Genuine Fraud by E.Lockhart
It is very exciting to have a new fast-paced psychological thriller from the author of We Were Liars – and this story does not disappoint. Told in reverse chronology by Jule, who we quickly realise is a very unreliable narrator, this story will keep you turning the pages late into the night, desperate to discover what Jule has actually done and how.
Jule and Imogen are friends from college, both orphans, but Imogen has just inherited money and is significantly more wealthy than Jule. Set in Martha’s Vineyard, London and Mexico, we know only that Jule is on the run and that Imogen has disappeared and is presumed dead. Jule is only 18 and may look small, cute and harmless, but she’s extremely fit, trained in martial arts and, by her own admission, emotionally dead on the inside. As we trace her life backwards from the moment she escapes from a policewoman at a highend Mexican coastal resort, we come to realise that not everything is as it seems, or as Jules tells us. We learn about the friendship between Jule and Imogen, and their boyfriends: Forrest, the boyfriend Jule always wants to drag Imogen away from, and Paolo, the backpacking boy who Jule fell for, but who confuses her for Imogen, the wealthy heiress.
This captivating backwards tale has an incredible twist at its heart that will shock and surprise you. With a significant nod to The Talented Mr Ripley, this is a book that everyone will be reading and talking about. It is suitable for readers aged 12+, but it will be devoured by adult readers too. Read it first before everyone else!