I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

The topic and author no longer interest me, and I will not be finishing the book.

This book was not at all what I expected, and at first I wasn't okay with that, but as it went on and things began to further play themselves out, I began to prefer the story the way it was written rather than the way I'd imagined. I guess the middle of the story took me by such a surprise I didn't have much hope, but I'm glad I stuck it out.

Just couldn't get into this story. The premise sound great, but in the first few pages I just couldn't connect with the main character.

"The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett" is so much more than just a mystery. Chelsea has done a fabulous job of giving real depth and voice to a teenage who does not fit in. This book tore at my heartstrings and will remember it for a long time to come. Although it is a YA book, I think adults should be reading it.

Wow, so, like, this is like a totally annoying way to write, right? So, like, you probably wouldn’t have the main character of a book, like, totally talk like this, right? Well, not if you’re Chelsea Sedoti.

In fairness, this weird Valley Girl vernacular drops off pretty quickly, but after reading the first few pages of The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Loveitt I really wasn’t sure if I could keep going. I did, and it did get better, but unfortunately there was plenty of other things to get annoyed about.

The book itself is about a girl called Hawthorne, who gets completely hung up on the disappearance of Lizzie Loveitt, a girl she vaguely knows from school. I didn’t understand exactly why Hawthorne got so involved in the case (we’re told she has an active imagination – more on that later – and Lizzie does sound like a very engaging individual) but I don’t get why she got so wrapped up in events. Was it a girl crush? Was it just the excitement of the disappearance? I’m still not sure.

Through Hawthorne’s own investigations, she meets Lizzie’s boyfriend and begins a kind of relationship with him. That might sound all sweet and adorkable but frankly, it was just a bit odd. Normally I’m firmly in the corner of the weirdo’s but as a character, Hawthorne was just too random, even for me. She had the most bizzare ideas about what had happened to Lizzie and seemed to want to convince herself and everyone around her that she had figured things out, even when her solutions were ridiculous and she knew that everyone would laugh at her. I found Hawthorne to be so lacking in rationality that it was impossible to follow her train of thought, which got on my nerves.

Lots of the other characters in the book weren’t really fleshed out properly so it was hard for me to engage with them. Lizzie’s boyfriend, Enzo, was a stereotypical tortured artist type, Hawthorne’s best friend was a stereotypical nerd, her mum was a stereotypical hippie. They all had side stories that didn’t really go anywhere and their relationships with Hawthorne seemed quite flimsy. A chunk of the story was dedicated to some gypsies turning up and camping on Hawthorne’s lawn, but nothing really happened except a couple of conversations where Lizzie was given advice.

Yawn.

As the title of the book suggests, I thought that Hawthorne and Enzo would uncover some exciting/horrifying/salacious information about Lizzie that would add intrigue to the storyline –but – SPOILER ALERT – instead they just discovered that Lizzie had changed a lot since high school and lived a very minimal life. Quite a lot was made of this (Lizzie was empty inside, always changing herself to fit in with others etc.) but really, who hasn’t changed from their high school self? And so what if she had a minimal apartment? I felt a bit cheated by this.

The ending of the book was pretty anti-climatic and after that I thought that the story dragged. Luckily, it ended pretty soon after.

All in all, I didn’t totally hate the book but I couldn’t really engage with the characters or the storyline. The only thing that kept me reading was the certainty that at some point, something would happen…but it kind of didn’t. Perhaps if you’re more of a fan of YA you might get more from the storyline or relate to the characters better, but it just wasn’t for me.

Hawthorn comes up with a theory about what happens to a girl who has gone missing, a girl who happens to be one of the most popular girls from High School, Lizzie Lovett. Hawthorn has always been a bit of a social misfit, and she feels ostracized from everyone at school. She’s constantly concerned about others making fun of her, and she feels like she can confide in no one except her best friend. So she comes up with this wild theory about what happens to Lizzie Lovett and decides to find out what happened herself.

I’m not allowed to tell you about the theory because the author seems to have intentionally left the theory out of the blurb about the book. However, let me just say, the reveal was less exciting than I was hoping it would be. Try not to get your hopes up too much. Keep in mind, this book is more about Hawthorn than it is about the events that transpire.

The quest to uncover the truth behind her theory draws Hawthorn out of her shell a bit more. There’s a lot of truth to be said about creating a box for yourself when you have social anxiety, and Hawthorn doesn’t even realize she’s done it. She spends so much time running away from the possibility of having a negative interaction that she avoids ends up avoiding all interactions, including the good ones. However, once Hawthorn starts tracking her theory, taking over Lizzie’s job and getting cozy with Lizzie’s boyfriend, she begins to see a different set of possibilities. Sedotti has a great handle on coaxing Hawthorn out of her shell with some sudden wake up calls from loved ones.

The beginning of this book dragged on and was painful to read. For a long time, I didn’t think Hawthorn would have any character development, as she seemed mired down in her ways. Hawthorn is quirky and weird, and I didn’t often find myself relating to her, despite my own social anxiety. The story isn’t what I expected either, more caught up in Hawthorn’s narrative than in the actual unfurling of events. The final reveal was sudden and disappointing, much as it probably would be in real life. Although this story was much more realistic, I think I was hoping for a little more drama and fiction.

Hawthorn did have a huge character development arc, but I was still left wanting more to the story. I didn’t enjoy any of the characters, and the story itself wasn’t particularly interesting. Which is a shame, as I was really excited for this book. Ah, well, mixed reviews abound, so decide for yourself!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Hawthorn lives her young life in her own world. She loves to dream and fantasize. This story took a different track then I intially thought - but it was good none the less.

Where is Lizzie Lovett and what happened to her? Hawthorn is fascinated by the disappearance of one of her high school's most popular grads. She ends up accepting Lizzie's old job, hanging out with her boyfriend, and coming up with a wild/paranormal theory to explain the disappearance. The ending is not in any way paranormal. Hawthorn learns some things about herself in her quest to track down Lizzie Lovett.

I listened to this in audiobook and was not a fan of the reader. I played it at double speed which helped me not obsess about how immature and self-centered Hawthorn was. The titular protagonist was a queen bee cheerleader at the school and has disappeared during a camping trip with her boyfriend Enzo. Hawthorn has been obsessed with hating Lizzie since she was a freshman in high school and throughout the course of the book tries to find out what happened to Lizzie. Her theory is that Lizzie was secretly a werewolf.

Hawthorn's family and friends become increasingly concerned as she makes one stupid decision after another. Unfortunately, she is so self-centered that she does not realize how her actions affect those around her.

Quite frankly I was not a fan of the main character or the plot, but I wanted to find out what happened to Lizzie. My rating would be 2.5 stars.

The protagonist's voice felt very authentic, but the storyline was just lacking for me. It was very slow and plodding; there's not much going on besides this girl trying to follow non-existent clues to solve the disappearance of a girl she didn't even know. I never cared about Lizzie and couldn't get on board with Hawthorne either; she was bratty, her romance was cringy and the supernatural element of this was so unexpected and a waste of time. This book was nearly completely forgettable.

Started off with promise but got lost along the way.

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett was a strange read for me. It kept me invested the entire way through, but then lost me at then end. This story was a mystery through and through. What happened and why? The theories on why this teen went missing were certainly different and occasionally out there. Lizzie is most definitely a character who beats to her own drum. But I think the obession went too far. The resolution was wholly unexpected and this book could be and did go dark. This may be sensitive for some readers. All in all it wasn't for me.

WHAT I LIKED: Um. Based on the 1-star review. Not a lot.

WHAT I DIDN'T: (1) The plot is not exciting at all. Yes, the description makes it sound thrilling, but it's not. I kept reading to see if it would get better and it never did. (2) I didn't not connect to Hawthorn at all. She is a very stereotypical high school outcast, but nothing more than that. (3) The descriptions of high school were also very stereotypical (i.e. bullying scenarios that have happened in every single YA book, getting stood up for a school dance, etc).

From the very first page, this voice in this story knocked me off my feet and had me laughing out loud. Literally. If I wasn’t laughing, I could feel my face reacting to the words without being able to control it. Smiling. Smirking. Surprised. It was amazing.
The story flows so quickly and easily, a lot of that in part to the authentic dialogue. All of it is so spot on it seems effortless. And Hawthorn is such a genuine character. I love her because she is super snarky and hating on high school, but admits that she does want to belong and enjoy it and can’t figure out why she doesn’t.
That is so fresh because a lot of YA books have the MC hating high school and all the social circles, and too cool to care if they belong or not. I think a lot of us are more in the Hawthorn frame of mind – we know we don’t fit in but part of wishes we did. This is the catalyst to helping Hawthorn, and ourselves, find out who we are and how to belong as the best version of ourselves.
Sure, Hawthorn did that sort of becoming someone else, but in the end, it works for her. And all of the supportive characters surrounding Hawthorn have purpose and add to the likability of this story. It’s fun to see all the theories come in and I could just picture real people throwing in their wild two cents about where Lizzie would go. Even though the mystery wasn’t mind-blowing, it was page-turning and enough to keep Hawthorn going, which is the whole point.
I can’t recommend this book enough. It has all the good signs of an amazing story and I can’t wait to see what comes next from Chelsea Sedoti.

This book is enjoyable. i enjoyed reading it and didn't find it too taxing.

Talk about an unexpected delightful book! I loved this story, even after finding out what Hawthorn’s theory was about Lizzie’s disappearance. It was a definite “jump the shark” moment, but Hawthorn was so freaking likable, the premise worked. There were some moments of heartbreaking realism that had me choking up, especially toward the end. If you love quirky YA novels, then you must pick up this book! Hands down this was a five star read for me!

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy for review purposes!

I tried reading this book 3 different times and could not get more than 60 pages in. I thought this book sounded so intriguing but I just didn't click with the author's writing style.

Can You Stalk A Missing Person?

The blurbs make this sound like the story of a slightly odd misfit who immerses herself in the life of a missing girl in order to solve the mystery of the girl's disappearance. Sort of a teenage angst version of the movie "Laura", ("A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating."), but with a seventeen year old girl taking the Dana Andrews part. Now that's a book I'd enjoy. But it's not this book.

In this book we get an angsty whiner who is mean, rude, thoughtless, self-absorbed, and sour enough to end up as a high school outcast. She is obsessed with missing recent grad Lizzie Lovett and the circumstances surrounding that disappearance. Lizzie was a golden girl and our heroine, Hawthorn, is not. So Hawthorn gets Lizzie's old job, hangs out with Lizzie's old boyfriend, and obsesses over who Lizzie really was. She doesn't investigate anything or solve anything and there's no mystery.

The odd thing is that the book is really well written in places, and there are some compelling and appealing characters. Hawthorn's best friend Emily is a real, patient, appealing character who tolerates Hawthorn's whining and narcissism. Hawthorn's older brother puts up with her insults and wisecracks and tries to look after her. Other decent people try to pitch in and be supportive. Even the Mom and Dad, who are constantly disrespected in Hawthorn's narration, seem to be trying. I'm not sure when I last read a YA book in which so many characters waste their time trying to help out a self-destructive, willful, and slightly delusional sad sack.

The other thing going on is that we have two Hawthorns. At the outset it feels like our heroine is putting up a tough-girl front and that she and we will learn interesting lessons as the book unfolds. Parts of this are very sharply written, and it appears that Hawthorn's search for Lizzie will lead Hawthorn to insights about her own approach to life. I was good with that and happy with a lot of the early on snarky Hawthorn. But, this second improved Hawthorn never really shows up, even at the end of the book. Grumpy self-absorbed Hawthorn learns a few mild lessons and has a few very mild epiphanies, but mostly by the end she runs out of steam more than anything else.

So, lots of angst, some good lines, a few interesting characters, and a perceptive examination of the price and burden of popularity, (as paid by Lizzie), even if the reader has to tease out those lessons for himself because they are mostly lost on the heroine. I thought this was a curious sort of book, and maybe the oddly dysfunctional lead character will resonate for some readers. Certainly worth a look.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half of the book I seriously hated and then the last half I started actually caring about the main character, Hawthorn. I thought the whole premise of the book was to find out what happened to Lizzie Lovett, but it kind of started that way then the book turned into a totally different route.

I wanted to know what happened to Lizzie at first, then I just didn't care anymore about her. I also couldn't stand how the author always referred to her with her first name and last name, just call her Lizzie, god I don't want to read Lizzie Lovett, over and over again. I also hated the aspect of the book when Hawthorn thought Lizzie was turned into a werewolf, seriously a werewolf, where the hell did you even get that scenario. Plus, why does Hawthorn even care about Lizzie, you never liked her, so why go through all the trouble searching for her.

Then towards the last half of the book, I actually started liking Hawthorn, as weird as that is. She started hanging around Lizzie's boyfriend, Enzo, which is kind of strange. They started hanging out alot together and eventually start actually dating, which is weird, but whatever. I honestly felt sooo bad for Hawthorn when Enzo stood her up for homecoming or prom, (I don't remember which).

I felt like Hawthorn was a very troubled girl and I think she grow up a little throughout the book. I thought the ending was really cute, on who was crushing on Hawthorn. So overall this book was okay, would I ever read it again, NO, would I recommend it, probably not.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.