Newly Hatched Review | The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett

By Birdie

100-liesh

About the Book: Hawthorn wasn’t trying to insert herself into a missing person’s investigation. Or maybe she was. But that’s only because Lizzie Lovett’s disappearance is the one fascinating mystery their sleepy town has ever had. Bad things don’t happen to popular girls like Lizzie Lovett, and Hawthorn is convinced she’ll turn up at any moment-which means the time for speculation is now.

So Hawthorn comes up with her own theory for Lizzie’s disappearance. A theory way too absurd to take seriously…at first. The more Hawthorn talks, the more she believes. And what better way to collect evidence than to immerse herself in Lizzie’s life? Like getting a job at the diner where Lizzie worked and hanging out with Lizzie’s boyfriend. After all, it’s not as if he killed her-or did he?

Told with a unique voice that is both hilarious and heart-wrenching, Hawthorn’s quest for proof may uncover the greatest truth is within herself.

Standalone
YA Contemporary
Sourcebooks Fire | January 3, 2017
amazon2 bn2

“Other people could forget about Lizzie, but not Ms. Lovett.  She’d always feel the pain of her daughter’s disappearance and the pain of watching everyone around her slowly stop caring.”

It’s books like The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett  that make me feel like I need to work harder to try new authors.  First, the reviews on this one are all over the place.  There are a lot of people who liked it, and for every one there’s someone who didn’t.  I fall in the camp of people who really liked it, which makes me feel even better about it.  A new author I liked; one that where I get to offer a good review.  Yay!

Would it be presumptuous of me to say that I think The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett is a book some people just don’t understand?  I read a reviewer say that they felt like the author couldn’t decide what kind of book it was, that the story flopped between contemporary and paranormal.  I couldn’t disagree more.  There was nothing paranormal in The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett at all.  I’m pretty positive that Chelsea Sedoti knew exactly what kind of story she was telling.

It was Hawthorn’s story.  It was about how lonely life is when you feel like you don’t fit in, and even more, when the kids around you go out of their way to make sure you are an outsider.  It’s about this world that Hawthorn creates in her head to keep her going.  Hawthorn’s theory was one based in a need for her world to be bigger than what she experienced in High School.  I liked her right away.

All of the characters felt fleshed out.  For instance, Enzo.  Enzo was that guy… the one that represents the relationships that are unhealthy but you can grudgingly understand why Hawthorn is drawn to him.  He’s hurtful without purpose, and then oddly sweet at times. I felt like it was obvious that he was not the turn Hawthorn’s path was supposed to take.  Yet, I also appreciated that he wasn’t villainized beyond necessity.

Another relationship that showed growth in the story was the one between Hawthorn and her brother Rush.  To start, Hawthorn felt distanced from her brother, as though he had no interest in her once he became popular and ‘adult’.  Yet, we the reader watched him prove, as the story progressed, how much he actually did love his little sister.  I think familial relationships will almost always be a highlight for me.  I liked Rush, but I particularly liked reading about Rush and Hawthorn.

And then there was Connor.  The surprise.  I loved him from the beginning.  I love the unassuming characters.  I love when they sneak up on me and make me adore them.

Now, it’s worth noting that despite what I’ve said about Enzo and Connor, this is NOT a romantic book.  This book is about Hawthorn, and it’s about Lizzie.  And even more importantly it’s about how Hawthorn sees herself and what that means about how she sees Lizzie.  It’s a self-reflection book.

If you haven’t noticed by now, I love self-reflection.  Even when it’s not my own.

“Do you know about the hawthorn tree?  They’re tough, sturdy.  They can outlast storms.  Hawthorn trees provide food and shelter for animals and insects.  They nourish the world around them.  It’s a name anyone would be honored to have.”

Thanks you to Sourcebooks Fire for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

4-feathers

About Birdie

Don’t look for her in any bar, club, crazy raging party, or anywhere there may be a large gathering of strangers. She’s more likely to be found tucked into the corner of the couch watching one of her favorite shows, or preferably under a comforter with her current novel.

31 Responses

    1. Birdie

      I worried about saying that. It wasn’t a put down, some books just speak to some people more clearly. There have been plenty of other books that I didn’t ‘get’. I think that’s the case with the lower reviews on this one.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Jackie B @ Death by Tsundoku

    That quote is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it.

    I appreciate your review, Wendy. I, too, have seen reviews all over the place for this book. I think in many cases the lack of appreciate comes from expecting one thing and getting another. Perhaps you enjoyed this as you came from a space with no preconceived notions?

    Like

  6. Books, Vertigo and Tea

    This is a fantastic review. I am happy to see this title worked for you. I keep reading reviews and feeling torn. There seems to be a lot of conflicting thoughts on this. I believe most seem to be a case of mistaken identity.. expecting the book to be something it was not.

    Like

  7. Tiana

    What a wonderful review. I’m so glad you enjoyed this book. I absolutely loved it. I so agree with what you put out here because sometimes it is who you are as a person, the perspective that you personally hold, that allows you to see and appreciate a story for what it is. Reviews tend to be mixed for books in general, it’s all in the relationship of the reviewer and how they read the book. Which I think is a great thing, because a book will always affect us in different ways and if we all thought the same thing life would be boring.

    Like

  8. wordsandotherbeasts

    Great review! You described your thoughts about this book really eloquently. I’ve seen mixed things about this one but it sounds like you’re right in that some people just didn’t understand what it was truly about. I’m definitely keen to read this myself now.

    Like

  9. rantandraveaboutbooks

    I loved this book. It was a rave for me. So glad you feel the same way. I thought the MC was hilarious. She had me laughing a lot. People complained about some of the weird stuff she did and I just chalked it up to her being a teenager. I read this book within a few hours.

    Like

      1. rantandraveaboutbooks

        Yeah, I like people who are quirky and they tend to catch heat for being different. I’m all about different. They’re the most interesting to hang out with. 👍 I loved her quirkiness. That’s what made the story so much more for me.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Birdie

      Oh my gosh! Your comment went to spam. I need to get in a better habit of checking that. I’m sorry.

      I followed you quite a while back, but thanks so much for the follow (and on Goodreads too. 🙂 )

      Liked by 1 person

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