The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

I read this book immediately after finishing He Said She Said by Erin Kelly. Both books were hard to put down. I read The Lying Game in two sittings though. There came a point where I knew I was finishing the book, no matter how late it got. Sleep is over-rated anyway, right?

I wasn't crazy about these four 15 year old girls playing this game (the lying game) at their boarding school because I thought it was hurtful and embarrassing to others. They also smoked and drank and snuck out of their rooms at night. What's odd is that they are not your typical "juvenile delinquents". They were all at the boarding school for different reasons, and they all had very different backgrounds. It was just by chance that they became so bonded. Three of the girls had parents that loved them. Only one, Thea, was obviously dealing with some mental health issues, which resulted in her cutting and (most likely) becoming anorexic and an alcoholic. The story doesn't really go into details of Thea's life - just that she has been kicked out of a lot of schools.

These four friends spend nearly every waking moment together (and they share dorm rooms) for less than one school year before they are forced to leave. But the four of them only get together one time after they all leave the school (for Isa's mother's funeral). Then they don't see each other again for 15 years. Of course the reader doesn't know why until the story unfolds a bit at a time.

I understand that they are all highly stressed when something they did at age 15 comes back to haunt them, but I hated the way Isa treated her boyfriend (and father of her child)! He was just trying to understand what was going on with Isa; why she had changed so much after visiting her old school friends. I felt really bad for him! He was trying so hard and she treated him horribly. I didn't want Isa to go back to Kate's when Kate called her back again. Kate's home seemed creepy to me, sinking into the reach/marsh and all! I can't believe they went swimming at night in the reach!

As all good thrillers do, this one has an unexpected twist at the end. I wasn't really sure who to trust between Kate and her brother Luc. I pretty much just wanted Isa to take her baby home to Owen before one or both of them died!

I wasn't crazy about the ending. I really don't believe that lying is the best tool to use when developing and maintaining a relationship. After seeing all the damage done from their constant lying as teenagers - and then keeping a horrible secret the rest of their lives, which they all handle differently, I am not sure why they thought it was too late to tell the truth. I also don't think that people should stay with the father of their baby simply because he is a wonderful father. Seriously, Isa "lies" at the end when she tells Owen that she loves him. Again, I thought Isa made a poor decision. Lying will only cause more hurt and confusion as time goes on.

Despite not liking the ending, I really thought the book was well-written and suspenseful - with an ending I did not expect. I am definitely going to read Ruth Ware's book, The Woman in Cabin 10 now!

Wendy's Rating: ****

He Said She Said by Erin Kelly

I love books like this! As the story unfolds, you think you are getting to know the characters. And you are, at least from one perspective, but there is so much you don't know. Although Kit narrates some chapters, most of the story is told by Laura. We get to know Laura through her chapters; we get to know Kit through his chapters and Laura's interpretation of his words and actions in her chapters. We also only know Beth and Jamie through Laura's eyes (until the end).

Laura certainly made some errors in judgment - like talking to Beth in the bathroom of the courthouse and perjury in the witness box! I kept thinking that Kit was so wonderful for sticking with her despite her over-the-top anxiety and paranoia. She could not have been easy to live with! Then they go through their infertility issues, which puts a strain on any marriage. I really got sucked into the "danger of Beth" as they lived incognito and made every effort to avoid her whenever they traveled to an eclipse. Kip seemed prepared to kill Beth to protect Laura if it came down to it. Of course the reader doesn't know right away why they are hiding from Beth, which makes it all the more intriguing.

It was hard to get a read on Beth since we only get to know her through Laura's voice. I guess I believed that she was raped (based on Laura's eyewitness account), but I didn't know if she was mentally stable or not. I believed that Jamie was a rapist, but he could be very persuasive using his natural good looks and charm, so I understood what Beth was up against in court.

I love books that I have no idea how they will end! I can honestly say that I did not predict the ending of this book. The author does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing about Beth's mental stability, as well as Laura's. When Jamie's wife gets involved, peripherally through Beth, I really believe that Laura and her babies are in danger. (Which they are, just not the way predicted by me!) This is a fast-paced story, with an unexpected twist at the end. 

Wendy's Rating: ****

Once in a Blue Moon Lodge by Lorna Landvik

I have not read Patty Jane's House of Curl, the first book about this family. One of the reviews on the back cover notes that it "reads easily as a stand-alone." Well, I was really confused about who everyone was for too many pages. There are so many characters, and without having any knowledge of the first book, I initially regretted not reading it before this one. Because of that, it took me awhile to get into the story. I didn't even appreciate the author's obvious sense of humor right away, simply because I was trying to keep all the characters straight in my head. Pretty early on, I put it aside to read another book.

When I picked up this book again to "muster through the story" I was determined to invest myself in the process. Once I started, I enjoyed it very much. I figured out who most of the characters were (the three generations - and eventually four generations- of names) and managed to remember most of the time which generation they were from and who they were connected to. What really got me invested was Ione's story. Once I understood where this matriarch of the family came from - and how she got to where she was - then everything started falling into place. I also started appreciating Lorna Landvik's sense of humor.

I love the quirkiness of the characters. I appreciated Thor's kindness and how his family (including his wife Patty Jane and her "boyfriend" Clyde, who people assumed was her husband) accepted Thor for who he was and how he was a part of their family. It was wonderful to read about a family who accepted people into their family simply because a family member loved them. There were no titles like "step-father"; it was simply "dad" or "grandfather". The bloodline didn't matter. What mattered was a family connection immersed in love and acceptance.

So, after a slow start, I ended up reading it very quickly. I read whenever I had a few minutes and I wanted to keep reading. It is heartwarming, funny, sad and endearing. I loved this eccentric, quirky family. Despite several characters passing away during the book (the different stories in the book cross over decades), the remaining central family members are happy, content and love the person they are with. Yes, it's a little "tidy" at the end, but it felt comfortable like my old flannel robe on a cold, winter night. Cozy.

Wendy's Rating: ****