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Review, sort of: Liar by Justine Larbalestier
A few days back I finished reading Liar, by Justine Larbalestier. This book goes in the very small category of "recently written YA novels that I enjoyed without any eyerolling, sweatdrop appearances, or the desire to throw the book across the room". To be up front, I'm not writing a regular review of the book. No, this book made me THINK, and that is what has sparked me to blog about it.
--->A large portion of my flist consists of fellow writers, and I would be very interested to hear their thoughts on this book.
The author, Ms. Larbalestier, chose to tell the story in a fascinating way. Like most recent YA novels, this one is written in first person. Hardly unusual, I know, but to show you what she did that impressed me from the start, let me quote the book from the very first page, starting at the third paragraph:
As the story progresses, we learn about her life growing up, and events before and after the murder, delivered in a non-linear way that slowly reveals things as the MC wants us to learn of them. Then, every so often, she admits that she did lie about something she told us--swearing it was true at the time--and tells us what really happened. Of course, we have no way of knowing if the new version is the truth, either. But she really didn't kill him! It wasn't her! Really!
Very interesting concept, I must say. I was enjoying it thoroughly. I'd never seen a book or graphic novel written like this, where the MC lies to the reader. Readers are always given the truth, or some form of it. It might be shaded by that particular MC's opinion or POV, but it is still the truth. This book? No. You're told one thing, then 100 pages later the MC reveals it was actually this, then 50 pages after that the MC admits this was actually more of a that.
As someone who writes stories, I thought this was completely brilliant. I couldn't stop reading, I was so fascinated at this take on storytelling!! How fun to trick your readers! To deliberately mislead them, then go back and show them the truth, making them doubt it even as they learn of it! AWESOME!!! XD
Then, in the 2nd half of the book, the author pulls out all the stops. You see, the MC has been lying by omission the whole time. Even when she went back and corrected earlier bits of story by revealing the supposed truth, she was still lying because she wasn't revealing the whole entire truth. So just what WAS she lying about the whole time? The huge, mind-blowing white elephant in the room that you didn't even know was there????
The MC is a werewolf.
And that isn't a lie at all. It really isn't. The girl is a werewolf.
Did your mind just come to a screeching halt? Did you pause, lean back, and think "Wait--whut?", followed by extreme disappointment? Because that's exactly how I reacted.
I mean, here was this great thriller, this fascinating murder mystery disguised as a YA novel, where we couldn't take anything the MC said for granted. You were always doubting her statements and revising what you knew, based on her continually admitting she lied and backtracking to tell us the truth. Then the author whips the supernatural angle out, and all of a sudden the thriller turns typical teen urban fantasy.
To be fair, it worked. The author did lay proper groundwork for this revelation in sneaky ways: by having the MC mention how she's stronger than her dad, and has a really sensitive sense of smell, has excessive body hair problems, how she has a "wolf" in her throat that can make talking difficult when she's upset, but still. She's a werewolf...? *facepalm*
I did enjoy the book. I did! But I feel it would have been much more impressive without the supernatural angle. The book was fascinating as it was, written with such an an amazing premise. A narrator who lies to everyone, including the reader! Why did Ms. Larbalestier forcibly bend the story into the fantasy genre?? Was she actually afraid this story wouldn't appeal to the Twilight generation without it?? Is it my age and the sheer amount of stories I have read that is disturbing me about this plot twist so much?
I know it sounds like I'm hating on fantasy, but I'm not. I love fantasy, and the horror aspects of it as well. How often have I squeed here about Sunshine by Ms. McKinley! Or Inda by Ms. Smith? 3/4ths of my entire book collection--prose and manga and comic--are made of various types of fantasy. I LOVE fantasy. It's just that in the case of this particular book--already so gripping and mind blowing--it threw a wrench in the works. I'll even take that extra step and say the werewolf thing cheapened it. I mean, really.
I do plan on buying this book. I will, though I think I'll wait for a used copy or a paperback. The lying MC angle is just too brilliant to forget about. It really did blow me away.
So, my fellow authors and writers. What do YOU think about this?
--->A large portion of my flist consists of fellow writers, and I would be very interested to hear their thoughts on this book.
The author, Ms. Larbalestier, chose to tell the story in a fascinating way. Like most recent YA novels, this one is written in first person. Hardly unusual, I know, but to show you what she did that impressed me from the start, let me quote the book from the very first page, starting at the third paragraph:
My father is a liar and so am I. But I'm going to stop. I have to stop. I will tell you my story and I will tell it straight. No lies, no omissions. That's my promise. This time I truly mean it.
The main character is a high school senior who lies. She lies about everything and anything. The story is about her life, focused around the murder of her boyfriend. She continuously insists to us, the reader, that she didn't kill him, and that she would never lie to us. She promised! She insists so much that she won't lie to us that you have to wonder about it. She did promise us, though. Right?As the story progresses, we learn about her life growing up, and events before and after the murder, delivered in a non-linear way that slowly reveals things as the MC wants us to learn of them. Then, every so often, she admits that she did lie about something she told us--swearing it was true at the time--and tells us what really happened. Of course, we have no way of knowing if the new version is the truth, either. But she really didn't kill him! It wasn't her! Really!
Very interesting concept, I must say. I was enjoying it thoroughly. I'd never seen a book or graphic novel written like this, where the MC lies to the reader. Readers are always given the truth, or some form of it. It might be shaded by that particular MC's opinion or POV, but it is still the truth. This book? No. You're told one thing, then 100 pages later the MC reveals it was actually this, then 50 pages after that the MC admits this was actually more of a that.
As someone who writes stories, I thought this was completely brilliant. I couldn't stop reading, I was so fascinated at this take on storytelling!! How fun to trick your readers! To deliberately mislead them, then go back and show them the truth, making them doubt it even as they learn of it! AWESOME!!! XD
Then, in the 2nd half of the book, the author pulls out all the stops. You see, the MC has been lying by omission the whole time. Even when she went back and corrected earlier bits of story by revealing the supposed truth, she was still lying because she wasn't revealing the whole entire truth. So just what WAS she lying about the whole time? The huge, mind-blowing white elephant in the room that you didn't even know was there????
The MC is a werewolf.
And that isn't a lie at all. It really isn't. The girl is a werewolf.
Did your mind just come to a screeching halt? Did you pause, lean back, and think "Wait--whut?", followed by extreme disappointment? Because that's exactly how I reacted.
I mean, here was this great thriller, this fascinating murder mystery disguised as a YA novel, where we couldn't take anything the MC said for granted. You were always doubting her statements and revising what you knew, based on her continually admitting she lied and backtracking to tell us the truth. Then the author whips the supernatural angle out, and all of a sudden the thriller turns typical teen urban fantasy.
To be fair, it worked. The author did lay proper groundwork for this revelation in sneaky ways: by having the MC mention how she's stronger than her dad, and has a really sensitive sense of smell, has excessive body hair problems, how she has a "wolf" in her throat that can make talking difficult when she's upset, but still. She's a werewolf...? *facepalm*
I did enjoy the book. I did! But I feel it would have been much more impressive without the supernatural angle. The book was fascinating as it was, written with such an an amazing premise. A narrator who lies to everyone, including the reader! Why did Ms. Larbalestier forcibly bend the story into the fantasy genre?? Was she actually afraid this story wouldn't appeal to the Twilight generation without it?? Is it my age and the sheer amount of stories I have read that is disturbing me about this plot twist so much?
I know it sounds like I'm hating on fantasy, but I'm not. I love fantasy, and the horror aspects of it as well. How often have I squeed here about Sunshine by Ms. McKinley! Or Inda by Ms. Smith? 3/4ths of my entire book collection--prose and manga and comic--are made of various types of fantasy. I LOVE fantasy. It's just that in the case of this particular book--already so gripping and mind blowing--it threw a wrench in the works. I'll even take that extra step and say the werewolf thing cheapened it. I mean, really.
I do plan on buying this book. I will, though I think I'll wait for a used copy or a paperback. The lying MC angle is just too brilliant to forget about. It really did blow me away.
So, my fellow authors and writers. What do YOU think about this?