Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Micah freely admits that she's a compulsive liar. And that may be the one honest thing he'll ever tell you. Over the years she's duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents. But when her boyfriend, Zach, dies under brutal circumstances, the shock might be enough to set her straight. Or maybe not. Especially when lying comes as naturally to her as breathing. Was Micah dating Zach? Or was Sarah his real girlfriend? And are the stories Micah tells about inheriting a "family gene" real or are they something that only exists in her mind?
Breathtaking in its plotting, and narrated by one of the most psychologically complex young women to emerge since Sybil, Liar is a roller-coaster that will have listeners grasping for the truth. Honestly.

Honestly, I picked this book up because it was a new item at my library. Reading the back blurb didn't really interest me but I borrowed it anyway. To my surprise, when I read the first page I was immediately hooked!

There are three parts to the story: Telling the Truth, Telling the True Truth and The Actual Real Truth. The main character Micah tells her story. We read about her family history, what happened before and what happened after/at present time. She tells you that she is a compulsive liar and this makes you question the events that she explains, trying to figure out which parts she's telling is truth and which is lie (which is frustrating because they pile up). The author has cleverly constructed sentences so as to not give too much away and allow the imagination to run freely. I don't particularly like Micah because of her disturbing thoughts and characteristics (lying included), but her voice grabbed my attention from the very start.

The interesting thing is that the book could pretty much be a whole lie because of a certain supernatural element Micah talks about and the fact she mentioned she's a really big liar! Pushing that aside, it was thought-provoking that the whole 'supernatural thing' is viewed not as cool as many YA books make it out to be. The take on being a freak because of it and steps in controlling it make the supernatural element seem realistic and plausible.

I initially thought the Aussie cover was pointless (just a blob of funky red paint that spells out Liar) but after reading the book, I've come to like it because it's symbolic and fitting to the story.

I'm glad that I gave this book a chance and that the blurb did not give a 'secret' chunk of the book away. The twists and turns were interesting and although the writing was choppy by switching from past to present and vice versa, each event was like a piece of the puzzle. Once you finish the book, you get a fairly complete puzzle. (Hmm...Or a cleverly crafted lie?)

★★★★

Winter Reading Challenge complete!