Book Review: Genuine Fraud

Book Review: Genuine Fraud

Karla Cardenas Pasten

What would you be willing to do in order to leave your past behind? Genuine Fraud, a young adult thriller filled with suspense, mystery, and psychological horror, written by E. Lockhart the author of bestseller We Were Liars, is a must-read. The book follows the story of eighteen-year-old Jule West Williams, who uses her skills of disguise and intelligence to live the life she’s always dreamed of living. The only problem is that it doesn’t just involve lies but also costs lives.

The story begins in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where the reader first meets cold, impulsive and sociopathic Jule.  The reader learns she’s in trouble with the law but is still clouded by wonders such as why does she pretend to be different people? Why is she on the run? And what’s the story behind Imogen Sokoloff? As chapters descend in numerical order and reverse chronology, it becomes clear that Jule is unreliable and in many ways darker than she first appears.

With each chapter and new setting, readers get crumb-like puzzle pieces of why Jule is running and what actually happened with Imogen, Jule’s beautiful, wealthy, and cherished friend.  Not only do ideas and theories start to form, but readers are greeted with multiple twists and turns that are sure to be a surprise.

Aside from enjoying the thriller-like pace of the book, readers will surely also enjoy the way in which Jule tells most of her story, for she paints the settings as if they were from a live action film. Not only does she imagines herself as the heroine that defeats evil and obtains her ultimate goal no matter the expense, but also shows no regrets or remorse.

I personally consider the book to be a must-read due to its unique storyline and nail-biting suspense. I rate the book a 5 out of 5 mainly because the structure, atmosphere, and characters blew my mind time after time. Although the style is very different from We Were Liars, I think that E. Lockhart fans will definitely not want to miss this book because it’s original, daring, and a different type of mystery. Not only did I find myself telling whoever was beside me “You’ll never believe what happened now!” but also turning page after page non-stop.