Harmless
by Darna Reinhardt

    HARMLESS by Dana Reinhardt
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  2/13/07
    Publisher:  Wendy Lamb
    Reviewed by:  Amber Gibson
    Rating:  5 Stars


    Everyone's told lies. Most lies aren't even that bad. They don't hurt anyone…they're just harmless.

    One night, Mariah, Anna, and Emma are off at an older boy's house, instead of at the movies like they said they
    would be. But when their parents show up at the movies and can't find them anywhere, they are caught in their lie.
    They're okay, but they don't want to be grounded for life. Telling a little lie would be a lot easier than telling the
    truth, and nobody would get in trouble.

    So for fear of getting in huge trouble with their parents, the girls concoct a simple story. They were on their way to
    the movie, walking along the river, when a man attacked Emma. They didn't get a chance to see his face, and they
    don't remember what he looked like because they were scared. Luckily for Emma, Mariah and Anna threw a rock
    at the man's head and they were able to get away. The three best friends vow to stick by this story, but they have
    no idea how much this one lie will envelop their lives.

    They didn't count on their parents involving the police. They didn't count on everyone at school finding out. They
    didn't count on the entire community rallying around the girls and calling them "heroes." And they definitely didn't
    count on anyone being arrested for their imaginary crime. The girls are in too deep, buried in their lie. The lie that
    was supposed to be their savior now nags their conscious with every waking moment. But will they be able to find
    the courage to tell the truth?

    I could really relate to the characters in this book, and see how under a pressure situation, I might have made the
    wrong decision, too. HARMLESS by Dana Renihardt is the story of how a seemingly small lie can take on a life of
    its own. But, more importantly, it shows how anyone can make a stupid mistake, and that everyone deserves
    forgiveness.