Where did I get it? I bought it on Kindle when it was like 99p, because I read the first chapter and reviewed it here, and was really intrigued by the premise of the book. So while I was scrolling through my Kindle just after I finished The Wonder, I decided to read it.
What's it about? As I said in the link above, we open in Mexico, where Jule is exercising in a hotel when an American woman called Noa interrupts her and starts talking to her. Jule introduces herself as Imogen, and arranges to meet up with Noa, but then becomes suspicious and makes a getaway. Unfortunately, right at the end of the first chapter, we discover that Noa has tracked her down.
At the very beginning, we also learn Jule's "origin story", where she spins a yarn about finding her parents dead when she was aged eight. This novel is a mixture of truth and fiction and half truths and truth being twisted, which I really liked.
The novel then goes back in time to Jule's arrival in Mexico, and then keeps going back in time so that we see all the things that happened in order for Jule to be in Mexico. It's a really clever way of writing a novel and as a writer I'm intrigued as to how E Lockhart even started to do it! I sort of feel like I'd write a novel forwards and then just switch the chapters around and leave the intrigue to happen as it does.
We Were Liars by E Lockhart is about over-privileged rich white people and honestly there's the same kind of vibe here, which I liked. Imogen is utterly dislikeable, as are a lot of the lesser characters, but I really liked Jule and was rooting for her the whole way through. This is a great book and was a brilliant way to start the new year.
What age range is it for? 15+
Are any main characters LGBTQ+? No, but there's a definite undercurrent to the relationship between Jule and Imogen, which I liked
Are any main characters people of colour? No.
Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? No
Is there any sex stuff? No
Are drugs mentioned or used? No
Is there any talk of death? Yes, and there's some violent scenes too. Trigger warning for talk of suicide, too.
Are there swear words? No
What criticisms do I have? Almost none! I felt the whole thing was really intriguing and written in a really clever way. I have two more of E Lockhart's books and I really will have to read them. She's great!
Would I recommend the book? Absolutely.
Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? As above, I liked the opening chapter. It definitely got me to buy the book!
What other books is it like? It is a lot like We Were Liars, so if you haven't read that, do.
How many stars? Five out of five. Not perfect but really close to it.
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