The Liar Society by Lisa&Laura Roecker Review

The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker

Series: The Liar Society (#1)
Release date: March 1st, 2011
Published by Sourcebooks Fire

Summary (from Goodreads)
Kate Lowry didn't think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, she’s not so sure.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
Sent: Sun 9/14 11:59 PM
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)

                    Kate, 

                   I'm here,

                             sort of. 

                             Find Cameron.

                              He knows.

                             I shouldn't be writing.

                               Don't tell. 

                              They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace’s death was more than just a tragic accident. But secrets haunt the halls of her elite private school. Secrets people will do anything to protect. Even if it means getting rid of the girl trying to solve a murder...

Review: 

The Liar Society is a mystery book around a socially recluse girl looking to solve the death of her best friend, Grace. The main character, Kate, has become antisocial and detached herself from everyone around her. Instead, she prefers to relive the memories she made with Grace, leading to her parents sending her to therapy. She is told to let Grace go and start living her life happily. As she tries to listen to her therapists advice, she gets an email from Grace. Or at least so she thinks. The emails leave clues disguised as riddles which leads Kate on a mission to find out the truth about Grace's death. The answers aren't easy, and she later finds help from her redhead neighobr, Seth who has an obvious crush on Kate, and the cute boy who makes her feel something again, Liam.
I enjoyed this book so much I stayed up until 6am to finish the whole thing in one night. I highly recommend this book to fans of Pretty Little Liars or anything similar. There was enough mystery to be suspenseful and engaging yet there was plenty of humor to balance out the overall depressing plot and chilling events. The book is written with several chapters of flashbacks so that readers can understand what happened during the past leading up to Grace's tragic death.

It was really nice seeing Kate's character progressing throughout the book. In the beginning she was the reserved girl who didn't want to socialize with others. People around her looked at with pity which Kate hated even more. As events happen and Kate is fueled by the possibility of seeing Grace again, she becomes this strong and daring girl willing to do anything to understand Grace's death. You also see her opening up to others and actually feeling happy again. Her new friends are characters that I really enjoyed reading about too. Seth, her neighbor is the typical nerd who is oblivious to the bullying directed towards him. That's what I admire about him, he doesn't let anything hurtful affect him and lives life as himself. Not to mention he's dorky and a clueless at times which makes him oh so hilarious and the perfect sidekick to Kate. Together with Liam, the boy who you can't help rooting for to get together with Kate, they become her two knights in shining armor.

As clues were given and pieces of the puzzle were put together, through every step of the way I enjoyed solving the mystery along with Kate. The plot turned into an unexpected twist which I really enjoyed and it suddenly became multiple problems that needed to be solved; how Grace, who was in on her death and why? The ending was something different too. Kate thinks she's solved Grace's death but then she is slammed right back to step 1. Nevertheless, in Kate's own thoughts, she knew that she had changed into a different and mature Kate, and the new Kate deserved a new start.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery, humor, and surprising events. I can't wait to read the second book to this trilogy.

Rating: 4/5

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Review

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games (#2)

Release Date: September 1st, 2009
Published by Scholastic Press


SUMMARY (from Goodreads):
Sparks are igniting.Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel in the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before...and surprising readers at every turn.

REVIEW: 

Catching Fire was not as exciting as the first book, however it was still exciting and enjoyable near the end, as it was where the games started and she was quickly filled in on what happened to her home, district 12. In the beginning it started a lot slower compared to the first book, because it had to explain the situation of the districts that were currently rebelling and Katniss' fear of what she has caused. Personally I thought that the writing lacked emotion and impact. The author wrote so much detail about the rebellions and Katniss' thoughts and worries that she had rushed through the truly exciting part, the games itself. While reading about the dangerous adventures Katniss and Peeta had with their allies I felt that things ended as soon as it begun. Near death experiences were quickly followed after by the next morning, feelings were skipped through, making Katniss seem like she didn't even realize she almost died. Overall, the Games were not as exciting as the Games in the fIrst book.

My favorite thing about this book were the characters, I loved every one of them. Katniss was a three dimensional characters with many flaws. She is uncomfortable, awkward, and doesn't allow people in. But she is also fiercely loyal to her family and friends, brave, smart, and ultimately, good. Peeta is wonderful, kind, smart, well-spoken. He is everything that awkward Katniss is not; they play off one another perfectly. Their allies during the games, Finnick, Mags, Johanna, Beetee and others who were killed off early were the perfect combination of bravery, kookiness, and intelligence. Some of the characters made me laugh because of their unusual behaviour, and the death of others greatly saddened me. I was so deeply delved into the Hunger Games that I felt myself standing beside the characters and watching them die in front of me. Another thing that I loved about this book was the creativity and uniqueness of everything. Suzanne Collins really knows how to capture her audience and make them cling onto every word.

The plot twist and cliffhanger were the worst things to depart away with from this book. Both of these events just made me want to scream in frustration because I suddenly had questions that needed to be answered immediately. I was never a fan of books of the dystopian genre, however the Hunger Games trilogy is an exception because it's amazing. I cannot wait to go see Catching Fire in the theatres when it is released.

Rating: 4/5

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Review

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Series: The Hunger Games (#1)
Published by Scholastic Inc.

SUMMARY:

 Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before --- and survival, for here, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes as contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Review:

I would've read this book as soon as it came out but at that time, it didn't interest me in any way whatsoever. That was a HUGE mistake. However, I am finally able to join in on all the hype.

I am a huge fan of stories with make believe or futuristic worlds. The setting created in this story seemed so fascinating I was hooked before the real games even started. The build-up and introduction of characters created great excitement because it felt like I was right there observing and watching the events take place. All the describing and explaining at the beginning was within perfect pace. It did take half the book before the Games began but I didn't have to guess and interpret my way through the book.
The Games itself was epic, dangerous, adrenaline rushing, violent,  somewhat gruesome deaths filled with mischievous and devious schemes to get rid of their opponents. It's either kill or be killed.

Katniss was the perfect contestant. Edgy, bold, feisty, independent, clever, nimble, a hunter at heart. The supporting characters brought out Katniss' personality and survival instincts and proved to many how girls can be more tough than guys. Peeta and Katniss' completely opposite personalities showed how well these two would be as a couple. He melted Katniss's ice cold personality a little showing her more desirable and caring side.

Collins has written the perfect book that allows readers to get away from the real world, and escape into someone else's.

On a side note, right after I finished reading the book I went to watch the movie. The movie was a little disappointing but I did expect this, movies never really do the book justice. The arena and elements in it were different than what I had visualized in my mind, however, it was still an enjoyable movie.

Rating: 5/ 5