Trust Me, I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer ~ Blog Tour review (by Jaime!) and Giveaway!
Trust Me, I'm Lyingby Mary Elizabeth Summer
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 14th 2014
Rate: * 3 1/2 Stars!*
Synopsis:
Fans of Ally Carter, especially her Heist Society readers, will love this teen mystery/thriller with sarcastic wit, a hint of romance, and Ocean’s Eleven–inspired action.
Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.
But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal.
“A sexy love triangle and madcap mystery . . . I loved this book.” —Jennifer Echols, author ofDirty Little Secret
“Buckle up! You’re in for a wild and funny ride. I fell in love with the fresh and snarky voice of 16-year-old con artist Julep Dupree. This book has it all: homework and hit men, prom drama and silencers.” —April Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Girl, Stolen
“Summer creates a standout character in Julep. She lies and cheats with so much confidence and skill that readers will cheer her on, but she also adheres to her own strict moral code. The nature of the crime her father is caught up in, when revealed, just ratchets up the suspense. A memorable debut; here’s hoping for a lot more from Summer.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Julep’s investigations and quick escapes keep the high-stakes story entertaining and readers guessing…” – Publisher’s Weekly
I have really been trying lately to step outside of my paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy comfort zone, so when this review opportunity landed in my inbox and I read the synopsis I decided to go for it. It is definitely different from my normal, but it is also yet another reason why I am glad I am trying new things. It was a fun story from the get-go, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly!
Julep (awesome name) was not the normal YA heroine. She is incredibly smart and perceptive, brave and incredibly independent, a bit naive to certain things. She is fiercely determined to find her dad,setting aside her own wishes, and that is something I can stand behind one hundred percent.
Sam and Tyler were both great characters. The romance in this is minimal, which is a nice change of pace. Though the romance is minimal, that definitely doesn't mean there isn't some crushing going on (cue- naivette). I have no idea which side I would even choose, because I like them both. Maybe Sam has a slight edge, just because I love a good BFF turns BF story!
All in all, this was a great story and if a sequel were to pop up I would be all in! Aside from the slightly hesitant start that we had, it didn't take long for Trust Me, I'm Lying to grab me and hang on. By the second half of the book, it is non-stop. Action all over the place, relatable issues, an interesting MC who is outside the norm, great secondary characters, with a little mystery and Holmesing and some awesome sarcasm, Trust Me, I'm Lying is definitely a debut to get yours hands on. For you mystery lovers out there, don't miss this one. And if you are like me, trying to step out of your comfort zone, give it a shot, too.
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Mary Elizabeth Summer is an instructional designer, a mom, a champion of the serial comma, and a pie junkie. Oh, and she sometimes writes books about teenage delinquents saving the day. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her daughter, her partner, and her evil overlor–er, cat. TRUST ME, I'M LYING, a YA mystery, will be released by Delacorte in Fall 2014.
Win (1) of (2) signed hardbacks of Trust Me, I'm Lying + a "Grift" bag of goodies (US Only)
