that are closest to you? Your mum? Your dad? Your boyfriend? Your best friend? When seventeen-year-old Kath McKenny uses the internet to get sweet revenge on her ex-boyfriend who dumped her for the local mean girl Laura and who humiliated her in front of the whole school, she ends up uncovering a lot more than she intended to. It turns out that everyone she knows is keeping some surprising secrets ...

Fake is an absorbing YA novel that has a surprising amount of depth. Although marketed as a tale of sweet revenge, this one also has a lot to say about human nature and the ways that we sometimes, quite willingly, choose to deceive ourselves and others. It was also wonderful watching the relationship between Kath and Sebastian develop, despite some interference from Laura and the fact that both of them were keeping some pretty big secrets. There is also some subtle themes of forgiveness and redemption that I found quite lovely. And each of the characters and their secrets, though huge and sometimes surprising, were always believable.

I highly recommend this one--it's a great read for the intended YA audience and also has enough material to keep adult readers entertained and guessing. 

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