THE FAKE
Zoe Whittall

I recently finished THE FAKE by Zoe Whittall.

The first couple of chapters are jarring. I had trouble getting in rhythm with the writing. There isn’t an air of mystery, you know who the players are and you’ve been told how they’re going to play the game. It might feel futile especially if you’ve seen the game played before.

THE FAKE comes out today.

THE FAKE is about Cammie. Don’t get the star of the show confused if you decide to pick it up. Cammie is a liar, pathologically so. She came into Shelby and Gibson’s life like a burning flame, knowing all the cold areas to warm. Soon Cammie has weaved a web of deceit with Shelby and Gibson pinned in the middle.

Will they get out with what they went into the toxic relationship with or will Cammie burn everyone’s house down?

The writing is sneakily human-smart. The characters are believably constructed, and the story plays out like one you’ve heard before. Both Shelby and Gibson want to be helpful to varying degrees and at times want to reparent her. They choose to see her as they want her to be rather than how she is.

The book is very short, just over 200 pages and it is efficient with those pages. There is a “moving walkway” feel to part of the text as the author summarizes and skips over certain areas in time. It didn’t bother me too much because I was ready to get on with the story but it did feel somewhat incomplete.

This is a super-quick read, feels like a stretch to call it a thriller, and lands right in the middle for me at three stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the advanced copy!

THE FAKE…⭐️⭐️⭐️

In this novel, Shelby’s wife has recently died of a brain aneurism. She is emotionally struggling and joins a grief support group where she meets Cammie, a charismatic woman with trauma of her own, including recovering from cancer. Maybe with Shelby’s help, Cammie can be saved, even though, as time goes on, Shelby feels as though something is off with Cammie. In the meantime, Gibson has fallen in love for the first time, with Cammie, even though his friends have their suspicions. When Gibson and Shelby finally meet, they conclude that things don’t add up with Cammie. Is she lying about having had cancer? This is a novel about grief and sadness and one that explores that lies can only go so far as enabling people let them. Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

Gibson and Veda have recently divorced after a fairly long commitment to one another. Gibson is depressed about the divorce but meets a young woman named Cammie at a bar and she comes home with him. The man is now getting things from her that he never got with his wife. She tells him that she is recovering from kidney cancer and the death of her sister. He can’t get enough of her but his academic friends she meets think that while she’s quite personable, something seems fishy.

Shelby is mourning the loss of her wife, Kate, from a brain aneurysm. As a woman who has always been a bit of a hypochondriac, Kate was her rock. Now, she is trying hard to deal with her grief. At a grief group, she meets Cammie who is mourning the loss of her sister. Cammie charms the group and Shelby is fascinated by her tales of woe and offers to help her.

When questions arise, Gibson and Shelby wonder if they have been totally duped by this chameleon.

First of all, one must always be wary of over-the-top people who come on very strong. Otherwise, you set yourself up to be taken advantage of. I don’t know who is more pathetic in this story - Gibson and Shelby or Cammie.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Very entertaining and fun.
I enjoyed the different povs and the ending was wicked. I might be one of the few that found her endearing.

i liked it but didn't love it, i don't know i felt like it was missing something, i also hated every character which was a problem for me

thank you netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review

3.5
I was very captivated by this story of a con artist who insinuates herself into the lives of two people, but ultimately I think it fell flat.

From the beginning, we know things are going to end up badly, and then we go back to the beginning to see how everything plays out. Gibson is recently separated and going through a divorce. He's depressed and can't seem to move forward. He meets Cammie in a bar and is instantly attracted to her, they connect sexually and their relationship becomes very close, very quickly. He admires her tenacity for pushing through when she has had so many things stacked against her: deaths in her family and a cancer diagnosis. Shelby's wife passed away suddenly and she has been mired in anxiety and depression. When she meets Cammie at a grief support group, Shelby feels needed and connects immediately with Cammie. As both Gibson and Shelby learn more about Cammie, they start to believe everything isn't as Cammie is presenting it. When the two of them meet and compare notes, the suspicion deepens.

I love con artist stories, I mean, who didn't have their jaw drop when learning the story of Anna Delvey (Sorokin). As Cammie wove her web around Shelby and Gibson, and the two of them ignored their suspicions and things ultimately fell apart, I had a difficult time putting the book down because I wanted to know what would happen.

Yet in the end, I thought things just kind of fell flat. I was waiting for a "big moment" ending and it didn't happen. Yes, there's closure, but not in a satisfying way for me. What I wanted just wasn't fulfilled and it left me feeling blah after being so invested most of the way through. I thought this was going to be something like The Imposters TV series and it just didn't get to that level of intrigue.

Still worth reading, just not as fulfilling as I was hoping.

Two individuals are at inflection points in their lives. Shelby recently and quite suddenly lost her beloved wife, and has been struggling to deal with her grief to the frustration of her family and friends. Gibson divorced his wife and is living on his own for the first time in many years. In separate contexts, they meet Cammie, a charismatic younger woman who, as she describes it, is dealing with many of challenges of her own. For each, Cammie seems exactly what they need. To Gibson, Cammie is the type of partner that meets needs he felt were missing in his marriage. To Shelby, Cammie is a sympathetic ear willing to provide support as she processes her grief. As Cammie becomes further ingratiated into their lives, Shelby and Gibson both ignore signs that Cammie may not be exactly who she says. When Shelby and Gibson meet, though, it soon becomes clear they can’t ignore the signs that not is all what it seems with Cammie.

This was a perceptive exploration of how a scammer works and the why and how people become fall for their efforts. Presenting the stories of two of Cammie’s targets is an interesting and revealing approach to exploring these themes.

Highly recommended!

What a letdown. I should have quit at the beginning. This is a story of a scammer but there is no closure. Just a whirlwind of mess. Maybe this would be a shocking read to a young adult but as a cynical woman with too much (?) life experience, I've known way too many scammers, and just like Cammie, they somehow always get away with it and just move on to the next mark.

I definitely think that the actual base of this book was extremely intriguing, but ultimately it wound up falling pretty flat. I was hoping for things to get a bit more intense and for the resolution to be a bit more obvious.

Shelby is extremely depressed after the death of her wife, Shelby. Struggling to get through her days, she decides to take a chance on a grief support group. It is at that group that she meets Cammie, someone she is immediately drawn to and someone who offers her comfort in her grief.

Gibson recently went through a divorce and as a depressed, middle-aged man, he doesn't feel like going out to the bar, but wants to spend time with his friends. Enter Cammie, a young, attractive woman who instantly comes onto Gibson, who ends up taking her home. Enraptured from this attention, Gibson falls head first into lust with this woman he knows so little about. Gibson's friends are concerned with Cammie and think she might be a liar. Instantly defensive, Gibson tries to ignore the warning signs.

Shelby and Gibson's worlds crash together and they realize that all that glitters is not gold: Cammie is a pathological liar. It is that journey that heads them in the direction of revenge.

This was a pretty quick read. 4 out of 5 stars.

A story of con artist Cammie and her two “marks” - Gibson, an almost 40 recently separated man going through a divorce and Shelby, a recently widowed woman grieving the loss of her wife. I did enjoy the way the author set up the scenes visually with detail and reading the Shelby story as she was in mourning and how she handled her grief, was touching. I found Gibson unlikeable, especially in the first half, and his actions were surprising as an almost 40 year old man, so I couldn’t find myself feeling sorry for anything that was happening to him. Overall, the story felt incomplete, like it needed a little bit more character development for Shelby and Gibson and more background history on Cammie. I would round this review up to 3.25 stars.

Hypochondriac Shelby is frozen in mourning and depression following the sudden death of her wife, Kate. Friends and family don’t seem to understand her inertia, but then she meets the energetic Cammie at her grief therapy group, and there’s something about Cammie’s zest for life that snaps Shelby’s out of her depression.

Gibson, freshly divorced, has moved into a new apartment. Even though he initiated the divorce, it’s hard to break the cord. He’s not sure that he made the right choice, and even asked his ex, to consider rekindling the relationship. She wisely refused. Gibson’s ‘new’ life isn’t going well. He’s so depressed he can’t even muster the energy to unpack. Then one night, out at a bar with friends, he meets bar employee Cammie. She’s charismatic, gorgeous, and soon Gibson is having incredible, eye-popping sex.

Both Gibson and Shelby can’t believe Cammie’s courage in the face of her horrible life history. Yes, Shelby lost her wife, and Gibson is divorced, but those details pale in the light of Cammie’s horrible life history. Cammie has survived being kidnapped as a child, kidney cancer, the suicide of her dad, her death of her sister, the suicide of her best friend, and abusive ex boyfriends. And let’s throw in accusations of theft from her employer. Cammie also attends a grief support group. It’s her “home base.” When it comes to loss, Cammie can trump everyone, and yet she handles it so well. Almost nonchalantly. ..

Set in Toronto, Zoe Whittall’s novel The Fake explores grief, loss, vulnerability, and loyalty. Given the title, I’m not giving anything away when I say that Cammie’s various stories don’t add up. Her ‘bravery’ (and bragging) in the face of multiple tragedies is suspect to Gibson’s friends, but since his sex life is like something out of a porn film, he defends Cammie even when faced with evidence that she is a pathological liar.

Shelby too begins to question Cammie’s past, but then it’s hard to grasp what sort of person would make up a cancer diagnosis. Both Gibson and Shelby have never met anyone quite like Cammie, and soon they wish they hadn’t.

We shouldn’t be mad at ourselves for assuming the best about someone. You know, in all the articles experts say that liars pick people who seem sensitive and empathic because we’re easier to manipulate. I’m not going to be ashamed or being sensitive and caring about people.

The novel has a lot of energy and is a fun read. Gibson and Shelby would not normally cross paths. Gibson is in his business world with male buds and Shelby is a recluse living alone with her dog Coach Taylor Swift. This could have been a very dark novel, but instead the author uses a light touch and some gentle humour while exploring how Cammie fills a need for these two lonely people. Gibson and Shelby find themselves wondering about Cammie’s conscience; they have had no experience with psychopaths, and like many people who are plucked clean in various scams, they don’t want to believe that Cammie is bad news, beyond ‘help’ or that they were gullible. Finally, IMO, I’ve seen this many many times, belonging in a group, a grief group, a bird group, a whatever group, creates a false sense of safety. Somehow people have this impression that membership in that group, no matter how low the bar for entry, anoints fellow members with a badge of safety. As though they’ve been vetted. This makes an easy approach for scammers.

“I think that’s common, with psychopaths. They figure out what you want to hear and they say it.”

Review copy

Cammie is a scam artist and a user and now she's preying on Shelby whose wife just died, and Gibson, whose marriage has fallen apart. She plays each one of them- focusing on where she thinks their pain is centered. All three of them tell the story and while the reader can clearly see what's happening from the beginning, the players don't This is as much about learning about yourself and retaining your innate goodness as it is about the con. She's detestable, to be sure, but she's got to be to make this work. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good reminder to watch out for new acquaintances and a good read.

Going into this book I was expecting Cover Story or Inventing Anna or The Wolf of Wall Street and this just wasn't those. Which is a good thing!

Cammie was such a unique character. She was exactly who you needed her to be and even though you knew she was full of crap, she was hard to dislike. She was like a magnet and even as the reader, I found myself being drawn to her.

Gibson was a bit of a sad character. He was such a good guy. Humble, hardworking, just looking for some happiness. His instant connection with Cammie felt worrisome right off the bat and I was just chewing my nails waiting for the shoe to drop and his heart to smash in a little pieces with every turn of the page.

Shelby was such a likeable character. She was broken and she owned her brokenness. I felt like Shelby personified the phrase "I would rather loved and lost than never loved at all" and I loved her for it.

Even though you know Cammie is conning both of these people, it was hard to not to fall under her spell. It was also hard for me to understand Cammie's end goal in targeting Gibson and Shelby. It didn't really feel like money or power. It almost felt symbiotic.

This book was unique and I loved the characters, differing viewpoints, and hard topics it tackled. It's definitely one I would recommend!

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I found this book depressing ... But I couldn't stop reading. The whole plot of "the con" is sadly too true & I'm sure we've all met someone like Cammie but it's depressing especially in today's world where so much 💩 is happening that someone being nice .. too nice gets your guard up .
I read this book in under 24 hours but ultimately it left me sad ...

Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for the Arc.

Shelby has been drowning in her grief, ever since her wife died. She finally gets up the nerve to go to a grief support group, and at her first meeting, she meets the charismatic Cammie. Cammie makes her want to live again. Even though Cammie is recovering from cancer, and is going through several other calamities, she makes it her mission to get Shelby back into the real world again, and in return, Shelby invites Cammie to come stay with her. Gibson is newly divorced and is suffering from depression. When he meets Cammie, he falls head-over-heels for her. But Gibson’s friends are wary of Cammie, and eventually he, too, has to admit that all the drama in Cammie’s life can feel a bit over the top. When Gibson and Shelby meet, they realize Cammie’s stories don’t always add up. In fact, they’re far from the truth. But what kind of a person would lie about having cancer? And what does it say about Shelby and Gibson that they fell for it?
This book was so good. I really loved both Shelby and Gibson, and Cammie was someone that you both couln't stand and at the same time, her lies were so outrageous they were entertaining. This is a story about second chances in life, recovering from grief, acknowledging there is no "right" way to handle grief or depression, and so much more. I laughed so much and I even shed a tear or two with Shelby as she struggled. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

I felt a bit conned by this book. Cammie, as a con, made sense in the story with Shelby. It felt natural and believable. However, her con of Gibson did not make sense and felt incredibly forced. I found it hard to believe that a recent divorcee would confuse sex and lust with love to the extent that he did. I also wish there had been a few more pages once all three were brought together. I would have liked to see more tension and back and forth before things were uncovered. There was room there for more plot and character development that was missed. Overall, this was a quick little read that felt more like an initial draft or proposal versus a well thought out and complete book.

3.5 stars rounded up.

A con artist can make you feel like the luckiest person on earth just to be in their presence. But when the jig is up, they ghost, and you’re left wondering if you ever mattered.

After the death of her wife, Shelby feels more alone than ever—until she meets Cammie, a charismatic woman unafraid of what anyone else thinks and whose own history of trauma draws Shelby close. Gibson is almost forty, fresh from a divorce and deeply depressed. Then he meets and falls in love with Cammie. This book is about a con-artist. You know that she is a con-artist, but the new people in her life don't. This book reads more as a character study, rather than than a straight-forward, plot-based novel. The character of Cammie is fascinating and the fact that we knew that Shelby and Gibson are being duped was heartbreaking. This book explores Cammie and her victims - how they are drawn into Cammie's orbit and how can they manage to break that spell and claw themselves out.

This book was a short read but I think I was expecting something else when I picked it up. I think I needed more tension and story progression.

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! It keeps me entertained and I didn’t want to stop reading! I can’t wait to see what’s next!

The Fake should have been called The Obvious Fake. There is no ambiguity. This book shouldn’t have been as dull as it was. But it was like reading a version of a con artist story written by the person who writes the manuals for using your new oven. It just went through step by step what was happening. There was no depth to any of the characters. There was no intrigue. There was nothing to make you feel anything.