The Innocents (The Innocents, #1)

Sep 16, 2012 Alice Belikov First lady Ivashkov rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-2012-could-not-finish

I HATE to do this but.........I really didn't like this book *waits for tomatoes to be thrown* I'm sorry to say I COULD NOT GET INTO THIS BOOK!!!! At first I was so excited to read this book and really wanted to like it because I thought "Oh, maybe this will be another Pretty Little Liars type book" BUT NOOOOO!!!! Don't let the cover and the synopsis fool you! This book is not what it seems!

The book introduces sisters Alice and Charlie who lived with their single mom when their dad abandoned the...more I HATE to do this but.........I really didn't like this book *waits for tomatoes to be thrown* I'm sorry to say I COULD NOT GET INTO THIS BOOK!!!! At first I was so excited to read this book and really wanted to like it because I thought "Oh, maybe this will be another Pretty Little Liars type book" BUT NOOOOO!!!! Don't let the cover and the synopsis fool you! This book is not what it seems!

The book introduces sisters Alice and Charlie who lived with their single mom when their dad abandoned them, but now mom has remarried to a wealthy widow whose wife and daughter died not to long before he married their mother. There are some so called secrets that mom and new step-dad aren't telling like, why does Alice look like her step dads DEAD daughter? Why are there no pictures or anything that acknowledges that he did have a wife and daughter before them? And why did their dad really leave? Well all of this is explained throughout the book but all the secrets are not reveal in an OMG way, they are just like "Yea, I did it" Alice hears it and says "OMG!! She did it!" Well DUHHH she just said she did, ugh this story itself really got on my nerves. There was really nothing going on throughout the book I find myself getting bored at times(ALL THE TIME). I will say that I did like the Alice at times but mostly charlie, she was hilarious! I liked her personality and really connected with both of them actually as sisters. I also was kind of confused on the POVs of Alice and Charlie and then I kind of felt like someone else other than the characters were narrating the story....I could go on and on about this but I wont.

I wouldn't recommend this book to Teens, maybe 18&up becuase this book had a lot of cursing, sex and drugs in it. Not saying teenagers don't experience this kind of things but I would NEVER give this book to my daughter or son to read.

I feel so bad that I didn't like this book but it does have potential and hopefully it shines through in the sequel which I will be not reading sadly :( This review is making me sad lol I have that I'm giving it the star it deserves but this book was just not for me.

Rating: Not My Cup Of Tea

-Alice(less)

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Feb 14, 2013 YA Novelties rated it 3 of 5 stars

Check this review out at our blog!

3.5 Stars!

When I read the summary, I thought somewhere along the lines of Gossip Girl. It is, after all, set in an uber rich and posh place, Serenity Point, and you just know that you'll find out some juicy secrets about the upper class kids. Lies, secrets, and gossip? I think so.

Shortly after divorcing their father, Alice and Charlie's mom is getting remarried to a mysterious millionaire, Richard Flood the Third, and moving all of them to his house in Serenity...more Check this review out at our blog!

3.5 Stars!

When I read the summary, I thought somewhere along the lines of Gossip Girl. It is, after all, set in an uber rich and posh place, Serenity Point, and you just know that you'll find out some juicy secrets about the upper class kids. Lies, secrets, and gossip? I think so.

Shortly after divorcing their father, Alice and Charlie's mom is getting remarried to a mysterious millionaire, Richard Flood the Third, and moving all of them to his house in Serenity Point. Having come from a middle class family, Alice and Charlie are flung into a situation they are not prepared for, suddenly hanging with all of the rich kids who belong to the country club. How will they fit in? Charlie seems to be just fine, making a place for herself in the social order, but Alice is very shy and draws away from them, creating her own little niche.

However, mysteries abound, all of them surrounding their dead step sister, Camilla, who was killed in a car crash. All of their friends are somehow connected to Camilla, and even Charlie and Alice are, though they don't know it, yet. Not only that, but their new step dad is also hiding something, getting rid of all the traces of his old family and getting angry about the oddest things. With the move to Serenity Point and all of the drama that ensues, can the girls still stick together? We shall see.

This book seemed very much like a soap opera, but not quite as complicated, almost disappointingly so. There was so much build up that when I came to the climax of the story and the secret was revealed, I was just expecting more. The secret was crazy, but not as crazy as I was led to believe. That, and the ending seemed a bit abrupt, the fight coming from almost nowhere. I think a better ending would have been the realization of the secret, and just ending it there. Nonetheless, I am still looking forward to the sequel, and maybe it will have even more drama (or so I hope). I would recommend The Innocents for anyone who likes soap operas and family drama.

M @ YA Novelties (less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Innocents by Lili Peloquin is a well-written book about the wealthy town of Serenity Point in Connecticut, Peloquin herself grew up in New England and could have been inspired by her life there.

We meet sisters Alice and Charlie, who - altough sisters - could not have been more unlike. Silent, artistic Alice and bold, sporty-girl Charlie love and hate each other just as any other sisters. They have one problem: their step-father.

Richard Flood the Third is a very rich man with a dark past. Hi...more The Innocents by Lili Peloquin is a well-written book about the wealthy town of Serenity Point in Connecticut, Peloquin herself grew up in New England and could have been inspired by her life there.

We meet sisters Alice and Charlie, who - altough sisters - could not have been more unlike. Silent, artistic Alice and bold, sporty-girl Charlie love and hate each other just as any other sisters. They have one problem: their step-father.

Richard Flood the Third is a very rich man with a dark past. His late wife died of cancer a year before the book begins and his daughter was in a car accident in which she too passed away at the same time.

Maggie, the sisters mother, recently divorced their father and quickly remarried the rich mr Flood. As Charlie and Alice's dad go to Japan with his jazz-band on tour they are forced to live with their mother and step-father, something they do not like at first. Not at all.

But Charlie adapts well to this rich life and is drawn to the alcoholic and former drug-addict Jude. Alice on the other hand find herself drawn to the quiet Tommy, who dated Richards late daughter, Camilla.

The first thing that shocks people on the other hand isn't that mr Flood remarried so quickly after his first wife past away, it is the resemblance of Alice and late Camilla.

Alice is clearly uncomfortable of the fact and starts digging deeper, which is the center-plot of the book.

The book is quite good in many aspects. For example I had problems guessing half-way through what was going to happen, somethings I rarely have problems after reading so much. As much as that was relieving, it was also annoying. I had no clue of how it would end.

One thing that is not as good is the very formal language, even between the teenagers. They speak very proper and Alice herself while having her tantrums is very formal with her words.

A warning should be posted out here to any of you who is not comfortable reading about teenagers drinking alcohol or the mentioning of drugs. I was not disturbed of it but others may be, so there is your warning.

Peloquin leaves a giant question mark at the end of the book, but perhaps that is question to be answered in the second book of the series, 'This Side of Jealousy'. I do hope so, because nearly all of the threads were left loose.(less)

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Dec 21, 2012 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alice and Charlie have always been close as sisters, but everything changes when their mom remarries and moves to Serenity Point. There’s something about this exclusive little community and all its secrets and lies that threatens to tear apart the sisters’ world as they know it. Charlie’s doing her best to fit in, by making nice with queen bee Cybill and resident bad boy Jude, but her tough act is just that—an act. As hard as she’s trying, she’s not actually sure that she belongs here. Alice, on...more Alice and Charlie have always been close as sisters, but everything changes when their mom remarries and moves to Serenity Point. There’s something about this exclusive little community and all its secrets and lies that threatens to tear apart the sisters’ world as they know it. Charlie’s doing her best to fit in, by making nice with queen bee Cybill and resident bad boy Jude, but her tough act is just that—an act. As hard as she’s trying, she’s not actually sure that she belongs here. Alice, on the other hand, is keeping her distance. She doesn’t want to alienate everyone, least of all her sister, but it’s hard for her to get close to anyone when she can’t trust them. And then there’s Camilla, Alice and Charlie’s would-be stepsister, except for the fact that she’s dead. As the sisters delve deeper into their family history and Camilla’s past, they start to realize that some secrets are better buried—or they’ll tear the two apart forever.

The Innocents is a juicy, fast-paced read that reminds me of the TV show Revenge in the best possible way. I have to say that I’ve always been a sucker for these kinds of books, since there’s something so enticing about the mixture of glamour, grit, and scandal, and fortunately, The Innocents both fits right into this mold and manages to stand out among the rest. Peloquin’s focus on the two sisters’ lives allows readers to see just how each is affected and reacts to Serenity Point, and despite how different Alice and Charlie are, they are both sympathetic in their own ways of handling each new situation thrown at them. This was a story that I didn’t want to put down, because of the fantastic plot and because I needed to know how Alice’s and Charlie’s experiences in Serenity Point would turn out. And while I wouldn’t say that this debut is the overall best among similar books, it’s still a strong contender and one that has left me anxious to see its continuation in its sequel, This Side of Jealousy.

The Innocents appeals to fans of She’s So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott, the Private series by Kate Brian, and the Gossip Girl series by Cecily Von Ziegesar.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com (less)

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Oct 22, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had an issue with THE INNOCENTS that I don't think I've ever had before. Basically, Lili Peloquin did one thing so well that it left me wanting too much.

Sisters Alice and Charlie (Alice being slightly older) move to Serenity Point in New England when their mother marries Richard Flood the III shortly after divorcing their father. The girls' middle class upbringing didn't exactly prepare them for living in a town where everyone is a member of the country club. Charlie has the social skills to c...more I had an issue with THE INNOCENTS that I don't think I've ever had before. Basically, Lili Peloquin did one thing so well that it left me wanting too much.

Sisters Alice and Charlie (Alice being slightly older) move to Serenity Point in New England when their mother marries Richard Flood the III shortly after divorcing their father. The girls' middle class upbringing didn't exactly prepare them for living in a town where everyone is a member of the country club. Charlie has the social skills to carve out a place for herself, but she honestly finds it easier to hang out with one of the waiters.

I absolutely loved the atmosphere of THE INNOCENTS. Although there are no science fiction elements, there's a bit of that Stepford Wives feel - there has to be something nasty beneath the glossy surface of their new life. Their new stepfather is touchy about the oddest things and has removed all pictures of his late daughter Camilla from his home. His late daughter who looks amazing like Alice. (Dun dun dun.) It's a great setting and feel for soap opera-type shenanigans.

And a soap opera is basically what happens. But at the same time, I felt kind of disappointed at the reveal. It's clearly something that will affect Alice and Charlie deeply, but . . . it isn't super crazy. I mean, as I think about it, it isn't normal, but . . . there isn't, for instance, anyone who contracts amnesia and is mistaken for a princess and marries another royal before remembering her husband back home who meanwhile thinks she's dead and has been seduced by her archenemy. (I cut my eyeteeth on soap operas.) Basically, it would've been a great reveal in a normal contemporary, but the atmosphere of THE INNOCENTS was so creepy and exaggerated that I was expecting something less mundane. Perhaps Peloquin is saving the true craziness for future installments? (Book two, THIS SIDE OF JEALOUSY, comes out this summer.)

Both sisters get a romance. I'm hoping their romances will be fleshed out more. There's obviously something hinky about Alice's, considering she's dating Camilla's ex. Tommy acts like there's nothing odd about the resemblance, but dating someone almost identical to your tragically departed girlfriend is strange. Charlie's romance didn't interest me much, mainly because I didn't get the appeal of Jude. He may be super hot, but he's an alcoholic. And not a charming, hiding it alcoholic, but a vomit-on-yourself-and-pass-out alcoholic. Maybe that's hot when you're a teenager and don't have experience herding drunks as the designated walker? (Herding cats is easier.)

I know I sound like I'm complaining a lot, but I'm definitely going to read THIS SIDE OF JEALOUSY. I'm just hoping Peloquin takes the series off a simmer and turns the crazy up to eleven. (less)

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Oct 17, 2012 Joni Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVE this novel! To be completely honest, I never would have picked this up for myself. I am not a big fan of books such as Pretty Little Liars, etc and that is what immediatly came to mind when I heard about this book. I put off reading it for a while because I truly didn't think I would like it. I was so wrong.

This book is part family drama, part romance, part mystery all rolled into one incredibly fast read. I read it in one day, almost one sitting. It was easy to keep up with the pace of t...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Colleen rated it 1 of 5 stars

This was not for me.
Having said that, the intended audience is teenage girls. I read because it was part of a series of advanced reader copies I was given and decided to complete the set regardless of my judgement of the covers. Most of these books do not even have back cover summaries. This one did (printed crooked on the inside front cover) and I found it very misleading. All this and that about tearing the sisters relationship apart but then that never actually happens in the story. At the v...more This was not for me.
Having said that, the intended audience is teenage girls. I read because it was part of a series of advanced reader copies I was given and decided to complete the set regardless of my judgement of the covers. Most of these books do not even have back cover summaries. This one did (printed crooked on the inside front cover) and I found it very misleading. All this and that about tearing the sisters relationship apart but then that never actually happens in the story. At the very end- one sister calls the other pathetic, the other calls her jealous. BIG DEAL!!! I'm one of 3 girls, 4 siblings total. My GOD, the shit we've said to each other could fill volumes.
The Title- The Innocents- merph? In this book- every character was innocent, there was no contradiction to this term. I interpreted from the title that we were meant to challenge our initial concepts of who was innocent and who was guilty. Not the case. The events, I should really say knowledge since aside from a few crappy, Waspy parties- no action happened in this book, that were revealed only lead to immediate Iago affects where you really couldn't be angry or blame the not-so-innocent characters. The unfolding knowledge was just plain dull to add.
The only interesting part of the book could have come after the paternity revelation, but sadly did not. I don't think the author appreciated that many readers would have already come to this highly foreshadowed event and what we really wanted to learn was how that information would change the world around these characters. This entire book was one long preview into a series of teen novels that was already being advertised on the back cover of this book. I don't know how well this series is going to be received when the initial book leaves its reader frustrated and irritated. I will not be continuing with the book.
The style of this book is aggravating to me. The narrative is omniscient, but the point of view changes from one sibling to the next. These two girls are complete opposites - cliche. The chapters alternate from one sister to the next until the middle of the book where it just falls apart. We end up following the one sister around and maybe check back in with the other every 4-5 chapters. What was the point of this? My thoughts were that the author was trying to capitalize on having her reader's identify with one of the two very commonly used personality types in order to suck in as many audience members as possible. The one sister- shy, smart, reserved, conspiracy loving, with an unshakable identity. What teenager do you know that never questions her feelings or choices? The other- sexy, bold, daring and mostly in regret of what she says and is in waiting for the fall out. As an adult, I could easily point the finger at teens I see acting like this, but what teen would admit she is this personality? My reason for saying that this change in point of view is pointless is that, it felt as if the author realized that her other character was just so petty and narcissistic that even the author couldn't spend more time on her.
The other thing that drove me completely nuts - I'm not even sure I can fault the author on. Nothing and I mean nothing was left to the imagination. Every thought, every single little thought was second guessed by the main characters and then given 1-2 paragraphs of further wish-washing and roll playing such as maybe this will happen or maybe this will happen, maybe I should have said/done this, what's he thinking- maybe this, can he tell, blah blah blah . . . . .! I can say as a teenager I over analyzed everything and maybe still do, so I have to admit that the author had the mindset of a teen girl in check, but this is a fiction novel; aren't we the readers supposed to fill in blanks, visualize the scenes, enjoy that we've recognize a foreshadow, perceive as the main character and then feel along side them? I can't do this when minor beyond minor hypothetical nuances are thrown in the way of the story. (less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Molly Sureman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ok so I know all my friends secretly watch Revenge on TV. When we realized this someone pointed to Lili Peloquin's facebook feed and we've been flipping over these amazing posts and commentary about the show. We've even followed her tweets live during the show.

Anyway, this writer is amazing!!!! We're sometimes in tears laughing at what she says and how she perceives all the oddities on the show. So one of my co-worker's husbands works in editing and got his hands on an early copy of this book fo...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Hazel Dobkins rated it 5 of 5 stars

YA is my guilty pleasure, one which Im not too keen on advertising, but occasionally I will come across one book so fabulous that it compels me to come out of the YA closet, go on public record so to speak :) The Innocents has me yodeling The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name (or should I say gay for YA) oh zut pardon ma francaise! Now normally I have to say my expectations are never high when it comes to YA but thats why I like them (and the fact that I have a cherished friend who works in the...more YA is my guilty pleasure, one which Im not too keen on advertising, but occasionally I will come across one book so fabulous that it compels me to come out of the YA closet, go on public record so to speak :) The Innocents has me yodeling The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name (or should I say gay for YA) oh zut pardon ma francaise! Now normally I have to say my expectations are never high when it comes to YA but thats why I like them (and the fact that I have a cherished friend who works in the giltzy "monde celebre" of publishing and slips me advanced copies - dont worry NO SPOILERS here though Je jure!) as they are almost always fabulously low-brow, charmingly unsophisticated, and therefore, completely innocuous and relaxing for yours truly. Basically, I almost always know exactly what to expect: cheap thrills and bawdy reveries. Usually. But with The Innocents, oh Mon Dieu, the unusual is, franchement, de rigeur. Most YA novels provide me with a certain sort of bland comfort, much like the bag of Chips Ahoy and Snickers I just had (dont tell Jenny!) But with The Innocents, I was reminded how much I love to be thrilled and shocked by a novel. Without giving anything away, I will say that Peloquin's spooky, gothic, haunting, hip, edgy, modern roman a clef is one of the best in its class. Its completely engaging without taking itself too seriously (which I appreciate.) Its tawdry yet compelling, modern yet timeless, stylish yet substantive, fantastical yet true-to-life. If youve ever had a sibling rivalry, if youve ever felt like a stranger in your own house (or your own skin for that matter!), if youve ever found yourself looking from the outside in (or looking from the inside out...of a gilded cage), if youve ever found yourself struggling to attract and keep that special Valmont (zut alors!), then this coup d'eclat from the charmant Madame(moiselle?) Peloquin is for you!

Bisou,

Hazel

p.s. Im a new member on here trying to cherher more books like this one, so if you think you can help a dame out Id love to hear from you!(less)

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Aug 06, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really thought this book was a fun, mysterious read! It was fast to read and while Alice was quite annoying (imo), the book was pretty good!

Alice and Charlie are sisters. Their dad ran out on them a couple years ago and their mom has just remarried a very rich man. Richard's wife died of cancer and very shortly after that, his only daughter died in a car accident. The girls, their mom and their new stepdad are spending the rest of summer at the beach house before the girls are shipped off to a...more

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Jul 21, 2012 B rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Another in the realm of the gossip-girl-type new-england-social-hierarchy teens-that-are-kind-of-in-over-their-heads genre. It takes a while to really pin point what the main conflict in the book is and until the author gets into it there’s no real sense of urgency to keep you reading. Alice and Charlie are sisters and their mom had an affair then married some rich guy whose wife and child died the year before. The sisters spend the summer as a part of their new family and try to carve out a pla...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Izzy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Apparently, this is Lili Peloquin's debut novel. And it's pretty good for a debut novel. I personally don't think it's good enough to turn the heads of nerds and bookworms alike to start making fanart of it or somthing, and there are SO MANY editing errors, but I liked it.

Some elements of the book are kinda cliche, and it's probably been seen many times. In fact, Serenity Point reminded me of Cousins Beach from The Summer I Turned Pretty. And I've seen the siblings element in many, many books. H...more Apparently, this is Lili Peloquin's debut novel. And it's pretty good for a debut novel. I personally don't think it's good enough to turn the heads of nerds and bookworms alike to start making fanart of it or somthing, and there are SO MANY editing errors, but I liked it.

Some elements of the book are kinda cliche, and it's probably been seen many times. In fact, Serenity Point reminded me of Cousins Beach from The Summer I Turned Pretty. And I've seen the siblings element in many, many books. However, Peloquin's writing can make all of these seem like her own, and her many plot twists and added characters add to the originality.

I'm afraid that the editors behind this book though were HORRIBLE in any way possible. I'm sorry, you can't deny it. There were SO MANY grammar errors that I found for a book of this, and I even noticed a missing header in one page.

*hits head on wall repeatedly*

It did draw away a bit from the story, but not completely.

One of the interesting things was that Peloquin made Alice, the elder, seem like an outsider and Charlie, the younger, fit in so well. Often, it seems like the other way around. I also loved how she focused more of the attention on Alice instead of Charlie (which I also sort of expected) and how she creatively turned Alice from her old, quiet, reserved ways to seem almost like a completely different character at the end of the book.

The other characters were great as well. I can see that Peloquin is trying to create a love triangle dynamic for Charlie, Jude, and Stan (whom I LOVE and will gladly take if Charlie stays with Jude), and I thought it was interesting. It wasn't like most love triangles that I have seen and I liked it. For once, the love triangle factor didn't bore me to tears. Camilla reminded me of Alison - from Pretty Little Liars - in the sense that she still had a huge impact after she died. Even though she was dead, she almost seemed like a main character. I also liked how Peloquin made Cybill seem justified in all of her actions in the end of the book, and made her seem nice. The parents were OK, and I didn't completely hate them like in most books where the parents make me want to Hulk-smash them. And while sometimes Alice and Charlie bothered me a bit, I loved them in the end and I loved their personality.

The end felt kind of abrupt. The girls' last argument was almost written the same exact way as the first chapter (on July 1st) and throughout the book, I had no idea that the date was nearing. However, I did understand the tension between the two, and I felt if the argument was a little more toned down it would have been more believable.

Despite all the grammatical errors and all the bad reviews you will see here, I definitely liked this book. Hopefully the sequel will be just as good - and that they have new editors. If it were terrible writing wise as well, I'd burn it.(less)

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Nov 13, 2012 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Innocents
by
Lili Peloquin

My " in a nutshell" summary...

Two sisters try to adjust to their mom's marriage to a wealthy mysterious man and a town filled with secrets and lies.

My thoughts after reading this book...

Yummy yummy YA angst! Mystery, mean girls, bad boys...one quietly introspective art loving girl who is at the heart of the mystery. Well written, fun, what is not to love about this book? My answer...not one thing! Charlie is the sister who wants thrills and fun...Alice is the sister...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-s, alt-pov, to-trade-swap

Thank you to Penguin and Razorbill for this ARC.

If you enjoy Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl or 90210, then this is the book for you. If not? Well, you might want to pass on it.

This book was a mix for me... On one hand, it's well written with twists and turns that keep it from being boring but it also felt "wordy" and cliche at times. The beginning is slow and it wasn't until roughly 3/4 of way through before I became engaged and then... it ended. (Wait. What? That's it?)

There is a mess of woul...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Christelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is a book about two sisters whose mom marries a wealthy man and sweeps them off to a small town full of the rich and fabulous, full of secrets, and where you can trust no one

This book as an eerie mystery which is intended to be at the root of the story. To be honest with you, that mystery got lost in the many subplots. There where times where the characters would pause and contemplate and try to solve a mystery and I didn't even know there was a mystery to solve. Most of the time all I coul...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Ikhlas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-ya

Sisters and best friends Alice and Charlie have never let a thing get in between them. They’ve stuck together, with their mother, when their parents got divorced and their dad left the country. But then their mother remarries a rich widower, with not only a dead wife but a dead daughter who committed suicide, everything starts to change.

Before the sisters leave for their private boarding school in September, they must get through the summer living in their stepfather’s mansion, in the posh and s...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Ashley Poland rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teenage girls

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There are two ways to rate this book: as I think I would like it when I was the intended audience (ages 12 & up) and as I liked it as an adult reader.

I think teenage girls would love the book. It's dramatic and intriguing in a teenage girl sort of way. If I tap into the middle school girl in me, it tickles that part of me. It reads easily as it follows the drama of two sisters whisked off to their step-father's uber-rich community. It is, in a lot of ways, a twisted Cinderella story. There a...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Hannah (The Irish Banana Review) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-contemporary

If you liked Gossip Girl, then odds are you will love The Innocents. In her debut novel, Lili Peloquin creates a lush, decadent, and utterly devious world where back-stabbing is as commonplace as coffee in the morning and secrets pop up faster than tulips in the spring.

Let me start by saying I enjoyed Alice more than Charlie. Charlie seemed bratty and pretty entitled for the bulk of the novel. I found myself multiple times wanting Alice to slap her. Alice seemed the more sweet and innocent (and,...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Innocents (The Innocents #1) by Lili Peloquin

4 stars

The Innocents is the perfect blend of hot country club guys, a death of a notorious beauty, and 'the scandalous lives of Serenity Point's elite.'

The Innocents is a fun, easy read, and I finished it in one sitting. It's basically Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars, which is perfect, since they are two of my favs. The characters are complex enough, and they all have their share of skeletons in their closets. The story is told from the two...more

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Oct 18, 2012 ExLibris_Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

The Innocents begins with a classic fish-out-of-water premise as sisters Alice and Charlotte (Charlie) move to the wealthy community of Serenity Point with their mom and their new and, yes, wealthy step-dad. You take a life changing situation, like divorce and remarriage, and two very different teens and this book is, in part, about how these two sisters handle their new life. Charlie's outgoing behavior is in direct contrast to Alice, who is more of a cautious observer. The contrast be...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Courtney (Fuzzy.Coffee.Books) rated it 2 of 5 stars

What I Liked: 1) The Gothic Mystery element. I read so much paranormal fiction that often I forget how mysterious contemporary novels can be. This one is a nice example of the gothic mystery (albeit pretty easy to figure out, I think I figured it out about 100 pages in.) 2) The secondary characters. The secondary characters of Jude, Cybill, Camilla, and Tommy fascinated me, probably more than the two MCs did. Their lifestyle, which MCs Alice and Charlie are just learning about, is one of indulge...more What I Liked: 1) The Gothic Mystery element. I read so much paranormal fiction that often I forget how mysterious contemporary novels can be. This one is a nice example of the gothic mystery (albeit pretty easy to figure out, I think I figured it out about 100 pages in.) 2) The secondary characters. The secondary characters of Jude, Cybill, Camilla, and Tommy fascinated me, probably more than the two MCs did. Their lifestyle, which MCs Alice and Charlie are just learning about, is one of indulgence and extravagance, like being dropped into some overdramatic reality tv show. Or a soap opera is more like it. 3) Alice. I connected with Alice a lot when she was doing all of her sleuthing to try and figure out what the big secret was about Camilla. Alice seemed to think she was being sneaky about it, but to me it was just research, and she wasn't giving up until she knew the truth. I'm like that when I'm curious about something, I will research and research until I get my answers. And since her curiosity became my curiosity, that was a big part in keeping me interested.

What I Didn't Like: I hated the way it ended. Hated it. It was like being dropped off a cliff. Not like a big cliffhanger, in fact there wasn't really a cliffhanger at all. But there was a big reveal (of the answers to Alice's mystery) and then nothing. She goes a little crazy in a Henry James kind of way in making all sorts of assumptions, none of which made any sense to me at all. And then the book was over. Really? REALLY? That's how you're going to end it? It's not an ending that drives another book at all. I was very disappointed in that. I also did not like Alice and Charlie's mom at all. But people who completely change their personalities because of some new person in their life bug me in real life too.

Overall thoughts: There is a lot of promise in this debut as it picks up to a great start with fully developed characters and an intriguing mystery. The overindulgent lifestyles of the youth (and the adults) in Serenity Point adds a flair of the dramatic and a lot of fun. The ending was very disappointing though, as the author was simply tired of writing. Yes, it answered the questions that had been developed throughout the course of the story, but there was no gradual let down. It was BOOM, The End. The saving grace for the series is the fact that an excerpt from the next book is included at the end. My belief in Lili Peloquin's talent, plus that mysterious little excerpt have convinced me to give the series another shot.

See this and other reviews at my book review blog, Fuzzy.Coffee.Books!(less)

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Oct 11, 2012 Book Twirps rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alice and Charlie have lived a very normal life for the most part. Their family wasn’t wealthy, and they know what it’s like to struggle, especially after their dad left them and their mother. Not long after, they find themselves thrust into a totally new lifestyle when their mother marries Richard, a very wealthy man with a troubled past. His wife died of cancer and his teenage daughter died in a car accident just a few months earlier.

Determined to make the adjustment as easy as possible, Alice...more Alice and Charlie have lived a very normal life for the most part. Their family wasn’t wealthy, and they know what it’s like to struggle, especially after their dad left them and their mother. Not long after, they find themselves thrust into a totally new lifestyle when their mother marries Richard, a very wealthy man with a troubled past. His wife died of cancer and his teenage daughter died in a car accident just a few months earlier.

Determined to make the adjustment as easy as possible, Alice and Charlie have each other’s back. They’ll make it through the summer, surrounded by spoiled rich kids, and somehow, they’ll make the adjustment when they go off to the private boarding school in the fall. That all begins to change when they get to Serenity Point. Alice is happy blending into the scenery, but Charlie is determined to have fun, and has no problems sparring with her new frenemy, Cybil. Charlie won’t be bested by anyone. Plus she’s kind of attracted to Jude who seems to have a bit of a twisted relationship with Cybil even though they are related. With Charlie off getting drunk and fighting to stay on top, Alice watches her sister slip into the entitled lifestyle with ease. It’s a little troubling to her, but Alice knows that when Charlie wants something, she gets it. Alice is more concerned with the mystery surrounding Richard’s deceased daughter Camilla, and Camilla’s ex-boyfriend, Tommy. When Alice sees a picture of Camilla, she realizes they look a lot alike, and she uses this to get to Tommy. As the mystery deepens, the sisters begin to grow apart from each other, and their relationship with their mother begins to change. By the end of the summer, things won’t be quite as rosy as they’d originally planned.

This book reminded me a little of a cross between the TV show “Revenge” and “Gossip Girl”. You have the wealthy, snobby residents of Serenity Point constantly trying to one-up one another, and the juicy, gossip surrounding Richard. Couple that with a bunch of spoiled rich kids and you have a recipe for a good, juicy mystery told from alternating points of view of the two sisters.

I really liked Ms. Peloquin’s writing style, and while the story moved a little slower than I would have liked, it was a quick and easy read. I’m a sucker for messed up, rich kids. Their sense of entitlement amuses me, and Ms. Peloquin captures it perfectly. The book is filled with characters you love to hate. Some you want to see fall off a cliff, and others you want to see redeemed. As far as the two sisters are concerned, I preferred Charlie over Alice. Alice seemed a little dull to me, but then again, I tend to gravitate toward the questionable, spunky and flawed types. Charlie just seemed more real to me. Still, the differences between the two sisters made for a great dynamic.

The most inconsistent character (in my opinion) was Maggie, the girls mother. The woman she has become is WAY different than the woman the girls describe pre-marriage. It just seemed that the difference in character was a little too extreme, but maybe there’s a deeper explanation for all of it in future installments.

While this book may not be for everyone, I, personally enjoyed it. The resolution of the mystery wasn’t a surprise to me, but it made sense and was satisfying. There is a bit of a cliffhanger ending, but I liked it. I’m very much looking forward to the next installment!(less)

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Oct 27, 2012 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is not at all a nail-biting drama or breathless romance or even a gothic mystery. It's more of a quiet story about two sisters who were once really close becoming increasingly estranged and then enemies. That's not to say that this book is boring, because it isn't.

Once I got past my expectations (non-historical fiction version of The Luxe meets Gossip Girl), I enjoyed this book. Not every novel has to be incredibly dramatic or melodramatic.

This is still a very fun book and I'm excited to se...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Annabelle Marie Veronica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-of-age, death, arcs, favorites, gorgeous-cover, i-love-a-guy-in-this-book, mystery, romance, suspense

***FINAL RATING: 3.45 STARS***

CATCHALL
So, I found The Innocents to be very genuinely enjoyable. It's a suspenseful thriller full of mystery and intrigue, love and romance. It actually reads a lot like a historical fiction book, although it's set in the modern day. It was incredibly unputdownable and definitely a page-turner. I certainly wasn't bored reading it. There were definitely some things I didn't like about it, but overall it was a good, solid book with a good story to tell.

THE HEROINES...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Two sisters, Alice and Charlie, are suddenly thrust into a world of wealth and privilege when their mother marries a rich widower. Just as they start to settle in to their new life, Alice discovers their new stepfather has been hiding some things. There are obviously complicated love interests, who we don't get to know as well as I'd like, but it feels like that will come later in the series. Alice and Charlie are complicated characters, and they're very well-developed. The parents are left a li...more

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May 27, 2012 Stacee rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

I just couldn't get into this book. It's written in an odd 3rd person POV that switched between the sisters every two chapters, then every other one, then just random sections through out. There's also full pages that are just one paragraph, so it didn't seem to be as fluid as it needed to.

Things the sisters did didn't make a lot of sense to me. First Alice is hoping to resemble Camilla so she can get the boy, then she gets creeped out when people start mistaking her for Camilla. With Charlie,...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Kristin Hafling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, goodreads-first-reads

My Thoughts:

I received this book from Goodreads First Reads.

I was really excited when I found out this book, it seemed mysterious and scandalous and I am sucker for rich kids and drama, but I have to admit that even though I enjoyed this book I was a little bit disappointed.

Alice and Charlie are very close for sisters, they are both so different from each other that they never had to compete with one another for anything so they get along so well. Their mother has just remarried a new man, Richa...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Lisa Collins rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: checked-out

MAYBE 2.5 stars.

I went into The Innocents with basically no insight to the story whatsoever. I knew it’s Young Adult Contemporary, so you can imagine the type of thing I was expecting (summer romance, school troubles, family troubles, maybe an accident or something). While there is some of that in this book, it’s completely different from what I had thought it would be. Maybe if I hadn’t have reserved any expectations for it I wouldn’t have been disappointed or disgruntled. (Obviously.)

The story...more MAYBE 2.5 stars.

I went into The Innocents with basically no insight to the story whatsoever. I knew it’s Young Adult Contemporary, so you can imagine the type of thing I was expecting (summer romance, school troubles, family troubles, maybe an accident or something). While there is some of that in this book, it’s completely different from what I had thought it would be. Maybe if I hadn’t have reserved any expectations for it I wouldn’t have been disappointed or disgruntled. (Obviously.)

The story itself was interesting enough, I guess… if a million and one things about it were changed. It seemed extremely melodramatic more than once, like a soap opera, and by the end I was calling bullshit. Not that I completely hated the book. I kept reading and that says something, but I started disliking it more and more as I went along. The author’s writing leaves something to be desired and I have some woes with a particular character.

I hate Alice, the main character (one of them, at least). She’s so annoying. She’s paranoid, self-centered, nosy, and prone to make assumptions that are often incorrect. Not little assumptions like “You ate the last cookie!”, but big ones like “You killed XYZ!”. I’ll admit, sometimes she is correct in her Sherlock Holmes stories, but she’s so quick to assume things that I feel like I never got on board with her because she was always just being crazy again. Speaking of which, I sort of hope she does turn out to have some sort of mental illness, because her actions and the way she thinks are too unwarranted.

Alice’s character would be pretty interesting if it was the author’s motive to have her seem crazy, but the thing is: I’m not entirely sure that’s what Lili Peloquin meant to do. That, I’m sure is one of my biggest problems with the whole novel. Is the author purposely weaving this crazy shit together because it’s how Alice is seeing things, or is she (the author) just trying too hard and failing? The whole time I was reading I was thinking about reading the next book to get some sort of explanation, but I’m not positive I want to spend my time on this story anymore. Alas.

Also, about the author’s writing style: There are so many inconsistencies in the grammar and style of writing in this book. From point of view problems to the use of commas in place of the word “and”, it was sometimes extremely annoying. Usually grammar mistakes can be passed by and forgotten, but I feel like if they confuse the reader at all the author and/or the editor should have caught them, and when they don’t it reflects on them as lazy and sloppy. This is the case with The Innocents. And while I didn’t quit the book because of the problems, I do look down on it more than I would have had there been less wrong.

For the most part, I don’t think I’ll ever read this book again and I’m unsure if I’ll even give the second book in the series a try. You may like it, I don’t know, but the story was trying too hard and I just couldn’t enjoy it.

ETA: I know this review seems pretty harsh on the book, and I suppose you're probably right. It wasn't the worst book I ever read, nor was it the best. I don't want you to feel like you shouldn't read the book just because I didn't like it. You may love it, I don't know. Everything written in this and all of my reviews is my opinion and I hope it won't ever keep you from giving a book a try if you feel like reading it. And take what I say with a grain of salt because my views on books (and life in general) are never static. (:(less)

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Feb 20, 2013 Taylorweeksy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally post at Taylor's Book World

The Innocents was not exactly how I thought it would be, when I first heard about it and read the summary I thought 'Okay, this sounds like a really cool, super mysterious book' and I couldn't wait to read it. I know some people compared it to the likes of Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl and I can definitely see the similarities after reading it. It had the drama, secrets, lies, betrayal, love, twists and revelations all elements which make a fantastic t...more Originally post at Taylor's Book World

The Innocents was not exactly how I thought it would be, when I first heard about it and read the summary I thought 'Okay, this sounds like a really cool, super mysterious book' and I couldn't wait to read it. I know some people compared it to the likes of Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl and I can definitely see the similarities after reading it. It had the drama, secrets, lies, betrayal, love, twists and revelations all elements which make a fantastic teen drama but somehow it all was predictable. I knew about from the second chapter what huge secret would eventually explode!

The two protagonists of the novel were Alice and Charlie; sister's who were super close would tell each other everything right up to the day they drove through Serenity Point, where things take a turn for the worst for the sisters. Forcing them both to take side and stick to it, unfortunately for them, it seems like their on opposite islands now. I found I liked Alice more then I liked Charlie. Alice is the kind of character I felt you could relate to more and actually give a damn when things got bad for her. Where else when something disastrous happened to Charlie I really couldn't of cared less. Charlie has alot of potential and I see huge amounts of character development in the future for her. As scene in The Innocents drinking, partying, drugs and boys were mainly the focus of Charlie's brain. I think that's why I liked Alice more. Alice who reads, likes to have some solidarity time and never bends to anybody else's will, is much more likely heroine character.

The plot of The Innocents surrounds Alice and Charlie's mother marrying the wealthy Richard Flood, the guy who's wife and daughter died mysteriously in the past year and the startling resemblance Alice holds to his past daughter- Camilla- the golden girl with the darkest of secrets and also the girl who drove her self of a bridge committing suicide shocking Serenity Point into a hush of the unspoken Camilla Flood.

The Innocents isn't a must read. It's a fond read but not something that had me excited or feeling attached to the characters which is something really important in a novel, but hey, if you like either Pretty Little Liars or Gossip Girl I'd say give it a go. It's not all bad, just needs some improvement in some areas and hopefully the sequel This Side of Jealousy will succeed to capture my bookworm-heart.(less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

The synopsis of this book REALLY doesn't explain what it's about at all. Rather than focusing on the relationship between Alice and Charlie, this book is about serious secrets--secrets that threaten to unravel everything...

Alice and her sister, Charlie, have just moved to Serenity Point, a highly affluent neighborhood full of the rich and overprivileged. They were forced to make the move when their recently divorced mother married Richard, a recently widowed man who also had to bury his teenage...more The synopsis of this book REALLY doesn't explain what it's about at all. Rather than focusing on the relationship between Alice and Charlie, this book is about serious secrets--secrets that threaten to unravel everything...

Alice and her sister, Charlie, have just moved to Serenity Point, a highly affluent neighborhood full of the rich and overprivileged. They were forced to make the move when their recently divorced mother married Richard, a recently widowed man who also had to bury his teenage daughter, Camilla. Camilla has left her mark not only on Richard, but on the whole of Serenity Point...

While Charlie seems to instantly fit in, becoming frenemies with Cybill, the Queen Bee in town, Alice remains more on the sidelines, minus the secret relationship she's been developing in the moonlight. As the sisters drift further and further apart, Alice realizes how much she and Charlie have been keeping from one another.

One of Alice's biggest secrets is the major sleuthing she's been doing into the past, a past that just doesn't quite add up. As shocking revelations come to light, will Alice have the nerve to reveal the truth to Charlie? And will she be able to come to terms with what the truth means for her? Serenity Point... where under the surface, things are anything but serene.

The Innocents was a surprise for me mainly because I REALLY didn't like it halfway through. I've discovered that I really do not enjoy books about spoiled rich kids, probably because I cannot relate to that at all. So the book really turned me off in the beginning. The drugs, the drinking, the complete lack of parenting... *shudder*. But halfway through, I got more invested in the story and it helped me put aside my reservations about the kids of Serenity Point.

While I didn't think that the revelations were SUPER shocking, if you read it carefully you'll be able to see them coming, I am curious to see where the author plans to take things next. And don't worry, not everything gets wrapped up so there's plenty left for the characters to unravel in the sequel.(less)

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