I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Okay, so I requested this book because middle school me LOVED Deb Caletti. She was one of my most favorite authors. When I saw this book, I got excited. That being said, I didn't even look at the synopsis or anything, I just requested it and hoped to be approved.

I LOVED this book. As a girl who believes that women are so discounted throughout history particularly artists whose art is ignored and lost as time goes by. Recovery work is SO important to gender studies and many people have no idea the amount of work that recovery work takes. The two main storylines- Charlotte's and Isabella's- are so important today. Charlotte must learn to stay strong and speak out against the injustices that women face, especially by men in power. Isabella learned the hard way that speaking out is difficult and can hurt you irreparably. Beautiful story and a great read- exactly the sort of book I'm interested in reading and promoting!

Deb Caletti’s One Great Lie is a stunning YA novel about gender dynamics and issues of power, perfect for consideration in the aftermath of the #metoo movement.

Told in spare, gorgeous prose, the novel focuses on a girl who’s given her dream and then has to reckon with the fact that it’s not what she hoped it would be.

Charlotte is a typical junior at her high school: she and her best friend, Yasmin, have big dreams—Charlotte wants to be a writer, and Yasmin wants to work for NASA—but otherwise, they have the typical concerns of high school students: the next big project that’s due, how to deal with needy boyfriends, navigating family tension. Charlotte’s dad travels a great deal, and her mom’s temper is a constant source of stress, so Charlotte and her little sister Ella support each other and escape when they can.

One day, at the library, Charlotte sees a flyer advertising the possibility of a writer’s workshop with Luca Bruni, her absolute favorite author, in Venice. There’s no way her family has the money to pay for it, but there are scholarships available. On a whim, Charlotte applies. And she wins the scholarship.

She travels to Venice, ecstatic about the start of her career as a writer, about the opportunity to work with other students who are writers, to be in Italy, and—above all—to meet and learn from Luca Bruni.

I love this book so much. I think the questions it asks are important, and they’re asked and answered in a thought-provoking way that acknowledges their complexity. One of the book’s major subplots is that of Charlotte’s ancestor, Isabella Di Angelo, a woman who—it was rumored—wrote some famous poetry that has been credited for centuries to a man. As Charlotte works on her own writing and works with Venetian historians who become intrigued by her story, Caletti asks about the necessity of considering both the art and the artist, of the geniuses who use those around them as pawns in their own greatness. The author weaves in small blurbs about female artists at the beginning of each chapter, which serve to reinforce the themes of her novel.

I requested One Great Lie because of my admiration for Caletti’s book A Heart in a Body in the World, which dealt in nuanced ways with issues of violence and trauma, and this new novel completely lives up to the brilliance of that previous work. Caletti is doing important work here, and I can’t wait to put this one in the hands of students.

Charlotte is an aspiring writer, and she jumps at the chance to win a writing workshop in Venice, Italy with the famous author Luca Bruni. When she is accepted through a scholarship, she is elated because her story is good enough for her to be chosen. Charlotte also has a relative named Isabella, a poet who lived 500 years ago in Venice, and Charlotte is convinced that Isabella is the true author of a famous poem attributed to a man named Antonio Tasso. Charlotte enlists the help of a handsome, sweet boy named Dante who works at the library in Venice to help her solve the mystery, but at the same time, her writing workshop begins to take a frightening turn when Luca Bruni subtly hits on a couple of the girls and acts in a strange and mysterious manner. Soon the summer of a lifetime seems to blow up into more of a nightmare, and Charlotte will be tested far beyond what she ever imagined.

What an absolutely heartbreaking, relevant book this was. It was appalling to read about the way women were treated in Renaissance Italy as well as the way the girls in the story were treated. I felt so many things while reading, especially sadness, anger, longing, and triumph. After reading this realistic and lushly descriptive book, I wanted to go to Italy myself. I enjoyed learning more about Venetian culture and history, as well as the ways people, especially women, were able to overcome their awful circumstances. It was easy to sympathize with Charlotte and to get caught up in the mystery unfolding. Sweet Dante and his mother Maria were my favorite characters, as well as Aldo. Though the book has a feminist message, there were some kind men in the story that made me hopeful and showed that not all men are selfish and mean. Even though I didn't care for the profanity or agree with some of the views and lifestyles portrayed, I think this is an important book and I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

One Great Lie is a compelling YA novel that quickly draws you in to a mystery involving a young writer, Charlotte, and an elusive,Venetian poet, Isabella Di Angelo. Charlotte is head over heels when her dream comes true and she is awarded a scholarship to a writing workshop in Venice! Arriving in this romantic and stunningly visual and spectacular city, feels like an adventure of a lifetime to this determined young woman. The city is rich, serene, and uniquely seductive, as is the man who is Charlotte's teacher,the charming and powerful, Luca Bruni.

The villa on La Calamita island is gorgeous and luxuriant and Charlotte falls under a spell as she researches her possible lineage to the female poet, Isabella, and builds a firendship with an Italian student, Dante.
But as the sultry summer progresses Charlotte begins to see a darker,more ominous side of Luca. and realizes he is a dominant, controlling man as he oversteps the boundaries between man and young, beautiful and impressionable young woman, as well as teacher and student.

As the end of the summer draws near and things build to a devastaing daze of an ending, Charlotte must rely upon her own determination, pride and creative spirit to battle the dark truths of the real Luca Bruni and men like him.

DNF.

I should have looked at the formats available before requesting. PDF basically unreadable.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity.

Deb Caletti has crafted a five-star masterpiece that has set a new standard for stories of female empowerment. One Great Lie is a riveting story of women sidelined by men and the devastating ways men throughout history have controlled the fates of women who challenged them. Set along the dreamy canals and isles of Venice, Charlotte, an American student who aspires to be a writer, is selected for a summer program hosted by Luca Bruni, a legend in the field of literature. However, a dream opportunity becomes a nightmare when Luca creates elaborate scenarios to lure young women into secluded locations.

The story is balanced by women of Italy's cloistered past, who had been deprived of the right to publish, their words stollen by men who hid them away in convents or had them killed. As the past can never stay hidden, especially in the Aqua Alta of Venice, the truth floats to the surface, revealing the power of women helping other women.

This book is perfect for discussion and should be a necessary part of the literary canon. Please, add this to your library, share it with teachers and professors of literature. It would be no surprise if this becomes more than a nook. With romance and action, the story has a cinematic quality that would easily translate to the screen.

I absolutely loved the mystery within this novel. It was exactly what I was looking for when I requested this book. The setting and descriptions make you feel as though you are transported to Venice.

I was unable to read the format that this book came through on. I am going to get a hard copy to review. I have heard great things about it and the plot seems like something right up my alley.

I love Deb Caletti - she is such a talented writer and this book was so so good. A little dark and gritty and unlike most of the contemporary rom-coms that hit the shelves in the summer. I enjoyed the pacing and I loved the setting. Would highly recommend to fans of Caletti or those looking to get out of the standard YA genre. This is a bit off beat and that's why I enjoyed it so much.

I started out not really liking this book - it was just your basic teen novel about a girl on an adventure to a writing workshop in Venice. She's insecure but when a famous author starts to notice her, she feels special.
But things spiral out of control. There are really two stories going on in this book - Charlotte the writer working with Luca and the how powerful men influence the lives of women, and the story of Charlotte's ancestor, and how women were treated at second class citizens and essentially shuttered when they showed any sign of stepping out of line or being independent. A story as old as time which unfortunately, still happens today. Hopefully books like this will help put a stop to it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Penguin Teen for early access to the novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

One Great Lie became one of my all time favorite novels within just a few chapters. I will be reading and recommending this one again and again.

I love the unique ways I got to meet everyone who matters to Charlotte, the 18 year old protagonist. Through these brief introductions to her multi-dimensional friends, family, and teachers, Charlotte's own complexities take shape.

I love how Charlotte's passion and dreams shine through beautiful prose. Never have I read a book with so many dynamic sentences that touched my soul in a way I want to keep them nearby always.

I love the chapter openers, mini biographies of Renaissance women (mostly poets) who have been all but erased from history. These true stories along with the mystery of Charlotte's fictional ancestor Isabella bring to light the deep-rooted tendrils of sexism that still hold tight to today's society. Charlotte's struggle with this is layered in her personal experiences, her research into Isabella, and her self- exploration through her writing.

I love how this novel is a partially a frame story, with some charachter and plot development happening as we "listen to" fledgling authors read their seminar assignments aloud. We similarly learn more about their idolized writing instructor as he models the skills and as he responds to the attempts of Charlotte and the other students.

One Great Lie is about many great lies that impact Charlotte and other charachters. In some cases, it made me angry and sad, and in others, it made me proud, curious, or excited.

I love this novel, and look forward to sharing it with teen and adult readers both.

I tried reading this, I really did. I made my way to the halfway point and couldn't go any further.
The mystery aspect of the story was subpar. It was very slow. I didn't feel the characters; I couldn't relate to any of them. This was not what I was expecting it to be.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

I wish this was 2 separate books. 1 story about Charlotte looking into her family's past and another one about the summer writing program and what happens there. It was too much all at once. I felt like the beginning of the book was a little slow. Then after Charlotte leaves Italy, it seems like the book skipped over some pretty important part for the storyline. It moved too quickly then. I loved Charlotte, Dante and Maria. They made the book. Without them it would have been a dnf.

I’ve been reading Deb Caletti’s books since I was a young adult myself. Thus, I found myself really looking forward to delving into One Great Lie. I think that Caletti has this spectacular way of exploring issues that affect girls and women in a way that feels realistic. Although certain elements of One Great Lie were a bit outside of reality (the writing fellowship in Venice with the world famous author and scholarship), the really important parts definitely could have been ripped from real life – particularly from the experiences of #MeToo.

One Great Lie is about Charlotte, a girl from Seattle who is unassuming and quiet. She dreams of being a writer. Charlotte applies for a writing program where she will be mentored by her favorite writer, Luca Bruni, in Venice. Of course, she gets in and has a scholarship. At first, it is a dream come true. Only, then things change. You see, Luca is not to be trusted. He uses his position to take advantage of girls, chews them up, and spits them out as Charlotte and her fellow participants will discover.

Interspersed with what happens at the writing program is a subplot. The subplot involves Charlotte looking for the work and truth of a relative who was a female poet in the 1500s. She has received no recognition for her work. With the help of a new friend, Dante, and an Italian professor, Charlotte looks to the past and sees she is not the first girl to have a powerful man wreck her dreams. She sees a whole history of women who never received the recognition the men of their time did. Instead, these women were sent to convents, accused of using magic, as well as of being prostitutes. Some even saw their work stolen and taken credit for by the men.

I think that the themes within One Great Lie are extremely relevant to today. With Luca Bruni, you can see the parallels to Harvey Weinstein, among other examples. The setting for this book is immersive and interesting. I also liked the history that was added, particularly about Venice and the different festivals. However, the pacing is a bit slow. I also never totally felt engaged while reading. The themes within of power and control are very important, however, and I do think that this book definitely deserves a read.

In this time of the Me-Too movement, one of the plots of this YA novel was fairly predictable. Charlotte is an aspiring writer who is thrilled to be chosen to spend a summer in Venice under the tutelage of Bruni, her author idol. This will give her the opportunity to research her ancestor, a woman Charlotte is convinced was actually a wonderful but unrecognized poet who was overshadowed by her famous lover. There is plenty of foreshadowing that Bruni is not what he sees, and other female students show signs of being troubled by him, so Charlotte's eventual betrayal by him is not a surprise, but it is nonetheless moving. What is particularly poignant, though, is her tenacious research into early Venetian poets and the relationship that develops with a young archivist and his bookseller mom. This is both a cautionary tale and a satisfying mystery/romance.

“One Great Lie” is a wonderful young adult novel by Deb Caletti.

Charlotte is getting ready to graduate and eager for change. When she sees a flyer for an opportunity to attend a writing retreat with the author whom she idolizes, she is all for it. A chance to spend the summer in a villa in Venice and be mentored by the author you worship? Of course, nothing could go wrong! At the same time, there is side plot where Charlotte tries to find out more about a distant family member’s lost poetry.

If you are expecting your typical coming of age/summer romance, you will be disappointed. The subject matter of sexual harassment (if you see where this is going, you’re right) is very timely. There are scenes that are downright uncomfortable, but also unfortunately realistic. The author handles this subject matter without coming across as preachy. Charlotte’s connection (other than familial) to the poet, Isabella, is made clear, though I think this novel could have been just as strong without that detour.

Deb Caletti has a wondrous ability to capture the heart of teens such as Charlotte. She also is good at building suspense and her dialogue between the characters is highly believable. Three and a half stars.

My thanks to Deb Caletti, the publisher and Net Galley for a chance to read and review this novel.

I didn’t enjoy this. It felt like too much going on and not cohesively. The part from the 1500s felt too dry, I didn’t care for the characters. I’m sure others will love this book but it’s just not for me.

This book begins with a high school senior's acceptance into a summer writing program sponsored by her favorite author, and concludes with her playing a role in resolving a historical mystery. While I enjoyed the book overall, it felt as if this was actually two separate plots that were supposed to mesh, but never really did. I found the story about the workshop, and the famous author turning out to be a sexual predator somewhat predictable, and the blame and disbelief that the young women suffer for coming forward didn't seem credible in the wake of MeToo. In contrast, I really enjoyed the search for the truth about an obscure woman Renaissance poet, and wish the entire book had been focused on this. Certainly a point about how differently men and women writers and artists are treated is relevant today, even without the sexual predator story line. Beautiful atmospheric descriptions of Venice, great author voice and characters, especially the main character Charlotte, and Dante, the love interest.

This was the first book I read by Deb Caletti, and I will most likely be picking up her other books. I did enjoy the plot, especially the twists and turns, but the best part for me was the weaving of history and vivid imagery throughout. And oh my, the lies. All the lies! Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Deb Caletti’s latest work is a compelling read, offering discussions of lost innocence, fallen idols, and thoughts about one’s sense of “place.”

Caletti does a good job in showing readers how easy it can be to become swept up by the romance of a new place—the sights, the sounds and the people. What existed before becomes secondary to what is happening within the moment, especially when “home” is so far away.

Words and statements can become hypnotic poetry in this other place…stirring the senses, helping one lose track of what one knows they should be doing and feeling, making things that should normally seem wrong and inappropriate, seem acceptable. When paired within a group setting, there’s the added pressure of wanting to make sure that one belongs, especially when one feels that one’s at a disadvantage because of age, as well as perceived sense of a lack of experience compared to everyone else. Luckily for our protagonist, conscience and understanding do prevail, though at the expense of innocence and trust.

It’s also interesting how Caletti pairs the present with the past—stories that complement each other with their ongoing themes of gender politics, with some justice meted out in the final pages.