Scan barcode
rebekahrahrah's review against another edition
2.0
I've spent two days toying with the idea of giving this only one star, but I figure any book that keeps me thinking about it that long is worthy of a higher rating. The unreliability of this narrator peaks with a huge twist halfway through; a twist that was concealed a little too well making it a little too unbelievable and the remainder of the book a little too disappointing.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
It's been a Long Time since I was a young adult - or whatever it was that they called us in those days. I should declare I'm not 100% sure I know why I was reading a book that's so obviously for young adults as LIAR is. I should also declare that I'm profoundly and very dogmatically allergic to some aspects of the "fantastic". I am, however, not completely opposed to the entire "other", the mystical or inexplicable (otherwise a couple of my all time favourite books are completely unfathomable), but I am twitchy about these things. Very very twitchy.
LIAR is therefore not the book for me. Having said that, I could see how it might work for lots (okay well probably most) other readers. It's an interesting idea. It's presented well (I'm sure that sinking feeling of the obvious that I felt as things started to reveal themselves was just my problem). It's well written, I can see how it would be extremely engaging. In it's favour - there's no swooning romance in sight, that vampire / sighing romance thing that's around at the moment being my most particular pet-loathing. There was an attraction between two young kids that works, and is oddly realistic (in terms of the rest of the stuff that's going on). The way the truth is revealed is elegantly done and I can really see how this book would appeal to anybody without a pathological barf reflex at the central premise.
LIAR is therefore not the book for me. Having said that, I could see how it might work for lots (okay well probably most) other readers. It's an interesting idea. It's presented well (I'm sure that sinking feeling of the obvious that I felt as things started to reveal themselves was just my problem). It's well written, I can see how it would be extremely engaging. In it's favour - there's no swooning romance in sight, that vampire / sighing romance thing that's around at the moment being my most particular pet-loathing. There was an attraction between two young kids that works, and is oddly realistic (in terms of the rest of the stuff that's going on). The way the truth is revealed is elegantly done and I can really see how this book would appeal to anybody without a pathological barf reflex at the central premise.
nickymaund's review against another edition
4.0
Warning: although YA, this does have some bad language in it. This is a tricky one. I loved the premise; teen Micah is a compulsive liar (it's ok I'm not giving any secrets away there!) and her sort of boyfriend is dead, possibly murdered. You follow Micah as she interacts with her family and friends as she tries to figure out who killed him. You learn that Micah is a loner at school, but she's incredibly fast (like really fast) and she also has 'the family illness'. There's hints all over he place about what this illness is, and you'll probably guess it (but I won't spoil it for you). When the family secret is revealed, it takes you into a whole new destination and makes you doubt her even more. I guess the reason this didn't score 5 stars is because I didn't like the compulsive lying, not knowing what was true. But isn't that the whole premise of the book?
dude_watchin_with_the_brontes's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the concept, and enjoyed listening to it for the most part, but I was not satisfied by the end.
I wasn't a huge fan of the audio-book's narrator, Channie Waites. I felt like there was more shouting than necessary, and a lot of characters had accents that didn't match their culture or nationality. I suppose you could argue that this inconsistency was on purpose, given that Micah is a liar, but I think that's stretching it.
Spoiler
I was waiting for the big reveal at the end - finding out definitively that Micah is completely human, finding out definitively what happened to Jordan, some kind of confrontation with her parents - and then it just ended with some obvious lies, and boom - The End. The author herself says that the book works various ways, and if I'd like the book better, I would read it again with that in mind, but it just doesn't grab me enough, and I definitely don't want to listen to the audio-book all the way through again.I wasn't a huge fan of the audio-book's narrator, Channie Waites. I felt like there was more shouting than necessary, and a lot of characters had accents that didn't match their culture or nationality. I suppose you could argue that this inconsistency was on purpose, given that Micah is a liar, but I think that's stretching it.
lunaseassecondaccount's review against another edition
5.0
My partner asked me the other day why I occasionally read teen books. I gave a few answers, but the reason is because sometimes I come across a book like this one. I loved the first part and sections in the third part.
Micah is an unreliable narrator. That's clear from the get go. She's unreliable, and she knows she's unreliable. She knows we can trust anything she says, so why should we? She lies, and even when trying to tell the truth, she slips up. I've known a couple of compulsive liars, and they just can't help it; they slip up, even without intending to.
It's what they do. It's like it's hard-wired in their brains.
I don't think Micah was telling the truth at all throughout the story. Some things I believe- her relationship with Zach, her love for running, her love for science. But that's it. I don't believe she was a werewolf, at all. It doesn't fit in with the rest of the book. And I don't believe that she got off scott free. Here's why-
1. The fantasy element doesn't fit in with the rest of the book. It's too out there, too different from everything else. The story is structured in such a linear (somewhat) way, in such a realistic way. Fantasy can be written in a realistic sense, but in this story, it doesn't fit.
2. When Micah is talking about the psychologists, she mentions that they give her reasons to lie. The reason Micah gives is because she wants to escape from reality, because her lie-world is so much better than her fantasy world. What way to better escape a death (one that she possibly committed?) then to make a complete fantasy world, with fantasy characters?
3. Micah mentions reporters. How could she go from her apartment to her grandparents farm without being followed or people being notified? From what I gather it's not exactly a short trip (three hours at least).
4. Pete, the white wolf-boy, turns into a wolf because she does. They only saw each other a handful of times. Although it's never said how quickly she can turn into a wolf, Micah misses her pill once and that night she's transformed. It takes the average woman roughly two days before her false period comes. It takes me five days (tmi, I know). But for a woman to turn into a werewolf, it only takes eight hours? Unlikely. Furthermore, New York is a huge city. How can one person affect another hormonally in such a huge population if they have no close contact? Pete could have killed Zach, but I wouldn't buy it.
5. Micah mentions a trial at the end of the book. If Zach's death was reported to be an accident there was no trial. The owner of the dogs who apparently attacked Zach is mentioned, and it's also mentioned that he would be tried, but I think Micah would have said if he was the one being tried. Furthermore, Micah says that the police would know it's unlikely that the man's dogs would have been able to wander all throughout New York City and Central Park without being seen. I think Micah was the one being tried.
6. Her constant referring to being trapped, in a cold or padded cell, locked up, caged, et cetera. This constant referral is just too consistent and obvious to ignore. Micah's locked up- in a prison? in an asylum?- and she hates it.
7. Jordan's death. Micah's capable of something, and she's ashamed by it, and her parents are ashamed by it. I think Jordan's death truly was an accident, but Micah still has blood on her hands. Maybe he fell to his death, maybe he drowned in the bathtub (maybe why her father makes sure Pete is washed safely?), maybe he burnt himself, or maybe it was a car accident, who knows? But Micah was responsible for it.
8. There really is a family illness, but it's not wolf-related. Maybe it's schizophrenia (her dog uncle?), maybe it's just a really fuzzy hair syndrome. But there is one, and Micah uses it to spin her tales.
9. Micah accidentally hurts or kills Yayeko's mother and daughter. Maybe by this stage she truly believes she's a werewolf, and after having a realistic dream, she accidentally hurts them. Or maybe she so desperately wants Yayeko to believe her, and because her lies by this stage have grown so outrageous, she pretends to be a werewolf and hurts the two. Either way, Micah attacks Yayeko's mother and Megan. In doing this, she severely hurts one- possibly the mother due to her elderly state- and this is what get the police looking further into Zach's death and Micah's involvement, which leads me to
10. Micah was directly responsible. When she found Pete to be following her (intentionally or not), she uses him as a scapegoat. Homeless boy, slightly special, nobody who knows who he is. But Micah's found out. And so she creates a fantasy world, where she gets full scholarship, a school, a place where nobody knows her or her lies and the depo shot.
I can't believe Micah's telling the truth about being a werewolf, and Zach's death being a horrible accident/murder and everything being cheery. It couldn't happen, and I can't see it happening. Larbalestier has said there's two ways of reading it, but I can't get myself sucked into believing that Micah was telling the truth the whole way. She ends up forgetting what are lies and what are truths at the end, she can't even keep track of them, so why should the werewolf part be any different when she can't even remember if Jordan was real or not? She forgot her baby brother, she lies about being a girl and a boy, about being neither and both. Micah is an unreliable narrator, and that's that. An excellent unreliable narrator, too.
Micah is an unreliable narrator. That's clear from the get go. She's unreliable, and she knows she's unreliable. She knows we can trust anything she says, so why should we? She lies, and even when trying to tell the truth, she slips up. I've known a couple of compulsive liars, and they just can't help it; they slip up, even without intending to.
It's what they do. It's like it's hard-wired in their brains.
I don't think Micah was telling the truth at all throughout the story. Some things I believe- her relationship with Zach, her love for running, her love for science. But that's it. I don't believe she was a werewolf, at all. It doesn't fit in with the rest of the book. And I don't believe that she got off scott free. Here's why-
1. The fantasy element doesn't fit in with the rest of the book. It's too out there, too different from everything else. The story is structured in such a linear (somewhat) way, in such a realistic way. Fantasy can be written in a realistic sense, but in this story, it doesn't fit.
2. When Micah is talking about the psychologists, she mentions that they give her reasons to lie. The reason Micah gives is because she wants to escape from reality, because her lie-world is so much better than her fantasy world. What way to better escape a death (one that she possibly committed?) then to make a complete fantasy world, with fantasy characters?
3. Micah mentions reporters. How could she go from her apartment to her grandparents farm without being followed or people being notified? From what I gather it's not exactly a short trip (three hours at least).
4. Pete, the white wolf-boy, turns into a wolf because she does. They only saw each other a handful of times. Although it's never said how quickly she can turn into a wolf, Micah misses her pill once and that night she's transformed. It takes the average woman roughly two days before her false period comes. It takes me five days (tmi, I know). But for a woman to turn into a werewolf, it only takes eight hours? Unlikely. Furthermore, New York is a huge city. How can one person affect another hormonally in such a huge population if they have no close contact? Pete could have killed Zach, but I wouldn't buy it.
5. Micah mentions a trial at the end of the book. If Zach's death was reported to be an accident there was no trial. The owner of the dogs who apparently attacked Zach is mentioned, and it's also mentioned that he would be tried, but I think Micah would have said if he was the one being tried. Furthermore, Micah says that the police would know it's unlikely that the man's dogs would have been able to wander all throughout New York City and Central Park without being seen. I think Micah was the one being tried.
6. Her constant referring to being trapped, in a cold or padded cell, locked up, caged, et cetera. This constant referral is just too consistent and obvious to ignore. Micah's locked up- in a prison? in an asylum?- and she hates it.
7. Jordan's death. Micah's capable of something, and she's ashamed by it, and her parents are ashamed by it. I think Jordan's death truly was an accident, but Micah still has blood on her hands. Maybe he fell to his death, maybe he drowned in the bathtub (maybe why her father makes sure Pete is washed safely?), maybe he burnt himself, or maybe it was a car accident, who knows? But Micah was responsible for it.
8. There really is a family illness, but it's not wolf-related. Maybe it's schizophrenia (her dog uncle?), maybe it's just a really fuzzy hair syndrome. But there is one, and Micah uses it to spin her tales.
9. Micah accidentally hurts or kills Yayeko's mother and daughter. Maybe by this stage she truly believes she's a werewolf, and after having a realistic dream, she accidentally hurts them. Or maybe she so desperately wants Yayeko to believe her, and because her lies by this stage have grown so outrageous, she pretends to be a werewolf and hurts the two. Either way, Micah attacks Yayeko's mother and Megan. In doing this, she severely hurts one- possibly the mother due to her elderly state- and this is what get the police looking further into Zach's death and Micah's involvement, which leads me to
10. Micah was directly responsible. When she found Pete to be following her (intentionally or not), she uses him as a scapegoat. Homeless boy, slightly special, nobody who knows who he is. But Micah's found out. And so she creates a fantasy world, where she gets full scholarship, a school, a place where nobody knows her or her lies and the depo shot.
I can't believe Micah's telling the truth about being a werewolf, and Zach's death being a horrible accident/murder and everything being cheery. It couldn't happen, and I can't see it happening. Larbalestier has said there's two ways of reading it, but I can't get myself sucked into believing that Micah was telling the truth the whole way. She ends up forgetting what are lies and what are truths at the end, she can't even keep track of them, so why should the werewolf part be any different when she can't even remember if Jordan was real or not? She forgot her baby brother, she lies about being a girl and a boy, about being neither and both. Micah is an unreliable narrator, and that's that. An excellent unreliable narrator, too.
enilocin's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
archergal's review against another edition
4.0
Well, this book was a bit unexpected.
I first knew about the book from the white-washed cover image controversy a few years ago. I remember reading that it was a good book aside from that. And that the narrator was very unreliable.
Boy howdy.
Micah is the eponymous liar of the story. Throughout the story we never know how much of what she's telling us is true or not true. There are some "revelations" in the middle of the book that I personally thought made a lot of sense, given what was happening in the story. But with a narrator as unreliable as this one, who knows if what she's saying is true or not?
I don't really like stories with unreliable narrators that much, but this one was ok. This misfit child is trying to find a way to live, to fit in SOMEHOW. Maybe it was all confabulation on her part, but it made sense to me in a twisted sort of way.
I understand why this book is problematic for a lot of people. I thought it was well-written and interesting. YMMV.
I first knew about the book from the white-washed cover image controversy a few years ago. I remember reading that it was a good book aside from that. And that the narrator was very unreliable.
Boy howdy.
Micah is the eponymous liar of the story. Throughout the story we never know how much of what she's telling us is true or not true. There are some "revelations" in the middle of the book that I personally thought made a lot of sense, given what was happening in the story. But with a narrator as unreliable as this one, who knows if what she's saying is true or not?
I don't really like stories with unreliable narrators that much, but this one was ok. This misfit child is trying to find a way to live, to fit in SOMEHOW. Maybe it was all confabulation on her part, but it made sense to me in a twisted sort of way.
I understand why this book is problematic for a lot of people. I thought it was well-written and interesting. YMMV.
jessluff's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
imnobody's review
I actually managed to get my hands on an ARC, thanks to a librarian at my middle school who decided it was taking up too much space on her shelf.
cheyenneisreading's review against another edition
1.0
Micah is a liar. I read the back of the book and thought that sounded interesting. I mean reading about a compulsive liar is something that I actually had yet to pursue. Additionally spending $1.69 on a book is never a bad thing. The concept was good, as I said, but then came the worse part. Instead of making Micah's tangle of lies lead to something shocking or unique, let alone her secret be something original, she was and I was so disappointed. From there on it was just cheesy and horrible. Sure, that might have been a lie as well to hide the truth but the story just died after the final reveal so the novel idea became faulty and silly.