At the age of fifteen, some people might discover a talent for a musical instrument like the cello, xylophone or aboriginal didgeridoo. Others, more on the athletic side, may perfect a complex high dive or throw a baseball so fast and ferocious they are immediately recruited as the new closing pitcher for a minor league Japanese baseball team.
Cat Young realized that she could lie. And lie well.
In the graffiti-covered hallways of Boston Jefferson High, the didgeridoo prodigy wouldn’t have received a lot of attention. The pitching ace would likely be the subject of some favorable gossip, but even he would be overshadowed by the weekly arrest of a student for possession, assault, or human trafficking.
Jefferson was kind of a rough school.
However, the right kind of lie, when told to the right kind of people in the right kind of place, could cause a kind of high-school notoriety seldom seen outside of teen dramadies. A well-told lie could guarantee instant popularity, an acne free complexion and/or a lifetime of happiness. Even at Jefferson.
Or, as in Cat’s particular scenario, a good lie could almost get you killed.
Complete at 77,000 words , Full of It is a gritty, but hopeful, young-adult novel with relatable, flawed characters. I’m currently working on a follow-up novel, Cry on Command, which follows these same characters through their junior year of high school. If you are a literary agent and you’re interested in learning more about Full of It, please email me at jenny AT jennymcneil DOT com.
