Rachel and Alice are an extremely rare kind of identical twins-so identical that even their aunt and uncle, whom they've lived with since their parents passed away, can't tell them apart. But the sisters are connected in a way that goes well beyond their surfaces: when one experiences pain, the other exhibits the exact same signs of distress. So when one twin mysteriously disappears, the other immediately knows something is wrong-especially when she starts experiencing serious physical traumas, despite the fact that nobody has touched her. As the search commences to find her sister, the twin left behind must rely on their intense bond to uncover the truth. But is there anyone around her she can trust, when everyone could be a suspect? And ultimately, can she even trust herself? Master storyteller Jessica Warman will keep readers guessing when everything they see-and everything they are told-suddenly becomes unreliable in this page-turning literary thriller.
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- Beautiful Lies
Beautiful Lies
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Age Range
12+
Release Date
August 07, 2012
ISBN
9780802723383
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Editor reviews
2 reviews
Interesting story.
(Updated: October 09, 2012)
Overall rating
4.0
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This book is beautifully written with an interesting storyline. It has alternating POV's that are both unique and incredibly confusing at times. This is the kind of book you really have to pay attention to otherwise you risk missing something important.
For me, it started off well but about a quarter of the way through, I was having trouble keeping track of who was who. There were also times I wasn't exactly sure what was going on and at that point I considered giving up on it. When I finally flipped to the back (there's an Epilogue) and began reading the story backwards, it made so much more sense. I know this kind of ruins the plot but it's the only way I can see finishing a book that I would normally mark as a DNF (did not finish).
If you enjoy psychological thrillers without much romance, then you will thoroughly enjoy this read!
For me, it started off well but about a quarter of the way through, I was having trouble keeping track of who was who. There were also times I wasn't exactly sure what was going on and at that point I considered giving up on it. When I finally flipped to the back (there's an Epilogue) and began reading the story backwards, it made so much more sense. I know this kind of ruins the plot but it's the only way I can see finishing a book that I would normally mark as a DNF (did not finish).
If you enjoy psychological thrillers without much romance, then you will thoroughly enjoy this read!
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1 review
Overall rating
5.0
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5.0(1)
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5.0(1)
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A Good Way to Be Confused
Overall rating
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Jessica Warman's Beautiful Lies came out in August, and I haven't heard much about it since. Which I'm sure is my own fault, though I'd like to blame the unremarkable cover design.
The novel tells the story of two identical twin sisters, Rachel and Alice, so uniquely alike that they share an almost psychic bond. When one sister disappears at an autumn fair, the other knows that something is deeply wrong, even though no one will take her seriously. Alice has run away before, after all. They will take it seriously in the morning.
When the morning comes, her sister's only proof that something really is terribly wrong is the wound she finds on her own head, her two black eyes, and the increasingly disturbing turns of her own mind. No one will believe that she's carrying her sister's wounds, but if they don't believe her, they'll never find her.
The novel tells a number of stories at once - the mystery of a missing girl, the bond between two sisters, and the devolutions of a fragile mind. It's a perfect example of an unreliable narrator that you want to follow whether you trust her or not.
There are so many twists and turns in Beautiful Lies that it's hard to write about without giving something away. Normally the first third-to-half of a book's reveals are somewhat fair game, but with this one, it would just be wrong. Which is why I'd be very careful about reading other casual reviews before picking it up.
I haven't read many teen thrillers since I was actually a teen, so I'm not sure what to compare this to. If you need one reason to read this, it would be for the secondary characters. Rachel and Alice are a fascinating center, but their family and friends are just as interesting - most of them deserving whole books all on their own. You should read this, but only if you don't mind being confused, panicked, and occasionally disturbed every now and then. Because it will do that to you.
The novel tells the story of two identical twin sisters, Rachel and Alice, so uniquely alike that they share an almost psychic bond. When one sister disappears at an autumn fair, the other knows that something is deeply wrong, even though no one will take her seriously. Alice has run away before, after all. They will take it seriously in the morning.
When the morning comes, her sister's only proof that something really is terribly wrong is the wound she finds on her own head, her two black eyes, and the increasingly disturbing turns of her own mind. No one will believe that she's carrying her sister's wounds, but if they don't believe her, they'll never find her.
The novel tells a number of stories at once - the mystery of a missing girl, the bond between two sisters, and the devolutions of a fragile mind. It's a perfect example of an unreliable narrator that you want to follow whether you trust her or not.
There are so many twists and turns in Beautiful Lies that it's hard to write about without giving something away. Normally the first third-to-half of a book's reveals are somewhat fair game, but with this one, it would just be wrong. Which is why I'd be very careful about reading other casual reviews before picking it up.
I haven't read many teen thrillers since I was actually a teen, so I'm not sure what to compare this to. If you need one reason to read this, it would be for the secondary characters. Rachel and Alice are a fascinating center, but their family and friends are just as interesting - most of them deserving whole books all on their own. You should read this, but only if you don't mind being confused, panicked, and occasionally disturbed every now and then. Because it will do that to you.
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