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Wednesday 4 November 2020

Book Review: Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart Book Cover

AD* | Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat.

Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete.

An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two.

A bad romance, or maybe three.

Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains.

A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her.

A girl who refuses to be the person she once was.

Genuine Fraud is a wild ride - a breakneck story that keeps you on your toes and is full of twists and turns to make you guess until the very end. 

It takes a while to get into the swing of the story - not least because the narrative jumps around and if you don't pay attention, you might not catch back up again! Perhaps most confusingly, the story is told back to front. Instead of working chronologically, each chapter goes back in time. The end result is a curious yet intriguing Benjamin Button plot. 

Jule is an interesting main character - flawed, definitely, yet is she a heroine or a villain? It's clear that she sees herself as a superhero, yet as the book progresses, it becomes increasingly more difficult to pinpoint the real Jule. Just as you think you are starting to gain an understanding of her, the story twists again and like an eel, Jule slips out of your grip again.

Genuine Fraud is unexpected and surprising, maintaining a fast pace throughout. It features elements of mystery and suspense - as well as all the hallmarks you would expect from a thriller - yet also has some softer moments. This brings the characters to life and helps you engage with their lives and their story well.

Uniquely thrilling, Genuine Fraud is an exhilarating journey bound to leave you speechless! It's complex and shocking, but ultimately, lacks that extra special something needed to make it truly outstanding. The end result is a fast-paced mystery thriller, full of twists and turns, yet sadly, also featuring a rather confusing narrative and story structure.

From reading other reviews, I think that this is a bit of a Marmite book - you will either love it or hate it! While there were certainly elements throughout the book that captivated me and drew me in, I struggled to feel the magic that other readers spoke about in their reviews.

Rating: 3 stars

Genuine Fraud is available to buy now. 

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* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Have you read the book? What did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

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