(2) YA This formidable prequel to We Were Liars (rev. 5/14), focusing on the wealthy Sinclair family a generation before that novel's events, opens with a harsh truth, and a spoiler. Johnny, one of the cousins of the first book's protagonist, appears as a ghost to his mother, narrator Carrie, on the family's private island. With the promise to tell him "the worst thing [she] ever did" as a framing device, Carrie flashes back to reveal many of the dark secrets and lies she had helped to perpetuate over the years. In 1987 on the island, seventeen-year-old Carrie is deeply saddened about the drowning death of her youngest sister (the first ghost to appear to her); recovering from the surgery on which her father has insisted to correct her jawline; and beginning a protracted dependence on painkillers and sedatives. Carrie is swept off her feet by Pfeff, a charming, impulsive cad who betrays her in what she feels is the worst possible way. The violent consequences entail a massive cover-up that requires full utilization of the Sinclairs' good standing, privilege, and cunning. The engrossing narration, full of fairy-tale references and family mottos ("Never complain, never explain"), is neither reliable nor neatly wrapped up, but the novel is uncomfortably thought-provoking. The story (understandable on its own but richer when read after We Were Liars) asks readers to consider hard questions and is impossible to put down.

Reviewer: Luann Toth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) YA In this novel set in the same world as The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (rev. 5/08), Lockhart explores the intersection between love and the multiverse. The summer between her junior and senior years of Alabaster Preparatory Academy boarding school, "middle-class white Jewish 'faculty brat' with a public school background" Adelaide Buchwald "would fall in and out of love more than once, in different ways in different possible worlds." In most universes, she is devastated by a break-up with Mikey Double L, her first love. In some, she is distracted from her broken heart by Jack Cavallero, a mysterious poet with a tragic past. In one, she falls for Oscar, a pianist with a great sense of humor but terrible timing. In every universe, Adelaide is big sister to Toby, her beloved brother and a relapsed addict. If she can heal that relationship, the pieces of her complicated love life just might fall into place. Readers will be able to keep the universes straight through the use of font changes and clued-in chapter headings. An appealing cast of secondary characters--which include an acerbic art teacher, a romance-challenged roommate, and, best of all, a motley pack of sweet dogs that Adelaide walks--serves as amusing examples of the types of relationships Adelaide should embrace or avoid. An offbeat, philosophical love story for those who enjoy pondering the mysteries of the universe or the heart.

Reviewer: Jennifer Hubert Swan | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2020

(1) YA In Lockhart's latest intoxicating thriller, eighteen-year-old protagonist Jule is cold, tough, and in trouble with the law, but displays an endearing softness as we learn about her friendship with wealthy Imogen, whom Jule misses dearly. As chapters descend in reverse chronological order, readers get breadcrumb-like pieces to the puzzle of why Jule is running, what happened with Imogen, and what makes the intricately drawn anti-heroine tick.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(1) YA Narrator Cady begins the book by divulging an unspecified accident that happened during her fifteenth summer on her family's private island that left her with debilitating migraines and memory loss. What follows is a taut psychological mystery marked by an air of uneasy disorientation. The ultimate reveal is shocking both for its tragedy and for the how-could-I-not-have-suspected-that? feeling it leaves us with.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(4) YA Ruby Oliver returns in a fourth novel about her exploits, delivered in a pastiche of rapid-fire narration, transcripts, poems, and emails. Having finally obtained a "real live boyfriend," Ruby has the usual trouble when said boyfriend withdraws and won't explain why. Lockhart isn't breaking any new ground in this Ruby story; you'll either love her or be irked by her ever-present self-doubt.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) YA The boy troubles of Ruby (The Boy Book, The Boyfriend List) aren't nearly over. Her hard-earned social redemption is at risk when her ex (the source of her original problems) becomes single again and her crush (if only her best friend didn't like him too!) makes a move. Lockhart's story boasts zingy humor, sigh-worthy guys, and vivid depictions of friendship and angst.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(2) YA Frankie's boyfriend, Matthew, is the co-leader of an all-male secret society. By impersonating Matthew's cohort over e-mail, Frankie takes control of the society, secretly engineering campus-wide pranks. A clinical-sounding narrator addresses readers directly, giving the book a case-study vibe and presenting Frankie's exploits in a dispassionate way. Readers are left to make up their own minds about this unique, multifaceted individual.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2008

(3) YA On their road trip to visit Vicks's boyfriend, Vicks, Mel, and Jesse navigate the ups and downs of their friendship and encounter many adventures (a giant stuffed alligator, a drunken party, a hurricane, a real alligator). This collaborative novel by the three popular authors is long and meandering, but by the end readers will want--or be grateful for--friends like these.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) YA Sadye (formerly Sarah) and her gay best friend Douglas (a.k.a. Demi) jump at the chance to leave Ohio for the summer to attend theater camp. Auditioning and ensemble performances lead to humorous adventures and painful self-reflection; for Sadye, watching Demi blossom is unexpectedly difficult. Funny, energetic, melodramatic, and thoughtful, this book will win over anyone who has ever hankered to perform.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) YA Roo has been a social leper since she tried to steal her ex back from her best friend, violating the rules of their "Boy Book." Now a junior, she tentatively explores new friendships while dealing with panic attacks. Lockhart allows issues of friendship and love their full weight and complexity while maintaining the endearing hilarity of her protagonist's wry narrative.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) YA When Ruby starts having panic attacks, she sees a shrink who has her compile a list of her boyfriends, possible boyfriends, and crushes. Each boy is accorded a chapter, and the reason why Ruby is having panic attacks slowly unfolds. While some aspects of the story don't ring true, Ruby is an entertaining character and her musings will resonate with readers.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman