[ARC Review] One Great Lie by Deb Caletti

One Great Lie by Deb Caletti might technically be a young adult novel, but the words in this story are so powerful and moving that anyone at any age will feel moved and touched by Charlotte’s story.

Charlotte thought she was the luckiest girl alive. Selected to participate in a famous author’s summer writing program, Charlotte will get to spend her summer after high school in Venice, Italy, learning and workshopping her writing with one of the most famous contemporary authors the world over. Charlotte’s ancestors hailed from Venice, so Charlotte sees this as her chance to not only impress her idol, but also discover more about her past and learn who the poet Isabella Di Angelo truly was. But as Charlotte uncovers secrets about Isabella, she also discovers who her idol, Luca Bruni, truly is as well. Through an eye opening series of events, Charlotte uncovers the secrets swept under the rug in both the past and the present, and discovers the depth of bravery that runs in her family. 

One Great Lie was such a fantastic story, full of so many layers in both Charlotte’s time and Isabella’s. I spent the first half of the book internally screaming over every interaction Charlotte had with Luca Bruni; my guard was up on her behalf, even though she is a fictional character. But, in reality, it is easy to see the folly when you are outside the situation. As much as I cringe to admit it, the relationship between Charlotte and Bruni is all too real, now and throughout history. Powerful men can bury all their problems and come out clean on the other side. Isabella found that out in the 1500s, and Charlotte finds that to be true still today. 

After Charlotte’s time with Bruni comes to a head, I still wound up unsettled with heartache over how other people reacted to the truth about Bruni. We see it so often with famous actors and politicians, and a whole Me Too movement was born to draw attention to the injustices victims often suffer through. 

The last part of the book, though, gave me so much hope. Charlotte was so brave, faced her fears, and became a more fulfilled person because of it. I also loved that, after everything Charlotte went through, she was still able to find love in the place where she was hurt. Charlotte went through so much: hopelessness over her parents fighting, jealousy over Bruni’s wandering attention, hope when she thought he actually saw her for who she was, torn when she finally saw him for who he was, lost when his fans took his side over hers, love when she followed her heart, and finally peace when she could finally tell Isabella’s story when it had been lost for so long. 

I went through so many emotions while reading One Great Lie. While at its heart, it’s a tale about finding yourself, this story covers so much more. It’s commentary on power dynamics, it’s commentary on victim shaming, and it’s commentary on the human need to feel wanted and how that is often exploited. 

As heart wrenching as parts of this book were, I loved every chapter of One Great Lie and I can’t wait to see what’s next from Deb Caletti.