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India Press Store - What I Saw And How I Lied
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List Price: $16.99
Our Price: $10.24
Your Save: $ 6.75 ( 40% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Scholastic Press
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9780439903462
ISBN: 0439903467
Label: Scholastic Press
Manufacturer: Scholastic Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: 2008-11-01
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Reading Level: Young Adult
Studio: Scholastic Press
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: A marvelous novel! Must read!
Comment: What I Saw and How I Lied, by Judy Blundell, takes place after World War II and is a fantastic coming-of-age, mystery tale. War veteran Joe Spooner brings back a little more than just memories of the war when he returns home to a beautiful wife and 15-year-old stepdaughter, Evie.
Vacationing in Florida with her family, Evie finds an older man, Peter, whom she falls in love with, none to Joe's liking considering Evie is only 15 and Peter is 22. Unaware that her mother is having an affair with Peter, Evie believes Peter loves her. A boating accident claims the life of one character, opening questions during an inquest that causes Evie to question the truth about her Mother, Joe during the war, and more. No one appears to be whom they portray themselves to be, leaving Evie questioning the very foundation of her being.
If I say much more, it would give away the ending. Suffice it to say, this is a marvelous book with adultery, theft, and deceit! An excellent read!
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Adult reader finds a surprising and interesting read
Comment: Well past my teen years, I found "What I Saw and How I lied" as intriguing and interesting as any "adult" novel. The characters are complex and appealing. Blundell's rich descriptions of the era and locations transported me to another time. Evie is a character I would love to see grow up in subsequent novels.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Outstanding YA novel
Comment: I had a lot of things on my to-do list yesterday, and none of them happened. I blame this on Judy Blundell. I woke up with the kids, started reading What I Saw and How I Lied, and didn't stop reading until I finished the book last night.
When Evie's stepfather Joe Spooner returns from WWII, everything seems to be great. He owns three appliance stores in Queens, he and her mom Bev are happy together, and Evie can't wait to turn 16. Then one night, Joe packs the family up for an impromptu vacation to Palm Beach, Florida. While there, a handsome young ex-soldier named Peter appears and befriends the Spooner family. But friendship isn't all that Evie is interested in, and an undercurrent of tension runs between Joe and Peter. Soon everything Evie knows about her mother and Joe is called into question, and she must decide what is most important to her.
Part coming-of-age, part historical fiction, and part crime drama, this 2008 National Book Award winner for young people's literature has something for everyone. The pacing of this novel is superb from beginning to end, and the characterization is excellent, from main players to supporting members of the novel. Highly recommended for ages 14 and up.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Compelling! Keeps You Reading Until the End
Comment: Having seen a write-up of extolling "What I Saw and How I Lied," I was curious to see whether Blundell's book lived up to the hype. It does! This is not just a "young adult" book, readers of any age will become engrossed in the story.
"What I Saw and How I Lied" is a compelling, coming-of-age tale depicting a teen's loss of innocence in post-World War II America. Anyone who grew up in the late 1940's or early 1950's will recognize someone or something in the book. Blundell captures the feel of that era with remarkable accuracy.
The book's protagonist, Evie is drawn into a web of her mother's weaving. Evie must eventually come to grips with the deception and rise above it in order to move forward in her own life. In doing so, Evie both loses her integrity and then regains it, but must engage in a dishonest act to do so. Even as the book progresses, the reader wants to shout 'no' and to stop Evie from being drawn into the vortex.
The secondary characters in the book are equally well developed. The reader will recognize each one, liking some and being appalled by others. Those characters are motivated by basic human emotions, including the need to survive, greed, parental love, and self-centeredness. These then impact Evie and others around her.
This book is simply written; there is no pretense or artifice. Yet, in its simplicity, a complex psychological drama develops that grabs the reader and doesn't let go until the very end. The characters are familiar without being flat; the situations are reaslistic and believable; and the final scene makes for a satisfying conclusion rather than a disappointing finish.
I read this book in one sitting, taking about three hours to do so. An outstanding book to take on a long plane ride or to a waiting room where one knows they will be sitting (and sitting and sitting...). Time will fly.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A great mystery and love story.
Comment: Summary: Evie Spooner is fifteen years old, and her stepfather is back from WWII. When she suddenly is taken by her mother and stepfather to Palms Beach, Florida. Evie and her family meet Peter Coleridge, he is an ex-GI that served with her father. She finds herself falling for him. Evie soon learns some secrets about her family from Peter. Then one day, tragedy strikes and Evie must find where her loyalty lies and herself.
My Review: What I Saw and How I lied is an amazing novel of coming to age. It brings in such difficult topics like anti-Semitism, Greed, Blackmail, Adultery, and Dishonesty. It is told with Vivid imagery, that you could picture everything. The characters are honest and like able. You will love Evie and her mom. The book is also addicting and a suspenseful ride. The setting is amazing, I felt like I was in 1948. The way that it ends allows room for a sequel and I can't wait for Judy Blundell's next books. This book won the National Book Award for Young Adult, so anothor reason to check it out.
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