Pretend She's Here By Luanne Rice

Esther

This book is one of the only books I would read again in a heartbeat. It is that good. I like reading books where everyone thinks there is no hope but eventually survive in the end against all odds. I feel like this book is so true. I believe that a mother who has lost her child would go crazy and force someone to be her daughter again. It is so scary that I could be walking on the street and all of a sudden I wake up in someone else's house because I have been kidnapped.
Emily was different when she was not forced to be Lizzie anymore. I guess having to pretend to be Lizzie and hear people call her by that name all the time made her feel a little bit like Lizzie as well. As if Lizzie was now a deeper part of her.
Casey held Emily together when she was dying. Mrs. Porter was going to kill Emily and I saw it coming. Was it because Emily would not call her mom or just because she was that desperate for a daughter she could see, feel, and touch? Emily's spirit was flying away and I thought she was going to die. Casey held her together. I mean that both ways. I think she would have died if Casey didn't keep the blood from coming out of the wound. Their relationship needs to work but long-distance ones never so... They are the power couple of the century.

ally

HOLY MOLY

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD
i freaking loved it.

okay. I'm not even going to try and write a good review so here:

this book was very fast paced and engaging. a very quick and enjoyable read

i loved everything sooooo much <3##333

the ending thoughhhhhh

ahhhhh

highly recommend:)

Dalia (book_o_creativity)

MY RATING: 3.5

Katerina Kondrenko

9 out of 10

ревью на русском/review in russian

This is a story about a kidnapping and its aftermath. About madness that grew upon grief on an already quite abusive and manic soil. About children imprisoned by love for their parents, no matter what they do. About sophisticated ways to break the will and reshape a personality that has not formed yet due to age. About what happens next.

Imagine that you had a fight with your brother and sister and walked from school through the cemetery, wanting to visit the grave of your best friend who died a year ago. There you meet her family, which you considered your own, your relationship was really close. They offer to give you a lift home. At some point, you realize that you're not being taken home. And they start to address you with the name of your dead friend. Omg, what's happening?

A psychological thriller, ya romance, family drama, and incredible suspense, because of which I couldn't go to bed until I finished the book, are entangled here. You worry about the heroine from the first page, the situation is dire, you can't help your nerves.

Perhaps a little later I'll be back to raise the rating to 10 stars, but so far I'm in such a state of mind that I'm not interested in teenage romances, I can feel how my fascination with the plot muffles when I see talking about school balls, datings in garages and so on. Not because it's bad itself or badly written. It just doesn't touch me. The main plotline is very intense and such pauses on teen everyday life Feel like tachycardia - here you go crazy, here you're discussing songs, crazy again, now think of a boy. Don't worry, it was a minor part of the plot) But it showed me that I actually don't need a break from the suspense. Yes, it exhausts me, but those 'breaks' made me worry even more.

I recommend the book anyway! A similar topic was brought up in
Losing Leah but the story was not very believable, therefore didn't move me hard. This book crushed me. The finale didn't surprise me a lot, rather brought relief and confirmed my love for the main character. She's incredible!

Oh, and I think that's the case when all that glitters is not gold and vice versa. One family seemed to be happy and good from the outside and turned to be dark and creepy while the other seemed dysfunctional due to stereotypes and past mistakes but turned out to be full of love.

Lesr Kew

A great YA psychological thriller. Mama was craycray. And it gave insight to the "conditioning" that kidnapped ones receive from their kidnappers. There was even room for a bit of a love story in the mix, and it was tastefully done. Never did you forget these were children, but even if you are no longer a child, you could empathize with being there once. Great story that I could not put down. It is not a light, feel-good read though, so know what you are in for. Its drama, it has some stressful moments, but ends well. It has some very realistic tones, and whatever happens, it will be ok.

Liz

2.5 stars. This was a really interesting concept but the characters and Lifetime-channel plot fell flat for me.

Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts)

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I didn't want to read Pretend She's Here at first.
But as I read the synopsis, Luanne Rice's latest book sounded dark and twisted and Pretend She's Here sounded very much like a book up my alley. ~~I love a book that is dark.~~

I found myself pleasantly surprised... and disappointed at the same time.
There were a few things that worked well with Pretend She's Here and a few things that didn't, but some of it is a matter of my own personal tastes. 😅

1. Flashbacks work well here (for the most part).
As much as I'm not a huge fan of a ton of flashbacks, this worked really well! Although Emily Lonergan lost her best friend Lizzie Porter a year ago, she continues to grieve over Lizzie's death. The flashbacks helped reinforce her friendship with Lizzie and how much the two meant to each other.

2. I love the family support.
Emily comes from a somewhat large family and she keeps her family in mind to help her survive each day she is stuck with the Porters, who returned to town to come and visit. Instead of coming and going, however, they take Emily away and have her live as Lizzie. Through the flashbacks, we find out Emily and her family are a close-knit group despite the size, and they're supportive through the ups and downs.

3. Engaging storyline.
For my personal enjoyment of the book, I wasn't a huge fan. I found myself interested in continuing Pretend She's Here, but I also found myself putting a distance with the book. While there is a solid storyline that will keep readers interested in finding out what happens to Emily, everything comes together easily. However, I loved the ending when the characters reflect on everything that has happened, and I know full well younger me would have loved this book. I highly recommend Pretend She's Here for fans of April Henry or for those who are interested in the bigger picture rather than the thrills and excitement.

This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts

Darla

This story has a dark side and Emily goes through experiences we can hardly begin to imagine. She is betrayed by people she once considered to be family. The relationship between Emily and Casey is a redeeming factor in this narrative. Without Casey in the story I could not have finished. Reading all the way to the end reveals the power of redemption and forgiveness.

Thank you, Scholastic and Edelweiss for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps

**Nonspecific, general spoilers at the end**

5 Big Ugly Cry STARS

Emily mourns the death of her best friend Lizzie Porter, gone nearly a year. The Porters miss their daughter so much they try to replace her with Emily, literally not figuratively. Under threat of death to her mother, Emily must become Lizzie in order to survive.

I’ve enjoyed Luanne Rice books for years, particularly the ones focusing on family and friendship. I didn’t like Rice’s YA debut THE BEAUTIFUL LOST, but wanted to give PRETEND SHE’S HERE a shot because of the strength of Rice’s storytelling abilities. I’m so glad I did.

Emily is a great character, the youngest of seven Irish Catholic siblings, each with a distinct role and personality. She’s spunky, even when Mrs Porter tries to turn her into Lizzie 2.0.

I love fiction that makes me feel sobbed for the last 20% of PRETEND SHE’S HERE. I don’t think this is a book everyone will love, with a plot too outlandish to be real. Rice’s writing makes the impossible plausible with likable, unique character traits and subplots including: partial blindness, alcoholism, grief, friendships, family, siblings and the healing powers of love and forgiveness.

PRETEND SHE’S HERE is a book I will read more than once.

**Here’s the spoiler**

Teen abduction stories are among my favorite. PRETEND SHE’S HERE stands out from the others because it’s not a story that begins or finishes and the end of the abduction, just like the victim’s story does end upon release. Emily has a story before, during and after the abduction.

I just listened to the Audible version which is wonderful.

Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader

This book took off from the beginning. It's not one of those books that picks up half way. I did not however find the kidnapping appropriate for young adults. But the storyline was done very well and held my attention. I would say this book is more for almost adults.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Amy

The synopsis for this book made it seem really interesting but I had such a hard time getting into it. I was going to rate it 2-3 stars but then the ending aggravated me so I chose 1 star. Parts of the book were way too predictable.

Also for the last few hours, the word ‘said’ was used every fourth word pretty much which drove me up a wall listening to it on audiobook!!

I especially hated how easily Chloe was forgiven and supported as if she wasn’t a part of the whole kidnapping at all. I thought the romance with the neighbour and their house catching fire was unnecessary. Emily frustrated me because she had many chances to escape but didn’t and protected/ thanked the people that were keeping her captive. I understand she was trying to protect her mom but they were states apart.. how fast did she think Mrs Porter could travel??

Jayme Carruthers

@kidlitexchange #partner
Thanks to the #KidLitExchange network for the review copy of #PretendShesHere. All opinions are my own. .
.
When Emily's best friend, Lizzie, dies of childhood cancer, she worries her life will never be the same. The two girls were like sisters. What Emily didn't think about was just how far Lizzie's family would go to preserve her memory.

This book was such an interesting read. All details were very well thought out and written down. It sucks you into the story and really makes you feel like you know Emily.
The book really knows how to pull at your heart strings. I would definitely recommend it to about 7th grade and up. .
.
#books #bookstagram #bibliophile #bibliophilebesties #IGreads #ireadtoo #teacherreads #YA #ARC #reviewer #27SummerReads

Deb

Once I started this book I just couldn't put it down. Luanne gives us a story of extreme grief and love. Emily loses her best friend to cancer and talks to her everyday as she misses her terribly. Lizzie's family is also grieving but their grief takes on a terrifying event. They kidnap Emily wanting her to become their daughter they love and miss so much. Each character is so true to life in their reactions and manipulations. What is terrifying about this story is that this may and has happened.
So beautifully written!

Adriana

This is the second Luanne Rice I've read, both YA, and both books have similar characteristics I don't like. The unrealistic and dramatic situations for one. And two a focus on romance when something bigger should be driving the plot.

Longer RTC

Shayla Kopp

Did not love this, I found all the characters flat and unrelatable. I don't know why but I just found this so hard to believe, I think if it had been written differently it would have been more believable but it just wasn't for me.

Lilly

It was really good! It was good,sad and scary at the same time

Bonnie (A Backwards Story)

(pg 1, US ARC edition)

Nothing is scarier than real life. I hate reading or watching the news because there is so much messed up stuff happening in the world. PRETEND SHE'S HERE by Luanne Rice could have been ripped straight from the headlines:

Girl goes missing. Is she a runaway, or did something more sinister happen? Sometimes the people who hurt us are the people we'd never expect...

Emily Lonergan had no clue what was in store for her the day she saw her childhood best friend Lizzie Porter's little sister waiting for her after school. Emily passed away the previous year and Emily has been missing her desperately. Seeing Chloe again and being invited back to the truck to reunite with Mr. and Mrs. Porter thrills her. She never suspects that the family will drug and kidnap her, forcing her to pretend to be Lizzie. Mrs. Porter has been unable to cope with her daughter's death and figures that nobody will miss Emily. Emily's own mother did some horrible things in the past and is a "bad mother who doesn't deserve her healthy kids." She also has seven kids. Why would she miss one of them? The Porters know that Emily tried to run away once before until her mother cleaned up her act and is now sober. Emily and Lizzie knew one another like the back of their own hand. Emily is like another daughter to Mrs. Porter. Why shouldn't Mrs. Porter be allowed to have her and recover all that was lost?

Terrifying stuff, right? When horrible stuff happens, not everyone can handle it and something inside of them snaps. Mrs. Porter definitely snapped and went off the deep end. The fact that this book feels real and like something that could happen is horrifying. The Porters plotted this kidnapping for a long time and already told new neighbor's about their daughter's time abroad and had her enrolled at the local school. They kept Emily captive and threatened the lives of her family if she didn't follow along and pretend to be Lizzie. Mrs. Porter would go to Mrs. Lenergan and run a muted video chat so that Emily could see the knife ready to slit her mother, or bring home items from her personal closet to prove how easy it was to break into the house. Emily was terrified that if she didn't play along, her family would be murdered. There is a lot of psychological torment at play, and a focus on the way kidnapping victims are conditioned into going along with everything in order to survive. That can be the most powerful form of scary.

It's hard to talk about this book without a lot of spoilers, so instead, I will say that I'm glad we've added another psychological suspense title to YA. I wouldn't call it a thriller (We need more of these as well), but definitely contemporary suspense! There aren't nearly enough of them, even though there is an abundance in adult fiction, and we need more titles because there is a market. It's nice to see typically adult authors such as Luanne Rice also crafting YA titles, and the read is absolutely appropriate for its targeted audience!

Aleya

When I first picked up this book it was at my schools book fair. I thought ya, maybe, I’ll read it eventually. I actually really regret thinking that. Last summer I read it and it was really good! Not only did I really enjoy the book, but it really opened my eyes. It was one of the first books that have really made me love books. It introduced some great new genres and topics I didn’t think to check it! I am really appreciative of this book and the opportunity it gave me. Additionally this book was written very well. I fell in love with all the characters. And the plot twists fit in perfectly with the mold of the plot.

R.F. Gammon

I am:
-Disturbed
-also bored haha
-Idk how to feel about the writing style
-Casey was adorable and I wanted more of him

Natalie Johnson

This book was amazing! I needed to pick a book fast from my school library because the bell was about to ring. I only had time to quickly scan through the summary and check it out. I started reading this the next day and immediately I was sucked in. This book has a unique plot that I've never read in a book before. I felt like I WAS the main character. This story of her misfortune is so vivid and enrapturing! I got so frustrated with her situation and was in it all the way. The book has a sweet ending too. 100%!! 5 starss! Please read!

Lindsay DeRollo

EXCELLENT book- I couldn't put it down! It had a very unique storyline, and the story continued to build up with alarm, shock, horror, anticipation, and (finally) hope. Highly recommended.

Lyla

Sooo good I really liked how when she escaped the story didn’t end. I feel like most books would end there. But I really liked how it kept going. It was slow at first to me but then it got really good. I really liked it👍

Samantha (WLABB)

Rating: 3.5 Stars

We all grieve in different ways, and this books shows that some ways are better than others.

I keep seeing people calling this a thriller. I am not sure this read as a thriller for me, since one of the most shocking things happens in the first chapter. I will concede, that there were quite a few tense and suspenseful moments, but overall, this book was more an exploration of grief for me.

Emily's best friend, Lizzie, died about a year ago after a short battle with cancer. We get some very lovey peeks into their friendship and Lizzie's illness via flashbacks, and in the present, we see Emily and Lizzie's family still reeling from their loss. I thought the exploration of grief was handled well, and it's not often I see the extreme side of it in the books I read, so it was an interesting departure from the norm for me.

Where this book shined, in my opinion, was with its beautiful and complicated relationships. Emily's family was a story all on its own. She was the youngest of seven children, who were slowly rebuilding their relationship with they newly sober alcoholic mom. They stumbled and age differences put some of the older children at a physical distance, but I felt so much warmth and love from this group.

I also really enjoyed the friendships Emily shared with Carole and Casey. I thought they shared a great dynamic, and they were there for Emily when she really needed a friend. Without saying too much, let's just say they were very important players in this story.

Casey was such an interesting and wonderful character. I was enthralled by his musical prowess and family history, and greatly appreciated his rapport with his father. I think I cried three times while reading this book, and the biggest tears fell as Casey shared his emotions about his mother with Emily. The story was heartbreaking, but his love was so crystal clear and fierce.

I also liked that this story didn't end, where I expected it too. There was this HUGE thing that happens in the beginning, and that was resolved, but it wasn't over. Rice took us to a nice point after, and I got the closure I really wanted.

Overall: This was not exactly what I was expecting from the synopsis, but I enjoyed the exploration of grief and the relationship dynamics within Emily's circle.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Amy

I received this book as part of the Scholastic Book Fair Spring 2019 Preview Pack. All opinions are my own.

This was a solid middle grade mystery/thriller. It reminded me of some of the best parts of an April Henry book with even better character development and insight. Emily's best friend died a year ago, from a short and vicious battle with cancer. Lizzie's family moved away after that, to start over, and Emily has lost contact with them. So when she sees Chloe, Lizzie's younger sister, and her parents in town a few days before the anniversary of her death, Emily doesn't think anything of getting a ride with them, or accepting a drink. Little does she know that Mrs. Porter has a master plan: to kidnap Emily and have her live as Lizzie with them in their home. She threatens Emily and Emily's mother (indirectly) to keep Emily in line and going along with the charade.

I'd recommend this book to kids who like mystery type thrillers. Completely appropriate for grades 6-8.

Adri

I loved this book! Recently I haven’t been writing reviews for books as much, but this book totally deserves one. Luanne Rice does a great job of making you feel like you’re right there with Emily. In the front of the cover it says “ The biggest lies come from the darkest places,” that is a major theme throughout and that really makes me stop and think. If your looking for a book to read, don’t hesitate to pick this up!

Susan

I think tweens and teens would like this, though it was slightly ridiculous. I did like that

ak

Honestly one of the best underground (no pun intended) books i’ve ever read. I think it would be really interesting to see a movie adaptation.

Emily

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review*

A year ago, Emily's best friend Lizzie died of cancer. While in the midst of her grief, Lizzie's family comes back into town for a visit. Emily is happy to see them - they're the only ones who truly understand the pain of losing Lizzie. But it seems that in all of their grief, Lizzie's family is willing to cross a line and commit the unthinkable: they kidnap Emily to become become the Lizzie they lost. Now Emily has to face an unthinkable darkness to try and survive, to try and get back to the family and life she loves, while balancing the love she has for the friendship she lost.

So I say this is a little spoiler-y because no where in any of the book descriptions does it say that Emily is kidnapped by the Porter family; but it happens in the first 10 pages of the book, and its hard to describe what this book is actually about without talking about it.

I read this book straight through in one day. Rice introduces a thrilling situation very suddenly to the reader, and we're immediately rooting for Emily to survive her unthinkable situation. We spend the entire story inside Emily's head, so we are able to understand her thought process and motivations for her actions while in captivity. The horror of having to weigh out the trauma and fear of kidnapping with the love for her best friend and the memories she had of Lizzie's family is a fresh twist on a tale of suspense. I was a part of this story very quickly, and I did not want to put this book down.

There were a couple parts that felt like the author was adding random information in for no reason, but it was portrayed as part of Emily's thought process/explanation, so it may very well have served a purpose.

Title	:	Pretend She's Here
Author	:	Luanne Rice
Rating	:
ISBN	:	133829850X
ISBN-10	:	9781338298505
Format Type	:	Hardcover
Number of Pages	:	337
Publication	:	First published February 26, 2019

Pretend She's Here by Luanne Rice

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