Writers who are versatile with their writing are kind of my favorite. Thus, it stands to measure that Paula Stokes is among my favorite authors. She’s gone from historical fantasy under a pen name to contemporary with finesse. The next undertaking by Paula Stokes that I’ve read is Liars, Inc. another book in a different genre. Liars, Inc is contemporary, but unlike The Art Of Lainey it is a thriller. It is not a fun book about using The Art Of War to get your ex back. I won’t lie, I was a little tiny bit under the impression that this book would be similar to Lainey but as usual my initial impression was WRONG. Not a bad thing at all, just putting that out there so that when you read this book you won’t be expecting adorable and hilarity. Instead, expect twists and turns.
Liars, Inc is centered around this kid, Max Cantrell. Max is a bit of a lone wolf, except that he has this girlfriend named Parvati and a best friend named Preston. Parvati and Preston are high school royalty and both come from money. Max, on the other hand, does not. The three, however, are above school politics. So, anyways, they decide to go into business together and do some shady dealings. They sell alibis, test answers, and more. The business is naturally called Liars, Inc. One day, Preston asks Max to be his alibi while he goes to Vegas to meet this girl from the internet, Violet. Max agrees to do this because Preston is his best friend, after all. Unfortunately, Preston goes missing and all signs are pointing to Max. Obviously Max did not do anything to Preston, but that’s not what the Feds believe and so, for Max it is a race against time to clear his name. Along the way Max will learn some unfortunate truths about himself, Parvati and Preston in this thrilling young adult novel.
One thing that differentiates Max Cantrell’s character from other young adult main characters is that he is adopted. He lives in a blended adoptive family. I cannot remember the last time I read a book with a character in a similar family situation. I know it does happen in other young adult books, but for some odd reason nothing is really springing to mind. Anyways, Max is your typical teenage boy. He’s rebellious. He thinks about Parvati and adult situations a lot. On the whole, he is not a bad kid, it is just that his financial situation and past at a Boys’ Home makes him seem shady compared to Preston who is a senator’s son and Parvati whose dad is like military special ops. Also? Max has kind of a smart mouth and that is awesome.
I think that the best parts of Paula Stokes’s Liars, Inc are the parts that include Parvati. She’s this total bad ass mother f-er. AND I LOVE IT. Like she wants to be a spy or CIA or something and so, she’s had lessons from her dad, kind of. She is very no nonsense. She is easily bored and so, above the high school politics. I love that. I love that her character is endlessly cool. She’s also far from perfect. Parvati’s past is a bit questionable and she has, indeed, lied to Max. Still, I think that she adds so much to the book, mainly because she steals all of the scenes that she is in.
If you’re the kind of person who likes phrases like ‘high octane’ this is the book for you. I am not typically a huge thriller reader, but for Paula Stokes, I will make an exception. Liars, Inc is a compelling read with several I did not see that coming moments. The characters are complex, infuriating, authentic teenagers. This is the sort of YA that I think appeals to both girls and boys, and I mean that in a non sexist way because we do, indeed live in a sexist world, but it is hopefully changing – anyways, gendering still happens and so, that’s why I say that this book is appealing across the gender spectrum. Okay, that aside, I definitely enjoyed this adventurous book and getting to the bottom of what really happened to Preston with Max.
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