Gone by Lisa McMann

Ye be warned, there be spoilers here: It took me much longer than it should have, but I finally finished Gone by Lisa McMann. I'll start by saying that I did not enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed Fade, the second book in the series, which now stands as my favorite overall. While I really enjoyed that Janie met her father, and that he turned out to be exactly what I thought he was, I think it sucks that the rest of the book was greatly lacking in any action, real resolutions, or real answers. I get that lots of books can be great while leaving things up in the air, but I was really hoping for more here. To me this felt more like an epilogue more than anything else. I think I might have just ended up expecting more considering how much I enjoyed Fade's action and some of the answers that were provided in there. I would in fact like to know what happens to Janie and Cabe, not just that they're going to end up playing it by ear, but I already from the signing I attended in La Verne, CA that Lisa McMann doesn't intend to go back to the Dream Catcher world. I also wish we could know more about the reason Henry died. We know it was something in his brain, we're guessing that it was because of the isolation, but how did it begin? Were there symptoms that were starting to tell him something was up? If so, couldn't Janie make some compromise between the two choices? Spend some time in isolation, and then some time being a dream catcher? Hmm, I guess that wouldn't be too practical, but that would all depend on how much it all meant ot her, and from what we've learned, that's a lot.

I am glad, however, that Janie took a step towards coping with what her mother is like by the end of the book. Not altogether getting out of the situation and being free, but at least it was obvious she was beginning to rise above it, because it's obvious that this is aimed at those kids who have to deal with the same problems Janie did, and I like that message. I haven't seen that much myself when it comes to paranormal stories, and I'm sure there are lots of people who don't want to read about that kind of problem in the first place, so I think that makes me appreciate the fact that it's tucked in there as a secondary issue as opposed to it being the focus. It eases the unsuspecting reader into that topic rather than forcing it on them.

Why do you lie, liar?

From the jacket because I've yet to master the art of brief descriptions: "Micah will freely admit she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s fooled everyone: her classmates, her teachers, even her parents. And she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as easily as breathing?

Taking listeners deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them — and herself — that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have listeners seesawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly."

I should develop a personalized rating system, for now we'll just go with what I put on Goodreads.com, which was a 4 out of 5 star rating.

My first thought as soon as I finished the book (as soon as I finished several parts of the book, actually) was "What?"

Just that, just "what?" Because I have no idea what to say about this book. It was good, I'll say that, it kept me reading even when I just wanted to pass out on my bed or when I was hungry and needed to put the book down to get something to eat. Not many books do that, in my opinion, although it still didn't reach the point where I was so stuck on the book I wish it was waterproof so I could read it while I showered, but it got close.

Actually, I lied (see what I did there?) another word that kept coming to mind throughout the book was, "Liar!" Which makes me wonder about the exact way the author decided to title the book. Was it just a natural choice considering the topic, or did she read it through and find that it was the first word that came to her mind whenever Micah made any kind of statement? Regardless of which way she chose the title, I enjoyed that I kept saying that word in my head, because it was obvious to me that I was personally offended by Micah's lies, which in turn shows she's a well-written character since I kept wanting to yell at her to stop offending me with her heinous ways.

My only complaint might be that I felt that the ending was done a little too quickly. I wish certain details had been a little more fleshed out, but I can't tell if that's because the author did a bad job in the end or because she was intentionally trying to mess with the reader. My point would probably make a lot more sense if you read the book, since I'm trying not to be spoilerific here. I think this book is best read when you know others are reading it with you or nearly around the same time as you, because it's a book that makes you want to discuss it with other people. I personally can't wait for my next book club meeting because this is the first time I'm having trouble forming solid opinions on the events that transpired within a fictional book. For now it all comes down to those two words in my head, "What?" and "Liar!"