Instead of "The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven," the title of the book by 16-year-old Alex Malarkey should have been "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie."

That's because the entire book is apparently anchored on a big, fat lie that he died and went to heaven but came back and wrote the popular memoir in 2010.

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Alex, who co-authored the book with his father Kevin, admitted he made everything up to get attention. The book, published by Christian publisher Tyndale House, was based on his being hurt badly by a vehicular accident in 2004 that he became comatose for two month, during which he spent in "heaven."

On Tuesday, Alex posted online an open letter in Pulpit and Pen, admitting, "I did not die. I did not go to heaven ... People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the bible which is enough."

Tyndale immediately yanked out its website list the book whose authenticity had previously been questioned but was on the New York Times 2010 Bestseller List, while Amazon gave it a 4.3 rating. Other Christian bookstores have followed Tyndale's move.

In April, Beth Malarkey, Alex's mother, blogged that the book was made up and told the publisher, but Tyndale did nothing about her disclosure. She wrote, "It is both puzzling and painful to watch the book The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven to not continue to sell, but to continue, for the most part, to not be questioned," quotes Daily Mail.

She added that Alex is still paralyzed due to the accident when he was six but has not received payment for the book. She recently divorced Kevin, and Alex lives with her in Ohio with his three siblings.

It was Kevin who signed the book contract with Tyndale, which has not commented so far on Alex's retraction.

Daily Mail reports that Kevin is standing by the story. His mother, Joan Malarkey, told the newspaper, "Kevin has always told the truth. He told the truth and he did the right thing. He's not sure why Alex is saying these things now."

Joan added that her grandson even authored a second book in summer titled "A Beautiful Defeat."

TagsThe Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, Alex Malarkey