I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 3*
Writing skill : 3*
Plot: 2*
Pace: 3*
Characters: 3*
Twist: 2*

This was a bizarre suspenseless psychological thriller. The chapters counted down instead of up, and although the timelines felt like they were going in reverse chronological order, it all got a bit too confusing to know what was happening and when.
The characters were good, Jule gave me Joe Goldburg from You vibes, super possessive and a little bit psycho.
According to other reviews this is based on The Talented Mr, Ripley, which I have never read, nor do I now want to. I mainly picked this up because I loved We Were Liars, but I found that a lot more gripping, and far less confusing.

I have tried to give E. Lockhart a few chances now but I just don't think her work is for me. I had to DNF this.

Genuine Fraud is a must-read for fans of mystery, suspense, and psychological thrillers. Its compelling narrative, well-drawn characters, and unexpected twists will leave readers guessing until the final sentence. Be prepared for a heart-pounding ride that will linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the last page.

Lockhart's previous novel to this, We Were Liars, became such a phenomenon as a YA novel and I did really enjoy it, so I was looking forward to reading more of her work. Seeing that this is about to be turned into a film makes perfect sense, as the mystery element of this story would work perfectly being revealed on screen. However, I did find this to be confusing to read at times, especially the backwards chronology in which Lockhart tells this tale, which I understand is to add to the mystery but just left me not being able to keep track of things, especially Jule and Immie's relationship at any given time. I quite enjoyed the more gruesome, brutal elements, although I wasn't expecting them in the beginning, and unfortunately I didn't find the motive behind Jule's actions to sufficiently explain them. The ending wasn't satisfying, and ultimately I found myself wanting more from the story.

Advanced Reader copy - Enjoyed this book, really opened my eyes and made me seek out other similar books to read.

I received this ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!!

Ive posted a full review on Goodreads and I look forward to reading more from this author!

I DNF this book and realised I didn't review it either. The author has a new book out which I've seen on Instagram so may pick this up again

I really enjoyed reading this book, I loved the way in which the story unfolds backwards rather than in a traditional manner. I found that this book would be better aimed at a slightly younger audience than myself as although there were plenty of plot twists some of them seemed slightly obvious to glean much surprise. That being said I still throughly enjoyed reading this book. Overall, this was a good book, though a little confusing, I think there were important lessons to learn from this book and its characters.

Unfortunately I could not get into this book. It did not hold my interest like the other books by this author, so it is a real shame! I did not get on with the characters and the plot didn't feel original.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me! I just couldn’t get into it so can’t really provide an accurate review unfortunately.

// this book was sent to me by netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review //

Was not a fan of this one unfortunately! I ended up putting it down partway through, it just really didn’t grab my attention the way I expected it to

This book was definitely told in an interesting way. We start at chapter 18 and end at chapter 1...with chapter 19 as a circle around to the beginning. I was interested the whole time, but ended the book feeling a little underwhelmed.

I wanted some closure with Jule’s parents and what happened to them, which essentially caused her life path. But we never even got what got them to their own plot points. I didn’t really understand Jule and why she did the things she did.

Overall the story was mildly interesting, but I found myself wanting more from it.

Was really keen to read this after reading WE WERE LIARS, which I really enjoyed but unfortunately this book missed the mark for me, I just could not get into it and had to DNF it.

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.

Unfortunately I no longer wish to review this book as the first few chapters did not reel me in. Thank you for the opportunity.

I was such a big fan of We Were Liars and was so excited to read this. It did not disappoint and I would recommend for any fans of the author,. Thanks to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this one.

I’ve only read one E. Lockhart book before – We Were Liars – and I loved it. I knew from reading the synopsis for Genuine Fraud that I would feel the same. I love the mystery and the twists and craziness that makes it hers. There were so many twists and turns, I see how it could be confusing, but I read it in very few sittings as I couldn’t put it down, so I followed it easily.
E. Lockhart’s style and the imagination to come up with such a complex and intricate book is just genius, I don’t know how she does it. I love the aspect of the unreliable narrator that Lockhart does so well. I genuinely (see what I did there), think that it might be the first YA book I’ve read with a proper unreliable narrator. There may be others but I can’t actually think of any others right now.
I think part of the what makes E. Lockhart’s stories unique is that you don’t like actually like any of the characters, and you’re not supposed to. They’re all flawed, and crazy and you can’t trust any of them, and it really makes it so interesting to read.
I also enjoyed the fact that the book was told backwards. I know it can be common in thrillers, but I’ve never read one like it before that I can think, at least not like this, so I found it really fun. I always love it when books are written in slightly different ways. I mean obviously I love a classic style of novel, but I love it when it’s a bit different, be it a diary, in texts, or backwards. As I said, the time jumps can be confusing, but I definitely think reading it in one sitting helped.
Overall I really enjoy the book and would definitely love to read some more E. Lockhart!

I read this book while on holiday. I really loved 'We were liars', but I thought this book was a bit slow. And I didn't connect to Julie. So for me it was an nice holiday read. I liked the fact that you read the story backwards and that with every step more information about Julie became available
You can read my review (in Dutch) on my website Ikvindlezenleuk: https://ikvindlezenleuk.nl/2019/05/lockhart-genuine-fraud/

Unfortunately I didn't finish this book, as I couldn't get into it - nothing against the author or book, just not to my personal taste. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It's exciting and very fast paced, but Imogen is not a favourite character of mine.

I loved the way it was told in reverse chronological order, though. That made for such an exciting read and was a really interesting concept.

I struggled a bit, but I'm glad I finished it.