Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead is about courage and friendship and reveals that one should overcome their fears. The main character Georges (silent s) is overwhelmed with the many problems of being bullied in school, losing his best friend to the cool crowd, leaving his nice house for an apartment after his father loses his job, and his mother is sick in the hospital. After meeting Safer, a kid in his apartment, Georges is pulled into a spy mystery. As the story unravels, Georges realizes that that the adventure he had embarked on was all just a game and that Safer is not really the brave boy he had pretended to be. Safer, on the other hand, is scared of almost everything and hides it by making excuses. Instead of being like Safer, Georges decides to face his fears and visits his mom in the hospital. In addition, he learns to stand up to bullies by banding together with other kids like him. In the process, Georges learns to defy The Taste Test, a “so called” evaluation that defines destiny. Liar & Spy touched my heart in a variety of ways. First of all, I cherished the way the novel provokes so much thought. For example, Georges’ mother always tells him to “look at the big picture”. I connected this to my own life and thought about how it helps to step back and not be so caught up in the present. Secondly, I liked how the author made the characters realistic. She showed how sometimes we feel that it is easier to hide our fears by believing that everything is normal. Lastly, although the book is not fast paced, readers still feel compelled to read more about Georges’ story. I recommend Liar and Spy to all middle schoolers who are looking forward to an interesting and heart-warming read. This book was the very first book that I read by Rebecca Stead and it made me want to read more of her books. Liar & Spy was very enjoyable to read. The characters were adventurous which made the book very energetic. The ending was unexpected for me and I didn't really like the ending, but it all made sense after I read the entire book.I really like how this book is something that makes sense in the end. All the bits and pieces come together to form something that you can clearly see and you understand why it all happened. I didn't expect it all to happen, but it did and I understand why. In the end, I enjoyed this book.
What do You think about Liar & Spy (2012)?
Quirky, funny, clever and much more than a children's book. It deserves all the plaudits going.
—email0094
Quite liked it, haven't yet read a Rebecca Stead book that I did not.
—pants
I really liked this. Great middle grade book! Review to come.
—janin
