Mini-Reviews : Finding Paris by Joy Preble and Lies I Told by Michelle Zink

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Finding Paris
Author : Joy Preble
Publication Date : April 21st 2015
Publisher : Harper Teen
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

An evocative and compelling story of two sisters who would do anything for each other--perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why and Speak. Joy Preble's stirring new novel explores the lengths to which sisters go to protect each other, and the winding road that brings two strangers into each other's lives.

Sisters Leo and Paris Hollings have only ever had each other to rely on. They can't trust their mother, who hops from city to city and from guy to guy, or their gambler stepfather, who's moved them all to Las Vegas. It's just the two of them: Paris, who's always been the dreamer, and Leo, who has a real future in mind--going to Stanford, becoming a doctor, falling in love. But Leo isn't going anywhere right now, except driving around Vegas all night with her sister.

Until Paris ditches Leo at the Heartbreak Hotel Diner, where moments before they had been talking with physics student Max Sullivan. Outside, Leo finds a cryptic note from Paris--a clue. Is it some kind of game? Where is Paris, and why has she disappeared? When Leo reluctantly accepts Max's offer of help, the two find themselves following a string of clues through Vegas and beyond. But the search for the truth is not a straight line. And neither is the path to secrets Leo and Max hold inside.

Personal Thoughts

Finding Paris is a book I went in with much trepidation. Friends of mine had not enjoyed and I was obviously a little wary. However, I think lowering my expectations certainly helped me like the book. The book tells the story of Leo, whose sister abandons her at a diner and leaves her a trail of clues that will help find her. I have to say, I was a little put off by Leo's sister, Paris' behavior in the book especially because she also steals Leo's savings. How could she do this to her younger sister? But fret not, there is a purpose to everything Paris did. Paris' goal was to try and help Leo open up about the truth, and although her ways were unconventional and something that is very easy to frown upon, I understood where she was coming from. Finding Paris was a heavily character driven book and I enjoyed that part of the book tremendously. Getting to know Leo and having my heart broken at her situation was one of the highlights of Finding Paris for me. Max, a boy that Leo approaches at the diner where Paris abandons her, and who eventually helps her in her quest to find Paris, was a sweetheart of a boy. I admit, that I was initially doubtful of his intentions, and rightfully so, but he managed to sway me over. The road trip aspect of Finding Paris was another part of the book that I enjoyed. It's just not the locations that people go to on a road trip that intrigue me, but it's the character growth. Leo grew tremendously throughout the book and I loved watching her blossom as a character. The ending did come across as a bit of a surprise, but after I read the book and thought about it, there were some pretty hints scattered over the book. Overall, I thought Joy Preble's Finding Paris was a lovely story and I hope that other readers will also think so. Definitely give the book a shot.

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 3/5

**Overall Rating : 3.5/5**

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Lies I Told
Author : Michelle Zink
Publication Date : April 7th 2015
Publisher : Harper Teen
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

What if, after spending a lifetime deceiving everyone around you, you discovered the biggest lies were the ones you've told yourself?

Grace Fontaine has everything: beauty, money, confidence, and the perfect family.

But it’s all a lie.

Grace has been adopted into a family of thieves who con affluent people out of money, jewelry, art, and anything else of value. Grace has never had any difficulty pulling off a job, but when things start to go wrong on the Fontaines' biggest heist yet, Grace finds herself breaking more and more of the rules designed to keep her from getting caught...including the most important one of all: never fall for your mark.

Perfect for fans of Ally Carter, Cecily von Ziegesar, and Gail Carriger, this thrilling, high-stakes novel deftly explores the roles of identity and loyalty while offering a window into the world of the rich and fabulous. 

Personal Thoughts

I recently started watching White Collar and I'm completely obsessed with anything that has to do with thieves and con-men (mostly because Matt Bomer is too beautiful to look at), so when Lies I Told fell into my lap, I knew I was in for a crazy and exciting ride. Lies I Told had me so nervous from start to finish, but it's a book that I had much difficulty putting down. I just needed to know what was going to happen to Grace and I was extremely worried for her. Grace's new task puts her in an uncomfortable position. She has to befriend Logan, whose family gold she and her family are going to steal. When she gets attached, things get complicated. I really felt for Grace's character. It might seem like she had everything in life, but she didn't. She lacked the most important thing of all : a realistic emotional connection with another human being. I was so mad at her parents for putting her and her brother in such an unfortunate position, basically forcing them to be these thieves. The relationship between Grace and Logan was a sweet one and I liked watching the two of them become closer, but I was also a little wary of it because it was a relationship mostly built on lies. What made Lies I Told a stunning read was the suspense that Michelle Zink was able to weave through the entire plot line. It's usually hard for an author to keep that suspense building and building throughout, but she totally did it. One of my complaints when it comes to Lies I Told has to be the unresolved ending (thankfully there's a sequel). Many questions were left unanswered and I'm dying to know what happens next with Grace and her family. I also was a little put off by the relationship between Grace and Preston, her "brother". Now technically, they aren't blood related siblings, but there was some weird romantic vibes going on between them, mostly on Preston's side. Overall though, I really enjoyed reading Lies I Told and I look forward to the sequel.

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Teen for the e-ARCs of Finding Paris and Lies I Told.