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!