The Lying Game (The Lying Game #1)Author: Sara Shepard
Publisher: Harper Teens
Source: Public Library
Challenges: For the Love of YA, Library Challenge
307 pages
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? Convice my boyfriend she's the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents goodnight? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?
Let the Lying Game begin. - Goodreads
YOU'VE GOT TO BE JOKING! I didn't know this was part of a series?! (Note to self: next time do research or at least look up the book on goodreads). Here's the catch readers: the sequel Never Have I Ever doesn't come out till Augest 2011 (not so bad eh?) but the third and final book comes out in 2012! I am not going to know who did it until 2012! *sigh*
This was the most interesting point of view set up I have ever read. We are reading what Emma (the live one - so considerate of me huh?) is feeling and seeing it through her eyes but it's narrated by her dead sister Sutton with the occasional "I wish I knew too....dah du dah" as Sutton speaking. It really gave a voice to both characters. See it mostly focuses on Emma who we feel terrible for and of course you feel bad for Sutton too, even though she is really *cough* shallow. Or should I say was. Then there is Sutton's friends who I thought were like a two edged sword... on one hand you want to trust them but you know you shouldn't so you're always suspicious. The only character I was certain about the way I felt (good or bad I won't tell) was Ethan. I was like chanting to the author, although obviously she has already written the book, please don't do a twist on this character cause I have a such strong feeling for him. Love or hate, again I won't tell. Overall, the characters in this book just added to the suspense and mystery of this story. They totally had you biting your nails.
I couldn't get over how addicted I was to this book! Of course I was blindsided by the fact that it was part of a series, until about half way through the book when I asked myself, "I hope this isn't a series!" Sure enough... anyways it had me hooked to find out as much as I could although I realized after the fact that I won't be finding out who did it. That saddened me. There was just so much mystery! The author had you formulating potential suspects in your head but then she threw a twist in there and, at least for me, I hit a brick wall and whined "but I was so sure!" I just never knew what to expect next and I learned to not make assumptions and try to get ahead of the book. I enjoyed how the author also gave us tibits of information slowly letting us in on the real story. It was such an interesting and intriguing plot! Not too fast paced, just right for me that I had no problem with boredum but wasn't strambling to catch up.
I recommend this to those who liked Pretty Little Liars and LOVE mystery/suspence --- You will be greatly satisfied! No doubt about that. It was an interesting read that had me glued and had my brain smoking from trying to figure everything out! I really wish I had the second book!
Excerpt:
And even worse, every second that passed, things got fuzzier and fuzzier. Like they were disappearing.
Like I was disappearing.
But then I concentrated really hard and I heard a muffled scream. And suddenly it was like I was somewhere else. I felt pain shooting through my body, before a final, sleepy sensation of my muscles surrendering. As my eyes slowly closed, I saw a blurry, shadowy figure standing over me.
"Oh my God," I whispered.
No wonder Emma didn't see me. No wonder I wasn't in the mirror. I wasn't really here.
I was dead.
