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A review by misshappyapples
This is W.A.R. by Lisa Roecker, Laura Roecker
4.0
I picked this up because I'm a fan of the Liar's Society books by Lisa and Laura Roecker and wanted to see what would happen when they branched out from Kate Lowry. I was also intrigued by the former title of this books, The Hush Fund, but there's no point in going into that as the title was clearly changed. And 'This is W.A.R.' probably sums up this book a little better than it's formative title did. Still. There's something in me, and just about everyone else in the world, who can't get enough of rich kids behaving badly. Of course, usually, that doesn't include murder.
No one has to wonder who killed Willa Ames-Rowan because everybody knows. On the night of July 4th Willa went out on a boat with James Gregory and only one of them came back. But James, heir apparent at Hawthorne Lake Country Club, is impossible to get at. No one is willing to talk. So Willa's friends, step-sister Madge, rebel Lina, Sloane, who doesn't live up to her stereotypes, and Rose, the daughter of the club's activities director decide to take matters in their own hands. Together they pool their resources, a cool twenty five thousand each, and form a club dedicated to bringing down the Gregorys; not just James, but his brother Trip (who helped Willa into the boat), and patriarch Club president The Captain. But as their schemes work their magic the girls start to question what they thought they knew for sure until they have to question what exactly did happen that night?
Now, first off, this book was not perfect. There were a lot of cliches, a lot of obvious twists, and unrealistic plots. I am not denying that. I can see how someone could read this book and really really hate it. But, I didn't. Perhaps it was a little bit silly but it was a very fun book. It would be easy to call the characters one dimensional, but only really because they work off cliches, both bucking them and utilizing them. Rose is the Latina employee's daughter, caught between the staff and the members. Lina is the classic rebel, who's parents don't pay her any attention and she lashes out by getting tattoos. Sloane is the Asian daughter of two well respected doctors, but she's spent her whole life trying to disguise the fact that she's undeniably stupid. Madge is the collected sister of the perfect blonde girl. The Gregorys are also typical. James spends half his page time stumbling around drunk and moaning about his rotten life while Trip passes out roofies like they're bubblegum. We've seen all these characters before. Many times. But, somehow, I found them endearing here. They all had their reasons for wanting to avenge Willa and they exhibited the correct amounts of fury and reticence. Sure, some of their ideas were a little ridiculous, but I can look past that for the sake of amusement.
And that's what this is, truly, amusement. I didn't read this because I thought it would be some earth shattering piece of literature, I read it because I wanted a page turning book of suspense and mystery. I got what I wanted, my expectations were met, and I would recommend this. If you're read any of the Roecker's Liar's Society books you basically get more of the same, albeit with new characters and new circumstances.
No one has to wonder who killed Willa Ames-Rowan because everybody knows. On the night of July 4th Willa went out on a boat with James Gregory and only one of them came back. But James, heir apparent at Hawthorne Lake Country Club, is impossible to get at. No one is willing to talk. So Willa's friends, step-sister Madge, rebel Lina, Sloane, who doesn't live up to her stereotypes, and Rose, the daughter of the club's activities director decide to take matters in their own hands. Together they pool their resources, a cool twenty five thousand each, and form a club dedicated to bringing down the Gregorys; not just James, but his brother Trip (who helped Willa into the boat), and patriarch Club president The Captain. But as their schemes work their magic the girls start to question what they thought they knew for sure until they have to question what exactly did happen that night?
Now, first off, this book was not perfect. There were a lot of cliches, a lot of obvious twists, and unrealistic plots. I am not denying that. I can see how someone could read this book and really really hate it. But, I didn't. Perhaps it was a little bit silly but it was a very fun book. It would be easy to call the characters one dimensional, but only really because they work off cliches, both bucking them and utilizing them. Rose is the Latina employee's daughter, caught between the staff and the members. Lina is the classic rebel, who's parents don't pay her any attention and she lashes out by getting tattoos. Sloane is the Asian daughter of two well respected doctors, but she's spent her whole life trying to disguise the fact that she's undeniably stupid. Madge is the collected sister of the perfect blonde girl. The Gregorys are also typical. James spends half his page time stumbling around drunk and moaning about his rotten life while Trip passes out roofies like they're bubblegum. We've seen all these characters before. Many times. But, somehow, I found them endearing here. They all had their reasons for wanting to avenge Willa and they exhibited the correct amounts of fury and reticence. Sure, some of their ideas were a little ridiculous, but I can look past that for the sake of amusement.
And that's what this is, truly, amusement. I didn't read this because I thought it would be some earth shattering piece of literature, I read it because I wanted a page turning book of suspense and mystery. I got what I wanted, my expectations were met, and I would recommend this. If you're read any of the Roecker's Liar's Society books you basically get more of the same, albeit with new characters and new circumstances.