Author: Lisa Roecker and Laura Roecker
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller
Release Date: November 6, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Description:
Just when Kate Lowry thought she had life at elite private school Pemberly Brown figured out, she cracks open a fortune cookie to find a message from her best friend Grace--who's supposed to be dead.
Another Sister Gone
A classmate has gone missing, and Kate soon realizes that the disappearance is tied to the secret societies that rule her private school. Her best friend died for their secrets, and there's no way she'll let them get away with it twice. It's up to quirky outsider Kate to get some answers, but in a school where every answer leads to more questions and nothing's as it seems, who can she trust?
The Lies That Bind is the second book in the LIAR SOCIETY series - a young adult mystery/thriller that follows main character Kate Lowry as she struggles to expose the secret societies that rule her school and the dangers that they pose. In this second installment, Kate is still reeling from the death of her best friend, Grace, and is seeking justice for her death by attempting to bring down those responsible. Soon another girl has gone missing and history seems to be replaying itself. Can Kate find her in time before another innocent life is lost?
With this being the second book in the series - and I haven't read the first - it was a little bit confusing to understand the circumstances surrounding Kate's best friend's death and what has brought her to this point in her life. Other than that, I was easily able to catch on to the plot and was immediately brought into the sordid affairs occuring at Pemberly Brown. Without knowing what to expect from this book, I was more than pleasantly surprised by how engrossed I became in the story and how much the entire novel exceeded my expectations.
The setting of Pemberly Brown - a prestigious and expensive private school - is the perfect place for the story of secret societies and age-old traditions. The characters were all very realistic and likable - especially Kate. I found myself empathizing with her right from the start and was rooting for her during the entire book. The romance in the story is the right amount of sizzle without being overly mushy or corny. It added enough flair and distraction to the book without taking away from the main storyline - which I found perfect. The entire history of the school, along with its traditions and societies, as well as the personal backgrounds of the characters added lots of depth and complexities to the book that made it really intriguing. Although the story itself is a serious one, there is some comic relief that had me laughing out loud while I read, which made for a good balance to the heavier material. Overall, I really enjoyed this book - although I am disappointed that I didn't read the first book in the series before this one. A highly recommended series for fans of YA fiction and mysteries/thrillers.
Top Ten Stupid Mistakes Villains Make:
Kate dissects and lists the
mindless mistakes that Pemberly Brown’s secret societies make while
attempting to sneak around the campus.
10. Leave doors/windows/cars/lockers OPEN. Villains are busy people. Or perhaps they were raised in a barn. Either way, if the door’s open, I’m going in. Don’t mind if I do…
9. Loud talkers. Villains missed the day of preschool when the teachers reviewed inside voices. Plus, voices carry in those tunnels. I don’t even have to put my ear to the hatch!
8. Lose their cool around girls. I’m not proud of it, but sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do and sometimes that means showing a little skin. I’ve gotten entire secret maps of Pemberly Brown by merely unbuttoning one button.
7. Carry baggage. Student files are fascinating. And often thick. My best friend works in the office. What do you expect?
6. Hang with the wrong crowd. Be careful who you trust, bad guys. Who knows, they might even be worse than you.
5. Perform not-so-secret ceremonies in not-so-private places. The clock tower again? Really? How have you not seen me crouched behind these low shrubs?
4. Have no respect for property, even if it is a dilapidated building of Brown. Lists of names on walls? Check.
3. Twirling moustaches. Whenever I have a doubt over who the real bad guy is, I can usually identify them by their telltale mustache. Thanks Headmaster Sinclair!
2. Forming secret societies. Um, guys, hate to break it to you, but NOTHING stays secret at Pemberly Brown. At least not while I'm around.
1. Messing with my friends. I might not be the most popular girl in school and I'm definitely not the toughest (Bethany, I'm looking at you), but you mess with my friends and I will throw down. Justice is tough to find at Pemberly Brown, but I won't rest until I find it.
Thanks for being here today Kate and for sharing the top mistakes that most villains make!
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I love secrets, scandals and drama (in my fiction, of course), especially when it involves a setting like this one along with secret societies. Thanks for your review.
ReplyDeleteI loved the guest post too, although I don't know if I should be concerned that I have made some of the very mistakes that stupid villains make.