Title: The Lying Game
Author: Sara Shepard (site)
Published: Dec 7th, 2010 by HarperTeen
Pages: 307
Price: $9.49 Book Depository $9.93 Amazon
Series: The Lying Game #1
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3.5/5
Synopsis: I had a life anyone would kill for.
Then someone did.
The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.
Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me—to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?
From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of thePretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences. (Goodreads)
Let the lying game begin.
Initial Thoughts: I've never read anything by Sara Shepard. Her books just don't usually fall into any of the categories I like. Mysteries about spoiled little rich girls? I don't like mysteries, don't like reading about characters that would annoy me in real life, and prefer books with an element of the fantastic, horrific, or at least strange. Another problem is that I have very little patience when I'm reading a book. I can't imagine waiting through books and books to find out who is torturing those girls. I would go insane. However, I read a really good review from a blogger who was also reluctant to read Shepard's books, and she really liked this one. So I took the plunge.
Review: I'm not sure quite where to start with this one. As I was reading it, I enjoyed it. The story moves along at a nice pace, there were plenty of interesting characters, and the mystery was/is killing me (haha). However, the farther away from it I get, the more forgettable it is. I'm just having a hard time pinpointing the reason. It could be that I have little (or no) patience when it comes to mysteries. There is a reason that I avoid the genre: I must know! I was holding out for some clue, or at least a good suspect, but nothing was really resolved. I understand that this is meant to be a series, and therefore they will not be telling you who the murderer is in the first book, but I can't do it! When it comes to mysteries, I need answers by the end of the book. You learn quite a bit about the victim's life (which was perfect, although she was an evil little-) and why someone (everyone) might have wanted to kill her, but this book was basically an introduction. Another problem I had was with relating to the characters. They were all wealthy, beautiful, and thoughtless. The main character, Emma, was the exception. She was all sweetness and light....which wasn't exactly engaging either.
Quick Review: Overall? This was a good book. The plot was twisty and mysterious, the characters were interesting in a voyeuristic kind of way (which I know a lot of people love), and it never dragged or made me roll my eyes. In spite of all of this, it just didn't ring my bell. Therefore I would suggest that anyone interested in mysteries, beautiful/evil/rich girls, or evil twins pick The Lying Game up. It's not the book's fault that I didn't enjoy it, this one is on me.
