What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

Oh man. I read this book a while ago... and then didn't review it. Story of my life.
But now I'm back (and better than ever![?]) from the land of mucho mucho rehearsals that eat my time like Otto eats goldfish.* Mercilessly. Alas, I may not be here for long, but I shall grace you all with my reviewing presence for the time being.

Evie Spooner lives with a normal family in a normal house in a normal town. Like most fifteen year old girls, she wants to grow up gorgeous and do it quickly, and is constantly dreaming of the day that she'll be able to fill out a sweater. Now, Evie's stepfather, Joe, has always been a good guy, but he's been acting a little strangely ever since he got back from fighting in the war. They don't really talk about it. One day, Joe decides that the family will road trip to Florida for an extended vacation. Just like that. And so, Evie, Joe, and Beverly (Evie's blonde bombshell of a mother) pile into the car and set off.

The family vacation seems like it's going to be anything but polka-dots and moonbeams for Evie. That is, until she meets the handsome, charming and rather older Peter Coleridge, an ex-GI who was in the service with Joe. Evie falls in love with Peter (of course), and from that point on is desperate to trade her adolescence for lipstick and cigarettes and movie-star glamour. Because, you know, that is totally what happens when you grow up.

Nothing is as it seems, however, and soon Evie is entangled in a net of lies that threatens to topple everything she's ever known.

Well-written and well-grounded in the 1940s setting**, What I Saw and How I Lied is quite a worthwhile read. It's humorous, romantic, exciting and believable. Evie is an engaging heroine, who--like many teenagers--often does the wrong/stupid/"Are you kidding me?" thing. Though I didn't find her terribly likable, I enjoyed following her on her journey and was rather satisfied with the change she ultimately underwent. I was hooked from the very beginning and pretty much devoured it.

As most of you know, WISaHIL won the National Book Award for 2008. And yeah, it's a good book. Quite good. But I expected a lot more from it, seeing as it beat out The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks , which I think should have won. That might just be me, though. Well, and Eli (right?).

All in all (as I said before): A good book that I would put near the top of the pile, were I to read it again.


Yours...


*Everybody who understands that reference (Not you, Eli.) shall win a prize TBD. It might end up just being my undying affection, though. So don't get too excited.
**I've heard people say that it reminds them of a Film Noir in book form, but it didn't come across that way to me.