What I Saw and How I Lied

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.

Reader reviewed by Suzanne

Set in the 50's, the main character is spun into a web of lies concerning her new step-dad, and his sketchy history. When she falls in love with the mature enemy of her father, she's stuck between which side to take. After a fatal boat accident, she learns the truth,and has to decide if her family is worth saving. Disappointing ending, but OK overall.

Reader reviewed by stephanie

Reader reviewed by Stephanie

After her stepfather Joe returns home from serving in the Second World War, 15-year-old Evie Spooner believes that things can now return to normal. No more rationing, no more faking, no more worrying with her beautiful mother Bev if he will be in a particular battle on a particular day.

However, things from Joes war past seem to come back to haunt him, and he spontaneously moves his family down to a hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. There they befriend the Graysons, a wealthy-looking couple, and Peter Coleridge, a handsome young man who knew Joe from the war. Joe doesnt seem to like Peter, and Evie cant figure out why. She certainly likes him very much, as they go out to town together with Bev and occasionally have romantic encounters.

But something is seriously wrong with this group. Lies, betrayals, and hatred arise, culminating in a devastating event that forces Evie to choose whether to be loyal to her parents or be just. Bev cant hide Evie behind a makeup-less face and childish dresses anymore; its time for Evie to grow up and face the complex adult world.

Judy Blundell packs so much into this small but giant book. Issues regarding anti-Semitism, family loyalty, love, growing up, and lying all come up, among others. While I thought Evie seemed over-the-top naïve sometimes with relationship tensions that are obvious to readers, Blundell does a fantastic job of making her grow up through the book. WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED is by no means perfect, but its a good read if youre looking for a historical suspense coming-of-age story.