Lies take life in this excellent novel about a young Israeli girl who finds power in deceit. Nofar Shalev is 17, exceedingly unremarkable, and stuck in the shadow of her beautiful younger sister, Maya. She spends her summer evenings working at an ice cream parlor and hopes to be noticed by her high school crush. Instead, she encounters Avishai Milner, a winner of a televised singing contest who is now washed up and without future prospects. After Avishai lashes out verbally at Nofar, the teenage girl flees to the alley behind the shop, and Avishai follows and grabs her, causing Nofar to scream. When asked by police if she had been assaulted, Nofar says yes. This lie snowballs into an unstoppable force, garnering media attention and sweeping up friends and family members along with it as Nofar battles between her building guilt and her fear of rejection if she comes clean. Though some characters fall to the wayside and leave the reader curious as to their purpose in the story, Nofar's internal journey makes up for it. This tender and satisfying coming-of-age story leads readers to question how a split second can change lives. (Sept.)

This slyly edgy second novel from Isreali author Gundar-Goshen (Waking Lions, 2017) explores the repercussions of a split-second decision by a socially awkward 17-year-old. When Nofar, working for the summer at an ice cream parlor, is insulted by a formerly popular singer, she runs into the alley behind the store. He follows, she screams, and everyone around assumes that he has attempted to assault her. Nofar goes along with the story, and is swept into becoming something of a national heroine for her bravery in standing up to him. Her decisions impact the lives of the teenage boy who witnessed the non-attack, the jealous younger sister who resents Nofar's newfound popularity, and, eventually, an elderly woman who has told some lies of her own. Gundar-Goshen explores the thin line between lying and story-telling, and considers whether lying may ever have positive consequences. She writes with detached affection for her misguided but essentially well-meaning characters, skipping nimbly among their points of view, and introducing new ones along the way. Both sardonic and touching, the novel raises questions of morality for which there are no easy answers. Its timely subject matter and intriguing, unpredictable plot are sure to prompt discussion among readers.--Margaret Quamme Copyright 2010 Booklist