Book Brief: Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

Family of Liars 

by E. Lockhart

Delacorte Press, May 2022

256 pages

source: borrowed from the library

Publisher's summary (from goodreads):

The prequel to We Were Liars takes readers back to the story of another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come.

A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts. 

A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow.

A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy. 

A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes.

Welcome back to the Sinclair family. 

They were always liars.

My thoughts:

This book checked so many boxes for me: family drama, a New England island setting, the 1980s, and of course, secrets and lies... lots  of secrets and lies.

I rarely read YA (young adult) fiction, but devoured this author's earlier book We Were Liars  over a summer weekend back in 2014. This prequel, which I didn't know existed until I spied it on my library's new fiction shelf, transports the reader to another fateful summer on that same island compound one generation earlier. Once again, I spent a delightful weekend reading about the Sinclair sisters... only this time they were teenagers. I was quickly caught up in their story and thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience.

Judging from my own imperfect recollection of We Were Liars, you don't really need to read that book in order to appreciate this one. The sisters were vaguely familiar to me, as was the island with its various "cottages," and a memory that something traumatic happened there ... but that didn't add much to my enjoyment of this earlier story.

Bottom line, this was a quick, entertaining summer read.

My rating: 

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

Belzhar
by Meg Wolitzer
Dutton Juvenile, 2014
272 pages
source: borrowed from the library

Goodreads summary:
If life were fair, Jam Gallahue would still be  at home in New Jersey with her sweet British  boyfriend, Reeve Maxfield. She’d be watching  old comedy sketches with him. She’d be kissing  him in the library stacks.

She certainly wouldn’t be at The Wooden Barn, a therapeutic boarding school in rural Vermont, living with a weird roommate, and signed up for an exclusive, mysterious class called Special Topics in English.

But life isn’t fair, and Reeve Maxfield is dead.

Until a journal-writing assignment leads Jam to Belzhar, where the untainted past is restored, and Jam can feel Reeve’s arms around her once again. But there are hidden truths on Jam’s path to reclaim her loss.

From New York Times bestselling author Meg Wolitzer comes a breathtaking and surprising story about first love, deep sorrow, and the power of acceptance.


I need to tell you three things:

I don't read much Young Adult literature.
I'm not into fantasy.
I don't get magical realism.

BUT, 

I still loved Belzhar... and think you might, too.

Favorite Quotes:

“We're talking about the novel, right? But maybe we're not. We're talking about ourselves. And I guess that's what can start to happen when you talk about a book.”   

"..pain can seem like an endless ribbon. You pull it and you pull it. You keep gathering it toward you, and as it collects, you really can't believe that there's something else at the end of it. Something that isn't just more pain." 

My rating:

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (audio)

Eleanor & Park
Written by: Rainbow Rowell
Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman, Sunil Malhotra
Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
Publisher: Listening Library, 2013
source: purchased

Publisher's summary:
Set over the course of one school year, in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits - smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love - and just how hard it pulled you under.

My thoughts:
I don't read or listen to much young adult literature, but Rainbow Rowell has been a favorite of book bloggers for the past couple of years and I just had to see what all the fuss was about.

The plot is simple - two misfits thrown together on the school bus stumble upon first love. Eleanor and Park are such wonderful characters separately... weird, quirky, intelligent. And they were great together, too. With such a horrible home life, my heart just broke for Eleanor.

I enjoyed Eleanor & Park  very much, but one thing bothered me. I had a hard time understanding what Park found so endearing in Eleanor... but I suppose that's the nature of love.

Listening to this book was an amazing experience. Any novel told from alternating perspectives begs for dual narrators, and both Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra nail it. A five-star performance from each makes this an unforgettable audio production.

So I agree, Rainbow Rowell is a treasure. Which  of her novels should I listen to next?

Bottom line:
This book took me right back to high school - the bus, the cliques, the social pecking order, the music, the feelings, first love. Listen to this book and let yourself be taken back, too.

My ratings:

story

performance

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars
by E. Lockhart
Delacorte Press, 2014
240 pages
source: library copy

Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family.
No one is a criminal.
No one is an addict.
No one is a failure.
The Sinclairs are athletic, tall, and handsome. We are old-money Democrats. Our smiles are wide, our chins square, and our tennis serves aggressive.
It doesn't matter if divorce shreds the muscles of our hearts so that they will hardly beat without a struggle. It doesn't matter if trust-fund money is running out; if credit card bills go unpaid on the kitchen counter. It doesn't matter if there's a cluster of pill bottles on the bedside table.
It doesn't matter if one of us is desperately, desperately in love.

And so begins what's being touted as the must-read book this summer. I'm not much of a YA reader, but this one ticks all the boxes - a summer house (actually a family compound on a private island near Martha's Vineyard), multiple generations, old money, a little dysfunction, and some sort of accident. The family tree and island map are added bonuses.

We Were Liars is a very quick read. I read it in two sittings, but could have easily read it in an afternoon.

I won't say much more about the plot...even the goodreads summary is a little vague:

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth. 

 We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 

Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

The writing in this novel, so fresh and snappy, will appeal to readers outside the YA community.

Bottom Line:
Don't miss We Were Liars. Pick a lazy, summer day and read it straight through.

My rating:

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Note to self... reviews must be written in a more timely manner. A few weeks have passed since I read Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork and, although the particulars have faded, I liked the book a lot and thought I'd try a mini-review.

The plot:

Marcelo Sandoval is a 17-year-old boy with an Asperger's-like condition. He attends a special high school but, at his father's request, will spend the summer working in the "real world" - the mailroom of his father's law firm, in this case. Afterwards, Marcelo may choose whether to return to special ed or be mainstreamed for his senior year. Highly intelligent Marcelo must learn to navigate a world filled with of nonverbal cues, sarcasm, and emotion.

A favorite quote:

...The real world.

As vague and as broad as this term is, I have a sense of what it means and of the difficulties it entails. Following the rules of the real word means, for example, engaging in small talk with other people. It means refraining from talking about my special interest. It means looking people in the eye and shaking hands. It means doing things "on the hoof", as we say at Paterson, which means doing things that have not been scheduled in advance. It means walking or going to places I am not familiar with, city streets full of noise and confusion. Even though I am trying to look calm, a wave of terror comes over me as I imagine trying to walk the streets of Boston by myself. (page 20-21)

Final word:

This is the second Young Adult novel I've read in as many years, and I loved it! It reminded me of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon, another book my daughters and I all raved about. I'm curious though, why Marcelo is classified as YA and Curious Incident is not. Both are quite appropriate for high school students. Any thoughts?

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Want to feel like a kid again for a few hours? Find a copy of The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick and allow yourself to be carried away into a world of secrets, film, clocks, and machines. It's not easy to describe what the book is about, but the inside flap says it perfectly:

“Orphan, Clock Keeper, and Thief, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message all come together…in The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

This 526-page book is told in both words and pictures. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is not exactly a novel, and it’s not quite a picture book, and it’s not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things. Each picture (there are nearly three hundred pages of pictures!) takes up an entire double page spread, and the story moves forward because you turn the pages to see the next moment unfold in front of you.”

I've read only a handful of graphic novels and couldn't tell you the last time I picked up a children's book (my 'babies' are 16), but this review at Ready When You Are, C.B. convinced me to find a copy of The Invention of Hugo Cabret right away. The book is aimed at 9 to 12 year olds, but I think it would actually appeal to a much wider audience. My teenage nephews would love this!

A couple quotes I especially liked:

"Did you ever notice that all machines are made for some reason?" he asked Isabelle. "They are built to make you laugh, like the mouse here, or to tell the time, like the clocks, or to fill you with wonder, like the automaton. Maybe that's why a broken machine always makes me a little sad, because it isn't able to do what it was meant to do." (page 374)

"Even if all the clocks in the station break down, thought Hugo, time won't stop. Not even if you really want it to." (page 378)

And a couple of the drawings:

The size of this 500+ page hardcover "children's" book initally shocked me, but that quickly passed as I lost myself behind the walls of that Paris train station. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is pure fun at any age!

Teaser Tuesdays - Marcelo in the Real World

...The real world.

As vague and as broad as this term is, I have a sense of what it means and of the difficulties it entails. Following the rules of the real word means, for example, engaging in small talk with other people. It means refraining from talking about my special interest. It means looking people in the eye and shaking hands. It means doing things "on the hoof", as we say at Paterson, which means doing things that have not been scheduled in advance. It means walking or going to places I am not familiar with, city streets full of noise and confusion. Even though I am trying to look calm, a wave of terror comes over me as I imagine trying to walk the streets of Boston by myself." (page 20-21)

Marcelo in the Real World

by Francisco X. Stork

This book is about a 17-year-old boy with an Asperger's-like condition who is trying out life in the "real world" with a summer job at his father's law firm. It reminds me, so far, of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

TSS: The Right Book at the Right Time

It's a great feeling! You know, when the right book appears at exactly the right moment. It happened to me yesterday at 4:45 PM.

The weekend had already been a long one. Friday, we drove out to visit Daughter #1 for her 20th birthday. Our plan was to attend her basketball game, take her out for birthday dinner, head back to the hotel for cake and presents, and then watch Saturday's game before driving home. Well, plans change! Daughter #1 was stricken with a nasty GI virus and missed the game. She slept in our hotel room while we had 'birthday dinner' without her, she rallied for presents and a mouthful of cake (which she managed to keep down), and was asleep by 10:30. Saturday, she was well enough to sit on the bench, but too weak to play.

By that time, I was feeling as if I'd been punched in the stomach and figured we'd better skip the game and head home in case things got ugly. Thankfully they didn't, but I was on the couch feeling sick for the rest of the day. I'd finished reading Let The Great World Spin (great book!), but couldn't seem to focus on anything in the immediate tbr pile.

The library called at 4:45 PM to say they had a book for me. A quick computer search of my account showed it was Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. Perfect! There was just enough time for my husband to get there before closing.

Now, I'm halfway through this YA title and just love it! Marcelo, a 17 year old boy with Asperger's Syndrome, has been attending a special school and has a job in their stable caring for therapy ponies. He's excited about a summer job that will allow him to train the ponies. His father, however, has lined up a job for Marcelo in mail room of his law firm in the city. He feels it's time for Marcelo to try to function in the "real world", and perhaps even attend a regular high school for his upcoming senior year. Marcelo in the Real World reminds me of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon, a book I loved several years ago.

Today I feel much better, but am considering keeping that information to myself. I want to lay on the couch and finish the book!

Before that, I'm going to pour another cup of coffee and see what my blogging buddies are up to. Do your plans include a Super Bowl Party? Reading? Or, perhaps you're digging out from "snowmageddon"?

Book Club Meeting: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

At our September meeting, my book club discussed Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Since I haven't written about the book, I'll direct you to Molly's review for some background. Many bloggers have read and reviewed Speak, but it was Molly's review that prompted me to finally read the book.

Nine of us met for coffee at a member's home on a gray, rainy morning. She surprised us with muffins and fruit salad. After some catch-up conversation, mostly centered around our high school and college aged children, we quickly moved on to the book discussion.

First, we noted what a departure this was from our usual reading fare. In ten years, we have never chosen a YA title. Speak made the cut, in part, because it appeared on the 11th grade summer reading list (a few of us have 11th graders) and because I picked up a copy for a dollar at last summer's book sale and brought it to a meeting (a book physically present always seems to have a better chance of "winning").

Our next discovery was that everyone had read the book! This may not be remarkable for most groups, but it is worth noting when it happens to us. Several members tend to abandon books that are too long, too hard, or too depressing. Perhaps we should periodically include YA selections!

From there, it was on to the book itself. We were all impressed that Anderson really seemed to get it right. How could someone over 30 capture the high school voice and concerns so perfectly? We saw flashes of our children's experiences, and had many of our own brought back as well. The unanimous consensus was that none of us wants to go back!

Not only did Anderson get the voice, she hit nailed the location. Anderson graduated from the high school in a neighboring town, and we couldn't help but laugh at lines like "The sun doesn't shine much in Syracuse, so the art room is designed to get every bit of light it can." Her description of the cold and winter weather rang true, too. I'm not sure if the mascot controversy she wrote of actually occurred, but her old high school's teams are still known as the Hornets. However, I, thankfully, have not heard the chant "We are the Hornets.... the horny, horny hornets!"

For a little in the way of plot background, the main character, Melinda, was raped at a summer drinking party. She called the police, who descended upon the party, but never reported the rape. Melinda became an outcast at school the following year, and eventually stopped speaking.

The majority of our discussion focused on the self-esteem of teenage girls and the intense peer pressure present in the high school. A couple members had an edition with extra material, including an author interview in the back (I did not). In it, Anderson noted that in talking with readers about the book, she was shocked to discover that most teen-age boys have little understanding of rape or it's consequences. She said several boys raised the point that it wasn't actually rape because Melissa didn't object (not seeing the problem in her being too drunk to protest). We also spent quite a bit of discussion time on this issue, as well.

Overall, we loved the book and had a very stimulating discussion. In the end, we realize that, as parents, the most important thing we can do is strive to maintain the same level of involvement and communication with our own teens as we had when they were younger. We all need to keep speaking!