REVIEW: Liar

I just finished reading Liar last night, and I'm not too sure how I feel about this book. There were parts that I liked and parts that I didn't.

Liar is the story of Micah, a 17 year-old girl, who goes to a private school and is a compulsive liar. She lies about everything from little things to huge things like her gender. She is not popular and has few friends, but she becomes secretly involved with a popular boy, Zach, outside of school through a mutual interest in running. When Zach goes missing, and then turns up murdered, all eyes are on the mysterious Micah. So, far, this books sounds pretty interesting, right??

Well, then it takes a turn for the weird. Micah reveals the secret to a "family illness" as well as more information about her extended family that is pretty far-fetched. I found some of these parts of the book boring. Then, the reader begins to find out that some of the stuff revealed in the book are actually lies fabricated by Micah. In the end, I was left not knowing what to believe and what not to believe.

If you are person who enjoys adding your own ending to books, then this is the book for you. If you are like me, and you want definitive answers and want everything perfectly clear and wrapped in a nice little package, then you probably won't be into this book. I'm left feeling confused and feeling like the book was a waste of my time.

REVIEW: Tricks

Tricks - wow - what can I say? The book was a very interesting read, but so very disturbing. The premise is the story of five different teenagers who are from all walks of life from all over the U.S. who all somehow end up in a prostitution ring in Las Vegas. Each story is different, but somehow they all end up at the same place.

Eden is a pastor's daughter who is forbidden to do almost everything. She falls in love with a boy, and when her parents find out, she is sent to a home in Nevada to be exorcised. Her only way out of the home is prostitution.

Seth is a down-home farm boy from Tennessee who has lost his mother, and therefore lives alone with his father. Seth, a Catholic boy, realizes early on that maybe he isn't straight. After entering into a homosexual relationship that ends badly, Seth's father finds out. Not able to deal with a gay son, his father kicks him out of the house. With no money and no job, Seth becomes a trophy boy for an older gay man who takes him to Vegas. Seth, too, eventually turns to prostitution.

Whitney seems to have it all - her parents are wealthy, she goes to a good school, she makes good grades - but she never feels that she can add up to what her sister is, and Whitney has a strained relationship with her mother because of that. Whitney meets the wrong guy at the wrong time, falls for his lies, and ends up in a very bad situation when she runs away from home to go with him to Vegas.

Ginger's mother is a prostitute, which leaves Ginger to care for her younger brothers and sisters. While Ginger resents her mother, she is capable and willing to care for her younger siblings, until her mother does the unthinkable - she sells Ginger to a stranger. Ginger runs away to Vegas with a friend, and they too end up being tricks.

Lastly, there's Cody who is from a good family, and has a lot going for him until his stepfather gets sick. Unable to help his mom pay the bills, Cody turns to gambling. After digging himself and his family into a hole, Cody turns to prostitution to help pay his debt and his family's bills.

Each story left me with a feeling of hopelessness. I could see how each of these teens had no choice, but to turn to prostitution, and how in each case, it was nearly impossible to get out. Each of the stories was pretty graphic, and therefore left me feeling very dirty at times. It was really hard to get through, but also strangely captivating. I would recommend this book, but only to extremely mature readers.

REVIEW: Marcelo in the Real World

Marcelo in the Real World is a touching story of a boy with a disorder similiar to autism who has been protected from the world by being placed in a school for people with disabilities. Marcelo's dad, who has always insisted that Marcelo has nothing wrong with him, demands that Marcelo come work for him at his law firm in the city for the summer. Against his wishes, Marcelo goes to work at the law firm where he learns what true friendship is, what being bullied means, and that maybe his dad isn't as perfect as Marcelo thought.

Marcelo in the Real World is a great read and definitely recommended!