The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett in What's the Name of That Book???

Jan 15, 2018 Kate rated it it was amazing

Shelves: youngadult, fiction, ebook, 2018

I learned of this book when it was the Big Read in 2017 and was easily accessible, but I avoided reading it at the time. Once I finally opened the e-library book, I was immediately drawn in by the chatty tone and the light humor. So I got back on the wait list when my check-out expired soon after, and this time, I had the pleasure of reading the whole thing.

I imagine there was a lot of Big Read discussion about the title, which could come off as misleading re: the plot and theme, but which I th I learned of this book when it was the Big Read in 2017 and was easily accessible, but I avoided reading it at the time. Once I finally opened the e-library book, I was immediately drawn in by the chatty tone and the light humor. So I got back on the wait list when my check-out expired soon after, and this time, I had the pleasure of reading the whole thing.

I imagine there was a lot of Big Read discussion about the title, which could come off as misleading re: the plot and theme, but which I think was subtly clever. The plot is simple: an ever-popular college-age girl (the titular Lizzie) goes missing, and a high schooler named Hawthorn (hippy mom) goes looking for her. Hawthorn, who is socially marginalized other than one childhood friend with whom she is now fighting, has a childlike desire to believe in the unbelievable and decides that Lizzie has actually transformed into a werewolf. Ostracized at school and at home (yet a very funny narrator; Hawthorn seems uncommonly well-balanced given that she's a teen pariah), she fixates on this theory, which is a neat explanation for what Hawthorn experiences as Lizzie's otherworldliness. She alternately hates and loves Lizzie, and above all, admires her. Hawthorn replaces Lizzie at her diner job, then moves into Lizzie's impossible-to-fit shoes by befriending Lizzie's bereft boyfriend, Enzo, who was asleep in a tent camping with Lizzie the night Lizzie disappeared. While the rest of the town (other than Lizzie's parents, who are not characters here, and Enzo) moves on as the case ages, Hawthorn can't let it go, and even gets Enzo into alleged Lizzie-werewolf-hunting. Meanwhile, good actors in the form of Hawthorn's brother and his friend, Connor, plus her mom's former tribe of wandering hippies, appear and weigh in (the tribe actually setting up camp in their backyard until winter, adding to Hawthorn's perceived weirdness). Eventually reality sets in, as it must, and Hawthorn has to confront her magical thinking for what it is, and see where she's gone wrong in her adventuring and her relationships.

We never quite learn why Hawthorn clings to superstition and fantasy, but given that adolescents mature at different rates, just assuming that's how she is is no hindrance to the story: she simply isn't ready to grow up and lose the magic of childhood. It's a coming-of-age tale with a fresh spin, and a protagonist you can't help but adore. With Hawthorn quipping at the helm, the book reads at a fast tack, and I was a happy tourist for the whole ride. ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 Lisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

Better than I thought it would be, the obsession was interesting.

back cover

A teenage misfit named Hawthorn Creely inserts herself in the investigation of missing person Lizzie Lovett, who disappeared mysteriously while camping with her boyfriend. Hawthorn doesn't mean to interfere, but she has a pretty crazy theory about what happened to Lizzie. In order to prove it, she decides to immerse herself in Lizzie's life. That includes taking her job... and her boyfriend. It's a huge risk — but it's ju ...more

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May 20, 2016 Emma rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: bea

Everyone in town is devastated when Lizzie Lovett disappears. Well, almost everyone.

Hawthorn Creely couldn't care less.

When Hawthorn hears about Lizzie's disappearance, she expects that to be the end of it. But then instead of moving on with her life, Hawthorn accidentally becomes part of the investigation. As she learns more about Lizzie, Hawthorn also inserts herself more and more into Lizzie's life. The only one who seems to understand or want to help is Lizzie's boyfriend, Enzo.

The closer Ha Everyone in town is devastated when Lizzie Lovett disappears. Well, almost everyone.

Hawthorn Creely couldn't care less.

When Hawthorn hears about Lizzie's disappearance, she expects that to be the end of it. But then instead of moving on with her life, Hawthorn accidentally becomes part of the investigation. As she learns more about Lizzie, Hawthorn also inserts herself more and more into Lizzie's life. The only one who seems to understand or want to help is Lizzie's boyfriend, Enzo.

The closer Hawthorn gets to the truth, the more it feels like her own life is falling apart. When Hawthorn finally digs through all of the lies surrounding Lizzie and her disappearance she will have to decide if there is room for unexplained phenomenon and wondrous moments in a world that is all too painfully real in The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett (2017) by Chelsea Sedoti.

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett is Sedoti's debut novel.

Hawthorn is a quirky, fascinating heroine and an engaging unreliable narrator. Her voice is offbeat, sardonic and convincingly tone-deaf given her initially self-centered attitude. Although Hawthorn is jaded and solitary, she is painfully aware her friends maturing and changing while she wants everything to stay the same. Hawthorn still wants to believe in a world where magic is possible; a world where a girl turning into a werewolf is not only likely but also a plausible explanation for her disappearance.

Sedoti's story is weird and entertaining but, for most of the novel, still an effective mystery with suspense surrounding Lizzie's whereabouts. Unfortunately, the mystery thread ultimately falls flat with a reveal that, while predictable, is frustrating and problematic.

Reactions to The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett may come down to if readers are willing to follow the author straight to the end of the line on this wacky ride. Which I usually am. Some readers will not, especially give how very strange this story eventually gets.

(view spoiler)

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett will appeal to readers who are (or were) the weird kid in high school, the ones who don't know where they fit yet, and readers with a taste for black humor. Readers outside of those, admittedly, niche audiences will be better served waiting to see what this promising author does next.

Possible Pairings: Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira, The Book of Werewolves by Sabine Baring-Gould, The Howling by Gary Brandner, The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore, The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer, The Truth Commission by Susan Juby, Liar by Justine Larbalestier, Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration at BEA 2016* ...more

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Jan 12, 2017 Liz rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary-and-realistic

There are teens who will read and adore this book. Hawthorn is a fantastically written character. There are teens who are going to love her character. And she had fantastic growth! So that was good.

Unfortunately, this story had some problematic elements.

(view spoiler)

While this was enjoyable and I know ...more

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