I have had mixed feelings about E. Lockhart's books in the past, but have to admit that 'We Were Liars' is one of my favourite books of all time. Because of this, I was unsure whether to enter this book with high expectations or whether I should prepare myself for disappointment after having been so impressed previously. Having read it, this book cannot be compared to 'We Were Liars' as the two are just so fundamentally different, and the structure of 'Genuine Fraud' is so unlike any book that I have read that I feel a comparison would be unnecessary, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised at how fast-paced the book remained and would definitely recommend it.
The book follows the story of Jule and Imogen but, as the book starts from the end and works its way back through their story, I feel as though it is best not to provide too much backstory as it is introduced throughout. The reversed chapters did confuse me at first, and I was extremely sceptical that there could be sufficient plot twists and surprises due to the fact that part of the conclusion was already given at the beginning of the novel, but Lockhart definitely managed to keep me hooked as I travelled backwards through the protagonists' journey. As a result, I was very impressed by the novel's ability to remain a gripping psychological thriller just by introducing past events and feel that Lockhart has an ability to create suspense and surprise in a way that I have rarely seen before.
Overall, I feel that, if you appreciate Lockhart's sometimes confusing writing style and would like to read something a bit different from the typical YA psychological thriller, it is definitely worthwhile to read 'Genuine Fraud.'
The book follows the story of Jule and Imogen but, as the book starts from the end and works its way back through their story, I feel as though it is best not to provide too much backstory as it is introduced throughout. The reversed chapters did confuse me at first, and I was extremely sceptical that there could be sufficient plot twists and surprises due to the fact that part of the conclusion was already given at the beginning of the novel, but Lockhart definitely managed to keep me hooked as I travelled backwards through the protagonists' journey. As a result, I was very impressed by the novel's ability to remain a gripping psychological thriller just by introducing past events and feel that Lockhart has an ability to create suspense and surprise in a way that I have rarely seen before.
Overall, I feel that, if you appreciate Lockhart's sometimes confusing writing style and would like to read something a bit different from the typical YA psychological thriller, it is definitely worthwhile to read 'Genuine Fraud.'