Sometimes it's tough to figure out the truth. Of course, it doesn't help when your neighbors are lying to you… Or when your dad is putting on a fake smile and pretending to be a good guy. And in Flipped, we've got all these deceptions and more. Yep—deceit comes in lots of different forms. And most of the time these lies are a bad thing. Juli gets her feelings hurt by Bryce's fibs, and Mrs. Loski is super upset that her husband's good looks and phony personality made him seem like a nice fellow. But even though all these lies cause a fair chunk of pain, we can't help but wonder: is there an upside to lying sometimes, too?
Questions About Lies and Deceit
- Are there any characters that are entirely truthful? Or do all the characters tell lies at one point or another?
- Is deception a good or a bad thing in Flipped? How so? Are there times when the book says it is okay to lie?
- How are lies hurtful in this book? And how is the truth hurtful sometimes?
- How does discovering that they've been deceived help the characters learn more about themselves? Or how does it help them connect more with friends and family?
Chew on This
In this book, lies are always wrong—so when characters in Flipped are deceptive, it always has negative consequences.
Sometimes in this book, it's okay to bend the truth—for the characters in Flipped, there are times when it's better to lie because it keeps people's feelings from getting hurt.