Associate director of news content Crystal Maldonado’s second young adult novel, ‘No Filter and Other Lies’ asks readers: Would you lie online to gain weight? The coming-of-age book, which was released on February 8, tells the story of 17-year-old Kat Sanchez and explores teenage life fueled by social media pressure.

“It’s really about the lies we tell ourselves and others through social media. As you go through your feed, it’s hard not to compare your life to everyone else’s. From that emerges this suffocating pressure to be ‘perfect’ and, in Kat case, to lie,” says Maldonado, who spent four years working on UMass Amherst’s social media team. “How far are we willing to go? to be accepted? And what kind of effects does that have on our real lives?”

In the book, readers watch as Kat’s desperation for social media influence drives her to create a new fake identity on Instagram. Although her real life is far from perfect, she thrives as this person named Max: giving advice, sharing beautiful photos, networking with famous influencers and even making a real friend in a follower named Elena. . The closer Elena and “Max” get, the more Kat feels she has to keep up the facade.

In addition to social media themes, the book explores complex family dynamics, queer identity, and responsibility. It’s also a story of hope, learning to appreciate the life you have and loving yourself, says Maldonado.

“No Filter and Other Lies” was named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection; a Best Young Adult Book coming in 2022 from Seventeen Magazine; and a Best New YA Novel of 2022 by POPSUGAR. Publishers Weekly gave the book a star-studded review, calling it “an ultra-smart contemporary who fully understands what teenagers face” in today’s social media-obsessed world.

“I try to write nuanced stories about tall Latina girls as they learn to love themselves in a society that often tells them they’re not worth loving,” Maldonado says. “There’s something deeply lonely about rarely, if ever, seeing a reflection of yourself in the media. I hope my stories can do a little bit to make Latinx, queer, and diverse readers feel seen, validated and worthy.

Learn more about “No Filter and Other Lies” and Maldonado’s work at crystalwrote.com.