Blackmail & Lies

In Mary-Anne Scott’s gripping YA novel 'Blackmail & Lies,' protagonist Finn leaves scandal-plagued Te Awanga for a posh Auckland boarding school. But the past haunts through blackmail, while new social landmines trigger fresh drama.

At school, Finn pursues elite musician Mia amidst orchestra triumphs and new affable friends. Back home, however, his father faces hit-and-run charges. A violent dorm-mate, Eddie, learns of the family troubles and anonymously threatens exposure unless regularly paid. Terrified of losing his emerging status, Finn secretly pays up even as Eddie’s shakedowns intensify.

Tensions peak when Mia invites Finn to a dazzling school ball. Awestruck yet anxious over affording tickets, he recklessly attends a boozy after-party where peer pressure overrides judgment, ending in tragedy. In the aftermath, with relationships transformed overnight, Finn finally confronts long-buried personal truths.

With trademark insight and empathy honed through earlier award-winning works, Scott crafts an engrossing human drama where adolescent dreams battle haunting secrets. Crisp Kiwi slang grounds the story in affectionate familiarity. Finn invites both frustration and poignancy as he fumbles tests of integrity, torn over risking newfound popularity for honesty. When the hero’s deferred reckoning finally erupts, redemption emerges through speaking difficult truths, however overdue.