Review: Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger

Lying Out Loudby Kody Keplinger
Expected publication: April 28th 2015 by Scholastic

Kody Keplinger returns to the world of The DUFF in this brand-new companion novel! 

Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go. Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with -- secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross. Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand -- a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed. But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?

My Thoughts

I had just read book that had left & me reeling (An Ember in the Ashes) & was looking for something light, fluffy, & fun to clear my palate. This book was perfect for that!! This review may read as if I didn't enjoy Lying Out Loud and that's not the case....entirely anyway. There was some really strong character development throughout the book and the dynamics between them where pure perfection.  Keplinger certainly has hit her stride where that is concerned. That is what kept me reading since I adore character driven books. I might have DNF had the people not been the glue that held it all together. I think much of what I didn't like was simply due to personal preference. Allow me to elaborate.

This is one blurb that pretty much sums it's book up perfectly. So much so that I dont need to go into the plot at all. I hate liars. I'm sure most of you do as well. Well, I should have taken the word "LYING" in the title as a clear warning. This book will be centered around someone who lies. It didn't so much bother me that the M.C., Sonny, was lying but what bothered me was that she felt absolutely no remorse about it. She was clearly a selfish, inconsiderate person and that just rubbed me the wrong way. People do really odd things in order to comfort themselves when dealing with extreme duress, like accidentally catfishing you arch nemesis on purpose. Although I was not a fan of Sonny's behavior I had to admit, she was pretty witty. I'll give the girl that. Her narration thru the story did make me giggle quite a bit.

Sonny -  arc loc. 335
My arch nemesis? My Lex Luthor to my Superman? The Loki to my Thor? The peanut butter to my jelly? Okay, I know most of the world thinks those last two go together, but personally I find the combination rather abhorrent and just ew.

I just think the level of deception she built up with her supposive close as sisters best friend Amy and her supposive crush Ryder was completely out of control. That was the point of course but it didn't sit well with me. Funny how well I cant stomach mutiny and murder but this made me grit my teeth. I had a good friend do something not the same but equally as bad to me and i think it just struck that raw nerve. That should really be taken as a compliment since it was pretty damn close to reality. 

I really keep trying with this contemp genre but I keep striking out. Admittedly, I am sure I am not the target audience either. This had some brilliant characters though so I am mostly positive it will be enjoyed by the masses. Just prepare to deal with some serious scheming!!

3 Snowflakes