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steffski's review
4.0
This was a quick and clean and quaint YA with some lessons learned in a time where most YA is more adult than young adult. I like that it was historical fiction that gave nods to what life was like post WW2 but was a stand alone story without that.
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
5.0
All you need to know about this book is that it's historical fiction set after the second world war, the writing is wonderful and it's definitely worth reading. Everything is spot on. The descriptions, the characters and the tone of the 50's.
And last but not least - it lingers. It kept me up late at night and still pops up in my head now and then, reminding me of how great it is.
That's it.
And last but not least - it lingers. It kept me up late at night and still pops up in my head now and then, reminding me of how great it is.
That's it.
stephxsu's review
3.0
After her stepfather Joe returns home from serving in the Second World War, 15-year-old Evie Spooner believes that things can now return to normal. No more rationing, no more faking, no more worrying with her beautiful mother Bev if he will be in a particular battle on a particular day.
However, things from Joe’s war past seem to come back to haunt him, and he spontaneously moves his family down to a hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. There they befriend the Graysons, a wealthy-looking couple, and Peter Coleridge, a handsome young man who knew Joe from the war. Joe doesn’t seem to like Peter, and Evie can’t figure out why. She certainly likes him very much, as they go out to town together with Bev and occasionally have romantic encounters.
But something is seriously wrong with this group. Lies, betrayals, and hatred arise, culminating in a devastating event that forces Evie to choose whether to be loyal to her parents or be just. Bev can’t hide Evie behind a makeup-less face and childish dresses anymore; it’s time for Evie to grow up and face the complex adult world.
Judy Blundell packs so much into this small but giant book. Issues regarding anti-Semitism, family loyalty, love, growing up, and lying all come up, among others. While I thought Evie seemed over-the-top naïve sometimes with relationship tensions that are obvious to readers, Blundell does a fantastic job of making her grow up through the book. WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED is by no means perfect, but it’s a good read if you’re looking for a historical suspense coming-of-age story.
However, things from Joe’s war past seem to come back to haunt him, and he spontaneously moves his family down to a hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. There they befriend the Graysons, a wealthy-looking couple, and Peter Coleridge, a handsome young man who knew Joe from the war. Joe doesn’t seem to like Peter, and Evie can’t figure out why. She certainly likes him very much, as they go out to town together with Bev and occasionally have romantic encounters.
But something is seriously wrong with this group. Lies, betrayals, and hatred arise, culminating in a devastating event that forces Evie to choose whether to be loyal to her parents or be just. Bev can’t hide Evie behind a makeup-less face and childish dresses anymore; it’s time for Evie to grow up and face the complex adult world.
Judy Blundell packs so much into this small but giant book. Issues regarding anti-Semitism, family loyalty, love, growing up, and lying all come up, among others. While I thought Evie seemed over-the-top naïve sometimes with relationship tensions that are obvious to readers, Blundell does a fantastic job of making her grow up through the book. WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED is by no means perfect, but it’s a good read if you’re looking for a historical suspense coming-of-age story.
gothbean's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was the first book I ever wrote fanfiction for as a kid. Rereading it as an adult has been a treat, now that I can actually understand what was going on. A perfect beginner mystery book.
finley0315's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jackiehorne's review
4.0
Film noir meets coming of age in this taut, atmospheric YA set in post-War New York and Palm Beach.
fbradley's review against another edition
3.0
The cover and the award made me really excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it let me down quite a bit. For a young adult book, the author seems to not understand young adults very well. It is condescending, and while it did have shining moments, it certainly does not stick with me the way other YA novels have. Perhaps my greatest issue with the book is Evie. How stupid does the author think teens are? I mean seriously? Not to mention her 'love story' leaves the impression that teenagers cannot really fall in love only infatuation. While infatuation does happen, I'm not saying it doesn't, teens are capable of real genuine love and the perspective this author offers certainly limits their experiences. On this note it really bothered me. This book shows how imperative it is that authors of YA literature really understand the teen experience before writing from a teen perspective.
libraryladys's review
2.0
I feel as if I should have liked this book more than I did. I could see the scenes in my head and maybe I would enjoy it as a movie because it is a period piece....Anyway, this is 15-yr-old Evie's coming of age story. She sees chinks in her mother and stepfather's marriage, she experiences unrequited love, she must defend her parents against murder charges....you know, typical teen story. The author mixes in antisemitism and Evie redeems herself (or her stepfather's choices??) through this plot line.
startingviolence's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25