At the Speed of Lies

Starred review from April 17, 2023
Former CIA officer Otis (True or False) crafts a timely, pulse-pounding mystery that examines issues surrounding conspiracy theories, media literacy, and social media’s prevalence. Canandaigua, N.Y., high school junior Quinn Calvet—who has rheumatoid arthritis and uses a wheelchair—runs a well-known Instagram account called The Whine, where she reports on events within her community, such as track meets and extracurricular proceedings. When fellow student Cade Bird requests that Quinn use The Whine to promote his new club, Defend Kids, she’s initially hesitant, seeing Cade as a bully. She relents, however, when he reveals that Defend Kids was founded to help locate two kidnapped youths. After the club—and The Whine—go viral, Quinn, her classmates, and the rest of the community are swept along on Cade’s hunt, until cracks begin to appear in the missing kids’ mystery. Though the messaging is potent, it is never polemic, and by employing tense atmosphere and perceptive characters, Otis attentively interrogates social media’s part in spreading misinformation, and how even the smallest lies can escalate to catastrophic outcomes. Most characters are white. Ages 12–up.

May 1, 2023
An Instagram influencer who uses a wheelchair becomes embroiled in conspiracies. Quinn Calvet's junior year isn't starting out well. She'd hoped to bond with her older sister, Ava, before Ava left for college; hang with her best friend, Ximena; and boost engagement on her Instagram account, "The Whine." But Ava's obsessed with grades and extracurriculars, especially Defend Kids, a club to fight child trafficking...which is helmed by notorious bully Cade Bird. And Ximena's inseparable from her boyfriend, making Quinn--who already feels socially behind her peers after rheumatoid arthritis caused her to miss most of seventh grade--feel left out. When Cade reports that two classmates have disappeared, Quinn amplifies the news on "The Whine." But as her followers skyrocket, commenters mob "The Whine" with conspiracy theories and coded references to the Cabal, a mysterious organization supposedly abducting kids across the Northeast U.S. Soon, Quinn's social media account becomes a vector for misinformation and vigilantes' violent threats as she and attractive Asher King, her unexpected sidekick, frantically sort fact from fiction. But how can Quinn deactivate her Instagram and lose this source of income when her family struggles financially? Otis, a former CIA officer, realistically examines conspiracy theories while extending compassion to believers. The dialogue is occasionally heavy on exposition, and some secondary characters lack nuance; however, the author's portrayals of disability, ableism, and growing up experiencing both are insightful. Most main characters are White. A timely, unsettling, and insightful read. (author's note) (Suspense. 14-18)

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