Liar

Liar by Justine Larbalestier is a book that is hard to describe.

Micah Wilkins is a compulsive liar. She lives in NYC and goes to a private high school. Everything else in the book could be true or it could be one of her many lies. She is an admitted liar whose family has been telling lies for generations.

I do not know what to say about this book since it is hard to tell what is true and what is made up (ignoring the fact that it is all fiction). It could be that Micah is telling her whole story from a padded cell somewhere or it could be that the stranger parts are true.

Larbalestier has done a great job in writing a book that will leave readers thinking. There is likely more than one opinion of what really happened.

Larbalestier, Justine. (2009). Liar. New York: Bloomsbury.

Magic's Child (Magic or Madness trilogy #3)

Magic's Child is the final book in Justine Larbalestier's Magic or Madness Trilogy.

Reason, Jay-Tee and Tom are still reeling from what happened to Reason. She now has more magic. Jay-Tee, on the other hand, has almost used hers up. Unless the vision that Jason Blake had about Reason being able to fix the problem of running out of life when running out of magic comes true, Jay-Tee will not live much longer.

But Jason Blake is not done trying to steal the magic from Reason and is not above using others to trick her into a vulnerable position. Will she be able to defeat him? Will she find a way to save Jay-Tee?

Larbalestier, Justine. (2007). Magic's Child. New York: Razorbill.

Magic Lessons (Magic or Madness #2)

Magic Lesson is Justine Larbalestier's second book in the Magic or Madness trilogy. Reason, Tom and Jay-Tee are in Sydney to begin magic lessons with Esmeralda, Reason's grandmother.

They already know that they have two choices about magic - use it or go mad. Of course, the more you use magic the more you use up magic. Once you are out you die. So the only logical choice it to use as little as possible only as often as needed to survive the longest. Doesn't sound like magic is quite as fun as we thought!

Before they can further their knowledge, someone or something tries to break through the door - the back door to Esmeralda's house in Sydney, Australia that opens in the East Village of New York City. Is it Jason Blake? Or is it someone else? And whoever it is, why are they trying to get through the door?

Larbalestier, Justine. (2007). Magic Lessons. New York: Razorbill.

Magic or Madness (Magic or Madness #1)

Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier is the first book in a trilogy of the same name. (Justine is married to Scott Westerfeld, writer of the Uglies series.)

Reason Cansino has lived on the run in the Australian outback for fifteen years. She and her mother, Sarafina, were in hiding from her grandmother, Esmeralda. Sarafina is convinced that Esmeralda is a witch. She has warned Reason never to trust her. But when her mother suffers a mental break, Reason is sent to live with Esmeralda in Sydney.

Reason, while planning her escape from her grandmother's house, finds an old key. When she unlocks the back door with it and steps through, she ends up in New York City. Now she must admit that magic is real. She also must find some warmer clothes, as it is January (summer in Australia, winter in New York).

Larbalestier, Justine. (2005). Magic or Madness. New York: Razor Bill.