Beautiful Lies [Hardcover]

Jessica Warman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 7, 2012

Rachel and Alice are an extremely rare kind of identical twins-so identical that even their aunt and uncle, whom they've lived with since their parents passed away, can't tell them apart. But the sisters are connected in a way that goes well beyond their surfaces: when one experiences pain, the other exhibits the exact same signs of distress. So when one twin mysteriously disappears, the other immediately knows something is wrong-especially when she starts experiencing serious physical traumas, despite the fact that nobody has touched her. As the search commences to find her sister, the twin left behind must rely on their intense bond to uncover the truth. But is there anyone around her she can trust, when everyone could be a suspect? And ultimately, can she even trust herself?

Master storyteller Jessica Warman will keep readers guessing when everything they see-and everything they are told-suddenly becomes unreliable in this page-turning literary thriller.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-In this paranormal thriller, Alice goes missing from her identical twin, Rachel, and some friends at a carnival. Orphaned at age 9, the 18-year-olds have a supernatural connection: each can feel physical trauma experienced by the other. When Rachel arrives home alone, she begs Aunt Sharon and Uncle Jeff to alert the police immediately about Alice's disappearance, certain that her sister has been harmed. Their guardians choose not to panic, and cite Alice's criminal record and unpredictable behavior, but after Rachel discovers that she has a head wound, they agree to act. Rachel's forebodings are fraught with memory lapses and visions, quickly revealing her to be an unreliable narrator. When she divulges that there is a stolen duffle bag containing $10,000 under her bed and that she has a history of switching places with her twin, the story becomes increasingly confusing. Red herrings abound with potential abductors, including a mysterious artist-boyfriend; a nosy boy next door; a shady restaurant boss; Homeless Harvey, the creepy town lurk-about; and others. The paranormal elements add suspense and seem easier to digest than the notion that close friends and relatives would be unable to tell these twins apart, given their polar personalities. Two minor characters-developmentally delayed cousin Charlie and bighearted friend Kimber-are well developed and empathetic, adding stability to the wandering plot. However the payoff of all the confusion is dramatic: a bombshell ending that readers won't see coming.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About the Author

JESSICA WARMAN is the author of Breathless, Where the Truth Lies, and Between, which have received six starred reviews among them. Between was published in a total of twelve countries around the world. Jessica has an MA in creative writing and lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. www.jessicawarman.com

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens; 1 edition (August 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802723381
• ISBN-13: 978-0802723383
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #403,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Live To Read September 3, 2012

By Chels

Format:Hardcover

Warman has written a great Young Adult psychological thriller. Alice and Rachel are twins, but twins that are so identical that no one can tell them apart. They have a special bond, too. If one is hit, the other feels pain. This phenomenon is how Alice knows that her sister is in danger. Rachel disappears and Alice begins experiencing pain. Who can Alice trust? She keeps her sister's disappearance a secret and searches for the abductor.
Beautiful Lies confused me at times and I am still figuring out the story right now, even though I finished the book. Despite this, I definitely enjoyed reading. I loved the plot twists and turns and reading about the bond between Alice and Rachel. This book will be loved by teen readers and anyone who likes mystery.
The only complaint I had while reading is that the narrator is not someone you can trust. I will not spoil any of the novel, but thought that readers should be warned. Alice is not a girl who always speaks the truth. Beautiful Lies was a wild ride and earns four out of five stars.

*Review copy provided, this does not affect my opinion in any way*

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars I wasn't completely in love with this book, but on the other hand, I had to know what happened. September 7, 2012

By brandileigh2003

Format:Hardcover

This book kept me guessing, I sure can say that. There are so many factors, and I am not really able to trust any of the information given to me.
I felt like I knew where the missing twin was several times, and where something was off, but I never could piece everything completely together.
I think that Jessica Warman was very brave with the ending, and at first I thought it was opposite of what she intended, but I think that I am okay with it. It's definitely not wrapped in a pretty little bow, but the storyline is tied up and the sorrow is laced with sacrifice.
I wasn't completely in love with this book, but on the other hand, I had to know what happened.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Beautiful Lies is a Truly Gutwrenching Read August 21, 2012

By WTF Are You Reading? Book Reviewer

Format:Hardcover

This is a story that grabs the attention from its first pages and doesn't let go EVER.
The twining phenomenon is one that has both intrigued and confounded people throughout time, and to have that bond spotlighted in a work as emotionally involved as this is a new and refreshing addition to YA.
This is truly a psychological thriller in the purest sense of the word. That fact in itself is enough to through most YA readers for quite the loop. Let's face it, as a rule most YA readers are used to tripping the light fantastic through tales of vamps, weres, swoons, teen angst, and heartbreak.
This is new and decidedly much darker fare indeed.
The author is very careful to start the story in a way that screams predictability. Good twin + bad twin + switch = ?
It is while finding the answers to the questions that the story takes mind-bending turns worthy of "The Lovely Bones".
Readers will be happy to see that though the content of this book is very mature, the lead character is still a very flawed teen who manages to make some very teen mistakes.
This is the type of read that make one ask the "what would I do if" questions.
The strangest and most unsettling thing about asking said questions is that the farther along on the story you are the more the answers to the questions change.
This is very emotionally taxing but it is well worth the time spent between its pages.
*This review is cross posted from my blog.*