Review : Liars Inc. by Paula Stokes
Title : Liars Inc.
Author : Paula Stokes
Publication Date : March 24th 2015
Publisher : Harper Teen
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For fans of Gone Girl, I Hunt Killers, and TV's How to Get Away with Murder.
Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?
When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.
Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.
Personal Thoughts
Oh this book was so deliciously mysterious! This is the kind of story I expect when I open up a YA mystery book. I don't know if it's because I've read many adult mystery books in the past, but I have a hard time enjoying YA mystery books because they tend to be so predictable. But Liars. Inc was different. My gut kept telling me that this would be a book that would impress me and I was so right.
First of all, I love that Liars Inc. was written in Max's POV. I haven't read many books with the male POV in YA specifically, but I enjoy getting to know what goes on in their heads. Max was someone I instantly liked. He had his ups and his downs, but that's what made him so realistic to me. He was completely human and I actually loved that he had such flaws. Perhaps my favorite characteristic of his has to be the loyalty he showed his friends throughout Liars Inc. He's the kind of guy you want as a friend because he will support you no matter what. As far as Max's girlfriend Parvati goes, I don't really know what to think of her. I loved the fact that she was a POC, with her Indian roots, but I also loved that that Paula Stokes did not resolve to stereotypes to flesh out her character. The reason I was unsure about my feelings for Parvati was because she was so overly rebellious and I had a hard time trusting her. Of course, this is a mystery, so it was probably part of Paula Stokes' plan.
Let's get to the nitty gritty though. The mystery/plot in this book was incredibly well developed. Paula Stokes knew what she was doing and I loved loved that I was never sure who to trust or what to really think. The author had me wanting to pull my hair because I was so frustrated I couldn't figure out who had killed Preston. I kept wracking my brain to figure out, and I had so many theories and obviously none of them were correct. I was actually really excited that I was unable to figure the whole thing out. The major twist in this book was like a slap to the face. Good job, Paula for making me feel all these ragey (but in a totally positive way) feels!
I'm keeping this review short because you all have to go in blind to experience the greatness of Liars Inc. Paula Stokes is a talented author and I really hope she writes more books in the YA mystery genre. She's up there with Abigail Haas on my list of top YA mystery writers.
Rating
Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5
Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Teen for the e-ARC of Liars Inc.
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