Book Review: Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Title: Liar
Author: Justine Larbalestier
Publication Date: October 2009
Genre: YA Fiction.
Age: 14+
Pages: 384
Series: no
Publisher's website: Bloomsbury
Author's website: Justine Larbalestier
Book Acquisition: Library

Micah freely admits that she's a compulsive liar. And that may be the one honest thing she'll ever tell you. Over the years she's duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents. But when her boyfriend, Zach, dies under brutal circumstances, the shock might be enough to set her straight. Or maybe not. Especially when lying comes as naturally to her as breathing. Was Micah dating Zach? Or was Sarah his real girlfriend? And are the stories Micah tells about the "family gene" she inherited real, or is it something that exists only in her mind. Breathtaking in its plotting, Liar is a roller-coaster read that will have readers grasping for the truth until the very last page. Honestly.

Um...this book...was...um...

So yeah, I'm kind of at a lost for words. This book was pretty awesome and I can fangirl ga ga over it for pages and pages (paragraphs and paragraphs?) Whatever. The point being - I pretty much loved this book.

Can I tell you why?
Um...not really.

Well, I could but then you would know what I know and I really don't want you to know what I know from me, rather I want you to know what I know by knowing it for yourself :)

In other words: READ THIS BOOK

I can honestly say, I have no idea what really happened. And I'm pretty sure Justine wants it that way. There is no doubt about it - Micah is a liar. We only get her point of view - first person narrative. So...do we ever really know what is true and what isn't? Nope!

Liar is unique.Unique in a pretty fantastic way.

I got my copy from my town library. Once I got it home I noticed the "Fantasy" sticker on the spine. I was confused - I mean, nothing in the synopsis points towards a fantasy story. I was sure that the library had labeled it wrong. And then I read it. And, well, you know - I'm still not sure!

I'm sorry if this review is frustrating. It's very hard for me not to frantically type all my questions in the hopes that someone out there has some type of direct link into the author's brain and can tell me exactly what it was that happened in Micah's world.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is in the mood for a different take on story telling.

5/5 stars

Other Reviews:
Rhiannon Hart
Presenting Lenore