Rules for Lying

In Corbitt’s uninspiring debut, the gulf between teens and their parents, as well as other figures of authority, is impossibly wide, and the attempts to bridge it are few and half-hearted. When Oliver Nix, the senior custodian at suburban Fulton High School outside Atlanta, happens upon students Kevin Dorsey and Langley McKnight in a compromising position, Langley cries rape. Kevin is the son of vice principal Jeff Dorsey, and Langley is the best friend of Nix’s daughter, Eleanor. Once the allegation of rape is made, police, lawyers, and parents become involved. Neither teen gets worthwhile support from their parents—the McNights treat Langley as if she were fragile, and Jeff treats Kevin as if he expected nothing less. Langley’s four rules for lying turn a simple high school tryst into a life-altering event for all the major players, but, unfortunately, those characters aren’t substantial enough for readers to care about their fates. (Sept.)