Each chapter in Genuine Fraud happens before the chapter you just read (until the very last chapter.) Once you get into the rhythm, it is really compelling.
At the beginning of the book (which is the end of the story), Jule is on the run. She's an unreliable narrator, so it is hard to believe everything she says. As we travel back in time, we figure out the path Jule has taken to get to this point in the story. And as the blurb says, it involves a murder, or maybe two.
I was really sucked into this story at first. I read about 3/4 of the book the first day. I had several possibilities as to what happened to Jule and her best friend Imogen, and none of them were exactly correct. But you know something is twisted about this story.
My issue has to do with the ending (or beginning, depending on how you look at it.) When I got towards the end of my reading, I just felt underwhelmed. I think it's because books are more exciting at the end, and the beginning of the story is just the setup. And I was reading the setup last. I just felt like after all that reading and anticipation of where this all started, my reaction was just, "Oh." Not really disappointed, but just okay. And I didn't have the problem that not enough loose ends were tied up, as I read that many other reviewers had. I was satisfied with what we know by the time we get to the end.
If you liked this book, you should see the movie Memento. It is about a guy who loses his short-term memory and is told backward, just like Genuine Fraud.
I would definitely recommend Genuine Fraud just because it's unique. It's a quick read. I had difficulty keeping track of a couple of characters, but for the most part, this was really fun.
Published by Delacorte, September 5, 2017
Copy obtained from the library
265 pages
Rating: 4/5
I loved We Were Liars so have had this book on my list for a while. I think I'll still read it and maybe I'll be ok with the ending since I've been warned.
ReplyDeleteI really liked We Were Liars and I purposefully avoided reviews for her latest book. It seems to work best not knowing what the book is about and just experiencing it for yourself. Thank for the heads up on the format.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly did take while to get the hang of the story-telling since it is coming at the reader backwards. I liked the book, too, and recommended it for my old school's Mock Printz list.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound unique. Maybe a little confusing? I'm definitely going to have to read it now to see what I think. Thanks for sharing your opinion!
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