THIS BOOK IS A TRIP, MAN. I definitely struggled a bit with this read. It's not exactly my cup of tea but I think it is so unique and genius that it has to get a good rating from me.
I really enjoyed the first two chapters of this book. E. Lockhart has a very sophisticated writing that can be hard for me to jump into, but the beginning was so intriguing with a girl on the run that I just wanted to read more. Then by the third chapter . . . we're back in time. Essentially, this story is told backwards. Every chapter skips back a week to a month BEFORE the events we've just read. As someone who does NOT like flashbacks in books, I almost set the book down but as we got deeper into the story, I started to really enjoy the process of reading a seemingly insignificant detail, discovering the significance later, and then making the connection as opposed to traditional writing.
I'm also pleased with this book as I think it is the only young adult novel I've ever read with a true unreliable narrator. (Or maybe it's that the storytelling is unreliable, but the protagonist is not one you can trust regardless.) I had to second guess my feelings on Jule every step of the way. Even after finishing, I'm still perplexed. The same goes for Imogen. I was constantly flip-flopping on which girl I trusted, which I liked, which I felt empathy for, and it made for a really unique reading experience.
I did find the plot to be a little dull at times. The scenes aren't all that exciting, they are fairly mundane, but it's the overall storytelling that kept me going. The way the book is written made the ordinary scenes feel more interesting than they actually are.
I don't know how strict of a "mystery" I would label this book because I don't believe it's a clear-cut "whodunnit" with a single crime to be solved. It's not the most suspenseful and there is not a ton of action/high intensity. I think it is a novel that has more of a psychological trip the forces you to question absolutely every sentence written. I also don't believe there is a huge plot twist because you sort of expect it, but it's the process of unraveling of the truth that I found to be more exciting than the actual reveal.
All in all, I found Genuine Fraud to be an interesting novel. I didn't LOVE it because the writing style, flashback and plot isn't really for me, but the way it is written is truly a novelty. I thoroughly enjoyed the freshness and uniqueness of the novel. If you're looking for a different, intriguing young adult novel that is more sophisticated than most, I think Genuine Fraud is worth giving a shot.
I really enjoyed the first two chapters of this book. E. Lockhart has a very sophisticated writing that can be hard for me to jump into, but the beginning was so intriguing with a girl on the run that I just wanted to read more. Then by the third chapter . . . we're back in time. Essentially, this story is told backwards. Every chapter skips back a week to a month BEFORE the events we've just read. As someone who does NOT like flashbacks in books, I almost set the book down but as we got deeper into the story, I started to really enjoy the process of reading a seemingly insignificant detail, discovering the significance later, and then making the connection as opposed to traditional writing.
I'm also pleased with this book as I think it is the only young adult novel I've ever read with a true unreliable narrator. (Or maybe it's that the storytelling is unreliable, but the protagonist is not one you can trust regardless.) I had to second guess my feelings on Jule every step of the way. Even after finishing, I'm still perplexed. The same goes for Imogen. I was constantly flip-flopping on which girl I trusted, which I liked, which I felt empathy for, and it made for a really unique reading experience.
I did find the plot to be a little dull at times. The scenes aren't all that exciting, they are fairly mundane, but it's the overall storytelling that kept me going. The way the book is written made the ordinary scenes feel more interesting than they actually are.
I don't know how strict of a "mystery" I would label this book because I don't believe it's a clear-cut "whodunnit" with a single crime to be solved. It's not the most suspenseful and there is not a ton of action/high intensity. I think it is a novel that has more of a psychological trip the forces you to question absolutely every sentence written. I also don't believe there is a huge plot twist because you sort of expect it, but it's the process of unraveling of the truth that I found to be more exciting than the actual reveal.
All in all, I found Genuine Fraud to be an interesting novel. I didn't LOVE it because the writing style, flashback and plot isn't really for me, but the way it is written is truly a novelty. I thoroughly enjoyed the freshness and uniqueness of the novel. If you're looking for a different, intriguing young adult novel that is more sophisticated than most, I think Genuine Fraud is worth giving a shot.