The Lying Game Review

Title: The Lying Game

Author: Sara Shepard

Release Date: 31^st March 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins

I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does – an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me – to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

Let the Lying Game begin.

The first time Emma finds out she has a long lost twin sister is seeing a weird online video. After tracking down her sister, Sutton, on Facebook, they arrange to meet.

However, Sutton never shows and then her friends appear and Emma is swept up in a case of mistaken identity. Where exactly is Sutton and how long can Emma pretend to be her?

Written from the point of view of the deceased Sutton, with a style that reminds me slightly of The Time of The Ghost by Diana Wynne Jones (a really amazing book and author), The Lying Game is really interestingly written.

Emma has to take over Sutton’s life in an attempt to track down the killer and the novel includes the ingredients every great teen novel should. Sutton’s boyfriend, Garrett provides the love interest however, there is also chemistry between Emma and Ethan. Although this is complicated by the fact that Ethan thinks Emma is Sutton and something has clearly jeopardised their relationship! Despite the confusion here, the novel is really clear cut (just remember everyone thinks Emma is Sutton!). Family relationships also play a part, comparing Emma’s dysfunctional one with Sutton’s loving parents. In fact, the novel explores a lot of polar opposites as shy Emma takes on her new life as confident and popular Sutton.

There are a lot of secrets in this novel and not much is revealed by the ever-present ghost of Sutton who doesn’t seem to remember much of what has happened in her life. As a reader we are placed in the position of Emma, slowly introduced to each character and their relationship with Sutton, which makes it difficult to discover who might have a motive for murder. Similarly, the ending does not reveal the killer, making Never Have I Ever, the next book in the series, a must read! 

Overall, a really compelling read and one that I would definitely recommend. The story is not as complicated as I have suggested and it is actually a really easy read with a nicely structured plot. I look forward to the next one!

5/5 Unexpected, unusual and really brilliant!

Repossessed Review

Title: Repossessed

Author: A M Jenkins

Release Date: 1^st March 2009 (Reprint)

Publisher: HarperTeen

Kiriel is one fed up demon. Fed up with being stuck in hell, and fed up with tormenting the damned (a thankless task if there ever was one!). So he’s going to take a little a little break, vacationing on earth in the slightly used body of a seventeen- year- old …

Kiriel the demon has decided to take a trip to earth and has taken over the body of seventeen year old Shaun. However, Shaun’s life is far from perfect and Kiriel finds himself on a quest to befriend Jason, Shaun’s younger brother, try and start a relationship with Lane, Shaun’s classmate and stop the school Bully, Reed from spending the afterlife being punished. This is all before he gets dragged back to the depths of hell and as things seem to be going to plan, Kiriel becomes more aware just how little time he has to make things happen.

This is a light hearted read which deals with the beauty of life through the eyes of someone who has never experienced it before. I couldn’t help but notice a similarity between the way in which Shaun changes when Kiriel takes over his body and the way in which teenage boys change when they finally become men. Kiriel (in Shaun’s body) begins to wear different clothes, notices the way girls pay attention to him and also begins to respect his younger brother. 

Being written from the point of view of Kiriel, the demon, who has been watching Shaun and his companions for a long time, the novel explores the sexual urges of the male teenager as well as delving into Lane’s desires for love and romance.  Kiriel also attempts to rebuild Shaun’s relationship with his brother. Kiriel looks at life with a critical eye and sees how Shaun and others around him could behave in different ways towards one another. Most of the novel deals with Kiriel’s comments on day to day life and the plot isn’t particularly complex but that’s what makes the novel such a light hearted read.

Overall, a really interesting but easy going read. The novel is funny at times, as well as dealing with serious aspects of teenage life (love, family, sex and bullying) in a light hearted way. This book looks at our day to day existence in a new way and I would recommend it to anyone who wants something fun to read.

3.5/5 Just a nice, fun read.