Pretty good YA mystery and coming-of-age girl's story set in 1947 just after the big war. Content is a bit mature though, so I'd say it's for 15 and over. ( )

“It had never occurred to me that I could do something without permission. 'May I' was a way of life for a girl like me.”
― Judy Blundell, What I Saw and How I Lied

What every reader knows its that one may read a few not so good books..but it is all made worth it when you come across a gem. And that is what this little jewel of a book is.

I adored this What I saw and how I lied. It is coming of age Historical Fiction and had such a plaintive tone to it.

This is not just a post war novel or a young adult novel or a mystery or a romance. It is kind of all of the above. I was transported through time with "What I saw and how I lied" and I loved it.

It was odd reading this..I felt a strange familiar feeling like I'd read this before. I may well have..that's happened to me before..but I digress..

So I loved the whole atmosphere. When reading Historical Fiction, in particular, one wants to feel like they are there. Some books are good but they lack the ability to transport you to that time period. This did that, no question.

And there was such a melancholy about this book. The plaintive bittersweet tone really hooks you in.

This really is a coming of age story but it is also so tragic. I took to the character of Evie right away. There is such an innocence about her, a yearning, that it isn't difficult to get caught up in the story.

I also love that so much of the book took place in the Palm Beach area because I love Palm Beach! And it was so odd to read about places like The Breakers as they were back then.

So in short, I would really really say read this. It's beautiful. I do not think this book is to be missed. ( )

Two starts means, "it was okay" and that is what this was. The interesting part didn't really happen until the last 80 pages or so of the book. Not that the rest was uninteresting, but for the title, the cover, the mysterious author and pen name such on the back, and the big golden award slapped on the front, I expected a bit more.

Evie, the main character was strong and interesting but she also sort of bothered me. Mostly in the way that all teen girls at the center of novels who fall in love within a matter of minutes with the hunky new boy. I am not a romance person. It goes against my girl DNA, but its the truth. And teenage girl love mostly makes me want to vomit and shake them to get them to shut up about the color of his eyes or the muscle in his arms etc. The problem for me is that most of the novel was Evie loves Peter and I didn't buy it. The last 80 pages were interesting but the novel left me feeling a bit annoyed and like it was sort of unresolved. I dunno, I didn't hate it, it was a quick read and most of it kept my interest but it wasn't the best thing I ever read. ( )

too much language and sex references. ( )

This was truly a great book. Evie Spooner is living with her mother during World War II. After the war, her stepfather returns from war bringing with him many secrets. Her stepfather's former war buddy, Peter, begins to call and try to see them. Joe, Evie's stepdad, whisks the family off to Florida with barely time to pack or say goodbye to friends. Once in Florida, the family finds that Peter has followed them and quickly uses his charms to befriend Evie and her mother, Bev. When Peter goes missing in a boating accident, suspicions land on Joe and Bev.

The setting was what I loved most. Post WWII Palm Beach comes alive with all of the glamour of that era. The "mystery" was great, even though it wasn't too hard to guess the details. ( )