"Beautiful Lies is a Truly Haunting Read

Title:  Beautiful Lies
Author:  Jessica Warman
Format:  E-galley
Length:  422 pages
Publisher:  Walker Children's Publishing
Rating:   5 stars

Rachel and Alice are an extremely rare kind of identical twins-so identical that even their aunt and uncle, whom they've lived with since their parents passed away, can't tell them apart. But the sisters are connected in a way that goes well beyond their surfaces: when one experiences pain, the other exhibits the exact same signs of distress. So when one twin mysteriously disappears, the other immediately knows something is wrong-especially when she starts experiencing serious physical traumas, despite the fact that nobody has touched her. As the search commences to find her sister, the twin left behind must rely on their intense bond to uncover the truth. But is there anyone around her she can trust, when everyone could be a suspect? And ultimately, can she even trust herself? Master storyteller Jessica Warman will keep readers guessing when everything they see-and everything they are told-suddenly becomes unreliable in this page-turning literary thriller.
-Goodreads

This is a story that grabs the attention from its first pages and doesn't let go EVER.
The twining phenomenon is one that has both intrigued and confounded people throughout time, and to have that bond spotlighted in a work as emotionally involved as this is a new and refreshing addition to YA.  
This is truly a psychological thriller in the purest sense of the word.  That fact in itself is enough to through most YA readers for quite the loop.  Let's face it, as a rule most YA readers are used to tripping the light fantastic through tales of vamps, weres, swoons, teen angst, and heartbreak.
This is new and decidedly much darker fare indeed.
 The author is very careful to start the story in a way that screams predictability.  Good twin + bad twin + switch = ?
It is while finding the answers to the questions that the story takes mind-bending turns worthy of "The Lovely Bones".
Readers will be happy to see that though the content of this book is very mature, the lead character is still a very flawed teen who manages to make some very teen mistakes.
This is the type of read that make one ask the "what would I do if" questions. 
The strangest and most unsettling thing about asking said questions is that the farther along on the story you are the more the answers to the questions change.
This is very emotionally taxing but it is well worth the time spent between its pages.
My Rating:


12 comments:

  1. This book sounds interesting to me. I like mystery sort of novel. Definitely will give it a shot! Thanks for sharing

    -wni

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  2. Wow. I've never heard of this book before, but I will definitely be adding it to my TBR list now. This sounds like an incredible read!

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  3. A new for me to, but definitely one I'll check out as it sounds like one I'd enjoy!

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  4. I've added this book to my TBR list based on your review. :D

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  5. Thanks for the review. I was wary about this book but I feel a lot more confident checking into it after reading your review :) Was really helpful!

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  6. Sounds like an interesting read.

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  7. Awesome review. I have to read this one now.

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  8. Lately I have been more interested in these kind of books, just might be a new fave genre for me. Thanks for your review, I am definitely going to have to get this one.

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  9. Curious if there is a good or bad twin?! I LOVE books about twins. I love emotional books that make me question things. Sounds interesting!

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  10. This one looks so good — been dying to read it! Thanks for your lovely review :)

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  11. Interesting! I would love to give it a try...The story seemed a lot more... :)

    -Riz Bulatao

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