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trisha_thomas's review against another edition
2.0
"Sometimes I think I'm the worst sheep of all."
I don't know - this one just did not connect with me. I thought I'd be wrapped in the mystery. I found Max's ability to stumble into the Liars club type thing they set up interesting. Also the weekend plans and even Preston all tied me in and kept me reading.
But somewhere after the first interview, I started losing interesting. I noticed my mine was wandering and I found reasons to put the book down rather than read it. As I read it small chunks instead of one big sit down, I think it made the mystery feel a little less coherent and less dramatic than a bigger reveal would have been. However, I didn't guess the ultimate twist and all the lies but I was never terribly invested either.
I don't know - this one just did not connect with me. I thought I'd be wrapped in the mystery. I found Max's ability to stumble into the Liars club type thing they set up interesting. Also the weekend plans and even Preston all tied me in and kept me reading.
But somewhere after the first interview, I started losing interesting. I noticed my mine was wandering and I found reasons to put the book down rather than read it. As I read it small chunks instead of one big sit down, I think it made the mystery feel a little less coherent and less dramatic than a bigger reveal would have been. However, I didn't guess the ultimate twist and all the lies but I was never terribly invested either.
maggiemaggio's review against another edition
3.0
After being impressed with The Art of Lainey I was excited to give Liars, Inc. I try. Not only do a love thrillers, but I wanted to see what Paula Stokes did with a male POV and a story that felt very different than Lainey. Like Lainey Liars, Inc. started out kind of slow for me, but unlike Lainey it never really took off.
Going into the story I expected the Liars, Inc. business that Max and his friends start to forge permissions slips, help kids get better grades, and generally do things their parents don't want them doing, was going to be a really big part of the story. But even at the beginning it wasn't that big of a part. The story was much more about Max's relationship with his girlfriend Parvati (whose parents don't want her dating Max), the difference in Max's socio-economic status than most of his classmates, and Max's distrust of authority figures and his issues with his adopted parents. Liars, Inc. was kind of a side business Max, Parvati, and their friend Preston (son of a senator and from the wealthy DeWitt family) started, but it never felt like a focus.
It is however the setup for Preston to go missing, but Max pretending to go camping with Preston while Preston snuck off to Vegas to meet a girl from the Internet could have easily been setup without the whole Liars, Inc. thing. As the story went on into the mystery surrounding Preston and the FBI thinking Max hurt him the whole Liars, Inc. business stayed in the background and really dragged the story down. Everytime it was mentioned it just seemed really unnecessary.
I read an ARC of this book and since the ARC there have been a bunch of changes (not uncommon), but so many in this case that Paula Stokes felt the need to create a Word doc reviewers can request to see the changes that were made. I emailed her and got that Word doc and while I think most of the changes are good and make the story a better book overall, they still didn't fix the whole Liars, Inc. business and they didn't (at least reading them after the fact) make the story less predictable.
More than the Liars, Inc. business my biggest issue with the story was how predictable it was. I suspected pretty early on what happened to Preston and the secret that the DeWitt family is hiding about Preston. I obviously didn't guess the specifics of how to all came to be, but I was definitely bummed to have figured it out so early and I suspect many other people will figure it out as well.
I've been going back and forth between giving this book 2.5 stars and 3 stars for a while it's one where I'm really conflicted. Yes, I was bothered by the Liars, Inc. business and the predictability of the story, but there were also good things. This story is filled with diversity. Max is white, but was a foster child before being adopted by his parents; his girlfriend is half-Indian; his middle sister suffers from cystic fibrosis, and his two younger sisters are Asian-American. And it wasn't like any of those people were the token minority or token disabled people, they just were Asian or disabled, but it wasn't their entire identity. Also, besides how predictable it was, I still liked the writing, the characters Stokes created, and the backstories she built for the different characters. While it all might be a little far fetched it was interesting and if anything I wish she would have explored Max's background, his parents' motivations for adopting him and his sisters, and the DeWitt family's decision to do what they did even more.
Bottom Line: I used to call books "plane or beach reads" a lot, something I kind of hate, but sometimes it does a good job of summing up a story. I read this book flying from Detroit to New York (via Baltimore) last weekend and it was really the perfect place to read. The story has its issues, but it's easy enough to read and interesting enough to keep you entertained on a flight. If you're looking for better mystery look elsewhere (Tessa Sharpe's Far From You is my go-to YA thiller rec), but if you want an entertaining book filled with diversity and thrills even though it's predictable I wouldn't talk you out of reading Liars, Inc..
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss (thank you!). All opinions are my own.
This review first appeared on my blog.
Going into the story I expected the Liars, Inc. business that Max and his friends start to forge permissions slips, help kids get better grades, and generally do things their parents don't want them doing, was going to be a really big part of the story. But even at the beginning it wasn't that big of a part. The story was much more about Max's relationship with his girlfriend Parvati (whose parents don't want her dating Max), the difference in Max's socio-economic status than most of his classmates, and Max's distrust of authority figures and his issues with his adopted parents. Liars, Inc. was kind of a side business Max, Parvati, and their friend Preston (son of a senator and from the wealthy DeWitt family) started, but it never felt like a focus.
It is however the setup for Preston to go missing, but Max pretending to go camping with Preston while Preston snuck off to Vegas to meet a girl from the Internet could have easily been setup without the whole Liars, Inc. thing. As the story went on into the mystery surrounding Preston and the FBI thinking Max hurt him the whole Liars, Inc. business stayed in the background and really dragged the story down. Everytime it was mentioned it just seemed really unnecessary.
I read an ARC of this book and since the ARC there have been a bunch of changes (not uncommon), but so many in this case that Paula Stokes felt the need to create a Word doc reviewers can request to see the changes that were made. I emailed her and got that Word doc and while I think most of the changes are good and make the story a better book overall, they still didn't fix the whole Liars, Inc. business and they didn't (at least reading them after the fact) make the story less predictable.
More than the Liars, Inc. business my biggest issue with the story was how predictable it was. I suspected pretty early on what happened to Preston and the secret that the DeWitt family is hiding about Preston. I obviously didn't guess the specifics of how to all came to be, but I was definitely bummed to have figured it out so early and I suspect many other people will figure it out as well.
I've been going back and forth between giving this book 2.5 stars and 3 stars for a while it's one where I'm really conflicted. Yes, I was bothered by the Liars, Inc. business and the predictability of the story, but there were also good things. This story is filled with diversity. Max is white, but was a foster child before being adopted by his parents; his girlfriend is half-Indian; his middle sister suffers from cystic fibrosis, and his two younger sisters are Asian-American. And it wasn't like any of those people were the token minority or token disabled people, they just were Asian or disabled, but it wasn't their entire identity. Also, besides how predictable it was, I still liked the writing, the characters Stokes created, and the backstories she built for the different characters. While it all might be a little far fetched it was interesting and if anything I wish she would have explored Max's background, his parents' motivations for adopting him and his sisters, and the DeWitt family's decision to do what they did even more.
Bottom Line: I used to call books "plane or beach reads" a lot, something I kind of hate, but sometimes it does a good job of summing up a story. I read this book flying from Detroit to New York (via Baltimore) last weekend and it was really the perfect place to read. The story has its issues, but it's easy enough to read and interesting enough to keep you entertained on a flight. If you're looking for better mystery look elsewhere (Tessa Sharpe's Far From You is my go-to YA thiller rec), but if you want an entertaining book filled with diversity and thrills even though it's predictable I wouldn't talk you out of reading Liars, Inc..
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss (thank you!). All opinions are my own.
This review first appeared on my blog.
kimching232's review against another edition
4.0
Max Cantrell, along with his girlfriend Parvati and best friend Preston created Liars, Inc. to sell lies to their classmates. They create alibis, forge permission slips and steal test papers. One day, Preston approached Max, needing help with his alibi. Max helped him of course. However, the next day, authorities found out that Preston is missing, and all clues point to Max as the murderer. With the help of Parvati, Max must find out who the real killer is before he gets convicted for a crime that he didn't commit.
Liars, Inc. was thrilling, gripping, and exciting. The first half of the book was kind of slow, but it just got better and better as the story progressed. The latter part of the book became fast paced, and I wasn't able to put the book down, although I think last few chapters of the book may be congested with information.
The mystery of this book was well executed and clearly well thought of. I found myself second guessing my guesses as more and more clues were presented. I really loved how the mystery was complex while still made sense when looking back to the story. The clues still all pointed to the killer despite the twists and turns, and I commend the author for that.
The thing that impressed me the most actually was that despite the author being female, the main character Max really thought like a male character - at least for me. Max's thoughts and speeches really felt genuine to me and not awkward at all. I commend her for this because I know it's hard to write from a perspective that is not one's own.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I would really recommend those looking for a thrilling, mysterious read to try this one out. This was such a great novel for Paula Stokes, and even though this one's really different from The Art of Lainey, the writing is just as good.
Liars, Inc. was thrilling, gripping, and exciting. The first half of the book was kind of slow, but it just got better and better as the story progressed. The latter part of the book became fast paced, and I wasn't able to put the book down, although I think last few chapters of the book may be congested with information.
The mystery of this book was well executed and clearly well thought of. I found myself second guessing my guesses as more and more clues were presented. I really loved how the mystery was complex while still made sense when looking back to the story. The clues still all pointed to the killer despite the twists and turns, and I commend the author for that.
The thing that impressed me the most actually was that despite the author being female, the main character Max really thought like a male character - at least for me. Max's thoughts and speeches really felt genuine to me and not awkward at all. I commend her for this because I know it's hard to write from a perspective that is not one's own.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I would really recommend those looking for a thrilling, mysterious read to try this one out. This was such a great novel for Paula Stokes, and even though this one's really different from The Art of Lainey, the writing is just as good.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
4.0
Selling forged permission slips and cover stories to fellow high school students proves lucrative for Max and his friends Preston & Pavrati. But when one little cover story turns into a great big mess for Max? Well, let’s just say the truth would have been better – but what is the truth?
I started reading this at 1 a.m. – thank you insomnia. Four hours later, I was still reading and finding my adrenaline pumping. This was most definitely not a book to help me fall back asleep! To say I thoroughly enjoyed the story is an understatement. I was drawn into Max’s mess and consumed by a desire to see him come out of it. I was intrigued by Pavrati: lying for her classmates seemed to come so easily to her! I was enchanted with Preston: what a great friend and an atypical big-man-on-campus. And the lies? Oh boy, what was real, what was fake? What was true, what was a lie? Around and around it goes. Though, I must admit that , I definitely did not see that . I am glad that I let a story carry me, particularly mysteries, rather than spend energy trying to figure out where the author is going or who-dun-it. This was an excellent ride that kept me up until the very last page …. And then some as I contemplated what I had just read! Yup … definitely not the book to pick-up to help lull oneself back to sleep!
I started reading this at 1 a.m. – thank you insomnia. Four hours later, I was still reading and finding my adrenaline pumping. This was most definitely not a book to help me fall back asleep! To say I thoroughly enjoyed the story is an understatement. I was drawn into Max’s mess and consumed by a desire to see him come out of it. I was intrigued by Pavrati: lying for her classmates seemed to come so easily to her
Spoiler
who knew how well she could lie to even those she claimed to loveSpoiler
I knew Preston would be Adam as soon as Max found the picture in the bookSpoiler
Preston/Adam would still be alive nor how vengeful Adam would beberta_rozi's review against another edition
3.0
Very average, but not the worst thing ever either...
rennegade's review against another edition
3.0
This book got off to a great start. I was hooked, and I read quickly to see what would happen next. Unfortunately, it gradually went downhill for me. I would not say that I disliked the book, but it went in a direction that I didn't love.
Spoilery thoughts here:
I didn't care for the big reveal. It was fairly interesting but highly unrealistic to me.
And while I know the book would have been nearly nonexistent without it, I am not at all a fan of the whole 'I'm just a teen who barely knows my ass from a hole in the ground, but let me drive around solving a mystery Scooby-Doo style and end up doing a much better job than the cops.'
I did really enjoy the style of the book, though, so I would definitely check other books by this author.
Spoilery thoughts here:
Spoiler
I really wish there had been more about the Liars, Inc. I knew there would be a mystery involved, but there was only a very brief amount of talk about the Liars, Inc. business before stuff gets crazy.I didn't care for the big reveal. It was fairly interesting but highly unrealistic to me.
And while I know the book would have been nearly nonexistent without it, I am not at all a fan of the whole 'I'm just a teen who barely knows my ass from a hole in the ground, but let me drive around solving a mystery Scooby-Doo style and end up doing a much better job than the cops.'
I did really enjoy the style of the book, though, so I would definitely check other books by this author.
madhatter360's review against another edition
3.0
This book surprised me. I felt that it had some pacing issues though.
saluki's review against another edition
4.0
It's all lies, maybe! This tale is a mind-bender as all the clues are distorted by lies. It kept me guessing until the big reveal. Told from Max Cantrell's point of view, at first I wondered if he is an unreliable narrator due to the lying game premise, but soon put that to the back of my mind as the lies increased, poor decisions are made, and Max finds himself on a very slippery rope.
I couldn't put this book down. A very impressive YA thriller.
I couldn't put this book down. A very impressive YA thriller.
scrollsofdragons's review against another edition
5.0
I hope Strokes writes a thriller again because she executes it perfectly-keeps you guessing, well placed red herrings, intrigue and mystery and a flawless ending.