Characters
Julie is known in the book as many, many names, but is referred to as Jule on the most part. Very little is known about her as a person, which gives me a sense of fear or uncertainty. Had it have been a first-person narrative, I would have said she is the most unreliable character of YA fiction I’d ever come across. In fact I still, hours after reading, don’t trust her or her motivation for doing what she does… which is why I’m so spellbound by her.
Jule is incredibly intelligent and resourceful. Just wait until the pin starts to drop and, while we never get a true sense of who she is, you do realise how strong she is.
Imogen is a spoilt, unlikable character and there seems to be a sense of justification about what happens to her. Yes, we get a lot of information second hand, but you do later realise there’s other things you have to look out for to learn about this character. Not that it helps.
Forrest and Brooke are equally unlikable; however, you may feel a little sympathy for them. They’re both upper class collateral damage.
Plot and writing
It’s hard not to talk about both of these together, owing to the nature of the book. It’s a third person narrative that has a backward/ retrospective plot that is reminiscent of the beautiful film Memento (2000).
This is unputdownable writing. I read it in one sitting, mainly because I needed to know. I don’t think I could have kept up with the threads had I been dipping in and out of the narrative.
While it’s clearly not a new concept, as Memento can attest to, it is a gripping way to set out a novel and it won me over from the start.

'Genuine Fraud' had me flipping pages quicker than I could have imagined.
Much like 'We Were Liars', Lockhart creates situations that you feel you are almost part of. Whilst her writing style is just as engaging as her previous books, it is the reverse-chronological order of events that are both maddening and ensure you cannot put the book down. Every time I thought I understood Jule, or what had happened in her past, another mystery would be thrown my way. Starting in the present and working backwards a couple of weeks/ months at a time was a unique structure for me, but I loved it.
The female characters are all fairly feisty, but Jule is a law unto herself and a brilliant protagonist. I would definitely love to see more of her.

This book caught me and kept me hooked from the first sentence, but it was a little difficult to get my head around the backwards storytelling at first, but after I'd gotten used to it, it was really great to see how each event had been triggered by the one before it. It was a very different way of storytelling but a very interesting one.

Jules was a very interesting character. It was both hard to get to know her and very, very easy because there were some things that were very true to her, such as the superheros and the way she picked up on things so easily and could memories things so quickly. And other things that seem like a part of her but that she has lied about completely.

This is definitely one of these books that I sped through, not wanting to put it down and am now regretting it because it's over. If you're looking for something compelling and intriguing that will keep you reading then this is the perfect book.

"Jule knew she didn't look like those women. She would never look like those women. But she was everything those heroes were, and in some ways, she was more."

Bear with me because this is going to be a pretty odd and strange review, because, even though I've finished the book a few days ago, I still haven't gathered completely all my thoughts about it. Did I like it? Yes. Was I expecting more from it? Totally. 

I have to say before I start rambling about the story that it was soo fast and I found it perfect, because as you may or may not I'm in a huge reading slump where I can't read basically anything. So I take what I can, guys. And this was a very fast paced, quick and easy (well, maybe not exactly "easy") read. And sometimes that's exactly what I need.

"We're not friends, Ms. Williams. You're lying to me half the time, and I'm lying to you all the time."

Now I have very mixed feelings about this book. The whole concept and the story itself was pretty dark and mysterious and totally right out my alley, and I adored the premise and the way the story is told. You started in the present and then moved backwards so you know more about our main character and her whole story, and I found that such an interesting way to tell a story that it actually really intrigued me. I think this was the first book I've read written that way, so yeah, that's what first caught my attention. 

However the writing was a bit off to me. You know that I'm not usually pointy with writing styles, and hardly mentioned it in my reviews, but I feel the need to do so in this one, because the writing or how the main character's point of view made me not connect with the characters as much as I would have wanted to. And due to the morals of the story and how potentially dark it was, that's something quite important, because otherwise you're just simply going to hate the characters. 

And oh, those characters! I still don't know if I hate them or not. Like I mentioned before, I think I need to re-read it to gather how I feel about the whole thing. I liked Jule as a main character. I found her really interesting and emotionally damaged, but still cold and fierce, and a very unreliable narrator. I didn't connect with her as much as I hoped, but I still enjoyed reading from her point of view, even though in my opinion there were a few open threads. 

"Mysteries perpetuate the status quo. Everything always wraps up at the end. Order is restored. But order doesn't really exist, right? It's an artificial construct."

Another thing that was pretty important in the story is the whole mystery and what happened before that now the main character is running away from. That's what the whole novel is about, and honestly it was a bit predictable and not hard to figured out. I knew it from the very beginning, and I found it a bit more easy than in We Were Liars. Again, I ALWAYS know (or mostly always) these types of bombs, so it's usually a bit hard for me to get shocked, but I still wanted to point that detail out.

So overall, I did enjoy the story and had a good time reading it, despite the writing being a bit off and made me not feel that attached to the characters. It wasn't the best story ever, but quite a unique and morally dark one. 

I recieved an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.

Brilliantly written and cleverly constructed, Geniune Fraud is one of the freshest, most exciting books I've read in a long time. Starting at chapter 18, we unravel the story from ending to beginning, every chapter turning events that seemed harmless in the previous chapter into something more sinister with every page turned. An absolutely cracking 5 star read.

This was a hard book to like. There was nothing to like about Jule and after a time realised I didn't care about her. I read on in the hope something would rescue this, but there was nothing. The reverse timeline also added to my frustration.

I was one of the many fans of We Were Liars so when I was offered the chance of an early review copy of Genuine Fraud, I nearly snapped the publishers hands off! I thought that this was going to be a popular one with reviewers but when the reviews began to roll in I started to worry! Would this just be a retelling of The Talented Mr Ripley but with a female protagonist as many are suggesting? Well I’m relieved to tell you that I absolutely devoured this ruthlessly compelling thriller and whilst there are definitely similar themes running throughout, I found it to be more of an homage to that well known and much admired tale. And as this is targeted at young adults, it is coming to an audience that possibly hasn’t read any Highsmith before and will enjoy this book and judge it on its own merits.

This is actually the first time I’ve read a novel where the narrative progressed backwards and it’s a technique that the author embraced wholeheartedly with great success. I absolutely flew through it in one very intense sitting. I didn’t find there to be too much confusion with this method of storytelling as it suited the plot, following the flow of deception until it returned to its source in the present again. Jule is the ultimate unreliable narrator, an obviously flawed individual whom I struggled to connect with until her motivations started to become clear and even then I didn’t admire her as much as I think I was expected to. There was an horrific fascination in watching her friendship with the spoilt heiress Imogen knit together in reverse although I have to admit to not having any sympathy for pretty much all of the characters here! Still, I found them intriguing enough to want to observe their fate without really coming to care for them.

If you’re looking for another We Were Liars then you won’t find it here. But what you do get is a cleverly crafted, sumptuous and cinematic suspense that I wanted to read again the minute I had finished it. When it comes to YA, I still think E. Lockhart holds all the cards and can pretty much do no wrong. This wasn’t the story I was expecting but in her able hands it became an instant classic for a new generation.

I read this in just over 2.5 hours because I couldn't put it down. Told in reverse, taking masses of inspiration from The Talented Mr Ripley but with a female main protagonist, Genuine Fraud was a huge page turner.

It did, in substance, feel like a homage to Ripley and to Highsmith, the author captures you with her beautiful descriptive prose, rich and layered settings and hugely divisive characters. By the end of it you know everything, yet you know nothing. This is a book that demands a second reading.

It won't be for everyone and it is nothing like Liars, but for me it worked extraordinarily well and I have been caught up in it all day. I like the backwards story telling, like Megan Miranda's "All The Missing Girls" a book I would also recommend if you enjoy this, it captured my senses, beginning at the ending and ending at the beginning - each little gem of a timeline giving you that bit more but also taking away, messing with your perception leaving you to work out what you believe.

Yes I'm a fan of books like these. I hope more authors try their hand at this non linear storytelling and hone the craft until I'm genuinely upside down. Genuine Fraud is both Ripley and not Ripley, a beautifully formed novel that yeah, definitely won't be for everyone.

But it was for me.

There will be an interview with the author and a more in depth review on my website for publication.

Having read We Were Liars by the author which I really enjoyed, I jumped at the opportunity to read her latest novel. From the blurb I knew it would be very different from her previous book of which was no issue.

The story goes backwards from present day to where it all began and then ends back in the present day. I've never seen this done in a book before and I have to say it just didn't work for me. Some parts grabbed me but then because we were going back in time I kept getting really confused as to what was happening.

The main character herself is someone who is very self absorbed and I didn't take to her. In fact none of the characters really appealed to me. To be fair they probably arn't supposed to but I really need to connect in someway with at least one of the characters to enjoy a novel and sadly I just didn't with this one.

Genuine Fraud I am sure will appeal to many readers, it just wasn't for me. Having really enjoyed We Were Liars though I would certainly read other books by the author.

Previously reading reviews of this book written already they have noted that it relates to another book, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Thankfully I haven't read the book to have make any comparative notes, and I'm grateful for that because for me it was a different book to what I have read before. For instance the structure of it, the beginning is the end of the novel and as the chapters go on we go back in time to where all the drama started. I think this was perhaps a little bit of a drawback for me because I was aware of what has happened so there wasn't much suspense or tension that I was expecting.

However because of this structure we're much more interested in the characters themselves rather than the plot, and I don't think I've been so puzzled by a character such as Jule before. Throughout the novel we know Jule to be a compulsive liar throughout, as she dresses up as her friend Imogen and lies to their friends of her whereabouts. I was constantly asking myself why? Is Jule in love with Imogen? Is she jealous of her? Why Imogen? All of this becomes clear as the book progresses. I enjoyed the revelations that unfolded and getting to known Jule, and you definitely feel sympathy towards her from the beginning but even more so towards the end. You can see why Imogen was perhaps her target, the girl is simply up herself. A girl who takes everything she has around her for granted, and I think anyone would be sick of her throwing around money like it grows on trees. Both characters were polar opposites, and it seemed upsetting to me that Jule would want to become someone she isn't.

I wasn't a huge fan of We Were Liars but E. Lockhart's style and social commentary is always enticing and addictive, and I simply couldn't put this book down!

Genuine Fraud is about the outcasts, kids who are from very plain backgrounds and who aren't rich or perfect in every way. To an extent it is about how far someone could go to achieve their own happy and wealthy life in bitter and twisted ways that are realistic. If you like books with a bit of mystery then this is a book you should certainly pick up.

Not as fast paced a book as I would like. I found the changing timelines and reverse order a little confusing at times! Still a compelling and interesting read, not what I expected at all!