What I Saw and How I Lied

De: Judy Blundell

Narrado por: Caitlin Greer

This National Book Award winner set during the aftermath of WWII is now available in paperback!

When Evie's father returned home from World War II, the family fell back into its normal life pretty quickly. But Joe Spooner brought more back with him than just good war stories. When movie-star handsome Peter Coleridge, a young ex-GI who served in Joe's company in postwar Austria, shows up, Evie is suddenly caught in a complicated web of lies that she only slowly recognizes. She finds herself falling for Peter, ignoring the secrets that surround him . . . until a tragedy occurs that shatters her family and breaks her life in two.

©2008 Judy Blundell (P)2009 Scholastic, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"In this sophisticated thriller, 15-year-old Evie grows up quickly when she discovers her adored parents are not the people she thought they were. While on vacation in Palm Beach in 1947, Evie's parents, Joe and Bev, get involved in a shady business deal with the Graysons, another couple on holiday. Meanwhile, Evie begins a flirtation with Peter, a handsome ex-GI who served with Joe and just happens to be staying at their hotel. Evie soon learns that Peter's presence is no coincidence and that he threatens to uncover a terrible secret that Joe has kept since the war. Then Bev, Joe, and Peter go boating, but only two of them return. Evie must sort through secrets, lies, and her own grief to find the truth. Using pitch-perfect dialogue and short sentences filled with meaning, Blundell has crafted a suspenseful, historical mystery that not only subtly explores issues of post - WWII racism, sexism, and socioeconomic class, but also realistically captures the headiness of first love and the crushing realization that adults are not all-powerful." (Booklist)

Slow start... but worth the listen

This was a good book once I got going. It has a slightly slow start and it wasn't until a few chapters in that I was invested in the storyline and looked forward to each opportunity I had to listen. Narrators voice was okay, but nothing terribly warm or engaging about her when she did the voices of other characters in the book. Overall enjoyable.

Very good listen

What did you love best about What I Saw and How I Lied?

I liked how well the time (after WWII) was described.

Any additional comments?

At first I thought this book will be something silly, probably because it is narrated from the point of view of a teenage girl, but as I listened I got into it. An addictive book.

Predictable; but cute

Would you try another book from Judy Blundell and/or Caitlin Greer?

No. This was okay; but not interesting enough to make me want to explore the author further.

What do you think your next listen will be?

The Chaperone.

What three words best describe Caitlin Greer’s performance?

Monotonous; but clear.

Do you think What I Saw and How I Lied needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

I think the ending is a nice place to leave the story. I wasn't too terribly interested in finding out whether Joe and Bev actually killed Peter. It almost didn't matter.

Any additional comments?

The story got more interesting towards the end. The beginning was kind of a drag.

Wonderful read, but not for the young, young adult

National Book Award winner for a reason...beautiful writing, unique style and complex characters... as an adult I enjoyed immensely. The reader should be comfortable with the issues of a daughter and mother both loving the same man, a possible murder by the father, overt discrimination, lying in court and to parents and a sexual encounter by 14 yr old trying to go all the way. They are not written in a profane way, however, emotions are real and intense. I wouldn't want my bright middle schooler to be anywhere near this... but the senior in high school would be ready for the numerous themes that weave beautifully and cause one to think deeply.

Palm Beach, 1947

This is a "mature" YA book. 15 year old Evie is confronted with a number of difficult emotional and moral choices, and realizes that the adults in her live are not always truthful. Good narration.