We Were Liars

The other day, I found an advanced copy of We Were Liars and finally decided to read it.

There was so much hype for this book and everyone I've talked with LOVED IT.

But honestly, I wasn't all that into it. You know, it wasn't bad but it wasn't great either.

So there's a group of teens, who have somehow earned the title of "The Liars" (we never actually find out what they did to earn that title). The group is made up of cousins, Cady, Mirren, Johnny, and family friend, Gat. They spend every summer together on the Sinclair family island. The island is shrouded in family drama. The three incredibly spoiled mothers often try using their children to get what they want from their father. When the oldest granddaughter, Cady has an accident, the family begins unraveling. 

The whole novel is told through Cady's amnesia. She's trying to remember the summer of her accident and hopes that going back to the island might help refresh her mind. But, my God, does she have a knack for the theatrics. Everything that comes out of her mouth is either incredibly angsty or deeply philosophical, which gets annoying fast. She wants to spend time with the Liars, to fill the gaps in her memory. But no one wants to talk with her about the incident. 

I wish there was more to say about the book, but that little paragraph is the basically the gist of the book. But just remember, if anyone asks you about the ending, just lie.

 

Looking for other books by E. Lockhart?

Family of Liars

Genuine Fraud

 

Looking for my updated review?

We Were Liars

Rescue Road

Calling all dog lovers!

Backstory about me real quick. The pup pictured above is my rescue dog, Sophie. My friend found her in an overrun yard with 5+ other dogs. All the other dogs were pups, but I lucked out and got a totally trained, cuddly, senior dog. Sophie was between 6 and 8 years old when I got her. We're going on 3 years together now and we couldn't be happier! So, before you ask, yes we're from the South (Alabama) where much of Rescue Road takes place. The idea behind the book was to get the word out about Rescue Road Trips, run by Greg Mahle. His rescue dog transport picks up dogs in the south and moves them up north to give them a fur-ever home. There are so many neglected, abused, abandoned dogs in the south. The exact statistics are in the book, but it's far more than the rest of the country. What Greg and countless other rescue pet organizations do for these dogs is far beyond what is expected of them. They spend THOUSANDS of dollars a year on a single dog just to make sure he has a better life than the one he was leading. Many of the vets administer vaccines and spay/neuter for free or discounted, just so the stray population has a chance to survive. Not to mention the countless hours they spend actively searching and feeding strays all while hoping they can find foster families for the dogs they're pulling directly off the streets and from the high-kill shelters.

Now, if you're thinking of getting a dog I urge you to do a few things first.

1) Think of the commitment you're making. Essentially you are growing your family and your new pet is going to be family. Pets are not property and need love, attention, room to play. Not to mention they're going to need vaccines, grooming, nail trimming, and who knows what else. (My pup came to me while I was in college, stayed with me after I got married, and made a 14 hour journey to Korea where we currently live. Gotta be in it for the long run.)

2) Read this book. Learn what these pups have gone through; find out as much about their journey as you can because they're going to be living with you until they cross the rainbow bridge. 

3) If you're uncertain if you can handle the responsibility or the commitment, consider fostering! You could open your home to a dog (or a dozen) from time to time until they can find their forever homes.

4) Adopt, don't shop. There are so many strays that still need homes, and so many puppy mills that just need to be done away with. 

One last thing!

Don't be afraid to adopt the shy dog, the black dog, the senior dog, or the special needs dog. These dogs are often overlooked because of those specific traits. My rescue literally meets 3 of the 4 criteria I just listed and I am 100% in love with her.

 

Looking for other books by Peter Zheutlin?

Rescued

The Dog Went Over the Mountain

Mr. Monster

I am FLYING through this series!!

After reading I Am Not a Serial Killer, I was a little skeptical to start Mr. Monster because of the weird supernatural turn it took. 

That being said, I LOVED Mr. Monster!!

It's not as supernatural (spoiler alert the killers are all still demons) but there is still the supernatural aspect to it. However, this one was much more believable. Not to mention names, but the new demon is different from Mr. Crowley. He can still body jump, but his powers are different. He feeds off of the emotions of others. He can feel their fear, sadness, anger, anticipation. But that doesn't mean he can't be defeated. Once John realizes what he has to do, he knows exactly how to stop the demon. He just can't let anything, or anyone, get in the way of what he needs to do. He can't let Mr. Monster totally take over, but he definitely needs him for the task.

There is one thing that I want to point out though. 

The first 150 pages are SO repetitive. I'm not sure if it was like this because it was bringing everyone back up to speed from the first book, or if it was just repeating to get us into John's mindset.

I honestly don't know but don't let it sway you from the rest of the book, I promise it's worth it.

Looking for the rest of the series?

I Am Not a Serial Killer (John Cleaver #1)
I Don't Want to Kill You (John Cleaver #3)
Next of Kin (John Cleaver #3.5)
The Devil's Only Friend (John Cleaver #4)
Over Your Dead Body (John Cleaver #5)
Nothing Left to Lose (John Cleaver #6)

Anthologies:
Life Inside My Mind

Out of the Easy

So, I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction.

Well, I thought I wasn't.

I found this book when I was looking for books told through a prostitutes POV (if you have any suggestions I am more than open to hearing about them). That being said, Out of the Easy is actually written from view of a prostitute's daughter.

Josie Moraine, Jo for short, was named after a well known brothel madam in New Orleans. Her mother has been a trainwreck from the start. By age 7, Josie was well-versed in the art of martini mixing. At age 12, she began hiding out in the bookstore that the owner let her live in. She's had to work her entire life because without working she wouldn't have survived under her mothers care. But she's always had Willie and Cokie to look out for her. They have eyes all over the French Quarter and always know the happenings. So when Jo's mother gets tangled up in a murder trial, things start to get sticky.

Josie, Jo, Josephine, wants more for herself. She doesn't want to stay in NOLA, she wants to get as far away as she can. She wants to go to college. She wants a life where no one knows her her dirty secrets. Somewhere where people don't know her mother is the town whore. Somewhere where she can start over completely.

Honestly, I want a second book. 

The way Ruta Sepetys wrote the ending definitely has the potential for another book.

Can Josie find herself or will she find herself back in Nola?

I would love to know.

 

Looking for other books by Ruta Sepetys?

Salt to the Sea