Verify
MASL Book Trailer Winner
Verify - Andrew M. from Liberty Middle School
About the Author
Joelle Charbonneau has performed in opera and musical theater productions across Chicagoland. She now teaches private voice lessons and is the author of the New York Times best selling The Testing trilogy (The Testing, Independent Study, and Graduation Day) as well as two mystery series: The Rebecca Robbins mysteries and the Glee Club mysteries. Her YA books have appeared on the Indie Next List, on the YALSA Top 10 books for 2014 as well as the YALSA Quick Picks for reluctant readers.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING AND FOR YOUR INTEREST IN MY BOOKS.
I am a voice teacher, a stage performer, and – as you probably already know – an author of wacky mysteries and not so wacky YA.
The site is full of information about my books, some info about me, fun photos, and also how to contact me if interested in an appearance to your school or book signing at a library/bookstore.
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About the Book
YOU CAN’T FIGHT WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW
Meri Beckley lives in a world without lies.
When she turns on the news, she hears only the facts. When she swipes the pages of her online textbooks, she reads only the truth. When she looks at the peaceful Chicago streets, she feels the pride everyone in the country feels about the era of unprecedented hope and prosperity over which the government presides.
But when Meri’s mother is killed, Meri suddenly has questions that no one else seems to be asking. And when she tries to uncover her mother’s state of mind in her last weeks, she finds herself drawn into a secret world full of facts she’s never heard and a history she didn’t know existed.
Suddenly, Meri is faced with a choice between accepting the “truth” she has been taught or embracing a world the government doesn’t want anyone to see—a world where words have the power to change the course of a country and where the one wrong one can get Meri killed.
Bestselling author Joelle Charbonneau’s eerily timely, high-stakes page-turner is destined to start important conversations at this particular moment in our history.
Reviews of Verify:
“[Verify] builds steadily from simmering disquiet to a shattering final showdown that will leave readers desperate to reach the conclusion and anxious for sequels. Both timely and relevant in the age of fake news... a worthy read that will have readers wondering just how much truth they really want to know.” -- Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“This book captured me from start to end and has a crucial message around the power of words and the right we all have to each and every one.” -- Destinee Hodge, East City Bookshop
“The siblings are complex characters, weighted down by their respective heartaches and issues, and their skeptical views on the world feel realistic... there’s a lot to like about this messed up, lush, and dark world.” -- Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Wow! Shades of Fahrenheit 451 and Orwell’s 1984... Painfully real and urgent. Read this book.” -- Michael Grant, internationally best selling author of the Gone series
“The trendy plot—filled with royal intrigue, romance, and a dangerous competition—is sure to make this new fantasy series a popular choice... Hand this one to fans of Sarah J. Maas, Kiera Cass, and Evelyn Skye.” -- School Library Journal
“At once timely and timeless, Verify reminds us of the power of words and the importance of truth. Thrilling and terrifying, it is an undeniable call to action. Trust but Verify that this is the perfect book for our times.” -- Rachel Bellavia, Read Between the Lynes
“Words, history, books, and their truths must prevail. Verify is a very timely tale and one that will leave you impatient for the next book in the series.” -- Becky Anderson, Anderson’s Bookshops
“Charbonneau deftly immerses readers in a future that feels unnervingly possible, where truth and history are no longer related to fact. A powerful reminder of the potential we each hold to demand and influence change.” -- Sara Grochowski, McLean & Eakin Booksellers
“What would you give up for security? Words? Books? Your freedoms? Look up the word ‘verify,’ and you’ll start unraveling why you need to read and discuss Charbonneau’s book. I shivered when reading her latest creation. You will, too.” -- Joe Hight, president, Best of Books, Edmond, OK
Resources / Teaching Ideas
Author Q&A, from the Texas Teen Book Festival
Checkology - can you tell the difference between fact and fiction? Checkology is a FREE educational resource that provides high-quality online lessons on topics like Misinformation, Understanding Bias, and Conspiratorial Thinking.
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