Review Detail
3.8 9
Young Adult Fiction
1214
Good enough
(Updated: June 15, 2026)
Overall rating
3.0
Plot
3.0
Characters
N/A
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Reader reviewed by Jillian R
Synopsis: It
is 1947, and fifteen-year-old Evie Spooner's life is slowly returning
back to normal. Her stepfather, Joe, has just come back from the war.
Joe decides that they all need a break; "a much-needed vacation." Just
like that, Evie and her parents pack their bags and head on for the
trip.
Review: First, let me already say that I liked this book. I thought the plot was very original, and the writing was very simple
but beautiful. I didn't feel as if any of the characters or their
situations were cliche and over-the-top. I liked that it was a fast
read, and that in its entirety, was very mysterious.
Another strength that this young adult book has is its ambiguity. It's one of those, 'You think you know what's going on, but you have no idea' sort
of thing, and I find that extremely intriguing. Add on to that the very
innocent and charming character of Evie Spooner, who I liked and rooted
for the entire time. Yes, she is indeed a very naive girl, but I think
this added to her likability factor, as weird as this may sound. Maybe
it's because we've all been naive before, in one way or another?
That being said, I have to say that overall, I enjoyed this book. It is not great, and
is far from being a favorite of mine, but I liked it nonetheless. It is
well-written, has a creative story, and has a main character that we
can all somehow empathize with.
Do I recommend it? I
do, actually -- but only to certain readers. If you don't usually read
YA books, but would like to check some titles out, this might not be
such a good pick for you. However, if you read YA books already to
begin with, go ahead and try it out.
Synopsis: It
is 1947, and fifteen-year-old Evie Spooner's life is slowly returning
back to normal. Her stepfather, Joe, has just come back from the war.
Joe decides that they all need a break; "a much-needed vacation." Just
like that, Evie and her parents pack their bags and head on for the
trip.
They
travel down from New York to Florida, where almost instantly, they meet
a young ex-GI named Peter Coleridge, who served with Joe in the war. It
is not at all difficult to like this young man; charming, handsome,
respectful, mysterious, and kind. Soon, Evie Spooner finds herself
falling in love with him. But with this seemingly perfect situation,
she also soon finds that things around her are just not what it seems.
What I Saw and How I Lied shows a coming-of-age story of a young girl, who suddenly finds herself stuck in a web of lies, betrayal, and deceit.
travel down from New York to Florida, where almost instantly, they meet
a young ex-GI named Peter Coleridge, who served with Joe in the war. It
is not at all difficult to like this young man; charming, handsome,
respectful, mysterious, and kind. Soon, Evie Spooner finds herself
falling in love with him. But with this seemingly perfect situation,
she also soon finds that things around her are just not what it seems.
What I Saw and How I Lied shows a coming-of-age story of a young girl, who suddenly finds herself stuck in a web of lies, betrayal, and deceit.
Review: First, let me already say that I liked this book. I thought the plot was very original, and the writing was very simple
but beautiful. I didn't feel as if any of the characters or their
situations were cliche and over-the-top. I liked that it was a fast
read, and that in its entirety, was very mysterious.
Another strength that this young adult book has is its ambiguity. It's one of those, 'You think you know what's going on, but you have no idea' sort
of thing, and I find that extremely intriguing. Add on to that the very
innocent and charming character of Evie Spooner, who I liked and rooted
for the entire time. Yes, she is indeed a very naive girl, but I think
this added to her likability factor, as weird as this may sound. Maybe
it's because we've all been naive before, in one way or another?
That being said, I have to say that overall, I enjoyed this book. It is not great, and
is far from being a favorite of mine, but I liked it nonetheless. It is
well-written, has a creative story, and has a main character that we
can all somehow empathize with.
Do I recommend it? I
do, actually -- but only to certain readers. If you don't usually read
YA books, but would like to check some titles out, this might not be
such a good pick for you. However, if you read YA books already to
begin with, go ahead and try it out.
G
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