Liar, Liar

A nice tale of suspense, but it ends rather abruptly and nothing is explained. I read a lot of Stine's books as a kid, and I always preferred his books that resolved to his books with non-endings. This book's plot hinges on the idea of parallel universes, but they seem to work inconsistently. For one thing, Ross enters the other world through a "portal" in the pool, but then he "slips" in and out a few times before he gets trapped. And there are some issues that are never addressed. If Ross' lying is what triggered his displacement, then why isn't the other Ross, who is just as big a liar, falling into another universe as well? If this universe is aware of the existence of Intruders, why aren't there mechanisms in place to help him? Why show more didn't Ross go to the police? Surely they would be interested in helping him get home, for their own safety as well as his. How did Ross enter a third universe? Is it a 3-way portal? This is such an interesting premise, and the main character makes a very entertaining and dynamic narrator. Stine builds the suspense and keeps it going through the book, but the ending seems mostly to be just for shock value. It's not even clear whether Ross survives the ending. He seems to have regained his strength (how?), but he might die in a few days anyway. Or maybe he'll keep jumping in the pool, and coming up into an infinite number of parallels, in some neverending purgatory. I know this is the kind of story that thrives on ambiguity; I understand that too much explanation can really kill the tone, but I still would like to know whether the main character is alive or not. I may not like this aspect of the story, but it IS well-done, and Stine uses this minimalism to great effect. The gruesome death of the dog, though, knocks it down from 3.5 to 2.5 for me. It's worth reading, but don't expect anything too deep. show less

This is the fourth in the Nightmare Room Series and in this volume we meet Ross Arthur who has a bit of a problem with the truth...telling it, that is. Ross can't seem to stop himself from telling lies...and they aren't little one's either, he finds himself instinctually telling huge whoppers for no reason at all. It's not until he lies and winds up inviting two girls to the same party that this becomes a very real problem for him. Upon discovering his deception, the girls push him into the pool and after almost drowning, Ross finds himself in a place that is very familiar, yet different in subtle but important ways and where he seems to have a destructive touch that goes beyond a few lies.

Will Ross be able to find his way home...to show more his REAL home or will he be doomed to disappear forever? You'll have to read to find out. I have to say that this was my least favorite of all this series so far. While the premise is interesting, it's not really horror to my way of thinking, It's more of a Sci-Fi/Thriller type story...with the exception of a bit of gore when Ross touches the boy on the street, there isn't really any true horrific elements to Liar, Liar. Also, I don't really identify with the main character at all. I mean sure, we've all told a lie...sometimes for not reason other than it seemed like a good idea at the time, but the main character is just a self-absorbed jerk who can't seem to see he has a great life and seems determined to continue to lie in self-serving and unnecessary ways. Additionally, while twisted and appropriate, I think, the ending was entirely predictable and has been seen before in this authors work. Overall, I give it a C+, its ok, but not good and miles away from great. show less