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yassica's review against another edition
3.0
3-3.5 stars
First of all, the cover is absolutely brilliant. It only took me a couple of seconds to get it after finishing the book and it's a perfect depiction of what's to come.
For the most part, I found the plot enjoyable. It was captivating and there were some nice twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. That being said, I can understand why other readers might have felt meh about this book. There were definitely unrealistic (and odd?) moments where I thought, really? They're doing this? I honestly didn't mind that aspect that much, but I could see how it might annoy people.
The characters were well-written and felt fleshed-out. The main character's relationship with those around him was also incredibly interesting, especially paired with the plot of lies, secrets, and deceit. I also appreciated that while there is a romance plot, it doesn't take away focus from the mystery aspect.
First of all, the cover is absolutely brilliant. It only took me a couple of seconds to get it after finishing the book and it's a perfect depiction of what's to come.
For the most part, I found the plot enjoyable. It was captivating and there were some nice twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. That being said, I can understand why other readers might have felt meh about this book. There were definitely unrealistic (and odd?) moments where I thought, really? They're doing this? I honestly didn't mind that aspect that much, but I could see how it might annoy people.
The characters were well-written and felt fleshed-out. The main character's relationship with those around him was also incredibly interesting, especially paired with the plot of lies, secrets, and deceit. I also appreciated that while there is a romance plot, it doesn't take away focus from the mystery aspect.
andimontgomery's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Once I got to about page 50, this book took hold of me. There were quite a few twists, and I enjoyed this entertaining read.
slopez123's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
melbsreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Trigger warnings: death of a parent (in the past), sibling with chronic illness, foster care (in the past), death, fire, gun violence, blood, cheating, death of a child (in the past)
Okay, first of all, the blurb gave WAY too much of the story away, because the whole "oh no, my best friend is dead" thing happens at, like, the half way mark of the story. That being said, the second half of the story FLEW by and was absolutely gripping. Was it a tad predictable at times? Yes. Did I still have a decent time with it? Mostly. It *did* feel a little long, tbh.
Okay, first of all, the blurb gave WAY too much of the story away, because the whole "oh no, my best friend is dead" thing happens at, like, the half way mark of the story. That being said, the second half of the story FLEW by and was absolutely gripping. Was it a tad predictable at times? Yes. Did I still have a decent time with it? Mostly. It *did* feel a little long, tbh.
losetimereading's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, that was wild!
**
The Art of Lainey was one of my favorite books of 2014, so when I seen Liars, Inc. it quickly became one of my most anticipated reads of 2015 … I couldn’t wait to dive into it!
Ok first off, let’s talk about the characters. I was SO excited that the main character was male! And I really, really liked Max from the beginning. Win-win. Max has a really interesting back story as well. Parvati, I wasn’t the biggest fan of at first, but towards the end I really started to warm up to her. Preston, I also liked initially, but we didn’t really get to see much of him before the murder happened. I also LOVED Max’s family. They were so kind and loving and I really loved to see a present, caring family in the mix!
I read Liars, Inc. in one sitting, it was impossible to put down. I just HAD to know what was going on and who was behind all of the shenanigans. My suspicions were swayed every few pages, and the person who I was SURE was behind everything turned out not to be which absolutely thrilled me. Nearly every thriller I read I am able to pinpoint who the culprit is, or the twist that is coming and it wasn’t until the nearly the end that I figured out this one.
I don’t want to say too much, because everything I say might give away bits of the story that you NEED to discover along the way. It is such a fast paced, edge of your seat thriller and I was so incredibly satisfied with the way it ended.
Liars, Inc. is a totally different story than The Art of Lainey was, but it’s equally amazing. It has cemented Paula Stokes as an auto-buy author for me because she is an amazing story-teller!
Highly recommended
**
The Art of Lainey was one of my favorite books of 2014, so when I seen Liars, Inc. it quickly became one of my most anticipated reads of 2015 … I couldn’t wait to dive into it!
Ok first off, let’s talk about the characters. I was SO excited that the main character was male! And I really, really liked Max from the beginning. Win-win. Max has a really interesting back story as well. Parvati, I wasn’t the biggest fan of at first, but towards the end I really started to warm up to her. Preston, I also liked initially, but we didn’t really get to see much of him before the murder happened. I also LOVED Max’s family. They were so kind and loving and I really loved to see a present, caring family in the mix!
I read Liars, Inc. in one sitting, it was impossible to put down. I just HAD to know what was going on and who was behind all of the shenanigans. My suspicions were swayed every few pages, and the person who I was SURE was behind everything turned out not to be which absolutely thrilled me. Nearly every thriller I read I am able to pinpoint who the culprit is, or the twist that is coming and it wasn’t until the nearly the end that I figured out this one.
I don’t want to say too much, because everything I say might give away bits of the story that you NEED to discover along the way. It is such a fast paced, edge of your seat thriller and I was so incredibly satisfied with the way it ended.
Liars, Inc. is a totally different story than The Art of Lainey was, but it’s equally amazing. It has cemented Paula Stokes as an auto-buy author for me because she is an amazing story-teller!
Highly recommended
danicampbell0506's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
sephranix's review against another edition
2.0
I wasn't sure I'd finish this book, but I plowed through it because it was a quick read. It really was just a whole lot of what not to do if a friend of yours goes missing. Also, called that twist/ending.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.0
Finished reading: November 29th 2015
“The truth doesn't get you very far on the streets, or in a group home, or even in high school. That's probably why the idea of Liars, Inc. appealed to me. Everybody lies. You might as well get paid for it.”
Spoiler
l've had Liars, Inc. on my TBR for a long time. I have seen a lot of mixed reviews about it and that made me quite wary of actually picking it up. This novel by Paula Stokes has been compared to Gone Girl, most likely because of the unreliable narrator, crazy plot twists and the whole hype around it... Unfortunately, as with Gone Girl I don't think Liars, Inc. is actually worth the hype. Sure, it is quite an entertaining read and the plot twists are almost always unexpected, but it lacked the wow factor for me. I wasn't fully convinced with the main characters and they are not exactly likeable either, but that is part of the problem with an unreliable narrator in general anyway. The pace is fast and it was quite a quick read with a few surprising moments and crazy plot twists. So I guess that if you don't mind unlikeable characters and don't set your expectations too high, you will probably quite enjoy this read.
Max Cantrell doesn't really believe in the truth and has no problem with lying to get what he wants. When he covers for one of the popular girls in order to get the detention he wants so he can be with his girlfriend Parvati, an opportunity arises. His fellow students apparently are in need of forged permission slips and cover stories, and who is he to deny those to them? Together with his friend Preston and girlfriend Parvati, they start Liars, Inc. with the idea to make a little extra money and liven up their senior year. But soon they have almost more work than they can handle and money starts pouring in. So when Preston asks Max to cover for him so he can visit a girl he met online, Max doesn't think twice. Everything seems to work out perfectly, until Preston never comes home... And soon evidence starts piling up that implicates Max as the possible murderer of his friend. Will he be able to find the real killer and clear his name before it's too late? This time, lies will get him only into more trouble...
While I didn't feel Liars, Inc. was that good, I can't deny that it's quite an entertaining story in general. It's a quick read and the plot twists are unpredictable enough to keep you guessing what is really going on. I wasn't a fan of the characters; they were actually quite annoying and unlikeable, but I guess Paula Stokes did do a good job of using the unreliable narrator technique. I had a hard time rating this novel, but I think that if you liked other stories using the same technique (like Gone Girl), you will most likely enjoy Liars, Inc. as well.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.