Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Genre: young adult, mystery, contemporary
Series: N/A
Pages: 240
Published: expected May 13 2014
Source: publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 4/5

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

We Were Liars is a way better story than it should be -- with a different author, this would just be a staid novel of bratty kids and their first world problems. Under E. Lockhart's talented pen, these characters and their lives feel real from the get-go. Though I missed the humor and easy warmth of Lockhart's Ruby Oliver books, I cannot deny that We Were Liars is a gripping (mostly) contemporary with a hint of a mystery. 

There are times it's okay to spoil yourself for a book before actually finishing/reading. This is NOT one of those times. We Were Liars is such a complete, involving experience -- it deserves to gone into blind. But this is also a hard novel to review for just those reasons. Through two different timelines and summers, it's impossible not to get caught up in the drama of the affluent but fractious Sinclair family. 

But here's the 411 on what you should know about E. Lockhart's newest story.

• It's clever, though the plot takes some time to get any traction
• It's full of complicated, messed-up, not-always-or-even-usually-nice people
• It boasts the distinctive Lockhart writing, but in a new style
• It's surprising and gripping
• It's emotional and heartfelt -- you will feel things, even against your will

Though the focus is on the story and characters, the prose is strong and often lovely. Lockhart is such a capable, clever author -- able to evoke a myriad of reactions from readers. We Were Liars is hard to put down; if you're not into the romance or the fly-on-the-wall perspective of the Sinclair troubles, the mystery of summer fifteen will get to you. It's a different sort of novel than what I have read from Lockhart before, but I was thoroughly impressed and pleasantly surprised by We Were Liars.

Pre-Christmas Book Haul!

This is how The Winner's Curse showed up at my house. How amazingly cool is that packaging?!

It really is cool-looking. I am never throwing it away.

Gifted: 

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart (Ruby Oliver #1) -- from the lovely Ellis

Sorrow's Knot ARC by Erin Bow

The Outside by Laura Bickle ARC (The Hallowed Ones #2) --- both from the awesome Ashleigh at the YA Kitten

Sent: 

A Different Sun by Elaine Neil Orr (from TLC Book Tours and Berkley

The Winner's Curse ARC by Marie Rutkoski (than you to MacMillan)

Under the Wide and Starry Sky ARC by Nancy Horan (thanks TLC Book Tours, Ballantine Books!)

The Deepest Secret ARC by Carla Buckley (Thanks Bantam and TLC Book Tours!)

Gifted:

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman (Noughts and Crosses #1)  -- from Ellis at the Random Transliterator

Bought:

The Boy Book by E. Lockhart (Ruby Oliver #2)

eBook Buys:

Also Known As by Robin Benway (Also Known As #1)

Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad. Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time. Having parents with super cool jobs. Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend. But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.

Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes. She'll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school's security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover.

So I had an ARC of this but it expired and I went on my way. And then Going Rogue came out and everyone loved it. So, I bought this and got an ARC of the second. Woo!

The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams (Shadow Reader #!)

There can only be one allegiance.
It’s her time to choose.

Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.

I've had my eye on this for years, since it came out in 2011. Wendy Darling 5-starred it and that's enough to make me buy it when it's the Kindle Daily Deal.

The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart by Leanna Renee Hieber
 (Magic Most Foul #2)

 For Natalie Stewart, a normal life has never seemed so far away. Her only solace, Lord Jonathan Denbury, is wanted for murder. To clear his name, Denbury must return to England and assume the role of his demon doppelganger.

But Natalie begins to doubt his true motives, especially as a new gentleman begins whispering in her ear. Natalie and Denbury may be able to visit each other in their dreams, but they can’t escape the darkening shadows.

Amid spontaneous explosions, friends turned enemies and dangerous secrets revealed, there’s still a demon who has Natalie’s scent, and someone is trying to resurrect the ultimate evil.

I was a big fan of Darker Still, but this series had fallen off my radar. Once I was offered an ARC of the third book (The Double Life of Incorporate Things) I ran out and bought this ebook. Also -- look closely at this cover. Isn't it fabulous?
 

The Tattered Banner by Duncan M. Hamilton (Society of the Sword #1)

Unique talent always attracts attention…

In a world where magic is outlawed, ability with a sword is prized above all else. For Soren this means the chance to live out his dreams.

Plucked from a life of privation, he is given a coveted place at Ostenheim’s Academy of Swordsmanship, an opportunity beyond belief.

Opportunity is not always what it seems however, and gifts rarely come without conditions. Soren becomes an unwitting pawn in a game of intrigue and treachery that could cost him not just his dreams, but also his life.

I honestly know nothing about this, but it popped up on a lot of best-of-year-fantasy lists. As a huge fantasy nerd, that was enough to convince me.

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #1)

Angus: My mixed-breed cat, half domestic tabby, half Scottish wildcat. The size of a small Labrador, only mad. Likes to stalk Mr. and Mrs. Next Door's poodle. I used to drag him around on a lead, but, as I explained to Mrs. Next Door, he ate it.

Thongs: Stupid underwear worn by old Swotty Knickers, Lindsay. What's the point of them, anyway? They just go up your bum, as far as I can tell.

Full-Frontal Snogging: Kissing with the trimmings, lip to lip, open mouth, tongues...everything (apart from dribble, which is never acceptable). As taught to me by a professional snogger.

In this wildly funny journal of a year in the life of Georgia Nicolson, British author Louise Rennison has perfectly captured the soaring joys and bottomless angst if being a teenager. In the spirit of "Bridget Jones' Diary," this fresh, irreverent, and simply hilarious book will leave you laughing out loud. As Georgia would say, it's "fabbity fab fab!"

Ellis made me. Okay, she didn't, but her love for this series convinces me. It sounds fantastic and if I am reading Noughts & Crosses, I am going to need some lighter fare to stop the tears.

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon (Kingdom of Xia #1)

No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.

But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined.

Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help.

It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more.

First: ASIAN FICTION YES. Second: amazing cover. Third: I need to read this asap. 

That's it for me. Christmas is in two days, and I hope I have some new books or giftcards on the way! 

Merry Christmas! I hope it's wonderful for everyone!

Three Weeks of Book Hauls!

It's been a while since I've had one of these, so like Christina's, this one is going to be big and somewhat obscene. But in a bookish and awesome kind of way. Totally.

 Bought:

Eric by Terry Pratchett - Discworld #9. I've wanted this for a while but it's so SHORT (148 pages) that I wouldn't pay the $7.99 it's always listed at. ANYWAY thanks to Black Friday 30%, it is finally mine.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games #2. I already own the entire series on Nook, but the paperbacks for Mockingjay are out in a few months so I bought the pb for CF.

Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund - Killer Unicorns #2. Black Friday buy #2 -- only $5 for the hardcover!

Gifted:

The Outside by Laura Bickle - The Hallowed Ones #2. So this showed up and I assumed it was a late birthday gift. Nope, for some reason Amazon shipped the lovely Lyn's book to me and she let me keep it because she is too nice.

Sent: 

Mrs. Lincoln's Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini -- thanks, Dutton! I just read the author's other historical fiction novel about the Lincolns so this should be easy to get into!

Bought While Christmas Shopping Because:

a. I can't resist a deal

b. I have zero self control

Four of these were bought because they were marked down to $2 and 3/4 were hardcover. 

The Boy Book by E. Lockhart is in great condition and I have heard amazing things.

I am the last person not to read The Help so a mint $2 copy was irresistible.

Well Wished by Franny Billingsley I got because Chime is one of the best books I've ever read. How could I not want to read her debut?

Banner of the Damned by Sherwood Smith is freaking huge and sounded terrific.

Furies of Calderon/Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher (#1 and #2 in the Codex Alera)

The Twitter Queen of all Things Geek (Ewa) told me this was fantastic. It looks like an interesting idea/world and I like Butcher's other novels.

Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach. I bought this because Christina at Reader of Fictions loved it and that speaks highly. Also, it kinda sounds like Ann Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series and that would be THE BEST THING EVER.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick slipped by me last year so I grabbed the paperback! I started this one last night and I already have major feels about it.

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes. I read Falling Kingdoms last year and it was alright. I wouldn't've picked this up if I didn't get it for less than $10.

I know Daria is not a book, but IT'S THE COMPLETE SERIES. This is just... beyond.

From Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours:

Becoming Josephine by Heather Webb - I love historical fiction and I love Napoleon.

From TLC Book Tours:

Last Train to Paris by Michele Zackheim. I don't know too much about this one, but Paris in WWII and I am so there.

Bought: 

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler. My third and final Black Friday buy. I had just been waitinig for it to come out in paperback since I'd read and loved it as an ARC.

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan. I ignored this for a while so my hopes and expectations could shrink. I really loved the first...and I am still pissed about the series cover change.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. FINALLY IT IS HERE I WANT TO READ IT THIS SECOND. Needless to say, I better love this freaking book.

eBooks:

Scorch and Rogue by Gina Damico

The Thief and The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

(everyone is talking about it and it was only $1.99!)

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

(because Christina loved it!)

House of Sand and Secrets by Cat Hellisen

(It was an ebook deal and I loveeeeed When the Sea is Rising Red.)

Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy

(I don't know much about it but a friend thought I would like it and it was cheap on Kindle!)

So. Yeah. That is a lot of books, but it was spread out over a period of time. Any new books on your shelves that you are particularly enthused for?