| Title | : | Lying Out Loud (Hamilton High, #4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 309 |
| Publication | : | First published April 28, 2015 |
Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with -- secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross.
Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand -- a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.
But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?
Lying Out Loud (Hamilton High, #4) Reviews
-
Sonny is a liar and a relatively unlikable character. The reader shouldn’t care about her story or become quickly invested, but I was intrigued. The tug was inexplicable, yet unavoidable—I just knew that there had to be something deep driving the deceit.
Her father incarcerated and her maternal parental unit unaccounted for, it is easy to be empathetic….up to a point; but the level—constant layering of lies— becomes incomprehensible. I wanted to reach into the pages to shake someone, while almost equally powerful was the desire to offer comfort, promise understanding and open-mindedness and just to get to the bottom of it.
While I couldn’t actually do that (this is not a choose-your-adventure-book); Amy’s parents did that very thing and it was spectacular. There was more to Sonny’s saga, and it was unexpected. Of course, a lying lifestyle cannot be condoned. Sonny owes apologies. She must make amends and be prepared to grant time for trust to develop again; but her behavior has been explained, allowing her the opportunity for growth, and eventually…acceptance.
Lying Out Loud isn’t a somber, heavy tale. On the contrary, I worry about being dismissed or overlooked. At a blush, it seems such a simple little story about the angst of high school, best friends and a boy. Sonny is a funny girl and many of her lies are quite comical; besides, how can I not find affection for the girl who named her car “Gert”? The quiet, thoughtful consideration of her best friend, Amy brings balance; but let me not forget about Ryder. The quintessential boy-in-the-middle is rarely written so well.
To Sonny, he’s “…always dressed as if he was on his way to a concert for a band no one had ever heard of” and she considers him almost aloof….if she were to overlook his blatant disdain for his new home town. Ryder seems unreachable and it’s no surprise he has eyes only for Amy; but it’s Sonny that cracks his veneer, revealing deep secrets such as, he “sometimes writes like an actual teen-ager.”
This book evokes emotions---all of them---and the story speeds along. It works so well because the Rush family provides a solid foundation. It is Sonny’s story, but Ryder’s self-realization is a sweet supporting side-bar. Even the impeccable Amy finds room for a bit of growth. Though it is about a liar, the tale is honest, courageous, heart-breaking and hopeful.
This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore -
3-1/2 stars, but I'm rounding up because Wesley Rush.
A modified version of this review also appears on
Swoony Boys Podcast.
If you know me at all, you know that I love Kody Keplinger lots, and the The DUFF (and Wesley Rush) will always have a special place in my heart. It's the first book I picked up when I started reading books (instead of thousands of fics) again, and I love it still. Though all of her YA books have a connection to The DUFF, Lying Out Loud is the only one that is labeled as a companion. I think they probably did that because of the movie, but I'm not complaining. This book focuses on Sonny, who is the BFF of Amy Rush. That's right--Wesley's little sister.
After constantly covering up some not-so-pleasant things going on in her life, Sonny becomes a habitual liar. It's like second nature to her to lie to everyone--her bosses, her teachers, her friends and their parents, and herself. This all comes crashing down on her when she lies to her best friend and the boy she's fallen in love with.
New guy Ryder Cross is preppy, snobby, and a wannabe hipster. He's also totally crazy about Amy. So when Ryder sends Amy a message asking her out, Sonny composes a mean email to respond, never intending to send it. Of course, it gets sent inadvertently, leaving Amy and Sonny feeling guilty for being so mean. Taking Amy's laptop, Sonny talks to Ryder via IM, apologizing. It isn't until they're about to sign off that Sonny realizes that Ryder thinks he's been talking to Amy all along. The problem is that Sonny felt a real connection to him and continues to chat with him online or through texts--and she doesn't tell Amy. It's obvious that Ryder and Sonny like each other as they share secrets with each other and their messages become more intimate, but Ryder has no idea that his dream girl is actually Amy."When we're texting or talking online, she's so...She's great. She's funny and smart and it's so easy to talk to her. The virtual Amy is incredible. ... I just wish the Amy I saw in real life was more like that."
When Amy finds out what's been going on, Sonny promises to come clean. But how can she when she's falling for Ryder?
I loved this story, which is sort of a retake on Cyrano de Bergerac. The characters were all realistic, and there's no doubt that Kody Keplinger is a true voice of the teen generation. I'm so proud of her, which is weird since I don't know her, but whatever. I love the girl.
Back to the characters. I loved their interactions with each other and their banter. I love the history that's thrown in here, both between Amy and Sonny (and Sonny with Amy's family), as well as with the characters from Keplinger's other books that we've come to know and love. It was great to see or hear about
Whitley and Nathan,
Lissa and Cash,
Casey, and of course
Bianca and Wesley.
This book covers a lot of the school year, and Wesley is home for Christmas and Spring Break, and I love it. I love the banter between him and Bianca (and everyone, really) and the history that's woven throughout the story.Wesley smiled. "I am rather fond of handwritten letters."
"You write letters?"
"I wrote a couple in the past."
::grin forever::
I liked Ryder a lot. He wasn't a doormat, and he definitely said and did some things that made me swoon."Make you a deal," he said, kissing just beneath my ear. "I'll add some better make-out music to my collection, if you drop it for the moment...."
One of the things that I didn't like about Shut Out was that I thought there was a huge plot hole in the fact that the MC basically lies to us before something huge is revealed. I won't get into that here, but I only mention it because I was so happy that that didn't happen here. The reveal about Sonny is predictable, even without the clues that lead up to it, but I really appreciated that there was some foreshadowing here. It's just another example of how far Kody Keplinger has come as a writer.
I have very few complaints about this book. I guess the biggest one is that there was no Harrison Carlyle here. He was mentioned, but I wanted him to be there. Also, regarding Harrison, Wesley mentions that he hasn't heard from him in ages. I was surprised by that. There were definitely times I wanted to shake Sonny and ask her what the hell she was doing, but I thought her character was genuine and every decision she made seemed true.
Also, I didn't like that Sonny always brought back the reason that Ryder couldn't really like her is because she wasn't beautiful or rich enough. Ryder didn't give any indication of being like that in their chats, and though he was pretentious in class, Sonny knew the reasons behind his bitterness at having to move there. It just...rubbed me the wrong way. The only other problem I really had was the ending. I wanted MORE. A lot more.
Authentic with likable characters, Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger is a fast, fun read that should not be missed. -
I mean, after all that suffering I had to go through for 300 pages, you'd think we'd get a better ending!
This was just horrible. I can't believe I wasted precious time on this. It was boring and dragged from the very beginning. The characters were immature and flat. Completely lifeless writing with an unmemorable plot.
I'm going for a very summarized review cause I got better shit to do than review a book this irritating, like chores or something equally painful.
➲ Sonny: aka the worst effin friend you could possibly find. People like her make me consider going friendless, at least I'd be in better company. She is a selfish, hypocritical ingrate that should have just been struck by lighting. Freaking horrible friend and never once considered doing something for Amy that didn't serve her desires. Inconsiderate witch. In her eyes, the world revolved around her and her insecurities and self-serving reasoning. Just ugh. Go to the corner and die.
➲Amy: You dumb twit. I mean it has to be pretty obvious when you're being used especially when they being so blatant about it. How about having the balls to go out and get some self respect. Being nice does not mean being a stinkin doormat. You have a mouth for a reason, start using it!
➲Ryder: Pffft. I seriously cannot understand the reason behind falling for this guy. Like really? I mean, at least you get props for making him black. I guess this is a plus cause I don't remember ever reading a book where the guy isn't white. So there's that. But besides that? Nothing. He felt shallow and completely underdeveloped. Most of Kody's guys make me swoon but this guy? I think a freaking plain white lamp was more appealing.
➲The Premise: I was ecstatic about it but if we're going to have a liar as the main character, how about making her an artist at it? Seriously at one point she's like "my dog ate my homework" and the teachers fell for that?
Seriously, how stupid can you be? Her lies were beyond ridiculous.
➲The Romance: I don't really understand how there could be a romance when he's been in love for half the book with Amy. It never felt real when he finally started liking Sonny cause be the time he did it just felt like "Well, since I can't get the rich hot brunette, I'll just fall for the frumpy friend". And when they were together all they did was kiss ( I'm not whining cause I wanted more, although this is the author of DUFF so I'm a bit surprised at this being so PG-13), their "connection" seeming completely superficial.
I refuse to believe the author of this is the same one who wrote the Duff and Midsummer's Nightmare. No way, Jose.
...Just disappointed.
PS: This book must seriously be missing like at least 50 pages. That shit cannot be the end to the story. Heck no. -
Find all of my reviews at:
http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
When I read
The D.U.F.F. earlier this year I was so pleasantly surprised. Not only did I find it to break the mold of typical high school YA reads, I was also amazed that it was produced by a 17 year old girl. Dear
Erica,
Sadly, while I thought The D.U.F.F. was pretty much brilliant, the same can’t be said this time around. In fact, if I had to guess – I’d think this was the one written by a kid.
Lying Out Loud is the story of Sonny – a pathological liar. Seriously, Sonny’s entire life is a lie. From the reason why she doesn’t have lunch money, to why she shows up late for work, to why she’s living with her BFF Amy rather than in her own house. It was only natural for Sonny to concoct a lying e-mail to the pretentious new kid at school, Ryder, who just so happens to have a crush on Amy. After sending said e-mail and getting called out by Ryder for being a mean girl, Sonny attempts to apologize. It’s only after the two have chatted until morning that Sonny realizes she has been logged in as Amy the entire time . . .
“And that’s how this whole stupid thing began – with a lie that I, for once, hadn’t even meant to tell.”
Unfortunately for Sonny she never had the opportunity to meet a guy named Earl who could explain to her how karma works . . .
Which leads to a series of unfortunate events like her car breaking down, getting fired from her job, etc. that also make several meet/cutes with Ryder possible causing Sonny to perpetuate the lie and become someone who could appear on an episode of Catfish . . .
Hey Shelby, I’m just gonna go ahead and leave this one here special for you . . . .
This book just didn’t work for me at all. I despised Sonny. And before anyone comes here and says what a horrible beast I am for not having some sympathy for her just stop. I am what I am and I’m owning that it didn’t matter how crummy Sonny’s story ended up playing out, I could only think this about her the entire time I was reading . . .
I also thought this being claimed to be a “companion novel” to The D.U.F.F. was a stretch and pretty much totally unnecessary were it not for the fact that the powers-that-be were possibly afraid it wouldn’t sell very well otherwise. (Which maybe they should be since it sucked.)
And dare I forget to mention that ending? FFS WITH THAT ENDING!!!!
(^^^^DIES LAUGHING!!!!)
I’m still holding out hope that Keplinger doesn’t end up a one hit wonder, though . . .
-
3.5 LOL stars!
Kody Keplinger is an author I turn to whenever I don't know what to read. She has such a great voice as an author, laced with wit and humor and I always enjoy her books. Lying Out Loud was a fun read, but not my favorite by her. Not because of the writing, but I'll get to that in a bit.
Lying Out Loud is the story of teenage girl Sonny who is a compulsive liar. It's been a kind of survival technique for most of her life when avoiding the bigger issues. Now as a senior in high school, she's crashing at her best friend's house because her mom "kicked her out" (or so we are told). When Sonny accidentally IMs a guy using her friend Amy's account, she finds herself stuck in another position where she is lying to them, even as she is falling for him.
This book was good, I just didn't love it. Mostly because I felt the main character was a really shitty friend, and while I understand why, it really bugged me. For someone who was so affected by the actions of others, she didn't think about how her own actions affected others, most of the time in a negative manner. Plus, I didn't love the romance aspect of this book, it could have been more developed.
Like I said before, I did enjoy the book and the writing style, but this would probably be my least favorite of all of Keplinger's works I've read so far. Not even the cameo of Wesley could bring this book up more.
-
I LOVED The Duff, Shut Out, and A Midsummer's Nightmare. Was totally stoked that all the previous couples made little cameos and that Wesley especially was around to give advice! Sonny and Amy(Wesley's sister) have been BFFs since before they can remember. Amy is the sweet, quiet, reserved one where Sonny is more out going. And also a big fat liar. Sonny excels at it actually. She also uses it to protect herself. Not allow anyone to get too close because her family has always let her down. No one has been there for her but Amy.
The new guy Ryder has always seemed like a hipster, and a pretentious douche bag. He is obsessed with his old home and school in DC but he has a big crush on Amy. One night Sonny ends up staying up all night IMing him and she realizes he is actually a pretty cool guy. Except that whole time Ryder thought he was talking to Amy. Her best friend who is gorgeous and rich and more on his level. Sonny doesn't think she could ever catch his attention. Thus beginning a Cyrano de Bergerac like disaster between Amy, Sonny, and Ryder.
Sonny is a liar and she does drag things on when she so clearly should come clean but she felt like a real teenager to me. At that age it is so hard to put yourself out there and be honest. I have definitely grew but I remember being a teenager and it is so difficult to be honest and open to friends and boys about who you really are. I also thought part of it was that Amy didn't speak up. I didn't think Sonny wanting time for Ryder to fall for her was that big of a deal but she obviously needed to come clean soon.
I honestly don't know how I feel about Ryder. He was a nice guy but was actually not at all my type. I liked that he was unique and they had quite a unique relationship. The romance was different from most I have read. I liked the strong friendship between her and Amy, the family issues, and the struggles of being a teen. The DUFF will probably always be my favorite but this was also a great read. -
A BIG FYEAH FOR THIS BOOK! OOOMG!
A COMPANION NOVEL of the D-U-F-F which
MEANS MORE WESLEY AND BIANCA!
but i think it would be amazing if Amy is the main character..
well, as long as the above two mentions are there i can now be
happy! -
Spoilers
Started off really enjoying this, the main character's POV was light and entertaining in a fun, snarky kind of way. Unfortunately, it started to go downhill after the heroine became super obsessed with some douchey, pretentious guy who despised her. Her ridiculous obsession with the love interest was frustrating and tiresome to read.
-The romance was fucking AWFUL, mainly because it turned the heroine (Sonny) into an unlikeable, hormonal twit. It didn't help that Sonny's love interest (Ryder) was crazy into her best friend (Amy). The only reason Ryder even started to notice Sonny was because he thought Amy was being fickle and rude, when she actually wasn't. The romance between Sonny and Ryder was pretty much one sided for the entire book, it was actually embarrassing how pathetic and desperate Sonny was for Ryder when she knew how much he wanted Amy. She was such a saddo chasing after a guy who only ended up being mildly interested in her because he couldn't have her best friend.
-The best part of Lying Out Loud was Sonny and Amy's screwed up, co-dependant, clingy friendship. Their ups and downs were so much more engrossing to read than all the Sonny/Ryder nonsense. I would have rather Sonny broken things off with Ryder so she could concentrate on the actual interesting aspects of her (like her friendship with Amy, her home life, and her future).
-I found Amy fairly irritating at times. I really didn't think she was as sweet and nice as every other character made her out be, she was just a pushover who acted nice so that everyone would like her. She was mostly a spoilt-whiny-cry-baby-privileged-princess. I know she was meant to be an oh so amazing best friend, and she was in some ways, but I thought she was pretty crap considering all the hell Sonny was going through. Not that Sonny was much better what with her constant lying and pushy ways. But at least she had the excuse of having a fucked up life with no family, no home, and no clue about her future. It was easy to see why she behaved the way she did, all the excessive lying/using was out of order but Sonny only acted that way because she was lonely and didn't want to be rejected or hurt. Amy on the other hand had a perfect life with no problems or fears, yet she still punished Sonny and made her already hard life feel even harder. If she had been a truly lovely and kind hearted person she would have pushed her petty, childish feelings aside and been there for her homeless, unwanted, abandoned best friend. But the cow was too stuck on her own pretty and insignificant feelings to do that.
-I loved Sonny's character up until she started acting all desperate and pathetic for someone who treated her like garbage. She started off so unapologetic and confident but then turned into a whiny-boy-obsessed mess. I wasn't bothered by all her lying, I actually thought it was quite admirable that she managed to hide her insecurities/crappy home life by telling lies left, right, and centre. But the silly cow had to go from being an awesome liar to a weak-loser-who'd-do-anything-for-a-guy-who-would-rather-be-with-her-much-prettier-best-friend. Ugh, where was her self-respect?
-I hated Ryder's character, he was a pretentious, self-pitying, wishy-washy, dramatic, up himself, hipster loser. The way he was panting after Amy, hassling her, and putting her on a pedestal was quite disturbing. He was like one of those losers who chase after girls who don't want them and when they finally get it through their thick heads that the object of their desire isn't interested they start hating on them and acting like dicks.
Ryder's attitude towards Sonny added to his general nastiness. Sure, Sonny gave as good as she got but the only reason she was even mean to him to begin with was because he was slobbering all over her best friend, and because he thought he was better than her and her town. What on earth did Sonny see in him? He wasn't even nice to her of his own accord, if it wasn't for Amy he would have carried on treating her like rubbish.
Then there was Ryder having a major hissy fit when he found out Sonny lied to him, it was so over the top and unnecessary. She apologised and begged for his forgiveness but the heartless jerk kept treating her like dirt. I wanted Sonny to just tell him to piss off by the end.
-I was disappointed that there was no closure as to what Sonny would be doing with her future. Was she going to go to college after saving up? Was she going to work full time? Were Amy's parents really going to be okay with Sonny living with them when Amy was away at college? Or was her dad going to eventually look after her? Would Ryder really carry on dating Sonny when he'd be away at college and she would be stuck working? I needed more than some lame phone call from Ryder.
-I'm guessing boring-thinks-she's-a-martyr-and-a-saint Amy will get her own book at some point, I'd much rather there be a direct sequel to this instead where Sonny dumps douchey Ryder and instead focuses fully on her family and future. That would be far better than any Amy crap. -
Yayyy I got an arc :)) I loved The Duff and I'm so excited to read this book :D
** ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ** -
OOOOOOOH I ACTUALLY LOVED THIS! I've been meaning to read this for a long time, but I never got around to it. I'm glad I finally did!
As someone who values authenticity and honesty, I knew this book could be something I either love or despise. I was seriously hoping that I wouldn't read about a shallow character who never improves, but I knew from The Duff that Kody Keplinger is great with character development, which is why I went into this book not too scared. I didn't really understand Sonny's lying habit at first, which annoyed me, but this book was so addicting that it didn't even matter to me. I'm glad that this whole crazy thing about pretending to be Amy when she's talking to Ryder online started out as an honest mistake, because I don't think I could've taken it if it had just been out if jealousy or a joke.
I loved Sonny and Ryder's banter. Their chemistry is evident and I loved seeing them realize they had been wrong about the other person. They're both interesting characters with an interesting (to say the least) relationship and I can see why they want to be together, unlike some YA novels. They both help each other out and it makes a major improvement on their lives. Since I loved their relationship so much, I found it hard to continue reading at some point, because I had no idea how it could end well and I was kind of terrified.
I broke down when I learned Sonny's story. I knew something huge must have happened to her to make her want to lie so much, but I never really knew what to expect. Her dad being in prison was already something big, but I didn't expect to be so affected by her story. I cried and cried and cried, but I think this part of the story might have been my favourite. I couldn't stop reading and I loved how Amy and Sonny tried to save their friendship. I had hated how Sonny had been treating her best friend, but I know for a fact that it made both of them grow up a lot and I loved them even more at the end of the story.
In this book, you won't find a perfect, lovable character with an amazing life, but sometimes, it's even better that way. -
Am I the only one who isn't a huge fan of these books? I thought this would be better than the Duff, I mean I wasn't into the Duff but it was okay. But I had high hopes that I would like this book and unfortunately, I didn't. Even though it was fast-paced and I finished it right away, I didn't like it. There are so many people that loves these books but I don't, I guess books aren't for everyone and this is how I feel.
Sonya is a teenager who tends to lie about everything and one of the main things she lies about is her family. Her dad went to jail when she was seven years old and she hasn't seen him since. She lied about her mom kicking her out of the house, or so we thing she did... Whenever she is late to work, she lies about why she was late. But Sonya's best friend, Amy can see through MOST of these lies and sticks by Sonya no matter what. Amy has Sonya's back and would do anything for her. They have so many things in common and are not a huge fan of Ryder. Ryder has a huge crush on Amy and started to text her and tried to ask her out on a date. When Amy received this text, Sonya decided to text him back. Although Sonya does not get along with Ryder, she messaged him every night, but the problem is that she is on Amy's phone or account. Ryder believes the person that he is messaging is Amy but it's actually Sonya. Sonya realizes that she really likes Ryder and he isn't the guy she thought he was and wants him to like her for who she is. The only thing that stands in her way is Amy and so she is asking Amy to do so many things for her in order to make Ryder fall for her. Will her plan work and will Amy do whatever Sonya asks?
I know, I know, this book already sounds like crazy drama and it is cliche and stuff but I wanted to give it a try anyway. But I just couldn't get myself in the story because of all the things that were bothering me. One of the main things that were bothering me was the characters, especially the main character, Sonya. Sure I felt bad for Sonya and all that she is going through, but she needs to think before doing things. I mean, she was ready to throw her friend away just for a boy, and not any friend but her BEST FRIEND! Who does that? It bothers me so much, all I kept hearing was the quote that was from Princess Diaries. "Sisters before misters." In Princess Diaries, it shows that friends are more important than boyfriends and stuff. But Sonya was one of those characters who leaves her best friend behind because she likes a boy. She is one of the girls who would do anything for a boy, even if it takes the step of where the best friend has to embarrass herself.
I love Amy though because she is such a sweet friend and she was my favorite character in this book. She was the only reason I kept reading, I was wishing that she would leave Sonya. No matter what Amy did for Sonya, she wouldn't be thankful because she expected more from her friend. It's kinda like giving pigeons food and then they end up chasing you for more food instead of being thankful. Ryder is another one of those characters that I did not like. He only liked Sonya because of her appearance and I know a lot of YA books are like that but in the end, the characters get to learn about each other. Don't get me wrong, Ryder did get to know Sonya and blah blah blah, but it seemed like he was only using Sonya for some reason. And when Sonya was apologizing, he just left without listening to her and is all like, Uh I gotta go. LIKE WHAt?!
Another thing that I hated was the way the relationships felt so fake and unreal. Amy and Sonya's relationship felt real but Sonya and Ryder's relationship was just so fake. It never felt real, I never felt my heart racing with the characters, I never cried when I was supposed to, I never laughed or got upset. I felt like I was a zombie while reading this book, it felt like I had no brain and I was emotionless. I just couldn't handle the fact that she thought she was in love when she only met the guy and hung out with him for a little bit. UGH! It bothers me so much, I just couldn't get over it.
It was nice to see how Bianca and Wesley moved on with their lives and how much their characters developed. But at times, Wesley didn't feel like he was Wesley, I mean I like this version of Wesley better but I don't think that he would've done half the things he did in this book. I don't know, it just felt so unreal and I like when stories feel realistic. I hate it when I feel like it's all fake and all. I was so frustrated with so many things.
The plot was really different and that's one of the things I liked about this book. But that's all I liked about this book. If the characters were different, I think I would've loved this book, but I just despised Sonya's character. If I got a dollar for how many lies she said, I would've been a millionaire by now. This book was fast-paced so you can finish it one sitting, but I didn't enjoy it.
You might enjoy this book so I recommend this to whoever read the Duff or whoever feels like reading this. I also recommend this to those who want to finish a book in one sitting and who want a fast-paced book. Sorry about all the complaining. :) -
Unfortunately,I'll have to mark this one as a DNF.
I loved
The Duff but when it comes to this book,I just couldn't connect with the main character.I hate liars so maybe I made a stupid decision when I got this book even though the title and the synopsis suggest that for the main character Sonny lying is the same as breathing.But I didn't know that she would be lying all the time.Even to her best friend.And the whole stupid plan of her making Amy seem bad so that Ryder would actually like Sonny was seriously getting on my nerves.So yeah,I'm not going to waste my time on this book even though I've read more than 40% of it (but I haven't read at least 50% of it so I'm not rating it.)
*giggles* -
Oh my gosh, another favourite! I actually haven't cried in that many books, maybe only one actually but towards the end of this one I couldn't fight the tears. At first you think Sonny is just a lier to get her own way or avoid situations but then you see how it started and why she does it and you feel sorry for her and all the heart break she went through. and of course theres romance! LOVED this book.
-
Lying Out Loud was a really quick and easy read - perfect for a holiday read. Though I can't remember much of The DUFF, other than what was in the movie that I recently saw, I really enjoyed seeing Wesley and Bianca again.
Our main character, Sonny, is a natural liar. Pretty much everything she says has some form of lie in it, and this causes major problems. Her best friend, Amy, is Wesley's younger sister, who we met in The DUFF. They've been besties since forever, and Sonny is now living at the Rushes due to problems at home - problems which aren't fully discovered until towards the end of the book.
The main plot of the book is as follows. A new guy, Ryder, comes to Hamilton High. He's snobby, and quite frankly, unlikable. He's got the biggest crush on Amy, and hates Sonny. To try and get him off Amy's back, Sonny writes him a really awful email, on Amy's behalf, that is accidentally sent. After that, Ryder IMs Sonny and they start talking - all this, unfortunately, on Amy's account. They keep talking, and Sonny realises she's falling for Ryder, but he thinks it's Amy he's telling all his secrets. All in all, everything falls apart, and it takes quite some time to fix.
I really, really liked Sonny. Between her and Bianca, there was no choice - she was the better protagonist. Yeah, she may have been a compulsive liar, but she did feel guilty about it, she made mistakes, and was simply a normal teenager. Her crush on Ryder, a guy she had previously hated, seemed real, and though it was angsty, I loved it all the same. Amy and Ryder was also great characters, and they both brought out the best and worst in Sonny. The relationship between besties Amy and Sonny was never shown as perfect - they fought, argued, and shut each other out like real friends do from time to time. They honestly seemed like true friends, true sisters, and I couldn't have asked for a better pair.
Though I said I preferred Sonny to Bianca, to see both Bianca and Wesley again, and not just as a passing glance, was sweet. They are shown in an amazing, loving relationship, though still the same people they were in The DUFF. They definitely helped Amy and Sonny overcome their relationship issues, and Wesley was like a brother to Sonny, just as much as he was to Amy.
Like with most YA books around right now, parents are either perfect, or downright basket cases. Both of these were present in Lying Out Loud. Amy's parents, the Rushes, were kind, and helpful to the girls, even though they'd been flaky in The DUFF. However, on other end of the spectrum, Sonny's parents, and her mother in particular, were the worst. I can't go into much detail, but I honestly wanted to slap her mam at times. Sonny now having a place in the Rush family was the best thing that happened in the book, and I'm so glad she was finally happy.
All in all, I'm so glad I've read this book. Sonny was a wonderful protagonist, and to return to Hamilton High was really enjoyable. I definitely think I'm going to re-read The DUFF to find out what I've forgot, and because I've missed Bianca and Wesley. Fans of The DUFF would enjoy this book! -
I really loved this story, I'm a big fan of the DUFF so I knew I was going to like this book however sometimes the lies that Sonny told could get a little annoying. I loved that characters from the DUFF were in this novel and we got to know what they were up to. I also love how Kody Keplinger always has morals to her stories and makes her characters relatable in some ways.
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Yet again, another Kody Keplinger book I loved! (I really loved that she included characters from Shut Out and The Duff! I may or may not have fangirled....ALOT!)
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Initial thoughts:
1. Sonny was a great character I could identify with apart from that lying thing..
2. The cameo apperances from Bianca and Wesley were amazing!
3. I loved the friendship between Sonny and Amy.
4. The writing was great and I want more of Hamilton High!!
5. Great story with an important lesson.
Check out my full review on my blog! -
Sonny and Amy are best friends. When Sonny is kicked out of her house, she moves in with the Rushes, sharing a room with Amy. Sonny uses Amy’s phone and laptop, and accidently chats with a guy from school online . . . who likes Amy. Realising her mistake, Sonny sets out to tell the truth (something she has a hard time with), but after sharing more than she intended, and on more than one occasion, the idea of telling Ryder that he was talking to her and not to Amy gets increasingly awkward. Sonny can’t seem to stay away though, and her lies eventually get her into trouble.
HP quote coming: As the muggles say, truth will out!
I loved this book. It was a sweet, fun story of friendship, boys, and . . . lies. Sonny’s lies made her feel safe at the time, but as they mounted up things became messier and people got hurt. I liked how unsure I felt about where things would go while reading, and I liked seeing Sonny’s character grow. Amy’s too. The story featured some favourites from THE DUFF, which I really enjoyed. I raced through this one. It was fab! -
WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?
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Lying Out Loud is definitely a good choice to start off my reading year. It´s just so feel good and easy to read. And to be honest in between fantasy and love stories I really like to read high school romance books (I really hope this doesn´t make me a perv or something). Kody Keplinger has this really unique writing style that is both intriguing and easy to get through. I never have to convince myself to finish her books, which is mostly because I don´t even have time to put them down long enough to do so.
Hamilton High has become one of my favorite places to read about in contemporary young adult novels.
The story of Sonny is something different, I couldn´t completely relate to her as I´m not really good at lying and I like to keep it that way. However it was nice to see that even she couldn´t quiet keep up with all of them. Often I find it annoying when people can´t simply say what they´re thinking and keep getting in trouble and then doing it all over again. This time I wasn´t AS annoyed as I usually am so that´s a plus.
I really like the Amy character, wish I could read more about her from her point of view. And it was nice to get to know family Rush a bit more, we only glimpsed at their life during
The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend .
The only complain I have about this one is the number of characters, there were too few at least in my opinion. -
No sabía qué esperar después de The Duff, pero me ha gustado mucho. Los personajes quizás no resulten tan magnéticos, pero para mi gusto están mejor desarrollados y son más profundos. Particularmente, me ha encantado el problema de la protagonista con las mentiras. Además, también me ha gustado mucho que Wesley y Bianca tengan más importancia de lo que parecía en un principio.
Edito: QUÉ PORTADA ES ESTA. POR QUÉ. -
This was awesome. As Kody Keplinger always is.
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I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and I don't think I've ever been more happy to get an email saying a book has been approved because I adore The Duff and this being a companion to it, I was dying with excitement. I was totally stoked about this book and I've got to say - this book did not disappoint.
Sonny and Amy have been best friends for pretty much forever. Sonny is the loud, outgoing and kind of obnoxious one whereas Amy is the sweet, quiet, reserved one. The two give a balance on each other, I thought this was quite a good example of where 'opposites attract'. The two are best friends; they're soulmates. Throughout the book we see them have their ups and down and I feel like it can go back to where it all started. Near the beginning of this book, Amy said all the bad things happening to Sonny was 'karma' and I thought it was a sneaky foreshadow as this book feels like a very big, fat book of karma being finally delivered to Sonny.
Sonny has bad things happening to her because she's a liar - a big, fat, compulsive one at that. We learn she uses it to protect herself from all the bad things going on, she likes to be in control when she isn't. She doesn't want anyone to get close because the two people who are supposed to always be there for you, have let her down. No one, but Amy, has been there for her.
Amy, is Wesley Rush's little sister - I'll get onto Wesley in a second, don't forget I'm skipping Bianca - and is pretty much the opposite of him. Wesley, in The Duff is flirty, outgoing, loud, the 'school slut' was his reputation pretty much and Amy is shy, peaceful and a bit of a pushover. I thought her character development was great in this book - she went from shy to fierce - and I get all happy thinking about the amazing character development Keplinger produces but I'll talk about it later.
Now, lets talk about Ryder. Ryder's the new kid to Hamilton High and he's missing his life in Washington DC and keeps complaining about what a deadbeat town Hamilton is and that his mother dragged him from his friends and family. Lets get this out in the clear, at the start of the book (once again, amazing character development) Ryder's the most pretentious douche bag you have ever met in your entire life. Everyone at school hates him for his negative views on the town and for his annoying positive views about DC and he has a pretty big crush on Amy.
And it doesn't help when Amy and Sonny write a mean email reply when he's sent a polite one asking Amy on a date. The thing is, Amy doesn't want to go on a date with him but she's too nice to say no so Sonny takes it into her hands and the two write an email that was meant for their eyes only.
Until Sonny's hand slips and it sends.
So when Sonny apologizes through IMing him, he accepts it and the two talk all night and Sonny thinks she might have a crush on the pretentious, snobby, preppy new boy - and then it all goes crashing down in flames for when Ryder thinks he's been talking to Amy for the whole night. Let me tell you, this is the beginning of the disaster. I'm not going to give anything more away because I don't think I can without writing about this book for hours.
Now onto Wesley Rush. Oh Wesley. Wesley Wesley Wesley. I have loved Wesley ever since Bianca threw a cheery coke in his face and I will continue to love him until the day I die and the days after. Wesley Rush will always be hot - even when he's old, I'll bet money on that. I adored Wesley's little cameos in this book and it made me feel all gooey inside.
And Bianca with Wesley and their little squabbles made me die with cuteness inside and Kody Keplinger I know this is one of many blog posts but PLEASE just make a sequel to Bianca and Wesley's college life or after college or anything about them, please. They make me cry, in a good way. I missed them when I finished The Duff and I miss them now. I loved their appearances and some of the little quotes.
"The way Wesley looked at her,"
"I let her do whatever she wants," he said.
Yeah, they make my heart melt over and over again.
Okay, moving on because this post is going in a very different direction - the character development. The character development in this book is the best I've read in a long time and it made me really happy. Sonny went from a lying, okay she really only went from lying to being honest but seeing her at the start of this book, that is still quite a good feat for her. I also liked that she had to be reminded by Amy or had to scold herself, I liked that she didn't do it straight from the hat - it seemed much more relatable. Amy went from being quiet and allowing people to talk over her to being someone who doesn't let them - I admired that, she stuck up to her best friend which I would find pretty hard. Ryder, in my opinion, had the smallest development now I think about it. I believe Ryder was always who he was, his character outlook just changed because Sonny saw him in a different light or he saw people in a different light aka his Mother. I'm gonna bring up Wesley one more time because I can.
Also, Kody that ending was too mean. Too, too mean. You should make up for it by writing a road trip novel about Sonny, Ryder, Wesley, Bianca and Amy going on a road trip. Just saying! -
A more like 3.5 stars.
Book Cover
The book cover depicts our three main characters in the book - Sonny, Amy and Ryder. The people on the cover resemble the characters closely, well so, no complaints there. Hence, I would say the cover is nice.
Plot
The story is about Sonny Ardmore who is in high school and is best friends with Amy Rush. Where Amy is drop dead gorgeous but a shy person, Sonny is average(according to her) and an extrovert. She is the louder one, the crazy one between the too. And yes, she is an excellent liar. She can come up with a lie on the spur of a moment and is making excuses all the time when in trouble.
Ryder is new at Hamilton High and is considered a snob. Students and teachers hate him alike as he cannot let go even a single moment to humiliate this school or this town. Sonny and Amy feel no different from others for him and cannot stand him. But, Ryder's heart and eyes are only for Amy and is totally into her.
One night Amy receives a mail from Ryder asking her out and Amy and Sonny see it as a very good prank opportunity. The same night, Sonny is working on Amy's laptop and she sees Ryder's chat or email (I don't remember if the mail comes first or the chat or who pings first...sorry) and she ends up talking to Ryder for the whole night. The heart to heart talk is an eye opener for Sonny as she gets to see a different side of Ryder and she kind of likes him. But, to her horror she realizes that she never logged out of Amy's chat and hence Ryder doesn't even know that he has been talking to Sonny and not Amy. And then begins the saga of confusion, more lies, hear breaks, friend fights, tears and laughter.
Characters
Sonny is a fun person but yes she is also bossy, sometimes mean, sometimes selfish and of course a big time liar. Though her habit of lying is her way of dealing the negative stuffs in her life and is part of her defense mechanism. Our heroine, is not perfect and may be this why I did not dislike Sonny. Because, I don't think any one is perfect and I love it when an author draws out a character who has flaws as it makes it more easy to relate to such a character. Yes, Sonny acts selfish and is mean at times but everyone does so in real life too. We are not saints all the time and we have our moments when we act totally self centered. Some times we do that without even knowing it. Few people boss around their younger siblings; then there are people who are ordering their friends and according to them they are doing it for their benefit. But, sometimes they don't realize that they might be hurting some one in this process. There might be a very few who actually enjoy doing so but Sonny is not one of those. But, yes she is like some of us who fail to realize what we are doing at times. So, yes! Sonny is not a flawless perfect heroine with every thing good about her - be it her physical appearance or her character but she does have a good side to her too and she appears very real.
Amy is our good girl - listens to her parents, listens to her teachers, listens to her friend Sonny - in short a docile girl. Altogether she is beautiful inside out. When the story starts she appears as a weak character who has cannot speak for herself but as the story progresses her character grows and she makes herself heard.Towards the end of the book readers see Amy voicing her opinion.
Ryder was like fine - I did not love him but he was kind of OK. I have nothing to say much about him.
What I like
I liked the main character Sonny despite her shortcomings. I also enjoyed reading about how author emphasized the two great and important aspects of any one's life - friendship and family. These two aspects form a big part of the book, be it Amy and Sonny's friendship or Amy's wonderful family and Sonny's not so wonderful and dysfunctional family, readers get to read about these aspects in some detail and I really loved reading about this side of the story. This underlying theme focusing on friendship and family is wonderful and fills you with warmth.
What I did not like
I am not able to come up with anything.
My final thoughts on the book
This is a great book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would say I found it better than The DUFF and I think many people might not agree with me on this but I found this story with more depth and some great characters - both main and secondary.
So, all together a wonderful book.
Read this and my other book reviews at
www.book-choose.com -
Cannot be compared to The Duff.
Lying Out Loud was good. I picked it up because it was a companion to my favourite book The Duff and I wanted to see what my faves from The Duff were up to in LOL, considering they were expected to be in it. They were in it, but came more towards the middle which was exciting and kept me reading, but I did feel that the characters from The Duff sounded and acted a little different in LOL. It kind of disappointed me because I knew them so well in The Duff and they just kind of shifted in tone. I don't know if that was intentional to show they grew/developed or it was a continuation from their story in The Duff, but something was off and I was not quite a fan.
I also got irritated with the main character at the beginning. I found a disliking for her quick, and it got me to slowly change myself from being so INTO the book. I decided to keep reading, mostly because I adore Kody Keplinger and had hope for this novel. As I kept reading, I began to like Sonny (the lead) more and more. She developed, and it was noticeable though she did still have her annoying traits I couldn't stand.
LOL focuses more on friendship than romance, which I didn't figure when I got into this book. I was looking for a romance for teens that involved 80% of just love interest and main character interaction, but that was not this book, more like 50%. Though, the friendship in this story is relatable and beautifully written, I wanted a lot more from the romance part of this. I think many scenes were quick to their end and ruined important scenes from being all they could be.
This novel is focused on a messaging based romance, which is something I am not swooned by as much as the cliche face to face meeting and in-person romances. However, I did like the love interest. I wouldn't say I was head over heels for him as I was and forever will be for Wesley Rush from The Duff, but I would say that the love interest is a character who I could fall for... if there was more time with him than just the instant messaging and a few (some dislikable) in-person interactions.
Personally, I gave this book 3 stars because I did finish it and the middle-ending did redeem itself as for getting my interest back and binging the rest of the novel. But, it is not a book I would see myself rereading to feel the emotions the book offered because for me it didn't offer me many, if even any. I do recommend this for Kody Keplinger fans, but if you want a real, raw cutesy teen romance, this book will not give you the full experience, unfortunately. -
This and other reviews can be found on my blog:
Book Blog Bird.
Sonny Ardmore is a liar. She lies about her homework, why she’s late for work, about her dad being an international businessman (he’s in prison) and why her mum really kicked her out.
Ryder is the new boy in school. A prep-school snob and hipster complete with obscure band t-shirts and fake glasses, he earns the instant wrath of Sonny and her best friend, Amy Rush (little sister of Wesley).
To Sonny’s amusement, Ryder has a crush on Amy. But when Sonny ends up accidentally talking to Ryder all night online, she decides he might not be so bad after all and starts crushing on him herself. Trouble is, Ryder thinks he’s been talking to Amy.
Kody Keplinger has pulled one out of the bag with this modern mash-up of Cyrano de Bergerac and The Shop Around The Corner to create a really funny screwball comedy, complete with cases of mistaken identity and plenty of awkward scenes where Sonny’s lies come to light.
Sonny didn’t seem like THAT much of a liar (I’m fairly sure I told more lies than she did when I was seventeen) but the lies she told were very funny and potentially explosive, which always makes for a nicely tense plot.
I haven’t read any of Keplingers intervening books since I read The Duff and it’s really clear how much she’s developed as a writer in this time. The dialogue is as witty as ever, but her plotting and characterisation are a lot tighter. Lying Out Loud is by no means haute literature, but it never ever pretends to be. It’s a fun read and I whipped through it, enjoying it immensely.
Wesley and Bianca make cameos in this book (along with characters from other books apparently, but I’ve only read The Duff, so I don’t know who they were!), but actually, the fact that Wesley and Bianca are in this book wasn’t as much of a draw for me as I think it’s going to be for everyone else. I thought Wesley was kind of a dick in The Duff and Bianca made some poor kissing choices, but they seem like much more settled characters in LOL and they still have their trademark snarkiness going on.
All in all I enjoyed Lying Out Loud and I was glad Sonny managed to get some resolution on some of the many, many issues she had! Recommended if you’re looking for a fun summer read.
I received a copy of Lying Out Loud in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Hachette and Netgalley. -
Read on the WondrousBooks blog.
Verdict: Too high expectations.
I was preparing to absolutely love this one, since I loved The DUFF. When I read the latter, I had low expectations, it had been sitting on my to-read shelf for 3-4 years and I was like "Just read it already!". But I really liked it. it had spunk, a nice story, a feisty main character and it was also very sexy.
This book, though, seemed to be lacking in all of these departments.
At first the characters seemed like the ones from The DUFF had come back to life, only with changed names. I don't know, how many ways are there to writing a teenager? But with time the characters in LOL became flawed in different ways and their flaws lead to them being sort of unpleasant. Sonny(which FYI is a way worse name than Sonya) seemed like someone with multiple personalities, her actions were completely nonconsecutive, even towards the people she supposedly loved she'd act rude and weird and then go on and on about how much she loved them. Huh?! Amy was described as someone who kept to herself and was not loud about her opinions, but oh boy! She was a total doormat. There was not a second in the book where I actually cared about her. And Ryder was the craziest of all. I kept expecting that I'd get some insight as to his way of thinking but nothing really happened. He was a total jerk to Sonny, then after one forced conversation, BAM everything is forgotten. Because realistically speaking, they might have been trying to make him like Sonny throughout the entire book but it happened literally in-between two chapters. Also, absolutely nothing in this book was sexy. At all. Which on its own seems like a pointer to the fact that Lying Out Loud is a companion to PG-13 movie!The DUFF and not the actual book. It might be an attempt to continue the book version of Hamilton High's story, but the entire mood of the book is the reflection of the light-themed movie.
What I did like about Lying Out Loud was the way we got to see what was going on in Sonny's head, all of her secret shame, all of her fears. It was honest and realistic, so it won the book many points. -
"You can love people and still realize they're screwed up."
Despite the compulsive liar that Sonny was, this book was so honest. Loved the themes of friendship and family and imperfection. The humor and wit, as expected, were awesome. It was also nice to see Bianca/Wesley and even Nathan/Whitley! LOL was a great companion novel and a fun but meaningful read! -
Es sei gesagt, dass ich sowohl The DUFF als auch A Midsummer's Nightmare sehr mochte. Trotzdem war ich ein wenig... zögerlich, was Lying out Loud anging. Hauptsächlich lag das am Cover. Drei Leute? Das ist niemals, niemals, nie ein gutes Zeichen, denn seien wir mal ehrlich: Von Liebesdreiecken (haha, was ein Wort!) haben wir doch alle eigentlich schon seit Twilight die Nase voll. Allerdings ist es hier schließlich Kody Keplinger und ich dachte mir: Gib dem Buch einfach mal eine Chance!
Was ich zunächst auch gar nicht bereut habe! Denn wie sich schnell herausstellte, gab es hier gar kein richtiges Liebesdreieck. Stattdessen begann die Geschichte mit einer süßen Hassliebe, die ich wirklich mochte, auch wenn es mich schon da gestört hat, wie oft und wie unnötig Sonny ihre Mitmenschen belogen hat.
Und dann kam der Moment, nach dem es einfach begann, bergab zu gehen... Denn Sonny wurde richtig BESESSEN von Ryder. Und das obwohl dieser SIE noch immer gehasst hat. Stattdessen dachte er ja, diese ganzen lieben Nachrichten kämen von Sonnys bester Freundin Amy. Und statt ihm das einfach mal irgendwann zu sagen, nein, log Sonny einfach weiter rum. Das an sich denkt man sich ja schon, aber dass sie Amy dazu gebracht hat, extra gemein zu Ryder zu sein, damit dieser sich entliebt und sich stattdessen in Sonny verliebt?!
Ich meine... Wer TUT so etwas? Das ist ihre BESTE FREUNDIN und sie ist verdammt nochmal ein GUTER MENSCH. Warum?! Boah und dann fängt die noch an ohne Amys Wissen sexy SMS mit dem auszutauchen... Ich meine WTF?! WEEH TEEEH EFF????????
Am besten war aber noch, wo sie mit ihm zusammenkommt und ihm das noch immer nicht sagt. Das war der Höhepunkt, ja wirklich.
Ich an Amys und auch an Ryders Stelle hätte der das never ever verziehen... Vielleicht nach Monaten des zu Boden kriechens. Aber so? Nope. Das ist nicht nur gemein, sondern echt crazy.
Hoffentlich wird das nächste Buch der Autorin wieder besser...
