I think that a non-fiction books has to be 95% true in order to actually be considered non-fiction. The only thing that can be fictionalized is dialogue and minor details. If anything else is changed like a major event then it is no longer non-fiction, but fiction with accurate details. For example historical fiction is a made up story with truth about the history and time period it is set in.
Half-truths are not okay for non-fiction and memoirs because it’s not real. A memoir is supposed to be a life story so why make up lies about your life if you are going to write one? I know people lie to make their lives seem more exciting or make them seem triumphant, but if your life is not that interesting in the first place then why even write the memoir? Why lie to make yourself seem like you overcame a terrible struggle when in reality the struggle wasn't as bad as you made it out to be? So no, half-truths are not okay it’s either the truth or you make it a fiction book.
We definitely need lines between genres and the solution to this problem is simple. If you want to write a non-fiction book then write one, but write it correctly. If you want to write a fiction book then write it. I don't think they should take away genres because people don't know how to properly write a non-fiction book or memoir. It is important to have genres because not everyone likes the same thing. Genres help people identify what kind of books they like and if we didn't have genres then how would you ever know what is what? I think if people want a non-fiction book they want a book that tells the truth and gives you facts not a book that gives you a stretch of the truth.
