Book Review → Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

GENUINE FRAUD BY E. LOCKHART

Young Adult Fiction // Categories: Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
Release Date: September 5, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press (Penguin Random House)
Format: ARC • 262 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars

Links: Purchase from The Book Depository or Amazon • Add to Goodreads

Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat. Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete. An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two. A bad romance, or maybe three. Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains. A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her. A girl who refuses to be the person she once was.

REASON FOR READING
E. Lockhart is an author I've read from before I even started blogging. I'm fairly certain that one of her earlier novels released in 2006, Fly on the Wall, was one of the first YA novels I've ever read—before I even learned what YA is—but I can't remember a single thing about that book now.

I decided to pick up Genuine Fraud because I read We Were Liars back in 2014 and loved it. It got a lot of hype, and I remember it was either well-loved or really hated. I haven't come across anyone who has nothing to say about it.

WHAT GENUINE FRAUD IS ABOUT
In the same vein as We Were Liars, you want to go into Genuine Fraud with as little information and influence as possible. So I won't give any clues as to what this book is about, but I will tell you that it's a story told from present to past. The first couple of chapters may feel a little disorienting, just trying to figure out what's going on, but I think it's worth the wait.

"Jule believed that the more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle." (5)

GOOD STORY VS. GOOD WRITING?
Lockhart is an incredible writer—the way she structures her sentences, the way she tells her stories, the way her stories flow. She really knows how to capture readers and maintain the right amount of mystery. But I have to admit I didn't really like the story itself. Almost every character is unlikeable—which, normally, doesn't matter too much to me—but because their lives are driving the plot, I wasn't invested and I didn't really feel sympathy for their misfortunes 😔

Wanting to figure out the HOW and WHY is what kept me reading. I needed to find out how it all plays out! Lockhart is also very strategic in unraveling her stories slowly, at the perfect pace, leaving you with some sort of reaction after every chapter.

VERDICT (TL;DR) + BREAKING IT DOWN
Although I love the way Lockhart writes, I didn't like the actual story. Genuine Fraud was good, but it's no We Were Liars.

• Would I re-read this? // Unlikely, but I won't say no! I was reading other reviews and some theories got me thinkin' ... what did you guys think of the ending?
• Can I read this in one sitting? // Yes! And you should, if you can. It's a fairly fast-paced book, one you can definitely finish in a day.
• Are there any diverse characters? // I think just one. He is described as "Some white and some Asian heritage, Jule guessed." (221)
• Trigger warnings? // Suicide, some detailed violence.

Other reviews from bloggers I follow: The Book Addict's Guide • Books & Cleverness

Other books by E. Lockhart: We Were Liars, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The Boyfriend List, Fly on the Wall, Dramarama

Thank you to Delacorte Press and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read and review an early copy!

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Have you come across any books or movies where you've disliked the story but loved the writing? I felt this way toward La La Land ... I LOVED the music and the production, but not the story :(