No Filter and Other Lies
You should know, right now, that I'm a liar.
They're usually little lies. Tiny lies. Baby lies. Not so much lies as lie adjacent. But they're still lies...
Golden-haired Max Monroe has it all: beauty, friends, and tons of followers. Her picture-perfect existence seems eminently enviable.
Except it's all fake.
"Max" is actually Kat Sanchez, a quiet and sarcastic 17-year-old living in drab Bakersfield, California. Nothing glamorous about her existence—just bad house parties, a crap school year, and the awkwardness of dealing with best friend Hari's unrequited love.
But while Kat's life is far from perfect, she thrives as Max: doling out advice, sharing beautiful photos, networking with fans, even finding a real friend (or more?—Is Kat into girls!?) in a gorgeous Fat follower named Elena. But the closer Elena and "Max" get, the more Kat feels she has to keep up the façade. "Max" is the first time people have really listened to what Kat has to say—and after a lifetime of invisibility (including ice-cold indifference from her parents) can she really give that up?
But when one of Kat's posts goes viral and gets back to the girl she's been stealing photos from, her entire world—real and fake—comes crashing down around her. Can she escape the web of lies she's woven without hurting the people she loves?
This insightful, provocative novel—hilarious and raw by turns—is the second book from Crystal Maldonado, author of smash-hit New England Book Award Winner Fat Chance, Charlie Vega. Brilliantly plotted, deeply sensitive, and rich in voice, No Filter and Other Lies deftly addresses FOMO, first love, one-sided love, frayed family ties, raced exclusion on social media, queer awakenings, and learning to live with—and love—yourself.
Because the most powerful lies are the lies we tell ourselves.
Named to the ALA Rainbow Roundtable's Rainbow Book List!
A POPSUGAR Best YA • A Seventeen Best YA • A Good Housekeeping Best YA Novel of the Year • A Latina Media Most Anticipated Latina Book of the Year • A Nerdist Most Anticipated Book • A School Library Journal Not-to-Miss Latinx Book • A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
"Ultrasmart."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Stunning."—Nerdist
"Brings me to tears."—Latinxs in Kid Lit
They're usually little lies. Tiny lies. Baby lies. Not so much lies as lie adjacent. But they're still lies...
Golden-haired Max Monroe has it all: beauty, friends, and tons of followers. Her picture-perfect existence seems eminently enviable.
Except it's all fake.
"Max" is actually Kat Sanchez, a quiet and sarcastic 17-year-old living in drab Bakersfield, California. Nothing glamorous about her existence—just bad house parties, a crap school year, and the awkwardness of dealing with best friend Hari's unrequited love.
But while Kat's life is far from perfect, she thrives as Max: doling out advice, sharing beautiful photos, networking with fans, even finding a real friend (or more?—Is Kat into girls!?) in a gorgeous Fat follower named Elena. But the closer Elena and "Max" get, the more Kat feels she has to keep up the façade. "Max" is the first time people have really listened to what Kat has to say—and after a lifetime of invisibility (including ice-cold indifference from her parents) can she really give that up?
But when one of Kat's posts goes viral and gets back to the girl she's been stealing photos from, her entire world—real and fake—comes crashing down around her. Can she escape the web of lies she's woven without hurting the people she loves?
This insightful, provocative novel—hilarious and raw by turns—is the second book from Crystal Maldonado, author of smash-hit New England Book Award Winner Fat Chance, Charlie Vega. Brilliantly plotted, deeply sensitive, and rich in voice, No Filter and Other Lies deftly addresses FOMO, first love, one-sided love, frayed family ties, raced exclusion on social media, queer awakenings, and learning to live with—and love—yourself.
Because the most powerful lies are the lies we tell ourselves.
Named to the ALA Rainbow Roundtable's Rainbow Book List!
A POPSUGAR Best YA • A Seventeen Best YA • A Good Housekeeping Best YA Novel of the Year • A Latina Media Most Anticipated Latina Book of the Year • A Nerdist Most Anticipated Book • A School Library Journal Not-to-Miss Latinx Book • A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
"Ultrasmart."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Stunning."—Nerdist
"Brings me to tears."—Latinxs in Kid Lit
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
No Filter and Other Lies gives readers a thoughtful narrative of life being a teenager throughout the social media takeover and how there is more to life than online likes and followers.
Don’t Forget to Live
No Filter and Other Lies is such a relevant novel. It follows Kat Sanchez, an aspiring photographer, who deals with the shortcomings of her Instagram. Kat is obsessed with her Instagram count and, throughout the story, compares her follower count to everyone around her. She lives by these numbers, even becoming inwardly resentful that her friends have more followers than herself and bitter that someone who once had the popularity Kat craves would just give it all up.
This is when she makes up Max Monroe.
The story provides an important lesson of what it means just to live online. Unfortunately, Kat becomes so invested in her online follower count that she lets it become her life. However, it is easy to understand why.
Kat’s family life is complicated. Her parents had her when they were teenagers, then one year later had her brother and moved out of their parents. However, they forgot one thing. They left Kat, leaving the raising of her to her grandparents, who are, honestly, the best people in the world. They are understanding, thoughtful, and loving beyond measure.
However, Kat’s mother instilled this in her, asking her to lie about living with them, making her feel less than loved. She has a room at her parents’ house, but it is one she never uses. And while her grandparents love her, the sense of abandonment Kat has always felt has leaked into her life, driving her need to be more and get more online.
Kat forgets that there is more to life than just social media, that her worth is not dependent on it.
Amazing Storytelling
Given the story’s many routes, the flow and storytelling remain cohesive. The core of the story is about a girl who feels abandoned by her parents that she has to find love in the number of followers she has. This was realistic because being a teenager is tough, and we’re still trying to figure out how to love ourselves. Sometimes it is easier for some, and for others, it is hard. And with social media being such a massive part of our culture, we tend to put a lot of value and stock in those numbers of subscribers, followers, and likes.
It is such a relatable story about a girl trying to find herself. It speaks to the reader; it gives them something to think about. The story is complex, but it moves effortlessly. The different layers of emotion and life integrate to bring out the messy complexities of life and how we mess up, sometimes big time, and how things fall apart, and there is no easy fix.
Final Thoughts
No Filter and Other Lies is not about easy fixes. It is about loving oneself, finding worth in oneself outside of social media, and finding hope even when everything seems to fall apart. We mess up, but it is never the end of the world when we do; sometimes, all we can do is take a step back, breathe, and go with the flow. Kat does not have a plan for her future, but that doesn’t mean she’s lost. It means she’s still figuring things out, which is okay; it is relatable and messy but fantastic.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
No Filter and Other Lies gives readers a thoughtful narrative of life being a teenager throughout the social media takeover and how there is more to life than online likes and followers.
Don’t Forget to Live
No Filter and Other Lies is such a relevant novel. It follows Kat Sanchez, an aspiring photographer, who deals with the shortcomings of her Instagram. Kat is obsessed with her Instagram count and, throughout the story, compares her follower count to everyone around her. She lives by these numbers, even becoming inwardly resentful that her friends have more followers than herself and bitter that someone who once had the popularity Kat craves would just give it all up.
This is when she makes up Max Monroe.
The story provides an important lesson of what it means just to live online. Unfortunately, Kat becomes so invested in her online follower count that she lets it become her life. However, it is easy to understand why.
Kat’s family life is complicated. Her parents had her when they were teenagers, then one year later had her brother and moved out of their parents. However, they forgot one thing. They left Kat, leaving the raising of her to her grandparents, who are, honestly, the best people in the world. They are understanding, thoughtful, and loving beyond measure.
However, Kat’s mother instilled this in her, asking her to lie about living with them, making her feel less than loved. She has a room at her parents’ house, but it is one she never uses. And while her grandparents love her, the sense of abandonment Kat has always felt has leaked into her life, driving her need to be more and get more online.
Kat forgets that there is more to life than just social media, that her worth is not dependent on it.
Amazing Storytelling
Given the story’s many routes, the flow and storytelling remain cohesive. The core of the story is about a girl who feels abandoned by her parents that she has to find love in the number of followers she has. This was realistic because being a teenager is tough, and we’re still trying to figure out how to love ourselves. Sometimes it is easier for some, and for others, it is hard. And with social media being such a massive part of our culture, we tend to put a lot of value and stock in those numbers of subscribers, followers, and likes.
It is such a relatable story about a girl trying to find herself. It speaks to the reader; it gives them something to think about. The story is complex, but it moves effortlessly. The different layers of emotion and life integrate to bring out the messy complexities of life and how we mess up, sometimes big time, and how things fall apart, and there is no easy fix.
Final Thoughts
No Filter and Other Lies is not about easy fixes. It is about loving oneself, finding worth in oneself outside of social media, and finding hope even when everything seems to fall apart. We mess up, but it is never the end of the world when we do; sometimes, all we can do is take a step back, breathe, and go with the flow. Kat does not have a plan for her future, but that doesn’t mean she’s lost. It means she’s still figuring things out, which is okay; it is relatable and messy but fantastic.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.