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girlglitch's review against another edition
4.0
You rarely see low-key domestic dramas in YA, so Mathieu's latest novel kind of took me by surprise. Readers expecting a twisty thriller will be disappointed: The Liars is more of a brooding character study.
It's eloquently written, with fantastically real and frustrating characters. I loved the interchange between the different family members' povs, including flashbacks to the mother's childhood in Cuba. I did feel a little let down by the lack of plot, and the final reveal never quite hits its mark, leaving the whole novel feeling curiously shapeless. It's only really when you finish the book (with its unresolved ending) that you realise that was the intention all along.
The Liars is a heavy and ambitious read, as cloying as the atmosphere in the Finney family home. It's an astute exploration of lies and entrapment, slow to bloom but wonderfully weighted.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
It's eloquently written, with fantastically real and frustrating characters. I loved the interchange between the different family members' povs, including flashbacks to the mother's childhood in Cuba. I did feel a little let down by the lack of plot, and the final reveal never quite hits its mark, leaving the whole novel feeling curiously shapeless. It's only really when you finish the book (with its unresolved ending) that you realise that was the intention all along.
The Liars is a heavy and ambitious read, as cloying as the atmosphere in the Finney family home. It's an astute exploration of lies and entrapment, slow to bloom but wonderfully weighted.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
deedralapray's review against another edition
3.0
Jennifer Mathieu is one of my favs. I loved Moxie and The Truth About Alice, but this one was just ok. The book is very character-driven, and it did force me to think and re-evaluate some things in my own life. When I think about that, it kinda leaves me scratching my head. When a book is profound and makes you dig a little deeper, does that mean you have to like it? Things that make you go hmmmm...
alongreader's review against another edition
3.0
Elena and Joaquin are trapped with a controlling mother. She, herself, is trapped by the memories of her childhood in Cuba.
Jennifer Mathieu is an instabuy for me. [b:Moxie|33163378|Moxie|Jennifer Mathieu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494950979l/33163378._SY75_.jpg|46824140] remains one of my favourite reads ever. This book just - doesn't seem to go anywhere. Everyone lies a lot, there's a lot of fighting, but nothing ultimately changes. Maybe that's the whole point; that they're all trapped in this cycle, unable to get out of it. If so, though, it's not really obvious.
However, it's still an intriguing, well written read, and I'll absolutely be recommending it.
I received a free copy and chose to leave an honest review.
"You should probably go," says Joaquin, lowering his voice. "Just...be careful, all right? And don't be too late. And...call if you need me. I'll come get you. No questions asked."
I smile, and for a moment I feel a bit of the same closeness we has as kids when we would wake up early to watch television on Saturday mornings, slumped together on the couch while Mami snored through a hangover.
"I promise I'll be careful," I say. "And I won't be too late." And then, before my nerves or my mother can stop me, I'm opening the front door and slipping out into the dusk of early evening, skipping down the porch steps, my heart thudding inside me, my mouth turning into a hesitant smile, the word freedom spinning over and over in my mind on some frantic, endless loop.
Jennifer Mathieu is an instabuy for me. [b:Moxie|33163378|Moxie|Jennifer Mathieu|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494950979l/33163378._SY75_.jpg|46824140] remains one of my favourite reads ever. This book just - doesn't seem to go anywhere. Everyone lies a lot, there's a lot of fighting, but nothing ultimately changes. Maybe that's the whole point; that they're all trapped in this cycle, unable to get out of it. If so, though, it's not really obvious.
However, it's still an intriguing, well written read, and I'll absolutely be recommending it.
I received a free copy and chose to leave an honest review.
"You should probably go," says Joaquin, lowering his voice. "Just...be careful, all right? And don't be too late. And...call if you need me. I'll come get you. No questions asked."
I smile, and for a moment I feel a bit of the same closeness we has as kids when we would wake up early to watch television on Saturday mornings, slumped together on the couch while Mami snored through a hangover.
"I promise I'll be careful," I say. "And I won't be too late." And then, before my nerves or my mother can stop me, I'm opening the front door and slipping out into the dusk of early evening, skipping down the porch steps, my heart thudding inside me, my mouth turning into a hesitant smile, the word freedom spinning over and over in my mind on some frantic, endless loop.
lizaroo71's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve only read one other book by this author, but I want to read them all now. This book may not hit the high points for all readers, but for me, it really encompassed growing up in a Latinx household in the eighties.
I like the various POVs and I like that you have a tension that is consistent between the mother and her children. This is a book about not just emigrating, but learning how to adapt in a world that doesn’t mirror where you began.
The ending definitely left open the door to possibilities.
I like the various POVs and I like that you have a tension that is consistent between the mother and her children. This is a book about not just emigrating, but learning how to adapt in a world that doesn’t mirror where you began.
The ending definitely left open the door to possibilities.
taylorg_1005's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
poorashleu's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed The Liars of Mariposa Island. It's dark, it's twisty, it's sad as hell, by far it is Mathieu's saddest book and she has written some doozies. But it also worked it's way into my heart and I love it so.
mariethelibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
This was disappointing. It was kind of flat and disengaging? Like meh.
sc104906's review against another edition
2.0
Find my original review on my blog: https://wp.me/p8jcuj-21j
Elena must conform to her mother's unrealistic rules, or she must death with her mother's wrath. Unlike her older brother, Elena is expected to cook, clean, and be a proper lady. She is not allowed to go out with friends or do anything that might even look like impropriety. Elena looks forward to the summers, when the rich Callahan family returns and she can get a break from her mother by babysitting the Callahan children. This summer is different because Elena has met a guy. While he may not be the best and not who you would consider to be her type, Elena begins to use the Callahans as an excuse more and more. Elena's older brother Joaquin worries about his sister, but he would never call her out because he doesn't want to alert their abusive and alcoholic mother. Joaquin doesn't want to be a part of the drama or abuse, instead he wants to start his adult life far away. Joaquin wants to find their long lost father and build connections with other parts of his family. This summer is one of tension and change, will the family be able to make it through the summer unscathed.
There was alot of story in this novel, though not alot of action. Elena, Joaquin, and their mother sift through their personal histories as a way to understand what their futures are going to be. While the narrative provides the mother's perspective, I never found myself connecting with her or rooting for her. She started pretty awful and stayed that way. The mother did have a challenging life, since she was sent from her home in Cuba to live with strangers in America. Instead of rising in the face of adversity, she twisted and became something nasty. Elena seemed to (almost) follow the same path and process. By the end of the book, I think the only person I really cared for or wanted to see in the future was Joaquin. I think this was a dense emotional story that some readers will respond to, but it was a challenge for me to read.
Elena must conform to her mother's unrealistic rules, or she must death with her mother's wrath. Unlike her older brother, Elena is expected to cook, clean, and be a proper lady. She is not allowed to go out with friends or do anything that might even look like impropriety. Elena looks forward to the summers, when the rich Callahan family returns and she can get a break from her mother by babysitting the Callahan children. This summer is different because Elena has met a guy. While he may not be the best and not who you would consider to be her type, Elena begins to use the Callahans as an excuse more and more. Elena's older brother Joaquin worries about his sister, but he would never call her out because he doesn't want to alert their abusive and alcoholic mother. Joaquin doesn't want to be a part of the drama or abuse, instead he wants to start his adult life far away. Joaquin wants to find their long lost father and build connections with other parts of his family. This summer is one of tension and change, will the family be able to make it through the summer unscathed.
There was alot of story in this novel, though not alot of action. Elena, Joaquin, and their mother sift through their personal histories as a way to understand what their futures are going to be. While the narrative provides the mother's perspective, I never found myself connecting with her or rooting for her. She started pretty awful and stayed that way. The mother did have a challenging life, since she was sent from her home in Cuba to live with strangers in America. Instead of rising in the face of adversity, she twisted and became something nasty. Elena seemed to (almost) follow the same path and process. By the end of the book, I think the only person I really cared for or wanted to see in the future was Joaquin. I think this was a dense emotional story that some readers will respond to, but it was a challenge for me to read.