Liars: The truth app by Jack Heath
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781743817766
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Themes: Cybersecurity; Adventure;
Crime; Conspiracy. Jarli is a coding Whiz-kid who has just developed
a 'Truth-detecting' app and released the code for assessment by
others and it instantly created waves around the world. The interest
didn't just come from the fellow app-developing community and the
impact of the app made him the target of lots of unwelcome
attention. At the same time, his father also seems to have big
problems. The attempt on their lives when a car barrels into them
after Parent-Teacher interviews demonstrates that their world has
been plunged into dangerous territory, and everything has lost its
standard stability. And there is no way anyone can lie to cover
their tracks because the app will reveal every untruth! This early
chaos then escalates further in a race to protect family and friends
in an adventure that occurs at an intense pace. The tech-savvy
action is akin to a conspiracy thriller involving teenagers.
Every teen will love this action adventure. There is never a dull
moment and everything moves with roller-coaster intensity. Readers
will be desperate to find out 'who, what or why', and there will be
more in the series!
Highly recommended for readers aged 13+
Carolyn Hull