2014 has already come and gone and I have yet to share with you my favorite reads of the year. For those who don’t follow me on social media, the answer as to why is simple: I was dying of the plague. Okay, not really. I REALLY had the flu. And not just one. I had TWO different strands. So for my Christmas vacation, I spent 16 days in bed. Sleeping. Barely moving. Barely reading—which is the real tragedy. But now that we have enjoyed a full two weeks of 2015, let me share with you my favorite reads of 2014. First, I met my Goodreads goal of 115 books. As a matter of fact, I didn’t meet it—I spanked it. By year’s end I read 144 books (mostly YA and mysteries). I really like rounded up numbers, so I am bummed I didn’t reach 145, but hey, since I spanked my original goal, I will take it. Of those 144 boys, below I am sharing with you 15 of my favorite tween/YA reads in no particular order. Enjoy! ‘The Impossible Knife of Memory’ – Laurie Halse Anderson I did...
That title...
That plot...
The Sinclairs...
Title: ‘We Were Liars’
Author: E. Lockhart
Pages: 240
Publisher: Delacorte
Available: NOW at your local library/book store
Source: Netgalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
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.
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.
My Thoughts:
Oh Lockhart...she has hit a hole-in-one with this novel. (I think the Sinclairs would approve of my use of golf humor.)
First, let me say that I was not expecting this book to leave such an impression on me. I had to step away from the story a few times to absorb the plot, the characters, the setting. I don't do that too often, and I don't recommend that any of you do it while reading this book. It gave me a disjointed feeling by novel's end. That is not the author's fault but my own.
This is a novel that needs to be read within a day of when you start. There are so many minor details that come into play, details that are easily forgotten. But I think that is Lockhart's plan all along.
She needs us to forget those details.
They don't matter.
Or do they?
I want to deal with the plot—a plot that is indescribable as anything other than “pick up this book and read it so we can talk about it!!!” The storytelling is so carefully woven, revealed, closed with so much care. At novel's end I hugged my Kindle. Yep, that's right. I hugged it. It was the closest I could come to hugging the Sinclairs—and Lockhart herself.
The characters are so wonderfully created and revealed on the page. At first I thought Lockhart was giving me a fictional YA Kennedy saga. And then as I was reading I felt as if I knew the Sinclairs; as if I were a neighbor living next door. I could hear the sounds of the water, the natural elements of life living on an island, of conversations and arguments and birds and...well, you get the picture.
Lockhart had me ON that island, living life with the Sinclairs, feeling their ups and downs and triumphs and losses.
And she had me from the very first page.
This is one of my favorite reads of 2014...and one of my favorite YA reads ever. For me, this novel was a whole package deal. The writing is beautiful; the story is beautiful; the character- building is beautiful.
Do I recommend this book?
YES! This is not a novel geared at a certain audience—it is geared toward all readers. But be warned, you really need to make time to read this novel in one to three sittings. Period. You will thank me for it.
What's the best novel you've read lately? Share below!
Happy Reading!
- The Hodgenator
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