BONUS FEATURE: Exclusive Author Interview EMMA: Sometimes it’s easier to tell lies than it is to tell the truth. ANNA: We could pull this one off, no problem at all. MARIAH: You’ve told lies before, haven’t you? Everyone’s told lies. One Friday night Emma, Anna, and Mariah, three best friends, are out doing something they shouldn’t. Then a cell phone rings. One girl’s mother wants to know why they aren’t where they said they’d be. They make up a story so they won’t get in trouble at home. It seems like the easy way out. What happens next challenges their friendship, their community, their relationships with their families, and their sense of themselves. What happens next shows the harm one lie can do. Told in the voices of the three girls who must learn to live with the lies they tell, Harmless is a gripping and provocative audio full of startling turns and surprises.
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"A great story about how small lies can turn big. Well, their lie wasn't so small, but the consequences were much more far reaching than the girls ever imagined. The voices of the characters, 3 freshman girls, are distinct and lend believability to an otherwise after-school-special kind of story. Explores the usual theme suspects; popularity, family relationships, individuality, etc but the real heavy hitters are teen sexuality, violence and self acceptance. Yeah yeah, I know. What's new? But Harmless' take on these tender tender topics is insightful, and so true to life that it made my stomach turn a little." — Jenny (4 out of 5 stars)
"A great story about how small lies can turn big. Well, their lie wasn't so small, but the consequences were much more far reaching than the girls ever imagined. The voices of the characters, 3 freshman girls, are distinct and lend believability to an otherwise after-school-special kind of story. Explores the usual theme suspects; popularity, family relationships, individuality, etc but the real heavy hitters are teen sexuality, violence and self acceptance. Yeah yeah, I know. What's new? But Harmless' take on these tender tender topics is insightful, and so true to life that it made my stomach turn a little."
" This book is about the three girl that lied to their parents because they knew that if they ask permission that they will go to a party with boys their parents will not let them so they thought of a another reason so their parents will let them. "
" Powerful. Everyone should read this! It is scary to think how often this happens and how often those people living on the margins are accused of crimes and misdemeanors when they are completely innocent. Repeating hearsey -just as dangerous. Reinhardt makes the reader question themselves. Reading this book should make us all a bit more selfaware. "
" When Emma and Anna become part of Mariah's group it is pretty exciting - hanging out with Mariah's older friends and lying to their parents to go to parties at the boys' houses when their parents are out of town. When they're caught it seems so harmless to just tell a little lie - and then it explodes in their faces. "
" This author's novels are on the upper end of the quality of YA literature. Her writing is excellent, and her stories are sophisticated. "
" Who would have though...one harmless, little, white lie? Interesting, frustrating, fast! "
" Three teens make up a lie so huge the entire town is involved - all to avoid being grounded for staying out too late and lying about where they were. The book beautifully crafts these three girls as individuals with their own motives and results from this lie. "
" the main characters were stupid. errggggg "
" Kind of disappointing. It had a lot of potential but ultimately fell short. The best part of this book was one of the character's brothers named Silus. Frankly, I would have rather read his story, if he had one. "
" Not a huge fan. A good theme, but very predictable and juvenile. "
" I really liked this one. A story about how a small lie can have a life of it's own. Also about good kids making bad choices. The characters were likeable and totally believable. "
" I could not sympathize with these girls at all. Their parents, yes - even the difficult and horrid stepfather, Carl - but not the girls. The girls were stupid and compounded it by lying. Just stupid. "
" Felt like a waste of reading time. "
" really stupid...didn't enjoy it at all :( "
" Really discussable, but still pretty meh. "
" this book was SOOO awful trust me it is even worth it!! it was just so stupid and if they had made up a more reasonable story they wouldnt have been in the mess they were in. i want the two day of my life it took to read this book back. "
" Three girls cook up a lie to explain why they're late coming home and it comes back to bite them. "
" Great story line, shows the dangers of creating what seems to be a "harmless" lie to avoid getting in trouble. Maybe not best for middle school (sexual situations, description) but overall a pretty decent read. Told from 3 different points of view. "
" Anna, Emma, and Mariah discover that harmless little lies are not harmless or little, and as the truth unfolds, their lives are changed forever. "
" 3 girls learn that lying can have serious consequences, cause innocent people to go to jail, etc. Some have more of a conscious about it than others do. "
" Harmless. Tells the consequences of lies. When three girls thinks that lying will be easier. Just to avoid getting in trouble, they thought it's going to be over with one just lie. But suddenly a small lie turns bigger and bigger and soon results to a bigger trouble. "
" Not as compelling as her debut, but still well-crafted and gripping. Adolescents caught up in a web of lies that keep spiraling about and entangling them in more and more trouble. "
" (This is a YA novel) I taught this to a 9th grade class this year, and they were a tough crowd. They liked it. Good book with contemporary issues. "
" This book took me awhile to get into. I had to read about 40 pages before I really got into it. "
" I really like this author. She's very talented. I think she's one of those authors who writes YA which is deep and intelligent. "
" CD made my commute fun, although the voices were all too old for the 14-15-year-old girls. Consequences of lying explained well. "
" This author is a fantastic writer. Great story! "
" Good story. I love reading books that are told from multiple points of view. "
" Harmless was okay. It was cool how one small lie turned into a big phenomenon but I didn't really like the plot around the lie. I wouldn't really recommend it. "
" Interesting enough tale about the consequences of lying. Characters seemed a little flat, but the alternating narration was good. Quite predictable. "
" Every teenager should read this...every parent should read this! "
Dana Reinhardt is the author of A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life, Harmless, How to Build a House, The Things a Brother Knows, and The Summer I Learned to Fly, among others.
Lynde Houck is an AudioFile Earphones Award-winning narrator.
Donna Rawlins is an accomplished and successful songwriter, vocalist, and female voice-over artist. She has read a wide range of audiobooks—from Jane Heller’s Female Intelligence to novels by Suzanne Brockmann, Tami Hoag, and Dana Reinhardt. Her voice-over work can also be heard on numerous educational programs, commercials, documentaries, PSAs, and featured voice parts in various films such as Citizen Ruth.
Staci Snell has worked in radio and as an elementary school teacher. She lives in Los Angeles where she works as an actor. Her television credits include The Shield, The Division, and various commercials. As an audiobook narrator, her numerous titles include Sandra Brown’s Demon Rumm; Ann Rule’s Kiss Me, Kill Me; Sharon Rocha’s For Laci; and Jill Smolinski’s The Next Thing on My List.
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