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3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Really didn't like this book, and I was hoping for more after a good start from the first couple of chapters. It's a fast enough read, but I found the backwards plot a little hard to follow when you pick it back up after putting the book down for a while. That wouldn't have been a huge issue in itself, but the time reversal also removed surprise...I could easily guess what was going to happen and was just waiting for those major plot points to manifest. And honestly, the plot kinda ooged me out (that is the technical term). The murder scenes were too graphic for my admittedly prim taste (many reviewers noted that the plot is a rip-off of The Talented Mr. Ripley) and really I was just uncomfortable for most of the book. Not my cup of tea.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed we were liars by e. Lockhart so much that I had to pick up Genuine Fraud when I saw it. Genuine Fraud is about a girl named Jule, yet the first section ends as she introduces herself to another character as Imogen. Throughout the novel the reader has to put together what other lies Jule is telling, if there is a real Imogen, and what Jule is running from and why. With its jumps in time, the novel is exciting yet confusing, but it wraps up to be a good story of obsession and identity. “...she didn’t any longer know what shape her own self was, or whether there was really no Jule at all, but only a series of selves she presented for different contexts. Were all people like that, with no true self?” (25)
So far, I’m enjoying Lockhart’s twists, but I wished Jule in Genuine Fraud seemed more realistic as I was reading. I can totally get behind an obsessive, psychotic, Single White Female-type protagonist, but one who is also an expert at makeup, accents, and martial arts? I don’t remember Jule’s exact age, but I think she was only in her early 20s by the time the last chronological events of the book happened. It seems like she’d need to spend more time perfecting all of these skills. Doesn’t it take more than a few years of training to be able to impersonate people on a whim, re-write wills, develop a photographic memory, become passionate about Victorian literature and Gershwin, etc.? Also, I think I would need more time to be an expert at getting away with murder, on top of all of this other know-how.
I did enjoy Jule’s journey, or “origin story,” as she would call it, and I could see myself reading it again to piece together the timeline. Though we were liars is still my favorite, I can see Lockhart becoming one of my favorite authors, because her books, complex and haunting, are engaging and fun to read.
So far, I’m enjoying Lockhart’s twists, but I wished Jule in Genuine Fraud seemed more realistic as I was reading. I can totally get behind an obsessive, psychotic, Single White Female-type protagonist, but one who is also an expert at makeup, accents, and martial arts? I don’t remember Jule’s exact age, but I think she was only in her early 20s by the time the last chronological events of the book happened. It seems like she’d need to spend more time perfecting all of these skills. Doesn’t it take more than a few years of training to be able to impersonate people on a whim, re-write wills, develop a photographic memory, become passionate about Victorian literature and Gershwin, etc.? Also, I think I would need more time to be an expert at getting away with murder, on top of all of this other know-how.
I did enjoy Jule’s journey, or “origin story,” as she would call it, and I could see myself reading it again to piece together the timeline. Though we were liars is still my favorite, I can see Lockhart becoming one of my favorite authors, because her books, complex and haunting, are engaging and fun to read.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Note: This book includes heavy themes of suicide and death that could be very triggering to the reader.
The twists and turns of this book were utterly thrilling and had my heart pounding the whole time. This isn’t a novel I would typically pick up, but it was on sale at Books-a-Million and it seemed worth a try for $5.
The book feature Jule on a journey to finding herself behind the masks she’s given herself. It will pull at your heartstrings, make you angry, confused, and even mad, but you’ll be glad you picked it up. If you are a curious person and enjoy mysteries then this book is for you.
The twists and turns of this book were utterly thrilling and had my heart pounding the whole time. This isn’t a novel I would typically pick up, but it was on sale at Books-a-Million and it seemed worth a try for $5.
The book feature Jule on a journey to finding herself behind the masks she’s given herself. It will pull at your heartstrings, make you angry, confused, and even mad, but you’ll be glad you picked it up. If you are a curious person and enjoy mysteries then this book is for you.
Definitely interesting
Cool format and kept me guessing the whole time, but I guess I just couldn't really relate to any of the characters and I guess that's an important part of what gets me to like a story
Cool format and kept me guessing the whole time, but I guess I just couldn't really relate to any of the characters and I guess that's an important part of what gets me to like a story
I really enjoyed this bizzare modern take on The Talented Mr Ripley - it is very different to We Were Liars but a great holiday read full of glamour and suspenseful twists.