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A review by emcaro
The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti
2.0
Don't trust the blurb.
I've had this book on my watch list for a few months now because it appealed to the side of me that loves a good true crime, murder mystery with a YA spin and when I saw it at the library while on vacation and figured I'd give it a try when it wouldn't cost me anything. I'm incredibly glad I didn't spend any money on this book because it wasn't what I expected at all. Like I said above, the blurb makes the book out to be something it absolutely isn't. It takes a lot for me to give a book such a low rating because I really do try to give each book the benefit of the doubt since as a writer, I know the work that goes into it. For me, though, there was very little redeeming quality in the book. Add in my expectations being severely misplaced and I couldn't give this book a high rating even with the benefit of the doubt.
I wound up giving this two stars because there were a few redeemable lines and moments in the book that I was able to appreciate or enjoyed, but on the whole, it was lackluster and a waste of pages. Hawthorn is not the "quirky" and "unique" outsider as she's advertised, she's very much the "I'm not like other girls" trope on steroids. Nothing about her really is relatable, and I can say that as someone who often feels like an outcast, has awkward moments and is a rather awkward, "weird" human being, aka someone she was probably targeted to appeal to. She is self absorbed, confusing, and oversteps boundaries regularly, only to get upset and finger point when others rightfully call her out on it. I don't think I have ever hated a protagonist like I hate Hawthorn. She's so ridiculously full of herself. She is flat, and supporting characters are barely one dimension at best. Her connection with Lizzie's boyfriend ends abruptly and there is no closure whatsoever, the book leaves a dozen loose ties and feels entirely incomplete, like Chelsea Sedoti just got tired of writing and ended the book. Surprisingly, the only character I liked was Lizzie, who is missing and is only seen through Hawthorn's point of view, which tarnished her and turns her into a bundle of stereotypes as well. And even then, the story has nothing to do with her disappearance. There is no real mystery and search for answers, it's just Hawthorn theorizing outlandish things because she doesn't care, but she does? It's confusing. This book is a headache. The moments I did like probably summed up to be about 15 pages total.
I don't know who this book is made for, if anyone at all really, but it's certainly not me. Glad I saw it at the library because I would have hated to waste twenty bucks on this.
I've had this book on my watch list for a few months now because it appealed to the side of me that loves a good true crime, murder mystery with a YA spin and when I saw it at the library while on vacation and figured I'd give it a try when it wouldn't cost me anything. I'm incredibly glad I didn't spend any money on this book because it wasn't what I expected at all. Like I said above, the blurb makes the book out to be something it absolutely isn't. It takes a lot for me to give a book such a low rating because I really do try to give each book the benefit of the doubt since as a writer, I know the work that goes into it. For me, though, there was very little redeeming quality in the book. Add in my expectations being severely misplaced and I couldn't give this book a high rating even with the benefit of the doubt.
I wound up giving this two stars because there were a few redeemable lines and moments in the book that I was able to appreciate or enjoyed, but on the whole, it was lackluster and a waste of pages. Hawthorn is not the "quirky" and "unique" outsider as she's advertised, she's very much the "I'm not like other girls" trope on steroids. Nothing about her really is relatable, and I can say that as someone who often feels like an outcast, has awkward moments and is a rather awkward, "weird" human being, aka someone she was probably targeted to appeal to. She is self absorbed, confusing, and oversteps boundaries regularly, only to get upset and finger point when others rightfully call her out on it. I don't think I have ever hated a protagonist like I hate Hawthorn. She's so ridiculously full of herself. She is flat, and supporting characters are barely one dimension at best. Her connection with Lizzie's boyfriend ends abruptly and there is no closure whatsoever, the book leaves a dozen loose ties and feels entirely incomplete, like Chelsea Sedoti just got tired of writing and ended the book. Surprisingly, the only character I liked was Lizzie, who is missing and is only seen through Hawthorn's point of view, which tarnished her and turns her into a bundle of stereotypes as well. And even then, the story has nothing to do with her disappearance. There is no real mystery and search for answers, it's just Hawthorn theorizing outlandish things because she doesn't care, but she does? It's confusing. This book is a headache. The moments I did like probably summed up to be about 15 pages total.
I don't know who this book is made for, if anyone at all really, but it's certainly not me. Glad I saw it at the library because I would have hated to waste twenty bucks on this.