One Great Lie by Deb Caletti

ONE GREAT LIE is the latest young adult novel from award-winning author Deb Caletti (see especially A Heart in a Body in the World). Unfortunately, this most recent title which dealt with misogyny and sexual harassment was disappointing to me and I honestly did not finish it.  Thanks to a scholarship, the main character (Charlotte, a recent high school graduate) heads to Venice and a summer writing program run by Luca Bruni, a famous writer who is also rumored to be inappropriately involved with young women. At the beginning of each chapter, there is a reference to a female Italian poet, generally from the 1500s or 1600s. While interesting and informative, that also reinforced the sense of impending trauma, calling to mind the famous painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Charlotte is also seeking to learn more about a female relative and poet from that time period – I wish the historical part of the story had developed earlier and more fully. I have sincerely enjoyed numerous titles by Deb Caletti so while I had reservations about ONE GREAT LIE, please note that it did receive starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.