The Fake -- Zoe Whittall, Hardcover

A scammer as alluring as she is elusive irrevocably upends the lives of two strangers in this gripping novel from the acclaimed author of The Best Kind of People.

After the death of her wife, Shelby is suffering from prolonged grief. She's increasingly isolated, irritated by her family's stoicism and her friends' reliance on the toxic positivity of self-help culture. Then, in a grief support group, she meets Cammie, who gives her permission to express her most hopeless, hideous feelings. Cammie is charismatic and unlike anyone Shelby has ever met. She's also recovering from cancer and going through several other calamities. Shelby puts all her energy into helping Cammie thrive--until her intuition tells her that something isn't right.

Gibson is fresh from divorce, almost forty, and deeply depressed. Then he falls in love with Cammie. Not only is he having the best sex of his life with a woman so attractive he's stunned she even glanced his way, but he feels truly known for the first time in his life. But Gibson's friends are wary of Cammie, and eventually he, too, has to admit that all the drama in Cammie's life can feel a bit over the top.

When Gibson and Shelby meet, they realize Cammie's stories don't always add up. In fact, they're far from the truth. But what kind of a person would lie about having cancer? And what does it say about Shelby and Gibson that they fell for it? From the author of The Best Kind of People and The Spectacular comes a sharp, emotional novel about lies, liars, and the people who love them.

Author: Zoe Whittall
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 03/21/2023
Pages: 208
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.74lbs
Size: 8.35h x 5.51w x 0.94d
ISBN: 9781524799441

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/09/2023
Kirkus Reviews 02/01/2023
Booklist 02/15/2023 pg. 19

About the Author
Zoe Whittall is the author of four previous novels, including The Spectacular, the Giller-shortlisted The Best Kind of People, the Lambda-winning Holding Still for as Long as Possible, and her debut, Bottle Rocket Hearts. She has published three collections of poetry: The Best Ten Minutes of Your Life, The Emily Valentine Poems, and Precordial Thump. She is also a Canadian Screen Award-winning TV and film writer, with credits on the Baroness von Sketch Show, Schitt's Creek, Degrassi, and others.