In a gripping novel set in present-day England under a
Nazi regime, a sheltered teen questions what it means to be “good” — and how
far she’s willing to go to break the rules.
Nazi England, 2014. Jessika Keller is a good girl - a champion ice skater, model
student of the Bund Deutscher Mädel, and dutiful daughter of the Greater German
Reich. Her best friend, Clementine, is not so submissive. Passionately
different, Clem is outspoken, dangerous, and radical. And the regime has
noticed. Jess cannot keep both her perfect life and her dearest friend, her
first love. But which can she live without? Haunting, intricate, and
unforgettable, The
Big Lie unflinchingly interrogates perceptions of revolution,
feminism, sexuality, and protest. Back matter includes historical notes from
the author discussing her reasons for writing an “alt-history” story and the
power of speculative fiction.
BOOK REVIEW by Cynthia Parten
I received the ARC from NetGalley
in exchange for my honest review.
Okay, I have to admit that when I first saw this
premise, I mistakenly thought this would be a story set in England during WWII.
I have never been so happy to be wrong. No, this was Nazi England set in 2013.
It was so scary to see what would have happened if Hitler had never been
stopped.
The book had me hooked from the beginning. Jessika is a
"good girl." She follows the rules and rarely questions authority.
Her friend, Clementine, is a different story. Clementine was rebellious and
always questioned everything. The author did an incredible job if building this
world. First of all, it was kind of interesting the way they brushed over the
Holocaust during WWII. According to the Nazis in England, all the Jewish people
ran away to America and were never seen or heard from again. And everyone in
England is extremely distrustful of Americans, to the point that they don't
even allow any Americans on English soil. America was not in this story at all
and I kind of loved that. There was so much Nazi propaganda and racism that it
gave me chills. I know that people have felt this way in the past (and some
still do), so maybe that's why it was so chilling.
The author was so adept at showing Jessika's confusion
that I was even confused about some of the stuff happening. The reason for this
confusion was due in large part to the author's subtlety. I could see that
Jessika was struggling, not just with her sexuality, but with her parents and
the rules set by her country. She begins questioning everything she was ever
taught and I felt so sad for her. Everything that Jessika is told, she wants to
believe. The reader sees and hears everything that Jessika does and she is not
told everything, so the reader becomes as confused as Jessika. You kind of have
to read between the lines at the author's subtlety to figure out what exactly
is happening. Jessika begins to develop feelings for Clementine and is
thoroughly confused about her sexuality. Her sexuality is another one of those
things that you have to read between the lines . . . in the beginning, anyway.
She kissed Clementine, but then also started a relationship with the young man.
All of Jessika's struggles and fears were very, very subtle. There were times
when she seemed genuinely attracted to this young man. But then something would
happen and you would wonder if she had feelings for him or if she was just with
him because it was what was expected of her.
The story kind of falls apart towards the end though.
There came a time at about the 70% mark when the story just becomes dull.
Nothing much happens. The last thirty percent of the book drags and then the
ending seemed so hasty and rushed. I was not a fan of the ending at all and if
not for that (and the slow pacing of the last part of it), the book might have
gotten a higher rating for me.