Wherever Nina Lies

It took me until halfway through this book to really feel it, but then my heart was in my mouth for the rest of the story.

This was a fantastically constructed story. I'm always a little cynical about things that seem too crazy to happen in real life, but this was done so sweetly and with such emotion that it became believable.

I finished this book with an emotional hangover; I really went on a rollercoaster alongside Ellie in this book. In describing the book, it's not one that I would utterly adore; however, Ellie and Sean's friendship hooked me and from there, I was very emotionally invested.

The clues were all very well placed and arranged, so when I thought back I could make a lot of logical conclusions. I enjoyed how the events that show more took place revealed a little about both Ellie and Nina, and how their relationship as sisters changed.

I'm glad that Ellie's friends, Brad and Amanda, had different reactions to her up and leaving; I thought this really said something about friendship and the various forms it can take. Nina, too, was a very vibrant but almost ethereal character; it was almost a let down to meet her and find that she was a real person.

This wasn't really a romance, but more of an adventure, and is sure to keep you on your toes. show less

It’s been two long years since Ellie’s older sister Nina has disappeared. Pretty much everyone has given up any hope that Nina will return, but not Ellie. Ellie can’t bear to think Nina, her sister whom she loves and idolizes, could be dead. Ellie desperately wants to find Nina, and when she stumbles upon a portrait of her, drawn by Nina, she’s certain she’s found her clue. With the help of a hot and mysterious stranger named Sean, Ellie sets off on a seemingly wild-goose chase for the whereabouts of her sister. But Ellie isn’t prepared for what she learns along the way, regarding her sister and her new love interest Sean. In this suspenseful and fast-paced debut, readers will be swept along with Ellie as she journeys and show more finds love, lies, and the strength of sisterhood.

I was immensely impressed with this solid debut novel. Weingarten shows a mastery of her skill with words, especially when manipulating the plot. Ellie’s cross-country escapade was filled with humor and lust yet also disappointment, anticipation for the next clue, confusion, and danger. I like how the story strings the reader along nicely and then twists nearly completely around. In the back of my mind, I think I expected part of the outcome of Ellie’s journey, but I was still shocked when it actually happened. I also really liked the development of both Ellie’s and Nina’s characters. Ellie is easy to relate to, especially in her sisterly affection, friendship dilemmas, and thoughts of self-preservation, and this increases the reader’s sympathy for her as well as interest in her story. The reader gets to know Nina mainly through Ellie’s memories and thoughts of her sister, and it creates an image of a wild yet thoughtful girl anyone can love. Some of the minor details of this novel, though, were not as well executed as the plot and development of the major characters. There were some details that never completely added up. Also, Ellie’s relationship with her best friend Amanda seemed strange at times, and their problems seemed to magically disappear at the end of the novel. Other than these few aspects, Wherever Nina Lies was an extremely well-written and enjoyable story.

Wherever Nina Lies is very impressive for a first novel, and I hope Weingarten plans to write more novels especially if they’re as good as this one. Readers will see this novel as a hybrid between two fantastic novels, How to Be Bad and The Year My Sister Got Lucky, and will not be disappointed in this fantastic story of mystery, romance, suspense, and, most of all, sisterhood.

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If there's one thing I've got to say about this book, it's that it's misleading marketed. Look at the cover. Does it scream "plot-twisty horror thriller" to you? The cut-out ransom letters do look suspicious, but the color-scheme just makes the book look like another fluffy teen YA. NOT SO. (Although I actually do really love the cover, I just find it misleading.) I'm in no way saying that John Green's Paper Towns was a gender-specific book, but this really read like a version of Paper Towns (plus creepyness) written specifically for girls. You have the John Green-esque road trip combined with really great writing, throw in a spooky disappearance, and you get this fantastic book. So, you know, it's late at night and I sit down to read show more some fluff fiction. This story ends with me staying up far too late, scared out of my mind, but absolutely unable to put the book down. It delves right in to the story, setting everything up very quickly and in a captivating way. The suspense holds up throughout the whole novel, and makes for a really intense read. Following the clues along with the main characters is a blast, and has the reader theorizing throughout the book. There were some minor moments that did appear to be conveniently contrived for the purposes of moving the mystery along, but even those were pretty easy to read past without getting too worked up about it. I just loved the unpredictability of everything that happened, and I can definitively say this this is one of my favorite YA mysteries.

Rating: 5/5 show less

This book was amazing. It's got your mind twisting and turning in all different ways. First you think something, then you don't. If you just think you can predict your whole way through this book, you are WRONG.
Ellie and her male companion go on a road trip to find her 2 years lost sister. The clues lead them everywhere over the country. THe clues may forshadow a bit but you never know what is going to come next. It is outstanding how many suprises there are int his book

The only negative part is that it can get a bit scary when you come to think of looking for a lost sister. If you are all for that, this is the book for you :)

This was a decent mystery that turned into a decent thriller and a decent debut novel. There are quite a few flaws, but the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading. And that's the major flaw - it's plot-driven rather than character-driven. The resolution reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel where everything is revealed in the last chapter; where the reader feels slightly manipulated by the author's penchant for withholding information. Perhaps that's a tad unfair... But one thing I do have an issue with is this: great to include a gay character, but why, oh why does he have to be the stereotypical fairy? It's insulting to include such a one-dimensional character in this day and age - Brad deserves more than to be just a plot show more device. On the whole, though, not bad. I'd like to read her next one. show less

Dear Lynne Weingarten... Wherever you may be, please write another book!

Truly I loved this book! It looks to the GoodReads eye that it took me 3 days to read...but in actuality I only had time to read the first chapter up until this morning. This morning I powered through it in an hour.

Amazing.

Ellie is such an intriguing character to follow! Humor, love, devotion, lust, it is all there and in such color. I found myself wanting to find Nina just as much as Ellie did, because who wouldn't want two people with that much soul and depth wandering the planet?

An amazingly well-written story, complete with plot twists and turns. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story.

The love between Ellie and Nina shines from this show more pages in a very palpable way and touched me deeply. This book is a keeper, and now stands in my row of favorite books. show less

I am officially addicted...to mystery books. What book is it that caused my sudden relapse in this addiction (which I got over after I read every single Nancy Drew book), Wherever Nina Lies by. Lynn Weingarten. This book is so compelling, that I couldn't help but get sucked in after the first few chapters. The mystery and intrigue begins from the very beginning and plays out like a mystery game, where you use the clues you are given throughout the book to try and make your own conclusion on the ultimate question: is Nina dead?

The book is told through Nina's little sister Ellie, whom after 2 years still has not given up the will to find her sister and the hope that she is still somewhere out there. And once she finds 1 clue, just one show more little thing that adds to her reassurance that her sister is still out there, she sets out on a rode trip in search of her. And what memento accompanies her on her instantaneous desire to drive to another state in search of her missing sister; a hot guy whom she has known for two days. But you know, finding yourself suddenly a little closer to solving the mystery of your missing sister will cloud your judgement that way.

I admire Ellie's character so much. I mean many people might have gave up or lost hope of ever seeing their loved one again, but Ellie never really gave up in trying to find her sister. And she chose not to let anything come in the way of her figuring out what happened. I could really tell that throughout the book, it wasn't only about finding her sister. It was about restoring the faith in someone she had admired her whole life, finding an answer to how, if her sister was still alive, how she could just abandon her and their mother in that way.

Overall, I loved this book. I loved it so much because it made me think. It really was like a game where you use the clues to come up with your own conclusion while comparing it to what the main character's is coming up with. It was a fun, emotional, and still very deep mystery book that I will definitely be re-reading over and over again.

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