If the Witness Lied

by Caroline B. Cooney

Book Overview

This young adult thriller takes place in twenty-four hours and explores how people as well as the media can exploit a situation with devastating results, especially when innocent children are... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385734492
• ISBN13: 9780385734493
• Release Date: August 2010
• Publisher: Ember
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Classic suspenseful Cooney

The Fountain family has been the focus of major media attention three times: when mother Laura Fountain made a decision that changed her family's life, when she died, and when her husband died. Now the four remaining Fountain children live scattered, fifteen-year-old Jack living and two-year-old Tris with their aunt Cheryl, and Smithy and Madison living at boarding school and with godparents. Jack has reformatted his life so his only job is to protect Tris, but when attention-seeking Cheryl invites the media back into their lives once more, it becomes impossible. Now the three older siblings will have to face their pain and grief and come together to not only protect Tris, but discover the truth. Caroline B. Cooney's latest suspense novel has contains her trademark fast-paced, blunt style that makes her books so easy to absorbed in. Her third person, present tense narrative allows Cooney to character hop, which always keeps things interesting. Though the mystery is a bit simplistic, its tight time line is wrought with tension and never lags, making If the Witness Lied an excellent novel for reluctant readers. The characters in the novel are also well done; Cheryl is truly intimidating, and her power makes her a character you love to hate. Though the Fountain parents are deceased, Cooney has a talent for weaving in small and surprising details that make them seem three-dimensional and real, also making their children's loss more meaningful. The older siblings are also very interesting as Cooney explores their memories and how their loss affects them all in different ways. Despite their pain and issues, you can't help but admire the way Madison, Jack, and Smithy come together to protect Tris. The conclusion comes together rather quickly and easily, but it is a very satisfying one. Cooney's latest book is inventive and excellent, with a mystery that is unconventional and fascinating.

A realistic look at how families are often torn apart after tragedy

The Fountain family may as well be associated with any other family scrutinized under the public eye because of reality shows or docudramas. The Fountains first made national headlines and news broadcasts over the decision of Laura Fountain to forgo chemotherapy and give birth to baby Tris. The public couldn't understand why Laura refused to have an abortion and save herself. Then, not even three years after Laura's death, young Tris strikes again. As Reed Fountain scrambles underneath his Jeep to grab something, Tris climbs out of his car seat and releases the break causing the Jeep to roll over Reed. The media has another field day over this young killer of both his parents. The rest of the Fountain family --- sisters Madison and Smithy, and older brother Jack --- are left to pick up the pieces of this once happy family. Madison and Smithy flee to godparents and boarding school, respectively, while Jack stays home with live-in guardian Aunt Cheryl to take care of Tris. Jack has never blamed Tris for his parents' deaths and has refused to give up loving his baby brother because of senseless tragedies. Cheryl is a less than desirable guardian and spends much of her waking hours in front of the television, obsessed. When the anniversary of Reed's death approaches, Cheryl hatches a plan to capitalize on the public interest in the Fountain family. She makes a deal with a television producer to film the family and invade their personal lives once again. Now she just has to get the whole family home again and capture their awkward confrontations on camera. Jack eavesdrops on the plan and immediately heads to daycare to rescue Tris. Madison, who was planning on coming home anyway, walks out the door as soon as she sees the cameras. Smithy, picked up by the producer at the train station from boarding school, is just as clueless as to why the rest of her family would agree to this mess. Only when the four Fountain kids are reunited do they start to piece together the mystery surrounding their father's death --- and their lives. Is it possible that two-year-old Tris was even strong enough to release a parking break in the first place? Could the only witness of the accident, Cheryl, have lied about the whole incident? And can the Fountain siblings forgive each other after being consciously cut off the past few years? Caroline B. Cooney is a prolific author of thrillers, each compelling as the next. IF THE WITNESS LIED is a realistic look at how families are often torn apart after tragedy and the amount of work it takes to begin the healing process. What makes Cooney so good is her relevance to what is happening in society. For example, Aunt Cheryl is by no means the worst villain in history, but she does effectively embody the public's obsession with television and what people will do sometimes to be on camera. If you've enjoyed any of Cooney's other well-written books, then you'll certainly want to pick up this one. --- Reviewed by Benjamin Boche

Classic mystery/suspense from Caroline Cooney

Caroline Cooney has a long history of award-winning adventure/mystery/suspense/child in peril type of books. IF THE WITNESS LIED will not disappoint her fans. The Fountain children are orphans, and some say their baby brother,Tris,is to blame. Smithy left for boarding school, Madison moved in with friends...it is Jack who has stuck around to try to make things right for Tris. None of the siblings think much of their Aunt Cheryl, who seems to be taking over the household bit by bit. The older siblings begin to notice small clues that don't add up to the accepted account of their father's death. When Aunt Cheryl invites a reality show host to publicize the family's grief (under the guise of helping them heal) she sets into motion a chain of events that sends this book barreling to its exciting conclusion. Caroline Cooney's largely teen audience will love her newest creation.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

The four Fountain children are orphans. They first made headlines when their mother gave her life to save that of her unborn fourth child. The controversy centered on her battle with cancer and her refusal to accept chemotherapy at the risk of harming her unborn child. Overzealous news reporters portrayed baby Tris as his mother's killer. The second time the family hit the headlines was when a tragic accident killed their father. Once again, little Tris was labeled as guilty of killing his remaining parent. Now the media has been called in by their faithful guardian, Aunt Cheryl. She believes that facing their tragic situation in front of television cameras in a docudrama is the only way to help the children deal with the ghosts of their past. In the year since their father's death, young Jack has remained in the family home, helping Aunt Cheryl with the care of almost three-year-old Tris. His sisters, Madison and Smithy, chose to head their separate ways, one to live with godparents and the other to attend boarding school. Now, both girls have realized the importance of family and are returning home to discover startling developments regarding their father's accident. Could it be that the one witness of the horrible event may have lied? Could that witness actually be a murderer, and how can three teens and one toddler prove it? Caroline B. Cooney is known for her mystery and suspense. IF THE WITNESS LIED is one of her best. The tragic family portrait she creates is sure to captivate readers from page one. It is difficult to imagine the pain and suffering these characters have been dealt, and then to throw in a potential evil so cleverly disguised, it becomes a story almost impossible to put down. Once teens get the word on this one, it won't stay on bookshelves long. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Another hit for Cooney

have been a Caroline B. Cooney fan since I read The Face on the Milk Carton back in elementary school. Cooney's books are almost always edge-of-your-seat thrillers that are impossible to put down. When I saw that she had a new novel coming out on May 12th, I immediately put it on my wishlist. Her books are always big hits in my classroom and I knew If the Witness Lied would be just as popular. If the Witness Lied is a thriller through and through! I started the book on Friday afternoon and didn't put it down until I finished it on Friday night. What a thrilling read! At times, I felt like I was reading a newspaper article because it felt so realistic. Certain touches, like the introduction of a sleazy reality show producer, make this book stand out. Jack Fountain is the strong one. The one who stayed. After it happened, his sisters both fled their home- one to boarding school in Massachusetts and one to her godparent's house up the turnpike. Jack stayed with their baby brother, Tris, and "aunt" Cheryl. Jack doesn't blame his sisters- the media attention was hard enough, but having to live with Tris and act like nothing happened sometimes feel impossible. Tris,their baby brother, killed both his mother and father. He killed his mother by being born, and his father by hitting the parking brake in the car a year later. Of course, the media jumped all over the story and the Fountains were forced to forge new identities for themselves. Jack changed from the popular jock in school to the steady big brother, the babysitter and brother who can be counted on. Smithy and Madison ran from the pain. Now "aunt" Cheryl, who's living with Jack and Tris now that their parents are gone, has decided that the family will heal only if they work through their pain- as the stars of a reality show. In less than 24 hours all four Fountain children are brought together again and forced to face the reality of what happened to them. And when they discover that maybe Tris isn't to blame for their father's death, they do everything they can to clear their baby brother's name. If you enjoyed Cooney's other true-crime books, like the Milk Carton series, you will love If the Witness Lied. A fantastic read, this is a quick-paced thrilled that mystery and thrill-seekers alike won't be able to put down!