Wow, this book is something else. There is quite a disturbing element to the development of this story, murder, intrigue, betrayal. The plot develops quickly and if you would like a read that is fast paced and keeps you hooked, I would 100% recommend this book!

This book tells the tale of Jule, and Imogen. we start at the end of the story and work backwards to reveal all of the details that we need to know.
Both Orphans, Immy was adopted into a 'better' life than Jule but they become friends. Years later when they reconnect we are reminded that you never really know someone.

I found I was about 30% of the way through the book ( thank you kindle percentage bar) when I realised that I still had no idea why we needed to know or really how interested I was. the books an easy read, and although you find each clue to the puzzle on a chapter by chapter basis the motives behind the characters actions felt weak, and under planned.

Well I have to start by saying that I haven’t read anything like this before. Loved the story but whoa this is such an unusual way to tell it. Each chapter was a fascination to me as each one took me back another step in time. At times it was quite sad as I already knew what lay head in their future for some of the characters. I also already knew the end, or did I?
The way in which it was told is really priceless. Most stories of course work up to a climax from before the event but well this brilliant written character is a master of cover up. I didn’t like her, she got under my skin and I feared her because she is a chameleon that can become whoever and whatever she needs to be for who she is with. The further I read into the story the closer I came to the beginning and the end.
It was a strange book in the way of I didn’t want to be close to the main character and yet other characters in the book weren’t round long enough for me to really get to know them. They were portrayed more as a pest that needed to be swotted or avoided at all costs. Now this may sound like a strange book and to be honest it was but hell it was tense, it was compelling and I loved everything about it.
This is the first book that I have read by this author but feel that this style of writing is a one-off kind of book. The impact wouldn’t be as great to repeat this style again, it is sort of a novelty novel. Just brilliant!
I wish to thank Imogen Sebba of Bonnier Zaffre for inviting me to read this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Okay, wow, what a letdown. After loving "We Were Liars" I was very excited to dive into this one. Sadly, this book didn't deliver at all.

I really liked the aspect of the story being told backwards in time. That's about it. The story was underwhelming. The concept felt like "The Talented Mr. Ripley" which is not a compliment as I didn't enjoy that book very much either but Mr. Ripley at least had that novelty feeling to it as I had never read a book like that. "Genuine Fraud" feels like a watered down version instead, with a few suprises in the beginning but then it became predictable and boring. And the little twist at the end couldn't save the book.

3/5 Stars

The book was a bit lack luster for me. There were some compelling things that happened, but nothing that made this book great or a stand out favorite. There were several moments where I was just confused or trying to figure out how what I was reading played into the larger narrative. I guess the thing I was the most upset about was that there was no satisfying conclusion. I was expecting for some big reveal or something from the backwards narrative to lead to an "ah ha" moment, but I didn't feel like we got one. 

This book had some super creative ideas, just not the best execution.

Like The Talented Mr Ripley meets Memento - but with teen protagonists - smart, chilling and utterly addictive!

Unfortunately the content of this book was making me uncomfortable and so I couldn't push through to finish and review it fairly.

This book is strangely okay. I liked it but didn't love it. Like other readers, I do not classify this as a psychological thriller or mystery. There is a tiny bit of suspense around the development of the main character, Jule, throughout the novel, and later a bit of curiosity about Imogen. There's a lot of "but who is she really?" thoughts as you read through this story, which is by the way, written backwards through time. The whole book was strange. The story was entertaining enough that I was able to read it in a day, but at the end I found myself wondering if I liked it or not, and a day later, I'm still unsure. Then again, anything that makes me think has to be good. Right?
Before reading the book, this is all I knew about it: "The story of a young woman whose diabolical smarts are her ticket into a charmed life. But how many times can someone reinvent themselves? You be the judge." ....and basically, that's the summary of the book.
Do I suggest you read it? sure. It's ok and entertaining. It isn't life-changing or home library worthy, but I'd recommend waiting on the paperback or library edition.

I'd heard a lot about books by E Lockhart but I hadn't yet tried any until this one , I wasn't disappointed at all . It was a great, thrilling read full of suspense and intriguing characters .
It was written in an interesting way because the story starts from the end and winds its way backwards in time so that was different for me, I liked that layout .
There were several trigger warnings in it which were not mentioned at the start of the book . There are mentions of suicide and also murders . For a YA book there are some graphic scenes which may upset and distress younger teen readers or those of a sensitive nature .

This story is written in reverse. I must admit it took me a while to get my head round and I seemed to loose track. As you're seeing events in reverse order, I found it difficult to put it in context. This will probably make more sense when you read it! The ending was slightly disappointing and the 'overheard' conversation of the policewoman on her phone explaining the events to a third person, was a bit poor. To be honest I was still a bit confused. Not Lockhart's best. I have read her other book We Were Liars, which is excellent. This is still worth a read, but probably best to try and read as much as possible on one sitting, so you don't lose the thread!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Like most of us here, I LOVED We were liars, and was hoping for the same. This wasn't the same, but it was still good, just not AS good.

For a start, it was confusing! Mega confusing. One thing I don't like, is when books title each chapter with a date, but you're reading it on the kindle. Suddenly the chapter is titled May 2015 and you have no idea what the last chapter was, and unlike a physical book, it's hard work to go back. Anyway! rant over.. this book started each chapter with a date, BUT it also said 'two weeks before blah blah' etc, so that was great.

Anyway, the book.

The book went backwards, which was a bit trippy. I had NO idea what was going on until I was about 2/5 though, and even then I was unsure. I kinda still am.

But it kept me guessing, made me keen for more and I think thats what makes a god book, that eagerness to turn the next page.

Well worth a read, but not the greatest work by the author.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher on Netgalley.

I read this on my recent holiday and I couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed the thrill and mystery of it all, but I found the timeline a little hard to follow as it is told in reverse. The novel follows the story of Jule, a mysterious but kick ass young woman and her best friend Imogen, an heiress who does not want to fit into the mould society has set out for her.

The book very much reminds me of The Talented Mr Ripley. Now this might be off-putting for anyone of in their late twenties and up, as they will likely have seen the movie. But I think this is a nice revisit to the idea for older teenagers who would not have seen that film or read the book. And it is an interesting modern take with a female protagonist.

I loved the characters, but in my head they went in different directions to where the author took them, so the ending was somewhat disappointing for me, especially once I realised how similar it was to Ripley. But I still very much enjoyed the wild ride!

We Were Liars is still my absolute favourite of E Lockhart's novels.

Suspenseful, addictive and full of twists. This was a one sitting read for me. It has plenty of mystery to induce page-turning and always leaves you feeling like there's one more piece of the puzzle to be picked up just around the corner. Reverse chronological storytelling adds a lot of tension and there's a real sense of uneasiness throughout. Even if you have guessed certain elements of what's happened, there's plenty more how and why mysteries to keep you guessing. I'd also recommend settling in and reading it in only a few sittings to help build the story and send you hurtling towards the end in a flurry of twists and turns!

Recommended for contemporary and mystery fans looking for an addictive read.

I find it hard to write a review of this book without giving away spoilers. I found surprisingly that I did enjoy this book even though I'm not a fan of the way the story was told in reverse. It starts almost at the very end and the rest of the story unfolds in flashbacks with a given time line at the start of each chapter. It has been compared to the Talented Mr Ripley and you can definitely see the similarities despite the main characters being female. It is quite dark with quite complicated characters but this might appeal to its target audience of young adults.

I liked this book a lot. An awful lot. It has a very intriguing story line and draws you in immediately. Why does Jule call herself Imogen? What is she running away from? Who is out to get her? The story is revealed by going back in time, and little by little we get to know who Jule is and who Imogen is. It's very surprising and gripping. Suitable for adults and young adults. An excellent book.

I REALLY enjoyed We Were Liars, so I was expecting good things from this book and it mostly delivered! Jule is creepy, and a totally unreliable narrator (to the point where I'm still not 100% sure I know who she is by the end of the book) and it does feel suitably twisty enough to be considered a thriller (though I won't lie, I was expecting something as big as the twist in We Were Liars and it didn't come, which was a bit disappointing).

The main thing to know about Genuine Fraud is that the story is told backwards, with the chapters getting chronologically further away from the opening scene. This takes away some of the tension, I think, because it's fairly obvious when certain events are going to take place from the outset, but that didn't make the BIG MOMENT any less shocking or brutal, so way to go E. Lockhart.

One thing to note is that this book is very barely YA. The characters are all college age or older, and their concerns aren't those of your typical YA character. The target audience here should really be people who like books by authors like Ruth Ware or Paula Hawkins.

This is a really quick, pacey read and is probably best read in as few sittings as possible so the flow isn't interrupted too much, and it does unravel slightly at the end so be ready to push through.

Oh, this is a good read. I loved it. 

It's a story told backwards, which is a tricky thing to pull off, but e manages it. It mimics real life, as well, in the way that you start off with an opinion about somebody, and then learn a little more, and a little more, and gradually develop an understanding, and with that your opinion changes. It's a book about identity and the structure itself plays with that. The fraud is perpetrated on you, and gradually uncovered by you. I don't really want to say any more, because the pleasure is partly in the gradual uncovering of the truth. It's a great read. Gripping, and intriguing, and clever.

I love the way this is written! It’s so clever and I couldn’t put the books down as I wanted the story to unravel for me to find out what had happened!

Now I loved E Lock Hearts previous novel, We Were Liars. I found that to be a beautifully crafted story with complex characters an interesting setting and a brilliant twist tying it all together. Genuine Fraud was none of these things.

I understand when authors like to use an unreliable protagonist and i often enjoy reading from their pov. It’s exciting to have to figure out what bits of the story you can and can’t trust. This book however was an example of how to take it too far. From the first to the last page of this book i don’t feel i ever got a feel for out main character Jule. Apart from a very small back story about one event in her life we never find or discover anything else about her as a character. There are just so many un answered questions it goes from being mysterious to just frustrating. I think the characters in general were a big root of the problem with this book. Not one of them were fleshed out enough to be even remotely interesting. I found myself not interested in either the story or it’s characters.

Another gripe i had with this book was the structure. This book jumped time frames every other page spanning weeks before then weeks after then two days before then 3 days after. It was so confusing to try and keep up with the time frames and what was actually happening when.

I heard a lot of people saying this book has a mind blowing plot twist at the end but again this completely failed for me. I guessed this whole ‘plot twist’ about a quarter way through the novel. I would have been fine if that plot twist was at least an exiting plot line but i’ve already seen this type of thing in multiple books before.

Overall i’m just hugely disappointed with this book. I expected a lot more and ended up having a book i really didn’t enjoy to read. This was the farthest thing from a mystery or thriller i have ever read. It was dull, predictable and quite honestly pointless.

I've seen this book talked about over on BookTube alot with a lot of varying ratings. I was definitely excited to get a copy of this through NetGalley.

In the beginning of the story, it's rather strange and hard to get into. It definitely establishes that we're going to be following along with an unreliable narrator.

I've never read anything by E. Lockhart before so I didn't know what to expect from the writing style. I liked this book a little more than I thought I might.