The Lying Game
Sara Shepard
HarperTeen
Spoilers + Lying Game is sometimes written as LG because I'm lazy
I'll put my hands up and say that I enjoyed this book while I was reading it, which is the most important thing at the end of the day. I only really had problems after reading the book because I actually had time to think about it.
The main problem I have with this book is that if it was a little longer and everything was more concise, then the entire series could just be this book. This series is six books and like two half books. Not much really happened in this book to warrant the length. It's a good chunk of the book before Emma even finds out Sutton is dead and we know from the beginning.
This leads me onto the problem of the narration. It's partially confusing because I kept forgetting who the narrator and the fact that Sutton can read Emma's thoughts- which makes no sense. It also means we find out information before Emma because we're told it, not because we worked it out. This is frustrating as a reader because we're pretty much spoon-fed the plot and then have to play the waiting game for Emma to catch up. I'm assuming Shepard tried to reduce the chance of this happening by making Sutton forget her past life and get random flashbacks. But these flashbacks conveniently reveal the events of when Sutton "died". We later find out that the flashbacks Sutton had been having weren't of her death, but were of a Lying Game Prank in which she was the victim that went a little too far.
The fact that the video from the beginning of the book is described as similar to the video seen at the end makes no sense. I quickly skimmed through the descriptions of both videos and they don't read as the same video. But then Sutton says, "this was the video that had started it all for Emma." And then I re-reread both videos and I think they're meant to be the same video. But ones been muted and cropped in length and size and the other is original. I think. Either way, why did anyone post it online and then take it down? You assume the murderer did this, but I can't think why. It could be a move to humiliate Sutton, but then the website used seemed obscure and no one saw it. Unless they used it to reel Emma in, but what's the likelihood of her seeing it?
How was the "Lying Game" able to operate as it did? Surely adults would have some idea what was going on due to the huge, ever escalating pranks that, due to certain factors like the targeting of Nisha, could be seen as bullying. Or at least an inconvenience? Why is the Lying Game a thing? Why is it the name of the series when it was one of the most disappointing reveals of the book?
The treatment of Nisha in the book was eh. She's the only prominentobvious person of colour in the book and is instantly hated on for no reason known to the reader. The first description you receive of her is negative, especially when compared to the description of Sutton's friends. She is rude to Emma because she thinks Emma is Sutton, who must have been awful to Nisha. Nisha is also the person who suffers the most in the book. But then again, she's at least written to be occaisionally sympathetic; due to moments such as her being upset over the LG prank ruining the sweater in her locker that belonged to her dead mother. However, the only thing this really did plot wise was make Emma feel guilty. Which actually brings me onto another problem with the narration. How did Sutton know what Emma was feeling? It makes no sense.
I don't see the point of Ethan. I'm assuming he'll be the love interest but can we not? My first instinct was that he was the killer. I still think he is because it being one or all of the LG group (or the twins) would just be meh. But it has to be on of them because they were the only ones in the house- the fact that Emma has fooled everyone but a guy that barely knew her screams volumes about how much we have to suspend our disbelief. Ethan's kinda boring. He just lies on the tennis court that Sutton would have use/ Emma did use and mopes about.
Overall, the characters felt a little flat. Some were just straight stereotypes and have never been interesting. Jocks, bitches, that one poc character who isn't portrayed in the most flattering light- they're all here.
I rated this book 2 out of five stars because I enjoyed reading it, but realised problems with the book after reading it.
The fact that the video from the beginning of the book is described as similar to the video seen at the end makes no sense. I quickly skimmed through the descriptions of both videos and they don't read as the same video. But then Sutton says, "this was the video that had started it all for Emma." And then I re-reread both videos and I think they're meant to be the same video. But ones been muted and cropped in length and size and the other is original. I think. Either way, why did anyone post it online and then take it down? You assume the murderer did this, but I can't think why. It could be a move to humiliate Sutton, but then the website used seemed obscure and no one saw it. Unless they used it to reel Emma in, but what's the likelihood of her seeing it?
How was the "Lying Game" able to operate as it did? Surely adults would have some idea what was going on due to the huge, ever escalating pranks that, due to certain factors like the targeting of Nisha, could be seen as bullying. Or at least an inconvenience? Why is the Lying Game a thing? Why is it the name of the series when it was one of the most disappointing reveals of the book?
The treatment of Nisha in the book was eh. She's the only prominent
I don't see the point of Ethan. I'm assuming he'll be the love interest but can we not? My first instinct was that he was the killer. I still think he is because it being one or all of the LG group (or the twins) would just be meh. But it has to be on of them because they were the only ones in the house- the fact that Emma has fooled everyone but a guy that barely knew her screams volumes about how much we have to suspend our disbelief. Ethan's kinda boring. He just lies on the tennis court that Sutton would have use/ Emma did use and mopes about.
Overall, the characters felt a little flat. Some were just straight stereotypes and have never been interesting. Jocks, bitches, that one poc character who isn't portrayed in the most flattering light- they're all here.
I rated this book 2 out of five stars because I enjoyed reading it, but realised problems with the book after reading it.
I've started using small sticky notes to mark when I had strong thoughts about the novel, but I gave up half way through because I didn't have any for a while and then I was punched in the face with them.
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