4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fairly average young adult mystery, April 25, 2009
Synopsis: Scarlett is a modern day Nancy Drew. In the first book of the series, Scarlett kissed a boy and he died. This book follows Scarlett through the mystery of who poisoned the boy and why they did it. Set in London and remote parts of Scotland, Scarlett is a privileged orphan who loves modern fashion and possibly the gardener's son Jase. Her friend Taylor (an American who has really big shoulders from being on the swim team and doesn't like to wear makeup) is basically her sidekick in mystery solving and by the end of the book the two know who killed the boy from the first book and are ready for their next mystery.
I noticed several reviews which stated that it was imperative to read the first book (Kiss Me Kill Me) first. Er...no. It really isn't. Scarlett summarises the events of the first book many many times, all throughout the book so there is no chance of the reader not being up to date with what's going on. While I sort of enjoyed a YA novel being set in the UK (most are American, so it was a nice change), I got sick of Scarlett's world of privilege pretty fast. She has a lot of money, she's an orphan, her Grandmother wears pearls, she has a trust fund...it just got boring. I also think that the whole "I must go and visit the dead boy's family in their Scottish castle!" was ridiculous. As if a grieving family would invite a girl their son hardly knew to come and stay with them.
I did like the ending - it wasn't wrapped up neatly and the fact that Taylor, Scarlett and another character are all carrying the burden of a secret gives them more character and makes them more interesting. However, I don't know that I'll bother with the rest of this series.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Story Siren Reviews:, January 25, 2009
Kisses and Lies was just as good and possibly even better than its predecessor. Also a big recommendation, read the series in order. You don't always have to do that, but I highly suggest with this series that you do. If you remember my review from Kiss Me Kill Me, you'll recall that I had a few problems with the plot, but not enough to keep me from liking the novel. Unfortunately I again had some issues with the plot, but somehow I still found the book entertaining.
Issue number one. Yes, Scarlett I know you are a freaggin orphan. You say that is doesn't bother you, because you barely remember your parents when they died, since you were so young, yet you won't stop whining about it. Another annoying Scarlett habit is her constant questioning of Taylor. Am I depending on Taylor to much... yada, yada, yada... five pages or so... am I depending on Taylor so much.... repeat at least five more times, this part seriously annoyed me so much... it's ticking me off just writing about it. On top of those two less than stellar Scarlett moments, I also found Scarlett doing things that I found very out of character for her, maybe it was just me.
Issue number two. I understand the need for Scarlett to go to Castle Airlie, which was Dan's home, so she can solve the big mystery and all, but I hate the way of her invitation. I mean seriously. She writes a letter to Dan's parents basically inviting herself, because it might help them with closure. Oh and that she has something of his that she would like to give back, which is a lie. Let's examine the relationship between Dan and Scarlett, shall we? That's right there wasn't one! It was a one night stand! Not even that, it was more like a ten-second frencher! What could she possibly know about their son, to give them some kind of closure? And why would they invite her to spend the holiday with them....?
Then of course there is a big revelation about Dan, which I have to say I wasn't really all that surprised. There were some twists that did get me, and I think that is what ultimately made up the novel for me. Apparently there were times where I found the novel to be imperfect, but don't let that overshadow the fact that I still found the novel to be very alluring. The unique characters and Henderson's writing, make up for my few annoyances.
There was one more thing I wanted to address that was bothering me, but really has nothing to do with the novel itself, but the character Taylor. I really love her character, she is really unique. But I was appalled to see some of the comments made about her in other reviews. Taylor is not a girly girl, she likes to work out, she has muscles, she's tough as nails. So obviously that means she is a lesbian. WHAT? Yes, it seems that everyone thinks that Taylor must be a lesbian because she has muscles and doesn't go around crying when she breaks a nail. Let me just start off by saying that I really don't care if she does end up being a lesbian, more power to her, but don't condemn that on her, because of a stereotype. Come on people, I expect more from you.
And now I step down from my soap-box.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
