ARC Review: Liars, Inc. by Paula Stokes

Title: Liars, Inc. 
Author: Paula Stokes 
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Source: Edelweiss
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: March 24th 2015
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Summary:

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative? When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer. Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.

Review 

Well, it has been a few days since I've read Liars, Inc. and I am still blown away. I finally picked my jaw off the ground so I can write this review. Paula Stokes really knows how to write a mystery/thriller novel that will leave you on the edge of your seat. 

Max has an average life, adoptive parents who love him, a beautiful girlfriend, and one of the most popular guys in school as his best friend. Max, Parvati, and Pres are great liars, so why not make a business out of it? With that came the birth of Liars, Inc. They forge permission slips, sell test answers, cover stories, pretty much everything. When Pres needs a cover story to meet a girl he met online, Max agrees to it with no problem. But then Pres doesn't come home, the FBI start to investigate and now Max looks guilty. Then Preston's body is found. As Max starts to digs into the past to prove his innocence, dark secrets come to light questioning everything he ever knew about Pres and Parvati.

I liked Max's character, but he did such a good job at making himself look guilty. He lied to the FBI, ran from them, left his prints all over everything, broke restraining orders, I'm not surprised they arrested him at one point. He was incredibly stupid. But I think every teenager would be in that situation. He was scared and panicked. I am typically not a fan of reading from a guy's point of view, I usually find it harder to connect with a male character then a female one. I was able to connect with Max though, he second guessed his relationships with people, wondered if his parents really loved him. His background is sad, and heartbreaking but he was able to overcame it. 

Max and Parvati's relationship was very well written as well as cute. I felt bad for how that had to sneak around because her parents didn't approve of Max, but the made it work. About half way through the book secrets starting coming about, then everything that happened at the climax of the story, I began to like her a lot less. I didn't like how she lied to Max. But then I realized why she did it. She loves him and didn't want him to second guess their relationship. 

That is all I have to say about the climax of the story. 

Liars, Inc. is one of the craziest books I have read in a long time. It's filled with action, thrilling moments, and betrayal. This is on that I know I will be pushing on a lot of people. Paula Stokes is defiantly an author I am going to be looking out for in the future. 

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