Truthfully I've not been very in touch with the dramaland for the past week. In fact, I have reunited with my old love — reading. For the past few days, I've been obsessed with finishing Sara Shepard's Lying Game series (the book, not the tv drama) and I love it right till the very end.

There were bits that I didn't like. For example, it started falling into the same pattern every time Emma found a new suspect. She would identify someone who wasn't a bit right in the head, and then start to link every small bits of clue to the suspect. Ethan would edge her on and then they would hit a dead end when they found an alibi for the suspect. Even though I suspected that Ethan was the murderer very early on ever since the third book, it still feels like there could have been variation in the way it was written. However, I do like the fact that each time a suspect was cleared of guilt, we also learn more about his or her background, feelings, interactions with Sutton and who they really are as a person.

What made me really sad was the farewells and moving ons. I could feel Thayer's pain and heartache, but also perhaps relief at finding out that Sutton does love him after all. The way he whispers his goodbye at the end, resting his head against Emma's head, hits me in a teeny spot in my heart haha. He is a character I like from the onset. On the other hand, I never trusted Ethan enough and didn't want to form any emotional attachment to this character. While it was very sad, I guess it was also nice to know that Sutton didn't die at the hands of anyone she trusted but hurt or betrayed. She questioned throughout the novels if she had deserved her death, and the truth was, she didn't. If she hadn't stayed alone at the canyon that night, she might even have turned over a new leaf, and I think that possibility is enough to sustain my belief that if she hadn't died, she would not be such a bitch as she used to be.

I did wish that Ethan wasn't the killer because I wanted to be stunned at the ending. Unfortunately, the revelation positioned at the end that Ethan was the killer didn't give me as much of a mindblowingthisiscrazy moment as I would want to have. He was quite an obvious choice from the start. He knew who Emma was immediately, and that ought to have raised some alarm bells in Emma because he wasn't even that close with Sutton to begin with. Also, for almost every single suspect, he would edge Emma on into thinking yes that's the right suspect. By the time we hit Nisha's death, I was certain it was Ethan.

It is heartbreaking for Emma to be in such a situation but she will heal. And while the possibility of it seems complicated, I think she and Thayer would make really good healing buddies. (Maybe even fall in love? Or she could go with the cute cop. I just want someone sweet for this girl)

If you hadn't read this series before, I think it's quite a good read. There were parts that were overly bimbotic and too high-school-ish for my liking, but I guess that balances out the dark overtones. The characters are quite dimensional and not flat, so it makes it easier to relate and identify with them. The mystery was quite well written as well, but if you had guessed who the murderer was from the start, it takes away the kick at the end. That's my opinion at least.

Has anyone else read this before? Share with me your thoughts!

<3thoughtsramble