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lilythebibliophile's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is face-paced and compelling, with twists that I didn't see coming. The twists were foreshadowed perfectly, but I was too wrapped up in the story to be able to predict them. Lamar Giles is very talented at plotting and pacing out his thrillers.
I loved reading all the moments where Nick was outsmarting and outmaneuvering people. I was cheering for him in my head!
I did not appreciate that our main character calls a girl a skank at one point. He is written to be a slightly morally gray character, but most of his actions are coming from a good place, except that one line. I will let it slide for the most part, because Lamar Giles wrote a whole book about toxic masculinity and misogyny 6 years after this book was published, and I think the impact of Not So Pure and Simple outweighs the impact of Nick using the word skank here.
I loved reading all the moments where Nick was outsmarting and outmaneuvering people. I was cheering for him in my head!
I did not appreciate that our main character calls a girl a skank at one point. He is written to be a slightly morally gray character, but most of his actions are coming from a good place, except that one line. I will let it slide for the most part, because Lamar Giles wrote a whole book about toxic masculinity and misogyny 6 years after this book was published, and I think the impact of Not So Pure and Simple outweighs the impact of Nick using the word skank here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, and Child death
tullyndmom's review
4.0
Works for Book Riot's Read Harder 2020 task 3 - Read a mystery where the victim(s) is not a woman.
krissyronan's review
3.0
Interesting main character and the plot kept me interested enough to read the whole book. It got really cheesy about 3/4 of the way through. That said, very little profanity make this an okay pick for younger teens who want an action-filled, violent story.
ajsterkel's review
3.0
Lamar Giles is a cofounder of We Need Diverse Books, which is one of the best things that ever happened to children’s literature, so I was excited when I got the opportunity to read his debut young adult novel.
The narrator, Nick Pearson, hasn’t had the easiest life. His father got the family in so much trouble that they had to enter the Witness Protection Program. Nick was forced to change his identity and move to Stepton, Virginia. (Which sounds a lot like Stepford, so you know something is rotten here.) When Nick’s new classmates start dying, and his father starts behaving suspiciously, Nick begins to wonder if old enemies have caught up with his family.
I don’t read a lot of thrillers. I don’t even remember the last time I read one. It’s not my favorite genre, but I’m glad I gave Fake ID a try. Nick is an intriguing character because he hasn’t had a typical childhood. His father worked for a dangerous criminal, and Nick has seen more than any kid should. When Nick gets to Stepton, he wants to stay “low-key,” but he immediately draws the attention of the hottest girl in school; her nerdy, wannabe-journalist twin brother; and her dangerously jealous ex-boyfriend. It’s hard to be “low-key” around people like that. The cast of characters quickly drew me into the story. I wanted to know what kind of trouble they’d get themselves in.
The story centers on the murder of Eli Cruz, the wannabe-journalist who started investigating something he shouldn’t. The mystery is compelling and fast-paced. I read most of this book in a day because I wanted to know who murdered a teenager. The identity of the murderer completely surprised me. This book is definitely a page-turner with a lot of twists.
The reason I don’t like thrillers is that they usually lack depth. I want books that make me think about the world in new ways. Thrillers are often so focused on action that there isn’t much else going on. Unfortunately, that’s the problem I had with Fake ID. There is a ton of action and not much else.
The characters and their relationships feel very shallow to me. I’m especially disappointed with the only female main character, Reya Cruz. All I know about her is that she’s Latina, she’s a twin, and she’s beautiful. Other than her appearance, I don’t know why Nick wants to be in a relationship with her. The story doesn’t go into depth about any of the other characters, either. You have the rich boy who throws great parties, the pure-evil bully and his cronies, the nerdy boy who doesn’t have any friends. Even the narrator isn’t as complex as I wanted. Since the characters didn’t feel real to me, I never developed a connection to them. They were often in danger, but I couldn’t make myself care.
One thing I did like about the characters is that they come from a variety of different cultural backgrounds. It’s interesting to see the similarities and differences between their cultures.
I think this book would be good for reluctant readers. It’s plot-driven and doesn’t have a lot of details that slow down the story. It’s pretty much all action, all the time.
Fake ID reminded me of all the reasons why I don’t read thrillers. I didn’t love this book, but if you’re a thriller fan, it’s probably worth checking out.
The narrator, Nick Pearson, hasn’t had the easiest life. His father got the family in so much trouble that they had to enter the Witness Protection Program. Nick was forced to change his identity and move to Stepton, Virginia. (Which sounds a lot like Stepford, so you know something is rotten here.) When Nick’s new classmates start dying, and his father starts behaving suspiciously, Nick begins to wonder if old enemies have caught up with his family.
I don’t read a lot of thrillers. I don’t even remember the last time I read one. It’s not my favorite genre, but I’m glad I gave Fake ID a try. Nick is an intriguing character because he hasn’t had a typical childhood. His father worked for a dangerous criminal, and Nick has seen more than any kid should. When Nick gets to Stepton, he wants to stay “low-key,” but he immediately draws the attention of the hottest girl in school; her nerdy, wannabe-journalist twin brother; and her dangerously jealous ex-boyfriend. It’s hard to be “low-key” around people like that. The cast of characters quickly drew me into the story. I wanted to know what kind of trouble they’d get themselves in.
“You don't have to know someone your whole life to know them. Not really. Lonely is the same everywhere.” – Fake ID
The story centers on the murder of Eli Cruz, the wannabe-journalist who started investigating something he shouldn’t. The mystery is compelling and fast-paced. I read most of this book in a day because I wanted to know who murdered a teenager. The identity of the murderer completely surprised me. This book is definitely a page-turner with a lot of twists.
The reason I don’t like thrillers is that they usually lack depth. I want books that make me think about the world in new ways. Thrillers are often so focused on action that there isn’t much else going on. Unfortunately, that’s the problem I had with Fake ID. There is a ton of action and not much else.
The characters and their relationships feel very shallow to me. I’m especially disappointed with the only female main character, Reya Cruz. All I know about her is that she’s Latina, she’s a twin, and she’s beautiful. Other than her appearance, I don’t know why Nick wants to be in a relationship with her. The story doesn’t go into depth about any of the other characters, either. You have the rich boy who throws great parties, the pure-evil bully and his cronies, the nerdy boy who doesn’t have any friends. Even the narrator isn’t as complex as I wanted. Since the characters didn’t feel real to me, I never developed a connection to them. They were often in danger, but I couldn’t make myself care.
One thing I did like about the characters is that they come from a variety of different cultural backgrounds. It’s interesting to see the similarities and differences between their cultures.
“Our backgrounds were different, but the traditions of death surpassed culture. Everyone mourned with food.” – Fake ID
I think this book would be good for reluctant readers. It’s plot-driven and doesn’t have a lot of details that slow down the story. It’s pretty much all action, all the time.
Fake ID reminded me of all the reasons why I don’t read thrillers. I didn’t love this book, but if you’re a thriller fan, it’s probably worth checking out.
aliciakindlereads's review
5.0
This is an attention grabber from the very start. Throughout this book, brought story build up, great character building, and on the edge of your seat to discover the mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
abigailbat's review
4.0
Nick Pearson is the new kid at his high school and he has secrets.
First of all, Nick Pearson is not his real name.
Nick's family is part of the Witness Protection Program and this town is their last chance. Nick's dad has a hard time staying out of trouble, even when he knows it could be dangerous for his family. The Program won't keep relocating them forever. They have one last shot.
Nick becomes friends with a kid named Eli, the one-kid force behind the school newspaper. But as he gets to know Eli, he realizes that Eli is not just messing around with the school news. He's stumbled onto a secret town project called Whispertown. Eli knows that crime stats aren't being reported in his town - but why?
And when Nick's dad starts disappearing in the evenings and lying about where he's been, Nick has a sinking feeling that his dad is dabbling in dangerous territory once again. Territory that could get them kicked out of the Witness Protection Program for good, or worse...
We're reading thrillers for Reading Wildly next month, so I picked this one up. Mystery is not normally my genre, but this one definitely kept the pages turning. Giles does a great job of ending chapters on little cliffhangers or beginning chapters with cryptic sentences that make you want to keep reading. And I definitely did not see the twist coming.
I'd hand this to high schoolers who like fast-paced mystery stories. Although there is a lot of violence in the story, most of it takes place "off camera", so it's not in-your-face gory.
First of all, Nick Pearson is not his real name.
Nick's family is part of the Witness Protection Program and this town is their last chance. Nick's dad has a hard time staying out of trouble, even when he knows it could be dangerous for his family. The Program won't keep relocating them forever. They have one last shot.
Nick becomes friends with a kid named Eli, the one-kid force behind the school newspaper. But as he gets to know Eli, he realizes that Eli is not just messing around with the school news. He's stumbled onto a secret town project called Whispertown. Eli knows that crime stats aren't being reported in his town - but why?
And when Nick's dad starts disappearing in the evenings and lying about where he's been, Nick has a sinking feeling that his dad is dabbling in dangerous territory once again. Territory that could get them kicked out of the Witness Protection Program for good, or worse...
We're reading thrillers for Reading Wildly next month, so I picked this one up. Mystery is not normally my genre, but this one definitely kept the pages turning. Giles does a great job of ending chapters on little cliffhangers or beginning chapters with cryptic sentences that make you want to keep reading. And I definitely did not see the twist coming.
I'd hand this to high schoolers who like fast-paced mystery stories. Although there is a lot of violence in the story, most of it takes place "off camera", so it's not in-your-face gory.
per_iscritto's review against another edition
4.0
Truly enjoyed this read. I didn’t expect any of what happened in this book to happen which I love. It constantly surprised me and made me love and want to hit the characters. Lamar Giles captured the teen thought and speak of Nick Pearson perfectly. Highly recommend this read.
rachelelizabethlee's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0