CW: racism, casual ableism, pregnancy & birth (graphic/on page), violence, alcohol use, drug use mentioned, gun violence, police brutality, death of a parent mentioned, infertility & miscarriage mentioned, classism, bullying, violence, child abuse

this type of contemporary isn't usually my go-to, so I had a bit of a hard time getting into it, but overall a really good read. Johnson has a way with words and I'd be interested in what she writes next.

The Kindest Lie skillfully weaves together the experiences and perspectives of multiple characters in a floundering small town to present a novel where there are no easy answers. Johnson excels at giving her characters unique voices and slowly unraveling their life story to explain who they've become and why. Ironically, the character I felt least compelled by was Ruth. Her naivety and lack of planning frustrated me at times, while in other scenarios her dialogue read too perfect to believe a real person would react how she was. Luckily by the end of the book I felt like Ruth had matured into accepting more responsibility for herself while still speaking her truth. Otherwise, I thought each of the characters were written very authentically, and that Johnson obviously did the research to ensure they would be. The book was much less dramatic than I had expected it to be, which isn't a negative feature. Instead of using flashy, scandalous tropes, Johnson grabs the reader's attention by pitting Ruth's differing responsibilities against each other to a devastating effect. Ultimately, this is a story about the weight of the sacrifices families must make to protect their youngest members, and how Black families are always expected to sacrifice more. I would recommend this book to other readers, especially those looking for stories with multifaceted narratives about race and class in the United States.

"Perfect mothers didn't exist, only perfectly flawed ones did." 

This book is all about the secrets we keep out of love & protection. To give our loved ones every single advantage they can have in this world to succeed. It's a beautiful message but as this story proves - it can be messy & complicated all the same. Every decision has its consequences, but you won't always know its consequences right away. 

I was just a little bit older Midnight & Corey in 2008. I was wrapping up 8th grade and I didn't know what a new presidency, a recession, & the financial fallout would bring. All I knew is that the adults around me were nervous.  This book did a great job of showing the fears of all different kinds of people at that time. 

It took me a little bit to get into Midnight's storyline in the beginning. I struggled to figure out his role in all of this, but the last 100 pages or so flew by as I couldn't want to find out what happened. 
The book ended with some questions - I'd like to find out how Xavier and Ruth move on & if they decide to have children. 

"One thing I learned a long time ago is that you can't live your life looking back."

Thank you  @williammorrowbooks for the gifted copy.

Bookdragon rating 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I finished The Kindest Lie a few days ago and I can't stop thinking about it because there is so much to unpack. This novel was a perfect blend of rich character and plot development. It starts out very slow but so many layers and back story are added on that the wait is worth it. By the time the story reached its peak, it was so tense I was literally holding my breath. The writing style is so beautiful and poetic that you are captivated from the very first sentence. It was an emotional roller coaster but I'm glad I went for the ride. Ruth and Midnight played tug of war with my heart the entire time.

This book is a window into a segment of the country that isn't always in the spotlight. Your own perspective will be tested with the different dilemmas each character is facing and the decisions they choose to make. Each one is essentially in survival mode trying to maintain secrets and lies but the truth always comes out at the worst times. 

I was left pondering:

- What defines motherhood? How do you begin to mother in the future when the choices about your own body were taken away?
- How can you live an authentic life while holding on to so much pain and keeping secrets?
- How do you fill the void of feeling unwanted by your parents?
- Does lying for the greater good ever pan out?
- How could Ruth's family and Lena's family never address the very real racial barriers/ bias in their friendship?
- How will Midnight deal with his brewing racial tensions?
- Does marraige automatically require full disclosure of past trauma?
- How does society return the innocence of youth back to Black children?
- How do groups with similar struggles of varying degrees come to a place of open communication and move past the biases?
- Class and education cannot save you from the violence of racism. 

My mind is still spinning with so many thoughts. This book is timely, necessary and beautifully written. I cannot wait to see else the author has in store for us because this debut packed a punch.