Young Adult Literature Set for a Revamp: Bishhal Paull's The Liar Among Us Prepares to Redefine the Rules in Teen Fiction
Bishhal Paull, a marketing genius behind hit Bollywood films and a 'people's archivist,' is set to release his new YA novel, 'The Liar Among Us,' this Diwali. The novel, published by Bloomsbury and represented by Preeti Chaturvedi's The Sunflower Seeds, has been described as 'India's answer to Stranger Things.'
Set in a fictional elite boarding school in the Sikkim valleys, the story blends a boarding-school mystery with North-Eastern myths. The novel's themes continue to touch upon the tension between truth and lie, courage and conformity, and the question of what we owe each other when nobody's watching remains relevant in school corridors, dinner tables, and creator communities.
Paull has spent years collecting stories from family whispers, roadside legends, forgotten lullabies, and translating them into living, contemporary narratives. These experiences include folklore therapy sessions, improv storytelling gigs, theatrical debates, writing labs, and more. The aim of the novel is to help a generation of Indian teens see themselves in a mythic mirror that reflects home.
The novel's campaign art is inspired by thangka motifs, keeping the visuals rooted. The story reaches outward even as it stays visually rooted. The seeds for Book 2 of the series are already planted within the first book, with the clues for Book 2 'in plain sight, just not where you're looking.'
Beginning November 2025, Paull will start a book tour in India and select international markets, visiting schools with interactive, classroom-friendly experiences. The organization offering the school programs, focusing on truth, pressure, and mental health, is not specified, but the programs are set to officially begin in the fall of 2024.
Classroom-ready micro-prompts and shareable artifacts from the school labs are part of the novel's promotions. The book will also feature collaborations with BookTok/Bookstagram voices.
'The Liar Among Us' will officially be released on October 14, 2025. Get ready for a thrilling ride into the world of myths, mysteries, and self-discovery!
