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abby_zamp_87's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a nice easy read. Elena, Joaquin and Caridad were easy to relate to, even if you were not living as a reluctant immigrant or her children.
It took me a little while to get into the book, but once it switched to more of Joaquin’s perspective, the story picked up. Overall, good story.
Thank you Roaring Book Press for the advanced copy!
It took me a little while to get into the book, but once it switched to more of Joaquin’s perspective, the story picked up. Overall, good story.
Thank you Roaring Book Press for the advanced copy!
mt_camille's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
2.5
I kept waiting for something to happen. Turns out there is not big plot twist. the ending is just the brother moving to California and discovering is father is dead but because we had no actual connection with said brother (since the book suddenly shifts pov from his sister to him) well we don’t really care about what’s going on with him. i mean it’s good that he moved out, he’s probably the only character that was likeable. and also what happened to the sister? like she was the main focus of the boon for pages on and on and at the end we completely forget about her?
Anyways I thought there was a lot of potential like the relationship between Joaquin and Elena or their mother’s mental health issues but everything lacked density, it was too shallow and nothing ever seemed to actually have an impact in their lives or brains. The part about the Cuban crisis could have been so much better if I hadn’t wanted to slap Caridad at every page. She was just too annoying and awful for me to appreciate all the research and care the author put in that aspect of the book.
Anyways I thought there was a lot of potential like the relationship between Joaquin and Elena or their mother’s mental health issues but everything lacked density, it was too shallow and nothing ever seemed to actually have an impact in their lives or brains. The part about the Cuban crisis could have been so much better if I hadn’t wanted to slap Caridad at every page. She was just too annoying and awful for me to appreciate all the research and care the author put in that aspect of the book.
elle_magnolia's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this book was going to be a mystery by the title and description but it ended up being quite boring. I did like how the narration switches to the brother because the sister becomes an unreliable narrator. Other wise I found it boring and just the same the whole time. The book doesn't change much.
rowan_the_reader's review
4.0
An intriguing, strange and a slightly heartbreaking book. I really liked this book and (most of) the characters, I wished there was more from Joaquin’s perspective but overall liked how things unfolded and the lies unraveled!
nadiacoleccionista's review against another edition
4.0
Estoy entre 3.5 y 4 estrellas, pero lo más seguro es que sean 4 ⭐
Pronto reseña en el canal
Pronto reseña en el canal
itskitasai's review
3.0
If I was to use one word to descirbe this, it would be lackluster.
I liked Elena as a character, she was a very flawed teenager who did a lot of things she really should not have, but then suddenly you leave her behind in the midway point and her brother, Joaquin, becomes the main POV.
I think the best part of this was learning about their mother, Carrie / Caridad, and her story, but at the end of it nothing truly mattered to me.
The ending was very bleh. Bit sad as this had been on my radar for a while and it's a bit of a let down.
2.5/5
I liked Elena as a character, she was a very flawed teenager who did a lot of things she really should not have, but then suddenly you leave her behind in the midway point and her brother, Joaquin, becomes the main POV.
I think the best part of this was learning about their mother, Carrie / Caridad, and her story, but at the end of it nothing truly mattered to me.
The ending was very bleh. Bit sad as this had been on my radar for a while and it's a bit of a let down.
2.5/5
tbhonest_uk's review
5.0
This book was not an easy read. By that I mean the subject matter. The writing was superb. It dealt with some quite dark and delicate subject matters with ease. It was enticing and gripping read with "real" characters whose emotions were complex but written beautifully so that you understood the gravity of their situation.. The unresolved ending also gave the novel a more realistic base.
.
.
readingwithadi's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
amysbookishlife's review
4.0
It's the summer of 1986 and siblings, Elena and Joaquin are living on Mariposa Island on Texas’s gulf coast with their alcoholic mother, Caridad. Joaquin longs to be free of the island, but struggles to leave as the need to protect his sister overwhelms him. Elena, having been at her mother’s beck and call for years, rebels and falls for new boy to the island JC. As they both struggle to figure out their futures, family secrets start to emerge that could have the potential to tear them apart.
The Liars was a very character driven, psychological read with some elements that you could expect from a YA thriller. The story itself, at times had me gripped and second guessing everything that was going to happen. The twists and turns throughout the book had me gasping and I found myself being caught up in this tale full of lies and deceit and at times found it hard to physically put the book down.
The story is told through the viewpoints of Elena, Joaquin and Caridad. This meant that we really got to get under the skin of each of them and I lapped this up. Each viewpoint was so unique and each character voice was so distinctive from the other. However, I think I enjoyed Caridad’s chapters the best, as we got to read first-hand what her life was like before having the children up to them being babies. Her character was complex and through her chapters you really got the feel of where all her problems stemmed from.
The Liars was a brilliant, addictive read full of secrets, shocks and deception that will honestly shock you to your core.
The Liars was a very character driven, psychological read with some elements that you could expect from a YA thriller. The story itself, at times had me gripped and second guessing everything that was going to happen. The twists and turns throughout the book had me gasping and I found myself being caught up in this tale full of lies and deceit and at times found it hard to physically put the book down.
The story is told through the viewpoints of Elena, Joaquin and Caridad. This meant that we really got to get under the skin of each of them and I lapped this up. Each viewpoint was so unique and each character voice was so distinctive from the other. However, I think I enjoyed Caridad’s chapters the best, as we got to read first-hand what her life was like before having the children up to them being babies. Her character was complex and through her chapters you really got the feel of where all her problems stemmed from.
The Liars was a brilliant, addictive read full of secrets, shocks and deception that will honestly shock you to your core.
wormz's review against another edition
4.0
Normally, I hate this kind of book. YA readers will know what I'm talking about. The ones about edgy teenagers (usually very annoying ones) who drink! smoke! do drugs! *gasp* swear! Oh and something something family secrets.
I think that this book had a nice take on that whole type of YA. The characters felt realistic enough, if still pretty annoying at times. The plot, while meandering, managed to hold my interest for the whole book.
I think that this book had a nice take on that whole type of YA. The characters felt realistic enough, if still pretty annoying at times. The plot, while meandering, managed to hold my interest for the whole book.