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The Fake
A con artist can make you feel like the luckiest person on earth just to be in their presence. But when the jig is up, they ghost, and you’re left wondering if you ever mattered
After the death of her wife, Shelby feels more alone than ever—until she meets Cammie, a charismatic woman unafraid of what anyone else thinks and whose own history of trauma draws Shelby close. When Cammie is fired from her job and admits she is in treatment for kidney cancer, Shelby devotes all her time to helping Cammie thrive. But Shelby’s intuition tells her there are things about Cammie’s past that don’t add up. Could the realest thing about Cammie be that she’s actually a scammer?
Gibson is almost forty, fresh from a divorce and deeply depressed. Then he meets and falls in love with Cammie. Suddenly, he’s having the best sex of his life with a woman so attractive he’s stunned she even glanced his way, and for the first time ever he feels truly known. This is the kind of desire and passion that musicians have been writing love songs about for centuries. But Gibson’s friends are wary of Cammie, and eventually he too has to admit that Cammie’s dramatic life can feel a bit over the top.
When Shelby and Gibson find out Cammie is a pathological liar, they struggle to understand what they really want from her—sometimes they want to help her heal from whatever causes her to invent reality, and sometimes they want revenge. But the biggest question of all is: how honest can Shelby and Gibson be about their own characters?
After the death of her wife, Shelby feels more alone than ever—until she meets Cammie, a charismatic woman unafraid of what anyone else thinks and whose own history of trauma draws Shelby close. When Cammie is fired from her job and admits she is in treatment for kidney cancer, Shelby devotes all her time to helping Cammie thrive. But Shelby’s intuition tells her there are things about Cammie’s past that don’t add up. Could the realest thing about Cammie be that she’s actually a scammer?
Gibson is almost forty, fresh from a divorce and deeply depressed. Then he meets and falls in love with Cammie. Suddenly, he’s having the best sex of his life with a woman so attractive he’s stunned she even glanced his way, and for the first time ever he feels truly known. This is the kind of desire and passion that musicians have been writing love songs about for centuries. But Gibson’s friends are wary of Cammie, and eventually he too has to admit that Cammie’s dramatic life can feel a bit over the top.
When Shelby and Gibson find out Cammie is a pathological liar, they struggle to understand what they really want from her—sometimes they want to help her heal from whatever causes her to invent reality, and sometimes they want revenge. But the biggest question of all is: how honest can Shelby and Gibson be about their own characters?
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2023
96 people are currently reading
19529 people want to read
About the author
Zoe Whittall
19 books684 followers Zoe Whittall's latest novel, The Best Kind of People, spent 26 consecutive weeks on the Globe bestseller list, was shortlisted for the Giller Prize, was Indigo Best Book of the Year, Heather's Pick, Globe and Mail Best Book, Toronto Life Best Book of 2016, Walrus Magazine Best Book of 2016 . The film/TV rights have been optioned by Sarah Polley who will write and direct. She has two previous novels and three collections of poetry, and has written for the televisions shows Degrassi, Schitt's Creek, and The Baroness Von Sketch Show. She won the KM Hunter award for literature, and a Lamda Literary award for her second novel, Holding Still for as Long as Possible. Her debut, Bottle Rocket Hearts, was named one of the top ten novels of the decade by CBC Canada Reads, and one of the Best Books of 2007 by The Globe and Mail and Quill & Quire magazine. She has published three books of poetry, Precordial Thump, (exile, 08) The Best Ten Minutes of Your Life (McGilligan Books, 01) and The Emily Valentine Poems (Snare Books, 06.) The Globe and Mail called her "the cockiest, brashest, funniest, toughest, most life-affirming, elegant, scruffy, no-holds-barred writer to emerge from Montreal since Mordecai Richler…”. She was born in South Durham, Quebec, resided in Montreal during the early 1990s and has lived in Toronto since 1997.
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February 19, 2023
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This story was so heartbreaking and made me so angry. Imagine taking advantage of the brokenhearted the way Callie did! She took advantage of people in mourning, one the death of a spouse and the other the death of a marriage. She took unsuspecting people's emotional needs, played with them and used them for her own gain. You may think that it could never happen to you but I recently read in the newspaper about that exact thing that happened here in Toronto, a man scammed over one-hundred women online.
This book was fascinating and it was interesting how after everything she has done that is legally and morally wrong, Cammi ends up saving Gibson and Shelby. I liked that we get all three points of view as I felt like I was able to get inside each character's head. I loved that the book took place in Toronto as I have lived here all my life. It was fun reading about neighbourhoods, streets and stores that I am familiar with. This was a short read and I enjoyed it so much that I read it in a single sitting. This book was different, I thought the ending was surprising and I adore books that can shock me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
This story was so heartbreaking and made me so angry. Imagine taking advantage of the brokenhearted the way Callie did! She took advantage of people in mourning, one the death of a spouse and the other the death of a marriage. She took unsuspecting people's emotional needs, played with them and used them for her own gain. You may think that it could never happen to you but I recently read in the newspaper about that exact thing that happened here in Toronto, a man scammed over one-hundred women online.
This book was fascinating and it was interesting how after everything she has done that is legally and morally wrong, Cammi ends up saving Gibson and Shelby. I liked that we get all three points of view as I felt like I was able to get inside each character's head. I loved that the book took place in Toronto as I have lived here all my life. It was fun reading about neighbourhoods, streets and stores that I am familiar with. This was a short read and I enjoyed it so much that I read it in a single sitting. This book was different, I thought the ending was surprising and I adore books that can shock me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
March 9, 2023
Shelby recently lost her wife to a brain aneurysm. She has always suffered from anxiety but this loss has exacerbated her symptoms. Thankfully she has her rescue pug, Captain Taylor, who loves to kiss her tears away.
Then she meets Cammie at a grief counseling meeting her friend, Olive, insists she attends. Cammie is there for having lost her sister. Shelby is in awe of Cammie's lust for life. How she can command a room and light it up like fireworks. She's everything Shelby wishes she could be. They become best of friends. When Cammie loses her job she takes her in and takes care of her. Cammie would do the same if the roles were reversed.
Gibson is lonely. He's 39 years old and recently divorced. He's been in a state of depression since. Sure, he goes out with the guys for beers but more often than not he'd rather just be at home, alone, and miserable.
Then he meets Cammie while he's out with his best friend at the bar. She's vivacious and fun and she stirs feeling in him he has long thought he'd never feel again. She goes home with him and the sex is incredible. He's never felt so alive. She thinks it's kismet that they met. He has to agree. Cammie admits to him that she has recently gone in remission for kidney cancer so Gibson is always handling her mentally and physically with gentle hands. When she loses her job he let's her move in until she can get back on her feet. She would do the same for him if the roles were reversed.
A sad story of two lost and lonely souls that are taken in by a pathological liar. I became so upset and frustrated for both Shelby and Gibson. These are two of the kindest people that get taken advantage of in their moment of weakness. Of course as a reader we can see what's happening and I kept waiting for our characters to have their AHA moment when they realized they were being scammed by a professional grifter. Cammie plays the perfect devil in disguise. I teetered between loathing her and feeling sorry for her.
The final denouement did bring a smile to my face.
A compelling yet quiet story that is impeccably written. I'm definitely going to check out Whittall's backlist in the near future. 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my complimentary copy.
Then she meets Cammie at a grief counseling meeting her friend, Olive, insists she attends. Cammie is there for having lost her sister. Shelby is in awe of Cammie's lust for life. How she can command a room and light it up like fireworks. She's everything Shelby wishes she could be. They become best of friends. When Cammie loses her job she takes her in and takes care of her. Cammie would do the same if the roles were reversed.
Gibson is lonely. He's 39 years old and recently divorced. He's been in a state of depression since. Sure, he goes out with the guys for beers but more often than not he'd rather just be at home, alone, and miserable.
Then he meets Cammie while he's out with his best friend at the bar. She's vivacious and fun and she stirs feeling in him he has long thought he'd never feel again. She goes home with him and the sex is incredible. He's never felt so alive. She thinks it's kismet that they met. He has to agree. Cammie admits to him that she has recently gone in remission for kidney cancer so Gibson is always handling her mentally and physically with gentle hands. When she loses her job he let's her move in until she can get back on her feet. She would do the same for him if the roles were reversed.
A sad story of two lost and lonely souls that are taken in by a pathological liar. I became so upset and frustrated for both Shelby and Gibson. These are two of the kindest people that get taken advantage of in their moment of weakness. Of course as a reader we can see what's happening and I kept waiting for our characters to have their AHA moment when they realized they were being scammed by a professional grifter. Cammie plays the perfect devil in disguise. I teetered between loathing her and feeling sorry for her.
The final denouement did bring a smile to my face.
A compelling yet quiet story that is impeccably written. I'm definitely going to check out Whittall's backlist in the near future. 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my complimentary copy.
March 20, 2023
3.5
I was very captivated by this story of a con artist who insinuates herself into the lives of two people, but ultimately I think it fell flat.
From the beginning, we know things are going to end up badly, and then we go back to the beginning to see how everything plays out. Gibson is recently separated and going through a divorce. He's depressed and can't seem to move forward. He meets Cammie in a bar and is instantly attracted to her, they connect sexually and their relationship becomes very close, very quickly. He admires her tenacity for pushing through when she has had so many things stacked against her: deaths in her family and a cancer diagnosis. Shelby's wife passed away suddenly and she has been mired in anxiety and depression. When she meets Cammie at a grief support group, Shelby feels needed and connects immediately with Cammie. As both Gibson and Shelby learn more about Cammie, they start to believe everything isn't as Cammie is presenting it. When the two of them meet and compare notes, the suspicion deepens.
I love con artist stories, I mean, who didn't have their jaw drop when learning the story of Anna Delvey (Sorokin). As Cammie wove her web around Shelby and Gibson, and the two of them ignored their suspicions and things ultimately fell apart, I had a difficult time putting the book down because I wanted to know what would happen.
Yet in the end, I thought things just kind of fell flat. I was waiting for a "big moment" ending and it didn't happen. Yes, there's closure, but not in a satisfying way for me. What I wanted just wasn't fulfilled and it left me feeling blah after being so invested most of the way through. I thought this was going to be something like The Imposters TV series and it just didn't get to that level of intrigue.
Still worth reading, just not as fulfilling as I was hoping.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I was very captivated by this story of a con artist who insinuates herself into the lives of two people, but ultimately I think it fell flat.
From the beginning, we know things are going to end up badly, and then we go back to the beginning to see how everything plays out. Gibson is recently separated and going through a divorce. He's depressed and can't seem to move forward. He meets Cammie in a bar and is instantly attracted to her, they connect sexually and their relationship becomes very close, very quickly. He admires her tenacity for pushing through when she has had so many things stacked against her: deaths in her family and a cancer diagnosis. Shelby's wife passed away suddenly and she has been mired in anxiety and depression. When she meets Cammie at a grief support group, Shelby feels needed and connects immediately with Cammie. As both Gibson and Shelby learn more about Cammie, they start to believe everything isn't as Cammie is presenting it. When the two of them meet and compare notes, the suspicion deepens.
I love con artist stories, I mean, who didn't have their jaw drop when learning the story of Anna Delvey (Sorokin). As Cammie wove her web around Shelby and Gibson, and the two of them ignored their suspicions and things ultimately fell apart, I had a difficult time putting the book down because I wanted to know what would happen.
Yet in the end, I thought things just kind of fell flat. I was waiting for a "big moment" ending and it didn't happen. Yes, there's closure, but not in a satisfying way for me. What I wanted just wasn't fulfilled and it left me feeling blah after being so invested most of the way through. I thought this was going to be something like The Imposters TV series and it just didn't get to that level of intrigue.
Still worth reading, just not as fulfilling as I was hoping.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
January 18, 2023
This is kind of a hard book to read because Shelby and Gibson are nice people, and it’s their niceness that has them being taken in by the con artist Cammie.
Shelby had already been struggling with mental issues like hypochondria and occasional bouts of agoraphobia when her wife abruptly dies. Now her friends and family (who continue to call Kate Shelby’s “friend”—as in, “why can’t she get over the death of her friend?”) are ready for Shelby to go back to work and return to normal. The only reason Shelby is keeping it together even a little is to take care of their dog. Finally, she takes the advice of friends and goes to a bereavement group where she meets the effervescent Cammie, who finally pulls her out of her rut. Shelby doesn’t mind helping Cammie out with money and the occasional place to stay.
Gibson is recently divorced and living in an apartment decorated only with the boxes he can’t seem to unpack when he meets Cammie in a bar. Having unbelievable sex after such a long dry spell brings him back to the land of the living. He doesn’t mind helping Cammie out with money and the occasional place to stay.
They finally figure out that very little of what Cammie says has any bearing on the truth. For me, the ending was not satisfying. Niceness is great, but there comes a point when standing up against yourself against emotional abuse is more admirable. They start to stand up for themselves, but they really outdo themselves trying to continue to help her.
NetGalley provided an advance reader copy of this novel, which RELEASES MARCH 21, 2023.
Shelby had already been struggling with mental issues like hypochondria and occasional bouts of agoraphobia when her wife abruptly dies. Now her friends and family (who continue to call Kate Shelby’s “friend”—as in, “why can’t she get over the death of her friend?”) are ready for Shelby to go back to work and return to normal. The only reason Shelby is keeping it together even a little is to take care of their dog. Finally, she takes the advice of friends and goes to a bereavement group where she meets the effervescent Cammie, who finally pulls her out of her rut. Shelby doesn’t mind helping Cammie out with money and the occasional place to stay.
Gibson is recently divorced and living in an apartment decorated only with the boxes he can’t seem to unpack when he meets Cammie in a bar. Having unbelievable sex after such a long dry spell brings him back to the land of the living. He doesn’t mind helping Cammie out with money and the occasional place to stay.
They finally figure out that very little of what Cammie says has any bearing on the truth. For me, the ending was not satisfying. Niceness is great, but there comes a point when standing up against yourself against emotional abuse is more admirable. They start to stand up for themselves, but they really outdo themselves trying to continue to help her.
NetGalley provided an advance reader copy of this novel, which RELEASES MARCH 21, 2023.
May 21, 2023
We all lie (yes, even YOU, you lie sometimes too). Some lies are told to protect the person we're talking to, some are told to protect ourselves, some are flimsy and harmless, some are covering a devastating truth. Some are more twisted, manipulative, causing and caused by deep psychological damage.
Camilla, the "fake" of this story, lies for a living. She's a beautiful, charismatic, dramatic LIAR. Woe to those who are seduced by her stories. Gibson, a recently divorced, sensitive guy, meets Cammie at a bar one night. Shelby, an anxious, kind, fragile woman, still deeply affected by the death of her wife, meets Cammie at a grief support group. Their lives are never the same.
It's fascinating to see it all play out until the stories pile up so high that they start to tumble down. Gibson and Shelby are forced to compare notes, and help each other pick up the pieces.
Zoe Whittall spins such a compelling story here about a complex con artist and the people who love her. Her writing is clever and a pleasure to dive into, and once in, you happily stay there. She's Canadian, too, which is a major bonus, and published by HarperCollins Canada, so her Canuck spellings are on display in all their glory, and the whole world in the book is so Canadian (mentions of Degrassi and Canadian Tire, and kilometres, made me feel at home in these pages).
I liked this a lot. But because I'm me, I sorta wished the stakes were slightly higher, that the narrative had a bigger bite. That the darkness quotient was ramped up a bit. But that's just me.
Read it, find out for yourself. It's a tangled web Cammie weaves, and so does Whittall. She's the real deal, and that's no lie.
Camilla, the "fake" of this story, lies for a living. She's a beautiful, charismatic, dramatic LIAR. Woe to those who are seduced by her stories. Gibson, a recently divorced, sensitive guy, meets Cammie at a bar one night. Shelby, an anxious, kind, fragile woman, still deeply affected by the death of her wife, meets Cammie at a grief support group. Their lives are never the same.
It's fascinating to see it all play out until the stories pile up so high that they start to tumble down. Gibson and Shelby are forced to compare notes, and help each other pick up the pieces.
Zoe Whittall spins such a compelling story here about a complex con artist and the people who love her. Her writing is clever and a pleasure to dive into, and once in, you happily stay there. She's Canadian, too, which is a major bonus, and published by HarperCollins Canada, so her Canuck spellings are on display in all their glory, and the whole world in the book is so Canadian (mentions of Degrassi and Canadian Tire, and kilometres, made me feel at home in these pages).
I liked this a lot. But because I'm me, I sorta wished the stakes were slightly higher, that the narrative had a bigger bite. That the darkness quotient was ramped up a bit. But that's just me.
Read it, find out for yourself. It's a tangled web Cammie weaves, and so does Whittall. She's the real deal, and that's no lie.
March 6, 2023
The Fake isn't a meaty story but it held my interest from start to finish. I read The Best Kind of People written by this author a few years ago and both books are similar in that they are a study of people rather than a plot driven story. Or at least that's my interpretation and why I'm drawn to her writing.
Shelby is struggling after the death of her wife but then she meets Cammie. Gibson and his wife split up and he's depressed. But then he meets Cammie. So who is Cammie? Well, that's a loaded question.
The Fake is a niche read in that I doubt it will be appreciated by every reader but that's okay because we all look for different things when we pick up a book. The basics of the story are nothing new but the author went in a less traveled direction. Again, the psychology of it all is really what sustained my interest.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for providing an advance digital copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
Shelby is struggling after the death of her wife but then she meets Cammie. Gibson and his wife split up and he's depressed. But then he meets Cammie. So who is Cammie? Well, that's a loaded question.
The Fake is a niche read in that I doubt it will be appreciated by every reader but that's okay because we all look for different things when we pick up a book. The basics of the story are nothing new but the author went in a less traveled direction. Again, the psychology of it all is really what sustained my interest.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for providing an advance digital copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
February 20, 2023
The middle is a 4 star book, but it has a clunky beginning and ending.
I suspect readers would be better off skipping the bookended notes from the titular Fake at the beginning and end, as well as the opening scene before the flashback. The early chapters feel like we're going in ten different directions when that isn't the book at all. The opener set in some time of acute danger is way over done in the thriller space and it really doesn't belong here.
A fake, a liar, a person who will say and do whatever another wants to hear is a fascinating character. The problem with making them the center of a book is the same problem you have trying to figure them out in real life. None of it really makes much sense. You won't find a master plan, you won't find vulnerability, you'll just find whatever they left behind now that they've moved on. Whittall understands this, and writes about it well. We get to see how Cammie really does draw people in, and Whittall doesn't try to make her into something more interesting than what she really would be.
It's just that, well, then what? When the jig is up you are left with not much to hang on to, and sadly the book is in the same shape. I wanted more for it, I really was invested in Shelby and Gibson, even though they are not the kind of characters I would normally be invested in.
I suspect readers would be better off skipping the bookended notes from the titular Fake at the beginning and end, as well as the opening scene before the flashback. The early chapters feel like we're going in ten different directions when that isn't the book at all. The opener set in some time of acute danger is way over done in the thriller space and it really doesn't belong here.
A fake, a liar, a person who will say and do whatever another wants to hear is a fascinating character. The problem with making them the center of a book is the same problem you have trying to figure them out in real life. None of it really makes much sense. You won't find a master plan, you won't find vulnerability, you'll just find whatever they left behind now that they've moved on. Whittall understands this, and writes about it well. We get to see how Cammie really does draw people in, and Whittall doesn't try to make her into something more interesting than what she really would be.
It's just that, well, then what? When the jig is up you are left with not much to hang on to, and sadly the book is in the same shape. I wanted more for it, I really was invested in Shelby and Gibson, even though they are not the kind of characters I would normally be invested in.
May 16, 2024
Shelby finds Cammie’s performance in the group almost terrifying. She watches her speak and realizes that she has no idea what Cammie’s limits are. Who knows how far she would go to preserve this fake identity. She feels like she might throw up, so instead she stands up and starts towards the door. As she walks she tries to breathe steadily and picture being home, with Coach Taylor, in her grounded place.
Told from three points-of-view — the narratives of the two “marks”, Shelby and Gibson, and opening and closing statements from “con artist”, Cammie — The Fake is a thoroughly compelling and perceptive examination of just what it is we desire and expect of one another, and what we’re willing to do or ignore to get what we want. Author Zoe Whittall has crafted something rather interesting here: Instead of just giving us another dirtbag female protagonist in the vein of Gillian Flynn or Ottessa Moshfegh — although Cammie’s actions do give us that same cathartic girl-behaving-badly-by-proxy vibe — Whittall goes on to ask whether Cammie was really responsible for her behaviour (could her actions be neurological or a trauma response?) while also wondering whether her “victims” didn't actually get the most out of their relationships (just who is using who in the end?) A shortish and easy read, with quick, propulsive chapters, I found this to be interesting on many levels.
Who are you going to believe? Someone like me, who has survived so much, and has nothing to lose? Or a pathetic man who could barely tie his shoes after his wife left him? Or a woman who always thinks she has a brain tumour and has panic attacks in the grocery store? You’re going to believe them because they have perfect teeth and never had to do anything they didn’t want to do in life. I am tough because I have had to be. You’re a smart person, obviously. You read books. I’m just trying to give you the basics right now. I have the right to defend myself. Doesn’t everyone, even these days?
In her Acknowledgements, Whittall makes cryptic reference to a time when she had had to “figure out the truth”, and in this interview she explains, “I have had experiences with people like Cammie in my life. That’s why I wrote the book. But it’s also why it took me a really long time to be able to fictionalize the experience. I needed to find the coherence and the humour and the irony in it.” So, apparently, Whittall knows of what she writes and the ironic humour is the point. It’s easy to look at a pathological liar and say that her actions are evil and manipulative, but consider the bigger picture: Just why would the recently-separated middle-aged Gibson — living in a dingy apartment filled with unpacked boxes — think that the gorgeous young Cammie found him irresistibly attractive? And why did the recently-widowed anxiety-prone Shelby believe that the larger-than-life star of their grief support group would go to great lengths to bring her back to life if Cammie didn’t also want something out of the transaction? When Gibson and Shelby insist on meeting each other (over Cammie’s protests, but Gibson and Shelby eventually demand all of “their girl”), they start to put together inconsistencies in Cammie’s stories. But instead of leaving us with the conclusion that Cammie was wholly in the wrong for using the pair for housing and a bit of spending money, Whittall insists that we consider what Gibson and Shelby (two stable but hurting adults who should have known better) gained from Cammie (a younger woman who probably has psychological challenges): there's nothing black and white in this story and that’s what makes for interesting reading.
He watches from the window as she crosses the street and lies down on her back on a bench at the bus stop, her knees up, one arm over her eyes, the other arm putting her flat purse under her shirt to keep from getting robbed. She looks like she’s done this a million times. He knows then that all the times he’s protected her, saved her, bought things for her, it was theatre. She never needed him, even once, to save her from anything.
In addition to the interesting plot and what it left me to ponder, I enjoyed all of the Canadiana: from shopping at Winners and Dominion, listening to the Weakerthans and a Tribe Called Red, I smiled at the mention of Owen Sound — the small town my mother-in-law is from — which I’m sure I’ve never read in a novel before. Much to like here.
March 13, 2023
This was quick and predictable and ultimately missed the mark for me. I just wanted more. It’s a take it or leave it kind of read for me but the audiobook was decently narrated and the switching of POvs kept my interest enough.
It did hit the mark with how vulnerable people are so susceptible to people like Cammie. Even if I was frustrated with Gibson and Shelby at times, I did understand them and sympathize with them. Cammie was exactly what they both needed at the time even if it was all lies.
I do love a Toronto setting as it’s quite familiar to me, having grown up in the area.
Thank you PRH for the gifted listening copy.
It did hit the mark with how vulnerable people are so susceptible to people like Cammie. Even if I was frustrated with Gibson and Shelby at times, I did understand them and sympathize with them. Cammie was exactly what they both needed at the time even if it was all lies.
I do love a Toronto setting as it’s quite familiar to me, having grown up in the area.
Thank you PRH for the gifted listening copy.
November 25, 2022
This was an interesting glimpse into what a pathological liar does to the people around them, though it was a somewhat predictable story. The book focuses on Cammie, who befriends both Gibson and Shelby when they are going through dark times; Gibson due to a divorce and Shelby due to the death of her wife.
Cammie seems too good to be true at first, and it turns out that she is. I felt frustrated with both Gibson and Shelby at times because they KNEW they were being scammed but kept falling back into it. Nothing really major happens in this book but it takes the reader through the volatility of their relationships with Cammie and how they eventually get on with their lives later. The book ends with an excerpt from Cammie herself that the reader can choose to believe or not.
Overall, this was a quick read and I have always been fascinated at how people like Cammie get people to trust them despite signs that they shouldn’t. I didn’t really feel like much happened, though, and was hoping for a couple of twists. I still enjoyed it overall. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Cammie seems too good to be true at first, and it turns out that she is. I felt frustrated with both Gibson and Shelby at times because they KNEW they were being scammed but kept falling back into it. Nothing really major happens in this book but it takes the reader through the volatility of their relationships with Cammie and how they eventually get on with their lives later. The book ends with an excerpt from Cammie herself that the reader can choose to believe or not.
Overall, this was a quick read and I have always been fascinated at how people like Cammie get people to trust them despite signs that they shouldn’t. I didn’t really feel like much happened, though, and was hoping for a couple of twists. I still enjoyed it overall. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2022
A engrossing story about a scammer that is so talented that she might just scam you! Cammie meets Shelby at a grief support group and Gibson at a local bar. Before long she has completely inserted herself into their lives. She seems perfect, and both rely on her for most of their emotional needs.
But friends seem to think Cammie is not all that she claims to be and Gibson and Shelby decide they are best served by meeting.
Follow the three down a rabbit hole of cons, lies, deceptions and love. You will surely see the signs before they do, but it's such a compelling story, and Cammie written so perfectly, you would follow her willingly to wherever she wants to go. If you like a page turner, love a good story, or just want to see if you can withstand the beautiful, and fun Cammie, The Fake is for you! #Ballantine #Penguin
But friends seem to think Cammie is not all that she claims to be and Gibson and Shelby decide they are best served by meeting.
Follow the three down a rabbit hole of cons, lies, deceptions and love. You will surely see the signs before they do, but it's such a compelling story, and Cammie written so perfectly, you would follow her willingly to wherever she wants to go. If you like a page turner, love a good story, or just want to see if you can withstand the beautiful, and fun Cammie, The Fake is for you! #Ballantine #Penguin
April 15, 2023
I don’t know what to say about this book because the premise is great but it falls so flat. Nothing really happens in the book.
It reminded me of a poor spin off of the show “Dead to Me”
The only good thing about it was that it was such a quick read that I didn’t waste too much of my time reading it.
It reminded me of a poor spin off of the show “Dead to Me”
The only good thing about it was that it was such a quick read that I didn’t waste too much of my time reading it.
March 16, 2023
The Fake by Zoe Whittall. Thanks to @randomhousepublishers and @netgalley for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Shelby is grieving after her wife unexpectedly passes away. Gibson is struggling to find meaning after his divorce. When con artist Cammie comes into both their lives, they find hope again… until she takes advantage.
I loved this story because even though it is about a con artist, it’s more of a true life literary fiction than a thriller. Once you start reading, it’s hard to look away even though you know it’s going to get worse. You really feel for the two main characters and don’t want them to get taken advantage of. It does a great job of showing how some manipulators get ahead in life.
“When it’s real, you know it. Later a therapist will call this a red flag.”
The Fake comes out 3/21.
Shelby is grieving after her wife unexpectedly passes away. Gibson is struggling to find meaning after his divorce. When con artist Cammie comes into both their lives, they find hope again… until she takes advantage.
I loved this story because even though it is about a con artist, it’s more of a true life literary fiction than a thriller. Once you start reading, it’s hard to look away even though you know it’s going to get worse. You really feel for the two main characters and don’t want them to get taken advantage of. It does a great job of showing how some manipulators get ahead in life.
“When it’s real, you know it. Later a therapist will call this a red flag.”
The Fake comes out 3/21.
May 21, 2023
Zoe Whittall is a master at writing broody queer novels, and ever since reading Bottle Rocket Hearts, I just can’t resist them.
The description and first chapter of this might lead you to believe that it’s an action book or at least a mystery. Befriending a con artist sounds like the premise for anything from whacky hijinks to thriller territory. But while the first chapter has the main character hiding in her closet, afraid for her safety, this really isn’t a book about danger or mystery. Instead, it’s more of a character study about these people in awkward times in their lives.
I can imagine many people will find this a frustrating book, because the description basically tells you everything that happens. This is only around 200 pages, and it’s more sad than it is exciting. Shelby and Gibson are both lonely and vulnerable. Cammie is hard to pin down: is she deliberately cruel? Does she believe her own lies? We only get a little taste of her point of view in this story.
I haven’t met any con artists—that I know of!—but I think if you have had a relationship (friends, family, or romantic) with someone who is manipulative, you’ll find some uncomfortably relatable moments in the way Cammie keeps the people around her on her side—until it’s time to drop them and move on to the next marks.
The Fake isn’t a perfect fit for all readers, but if you like a glimpse into other people’s complicated psyches, though, I think you’ll enjoy this one. It’s a slow-paced, thoughtful look at these three characters.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
The description and first chapter of this might lead you to believe that it’s an action book or at least a mystery. Befriending a con artist sounds like the premise for anything from whacky hijinks to thriller territory. But while the first chapter has the main character hiding in her closet, afraid for her safety, this really isn’t a book about danger or mystery. Instead, it’s more of a character study about these people in awkward times in their lives.
I can imagine many people will find this a frustrating book, because the description basically tells you everything that happens. This is only around 200 pages, and it’s more sad than it is exciting. Shelby and Gibson are both lonely and vulnerable. Cammie is hard to pin down: is she deliberately cruel? Does she believe her own lies? We only get a little taste of her point of view in this story.
I haven’t met any con artists—that I know of!—but I think if you have had a relationship (friends, family, or romantic) with someone who is manipulative, you’ll find some uncomfortably relatable moments in the way Cammie keeps the people around her on her side—until it’s time to drop them and move on to the next marks.
The Fake isn’t a perfect fit for all readers, but if you like a glimpse into other people’s complicated psyches, though, I think you’ll enjoy this one. It’s a slow-paced, thoughtful look at these three characters.
Full review at the Lesbrary.
October 16, 2022
I read Zoe Whittall’s The Spectacular and found it distinctly less then. But it has enough potential to warrant checking out the author’s further work and, lo and behold, The Fake turned out much more impressive.
This novel is a lean, mean, and strangely hypnotic tale of a pathological liar and the people she drags into her orbit. Physically attractive and physiologically as messy as spilled garbage can, she finds two fundamentally nice people at the lowest point of their lives and proceeds to seduce and manipulate them in their roles as best friend and lover.
For the reader, it’s almost difficult to see the appeal, since you can only imagine the physical beauty and the grifter charm is somewhat on a thin side with obvious red flags all over. But hey, it’s always easier for the observers. For people swept up in the sh*tstorm of a sociopath it’s a different story altogether.
And quite a story. Trainwreck compelling and very well written. A fine psychological literary drama about the power of lying. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This novel is a lean, mean, and strangely hypnotic tale of a pathological liar and the people she drags into her orbit. Physically attractive and physiologically as messy as spilled garbage can, she finds two fundamentally nice people at the lowest point of their lives and proceeds to seduce and manipulate them in their roles as best friend and lover.
For the reader, it’s almost difficult to see the appeal, since you can only imagine the physical beauty and the grifter charm is somewhat on a thin side with obvious red flags all over. But hey, it’s always easier for the observers. For people swept up in the sh*tstorm of a sociopath it’s a different story altogether.
And quite a story. Trainwreck compelling and very well written. A fine psychological literary drama about the power of lying. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
March 28, 2023
Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Fake by Zoe Whittall is a fascinating look a the life of a pathological liar and the ramifications of those who fall prey to her lies.
I enjoyed this look into the life of a pathological liar and how her lies affected those in her orbit. I’ve known a few people like Cammie, but none as bad as she is. Shelby and Gibson are both very sympathetic characters as they are the ones being scammed by Cammie. I was a bit frustrated by the way they kept believing all her stories, but I know it’s not that easy when you’re with someone who lies all the time.
I highly recommend The Fake to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Fake by Zoe Whittall is a fascinating look a the life of a pathological liar and the ramifications of those who fall prey to her lies.
I enjoyed this look into the life of a pathological liar and how her lies affected those in her orbit. I’ve known a few people like Cammie, but none as bad as she is. Shelby and Gibson are both very sympathetic characters as they are the ones being scammed by Cammie. I was a bit frustrated by the way they kept believing all her stories, but I know it’s not that easy when you’re with someone who lies all the time.
I highly recommend The Fake to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
May 23, 2025
#️⃣2️⃣3️⃣9️⃣ Read & Reviewed in 2025 🐠 🍭
Date 🌬️: Thursday, May 22, 2025 ☄️
Word Count📃: 58k Words,
╔⏤⏤⏤╝❀🌸💮🌸❀╚⏤⏤⏤╗
૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡ My 47th read in summertime read-a-thon "since idk wtf to do with my life for one thousand — two hundred — twenty four hours straight" (^-^ )
3️⃣🌟, yeaaaaaaahhhhh, its sort of a theater play.
——————————————————————
➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗
With the only characters literally only being Cammie, Shelby and Gibson it can only go to a few places. There is no character in development because it's religious a book about two people fall in love with the same person on their vastly different living conditions, both of them being tricked and manipulated by this pathological liar, who themselves is the reason why some unfortunate events happened in their lives (like that job position). Probably because of that there is no character development happening anywhere, it had a chance that may be after that situation happening to both of them, they will learn new insights and be better but nopo, book ends, thats it. The writing was definitely wasn't great, this is peak "easy to consume literature" wattpad writinggggggggg, and you know them well i hate wattpad writing 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏. CAMMIE DOES NOT EVEN GET THE GREAT KARMA ENDING THAT EVERYONE IS EXPECTING TO GET, so really what is all of it for?
Date 🌬️: Thursday, May 22, 2025 ☄️
Word Count📃: 58k Words,
╔⏤⏤⏤╝❀🌸💮🌸❀╚⏤⏤⏤╗
૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡ My 47th read in summertime read-a-thon "since idk wtf to do with my life for one thousand — two hundred — twenty four hours straight" (^-^ )
3️⃣🌟, yeaaaaaaahhhhh, its sort of a theater play.
——————————————————————
➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗
With the only characters literally only being Cammie, Shelby and Gibson it can only go to a few places. There is no character in development because it's religious a book about two people fall in love with the same person on their vastly different living conditions, both of them being tricked and manipulated by this pathological liar, who themselves is the reason why some unfortunate events happened in their lives (like that job position). Probably because of that there is no character development happening anywhere, it had a chance that may be after that situation happening to both of them, they will learn new insights and be better but nopo, book ends, thats it. The writing was definitely wasn't great, this is peak "easy to consume literature" wattpad writinggggggggg, and you know them well i hate wattpad writing 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏. CAMMIE DOES NOT EVEN GET THE GREAT KARMA ENDING THAT EVERYONE IS EXPECTING TO GET, so really what is all of it for?
April 13, 2023
THE FAKE
BY: ZOE WHITTALL
First I would like to say a sincere Thank you to Random house Publishing Group-Ballantine. Ballantine Books and Zoe Whittall for granting me my wish to read this excellent ARC. It is unavailable to request, so I took a chance and clicked on the "Wish for it," icon. I am grateful beyond words that you granted me my wish to read this OUTSTANDING ARC. Thank you also to Net Galley and this amazing creative writer, Zoe Whittall, who judging by my reading bliss for a few hours reading this accomplished Author's latest novel called, "The Fake." I absolutely loved it and I am proceeding to Amazon, to purchase Zoe Whittall's previous novels. That this was that amazing, that I enjoyed this guilty pleasure of a stellar novel, I am dying to read her prior novels for I was mesmerized from the very first paragraph until the last sentence. I still don't know what genre I would classify this, so I am going to guess it's a psychological thriller.
I was addicted to this story about a pathological liar or sociopath who is a modern day con-woman named Cammie who was so shameless, she lied and used a young woman who took her in and tried to help her out of the goodness of her heart. Shelby meets Cammie at a place that should be safe. Of all of the places, a grief support group. Cammie is so convincing I know that she could have easily fooled me, because I think that most people's default natures are to be empathetic, and automatically trusting. I would think that a grief support group is a gathering of people who are the most vulnerable besides pets and children. Not so with Cammie. I was astounded at the cruelty that Cammie showed to one of the women who is suffering from panic attacks and agoraphobia who can barely function.
Cammie does the same kind of scamming with a boyfriend who also lets her move in with him telling him that she is receiving treatment for cancer. He is newly divorced and Cammie uses her body to reel him in. Their relationship moves way too fast, which his friends tell him is a red flag. He falls for her sad tale of woe, also. Until the woman from the grief support group, named Shelby meets the new boyfriend who Cammie has told Shelby, that her boyfriend Gibson has a gambling problem, and he takes all of her money. When Gibson and Shelby meet one another and, they both begin comparing the lies that they are both realizing Cammie has told. Still both being decent people they still want to help Cammie. Like, most con-artists once confronted they move onto their next mark.
I know that there are scammers out in the big, wide world that we live in. I am grateful to have read this book, because it is a great reminder of that fact. I am way too trusting, so this was a fantastic wake up call to me. Still, it is my hope to think that there are more good people than bad and I want to hope that I have gained wisdom from reading this. I am an empathetic person and I tend to believe people until I catch them lying. This was phenomenally well above average writing and very convincing characterization and the plot was Brilliant. A Favorite! I highly recommend this deliciously fun novel and will be talking about this with my friends and placing it in readers hands as gifts when it publishes.
Publication Date: March 21, 2023
#TheFake #ZoeWhittall #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantineBallantineBooks #NetGalley
BY: ZOE WHITTALL
First I would like to say a sincere Thank you to Random house Publishing Group-Ballantine. Ballantine Books and Zoe Whittall for granting me my wish to read this excellent ARC. It is unavailable to request, so I took a chance and clicked on the "Wish for it," icon. I am grateful beyond words that you granted me my wish to read this OUTSTANDING ARC. Thank you also to Net Galley and this amazing creative writer, Zoe Whittall, who judging by my reading bliss for a few hours reading this accomplished Author's latest novel called, "The Fake." I absolutely loved it and I am proceeding to Amazon, to purchase Zoe Whittall's previous novels. That this was that amazing, that I enjoyed this guilty pleasure of a stellar novel, I am dying to read her prior novels for I was mesmerized from the very first paragraph until the last sentence. I still don't know what genre I would classify this, so I am going to guess it's a psychological thriller.
I was addicted to this story about a pathological liar or sociopath who is a modern day con-woman named Cammie who was so shameless, she lied and used a young woman who took her in and tried to help her out of the goodness of her heart. Shelby meets Cammie at a place that should be safe. Of all of the places, a grief support group. Cammie is so convincing I know that she could have easily fooled me, because I think that most people's default natures are to be empathetic, and automatically trusting. I would think that a grief support group is a gathering of people who are the most vulnerable besides pets and children. Not so with Cammie. I was astounded at the cruelty that Cammie showed to one of the women who is suffering from panic attacks and agoraphobia who can barely function.
Cammie does the same kind of scamming with a boyfriend who also lets her move in with him telling him that she is receiving treatment for cancer. He is newly divorced and Cammie uses her body to reel him in. Their relationship moves way too fast, which his friends tell him is a red flag. He falls for her sad tale of woe, also. Until the woman from the grief support group, named Shelby meets the new boyfriend who Cammie has told Shelby, that her boyfriend Gibson has a gambling problem, and he takes all of her money. When Gibson and Shelby meet one another and, they both begin comparing the lies that they are both realizing Cammie has told. Still both being decent people they still want to help Cammie. Like, most con-artists once confronted they move onto their next mark.
I know that there are scammers out in the big, wide world that we live in. I am grateful to have read this book, because it is a great reminder of that fact. I am way too trusting, so this was a fantastic wake up call to me. Still, it is my hope to think that there are more good people than bad and I want to hope that I have gained wisdom from reading this. I am an empathetic person and I tend to believe people until I catch them lying. This was phenomenally well above average writing and very convincing characterization and the plot was Brilliant. A Favorite! I highly recommend this deliciously fun novel and will be talking about this with my friends and placing it in readers hands as gifts when it publishes.
Publication Date: March 21, 2023
#TheFake #ZoeWhittall #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantineBallantineBooks #NetGalley
May 25, 2025
Not my favourite Zoe Whittall, but I did find this quite page-turning! It's told from two perspectives, a newly divorced almost 40-year-old straight guy (Gibson),and a 30-something lesbian (Shelby), whose wife has died recently and unexpectedly.
Both of them get drawn in by a charismatic pathological liar Cammie (he dates her, she is friends with her) and only figure it out after they meet and compare notes. It's hard to convey charisma in writing, but Whittall does a great job.
I wanted Shelby and Cammie's friendship (based on meeting at a grief support group) to be a little more developed; it felt a bit more vague than Gibson and Cammie's romantic relationship.
Shelby's POV was hard to read sometimes, because the depiction of her (health) anxiety, panic disorder, and grief were so well done. Also, the femme dyke representation (and the butch wife, retroactively) were deeply real, *chef's kiss*. I love Whittall's queer characters, because they feel so much like the queer people I know in real life.
Great audiobook actors!
Both of them get drawn in by a charismatic pathological liar Cammie (he dates her, she is friends with her) and only figure it out after they meet and compare notes. It's hard to convey charisma in writing, but Whittall does a great job.
I wanted Shelby and Cammie's friendship (based on meeting at a grief support group) to be a little more developed; it felt a bit more vague than Gibson and Cammie's romantic relationship.
Shelby's POV was hard to read sometimes, because the depiction of her (health) anxiety, panic disorder, and grief were so well done. Also, the femme dyke representation (and the butch wife, retroactively) were deeply real, *chef's kiss*. I love Whittall's queer characters, because they feel so much like the queer people I know in real life.
Great audiobook actors!
January 17, 2023
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by HarperCollins Canada.
Nothing happens???
If you have read the back of the book, you don't need to bother picking this one up. Unfortunately, there are no additional gripping, thrilling or shocking moments added to the plot. The reader is very aware from the beginning that Cammie is a manipulative liar, removing all mystery and creating a bore of a story. I also did not find myself invested in any of the characters, they were all forgettable. It felt like a waste of my time.
Nothing happens???
If you have read the back of the book, you don't need to bother picking this one up. Unfortunately, there are no additional gripping, thrilling or shocking moments added to the plot. The reader is very aware from the beginning that Cammie is a manipulative liar, removing all mystery and creating a bore of a story. I also did not find myself invested in any of the characters, they were all forgettable. It felt like a waste of my time.
March 6, 2023
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by HarperCollins Canada.
A con artist can make you feel like the luckiest person on earth just to be in their presence. But when the jig is up, they ghost, and you are left wondering if you ever mattered.
After the death of her wife, Shelby feels more alone than ever—until she meets Cammie, a charismatic woman unafraid of what anyone else thinks and whose own history of trauma draws Shelby close. When Cammie is fired from her job and admits she is in treatment for kidney cancer, Shelby devotes all her time to helping Cammie thrive. But Shelby’s intuition tells her there are things about Cammie’s past that don’t add up. Could the realest thing about Cammie be that she is actually a scammer?
Gibson is almost forty, fresh from a divorce and deeply depressed. Then he meets and falls in love with Cammie. But Gibson’s friends are wary of Cammie, and eventually he too has to admit that Cammie’s dramatic life can feel a bit over the top.
When Shelby and Gibson find out Cammie is a pathological liar, they struggle to understand what they really want from her—sometimes they want to help her heal from whatever causes her to invent reality, and sometimes they want revenge. But the biggest question of all is: how honest can Shelby and Gibson be about their own characters?
The reader is aware from the back cover synopsis of "The Fake" that Cammie is a liar, and there is not much else revealed about her character or the other characters to keep you motivated to read. There is no big event and nothing really happens. None of the three main characters are particularly likeable, and there is not much of a story or even a mystery to solve. I just felt like there was also not much of a plot other than a girl scamming two people at once. There was no real story arc. Yet, just like being unable to turn away from a train wreck, I could not put this book down. This book just did not leave much of an impression on me. Unfortunately, I would not recommend it.
A con artist can make you feel like the luckiest person on earth just to be in their presence. But when the jig is up, they ghost, and you are left wondering if you ever mattered.
After the death of her wife, Shelby feels more alone than ever—until she meets Cammie, a charismatic woman unafraid of what anyone else thinks and whose own history of trauma draws Shelby close. When Cammie is fired from her job and admits she is in treatment for kidney cancer, Shelby devotes all her time to helping Cammie thrive. But Shelby’s intuition tells her there are things about Cammie’s past that don’t add up. Could the realest thing about Cammie be that she is actually a scammer?
Gibson is almost forty, fresh from a divorce and deeply depressed. Then he meets and falls in love with Cammie. But Gibson’s friends are wary of Cammie, and eventually he too has to admit that Cammie’s dramatic life can feel a bit over the top.
When Shelby and Gibson find out Cammie is a pathological liar, they struggle to understand what they really want from her—sometimes they want to help her heal from whatever causes her to invent reality, and sometimes they want revenge. But the biggest question of all is: how honest can Shelby and Gibson be about their own characters?
The reader is aware from the back cover synopsis of "The Fake" that Cammie is a liar, and there is not much else revealed about her character or the other characters to keep you motivated to read. There is no big event and nothing really happens. None of the three main characters are particularly likeable, and there is not much of a story or even a mystery to solve. I just felt like there was also not much of a plot other than a girl scamming two people at once. There was no real story arc. Yet, just like being unable to turn away from a train wreck, I could not put this book down. This book just did not leave much of an impression on me. Unfortunately, I would not recommend it.
April 19, 2023
Shelby recently lost her wife to a brain aneurysm. Gibson is lonely. He's 39 years old and recently divorced. Both meet Cammie; Shelby through grief counseling and Gibson while out with friends. Both are in awe of how alive Cammie makes them feel. However some things about Cammie don't seem to add up once Shelby and Gibson start talking. A sad story of two lost and lonely souls that are taken in by a pathological liar during a time when they are both very vulnerable.
For me the concept of this book worked better than the execution. I think the biggest thing that didn't work was the plot was super predictable and you kind of knew everything that was going to happen. I was hoping for some more originality and for something to happen!
For me the concept of this book worked better than the execution. I think the biggest thing that didn't work was the plot was super predictable and you kind of knew everything that was going to happen. I was hoping for some more originality and for something to happen!
February 9, 2023
two words: TWEE and TRITE. i rolled my eyes constantly. there's nothing new or interesting or even fun to read here - the book felt empty, almost like this was just an outline instead of a fully-realized story. no real character development and no real insights. writing wasn't great - very rupi-kaur-esque, where you're attempting to be "deep" but you just sound lame.
unless you're an avid consumer of those modern romcoms (you know the ones...), you should read something else.
thanks to random house publishing group for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
unless you're an avid consumer of those modern romcoms (you know the ones...), you should read something else.
thanks to random house publishing group for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
February 25, 2023
What a delicious bite-sized read. I loved almost every moment. The characters were authentic and relatable. Solid, enjoyable novel. Big thanks to the good people Harper Collins for sending over a copy in exchange for my review.
March 29, 2023
I'm giving this 4 stars.
There are times when I really hate having to figure out what I want to rate something, and this is one of those times. There are a lot of books that I've rated 4 stars that are miles and miles above this in terms of quality, and so it makes me hesitate with that 4th star. But I picked this up expecting your typical contemporary-which to me means quicker, lighter, easier. And that's what I got. That's not to say that the subject matter itself was all light and unserious, bc that definitely was not the case...Zoe Whittal tackled some serious issues in 'The Fake,' but overall the genre as a whole tends to lack the depth and density of regular fiction/literary fic. So I picked this up expecting as much, and was not disappointed or surprised, I got exactly what I was looking for and expecting!
Gibson and Shelby are two lonely people that are both in the midst of their individual heartbreak, Shelby from losing her wife the year before, and Gibson from going through a divorce. They are both still reeling from the losses of their partners, so, naturally, this makes them a bit more susceptible to being conned by the beautiful & vivacious Cammile. She swoops into their lives at just the right time, seeming to provide just the things they are missing in their lives...connection. (Both physical and mental.) Because they have been starving for that contact they have been missing, they ignore the signs when they first start popping up, but soon they become too flagrant to ignore and are all propelled toward an inevitable reckoning.
I had a good time with this, I think most of us can relate on some level. Most of us have encountered our own Camille, we all have memories about the girls at school that made up outlandish stories, or the friends that get caught in lies and choose to double down rather than admit to their lies. That made the book more enjoyable. My main complaint is probably just that it was lacking in depth and characterization, the pacing wasn't just quick, it was speedy af. First Shelby and Gibson are lonely, then they're in love, then they're getting swindled, then they figure it out, and that's how it happens...bam bam bam. There's no gradual progression, each thing happens right after the other with basically nothing in between. It felt a lil basic, like Zoe Whittal is either inexperienced or else just lacks the skill or talent to really layer a novel. Camille also felt sorta like a caricature of a pathological liar, it was hard to understand her motives, I couldn't tell if she was intended to be villainous, or if we were meant to feel sorry for her.
Either way tho, like I said before, 'The Fake' might be lacking in quality, but it held my attention nonetheless. I love a good unlikable character that we're allowed to hate. In this case I felt like they were trying to add dimension to Camille, trying to give her some backstory, some reasoning for her behavior but it never really clicked. Even at the end when we get a lil epilogue from her perspective and realize that some of her supposed lies were in fact true, I still think she remained firmly in the wicked witch role through till the very end.
I did hope though that Shelby and Gibson would wind up getting together, connecting over their mutual experiences, buuuut it never happened. Oh well. Overall 'The Fake' was just a lil too short, it could have easily used another 200 pages and that would have probably improved this dramatically, but I still enjoyed it just the way it was. I sped through this in a day and consider it a pretty solid reading experience.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. A fun read, but I don't think I'll be revisiting this author any time soon.
There are times when I really hate having to figure out what I want to rate something, and this is one of those times. There are a lot of books that I've rated 4 stars that are miles and miles above this in terms of quality, and so it makes me hesitate with that 4th star. But I picked this up expecting your typical contemporary-which to me means quicker, lighter, easier. And that's what I got. That's not to say that the subject matter itself was all light and unserious, bc that definitely was not the case...Zoe Whittal tackled some serious issues in 'The Fake,' but overall the genre as a whole tends to lack the depth and density of regular fiction/literary fic. So I picked this up expecting as much, and was not disappointed or surprised, I got exactly what I was looking for and expecting!
Gibson and Shelby are two lonely people that are both in the midst of their individual heartbreak, Shelby from losing her wife the year before, and Gibson from going through a divorce. They are both still reeling from the losses of their partners, so, naturally, this makes them a bit more susceptible to being conned by the beautiful & vivacious Cammile. She swoops into their lives at just the right time, seeming to provide just the things they are missing in their lives...connection. (Both physical and mental.) Because they have been starving for that contact they have been missing, they ignore the signs when they first start popping up, but soon they become too flagrant to ignore and are all propelled toward an inevitable reckoning.
I had a good time with this, I think most of us can relate on some level. Most of us have encountered our own Camille, we all have memories about the girls at school that made up outlandish stories, or the friends that get caught in lies and choose to double down rather than admit to their lies. That made the book more enjoyable. My main complaint is probably just that it was lacking in depth and characterization, the pacing wasn't just quick, it was speedy af. First Shelby and Gibson are lonely, then they're in love, then they're getting swindled, then they figure it out, and that's how it happens...bam bam bam. There's no gradual progression, each thing happens right after the other with basically nothing in between. It felt a lil basic, like Zoe Whittal is either inexperienced or else just lacks the skill or talent to really layer a novel. Camille also felt sorta like a caricature of a pathological liar, it was hard to understand her motives, I couldn't tell if she was intended to be villainous, or if we were meant to feel sorry for her.
Either way tho, like I said before, 'The Fake' might be lacking in quality, but it held my attention nonetheless. I love a good unlikable character that we're allowed to hate. In this case I felt like they were trying to add dimension to Camille, trying to give her some backstory, some reasoning for her behavior but it never really clicked. Even at the end when we get a lil epilogue from her perspective and realize that some of her supposed lies were in fact true, I still think she remained firmly in the wicked witch role through till the very end.
I did hope though that Shelby and Gibson would wind up getting together, connecting over their mutual experiences, buuuut it never happened. Oh well. Overall 'The Fake' was just a lil too short, it could have easily used another 200 pages and that would have probably improved this dramatically, but I still enjoyed it just the way it was. I sped through this in a day and consider it a pretty solid reading experience.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. A fun read, but I don't think I'll be revisiting this author any time soon.
January 21, 2023
I read this book in one night. Did not want to put it down, did not want to stop reading.
The Fake tells the story of Cammie, a compulsive liar and con artist, and the two (kind, lovely, sad) people she messes with and cons.
It was so fun reading a story set in Toronto where I used to live, especially in my old neighbourhood. This novel was hard to read at times because the scammed, particularly Shelby, are good people in extremely vulnerable positions who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the arc.
The Fake tells the story of Cammie, a compulsive liar and con artist, and the two (kind, lovely, sad) people she messes with and cons.
It was so fun reading a story set in Toronto where I used to live, especially in my old neighbourhood. This novel was hard to read at times because the scammed, particularly Shelby, are good people in extremely vulnerable positions who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the arc.
Read
November 4, 2022The thing I’ll get out of the way first is that, if one were to come at this as a fan of Whittall’s more popular books, The Best Kind of People and The Spectacular, then one might be apprehensive at the outset. The premise: a scam artist suddenly appears in the lives of a new lover and a new friend, appears light and possibly shallow. It could definitely be confused as a departure from her very complex and relationship focused past works. The Fake, at first glance, seems like a simple story and, really, it is. What’s deep and engrossing about it isn’t on the surface. It’s what floats up from the depths of the story when you put it down or think about it after it’s over. The beauty of this story and of Whittall’s storytelling skill is that lurking just out of the picture and unbeknownst to the reader, she is working on what may feel like a small topic in a much bigger way. Yes, it’s easy to vilify the scammer. She’s taking advantage of a man who’s just gone through a painful breakup and a woman whose wife has just passed away. What’s not so obvious or common a consideration is the way that the scam fit so perfectly and easily into their lives. Finishing The Fake may even lead the reader to contemplate how the scammer may have worked in service to those she manipulated. It’s all a set up for a complicated reorganization of inter-relational roles and how deception may be alive and well in ways we never anticipated or appreciated.
Heather O’Neill said “My perspective on lies and liars has forever changed after reading this book.” I think that anyone reading this book may be at risk of having the same thing happen to them.
Heather O’Neill said “My perspective on lies and liars has forever changed after reading this book.” I think that anyone reading this book may be at risk of having the same thing happen to them.
October 6, 2023
really entertaining! i do think this book suffered a bit from too much telling and not enough showing — i'm not super hard-and-fast on the whole "show don't tell" thing, i think there are plenty of circumstances where it makes sense to tell what's going on — but i feel that it would have been even more captivating if we had been able to spend some more time really watching shelby and gibson get strung along by cammie. i was conflicted on cammie's lack of depth. on one hand, i do feel like it captures the status-seeking, self-absorbed individual that she is and that exists in the real world, but the part of me who loves complex character work was hoping for just a LITTLE bit more of what has shaped her. but ultimately, i do think zoe whittall's decision in cammie's characterization makes sense.
definitely a simultaneously fun and frustrating book. i just felt sooo bad for gibson and shelby and also wanted to scream "WAKE UP!!!!" in their faces. but that element of frustration was honestly quite enjoyable while reading this novel, and it didn't really take away from my sympathy for them — it's a character trait that makes sense given their vulnerability and their desperation for closeness. overall, an engaging read, if not an all-time fave
definitely a simultaneously fun and frustrating book. i just felt sooo bad for gibson and shelby and also wanted to scream "WAKE UP!!!!" in their faces. but that element of frustration was honestly quite enjoyable while reading this novel, and it didn't really take away from my sympathy for them — it's a character trait that makes sense given their vulnerability and their desperation for closeness. overall, an engaging read, if not an all-time fave
April 5, 2023
The Fake...
Do you want to know what I loved about this book?
Everything!
From the title, to the cover and then the synopsis!!! I was so excited before I even hit chapter one.
Boy oh Boy did Zoe Whittall, deliver!!!!!!
This book was everything I needed it to be and just so much more. It doesn't matter what your preferred genre is, this is a book that will be loved by all.
Teaser :
A scammer as alluring as she is elusive irrevocably upends the lives of two strangers in this gripping novel from the acclaimed author of The Best Kind of People.
After the death of her wife, Shelby is suffering from prolonged grief. She’s increasingly isolated, irritated by her family’s stoicism and her friends’ reliance on the toxic positivity of self-help culture. Then, in a grief support group, she meets Cammie, who gives her permission to express her most hopeless, hideous feelings. Cammie is charismatic and unlike anyone Shelby has ever met. She’s also recovering from cancer and going through several other calamities. Shelby puts all her energy into helping Cammie thrive—until her intuition tells her that something isn’t right.
Gibson is fresh from divorce, almost forty, and deeply depressed. Then he falls in love with Cammie. Not only is he having the best sex of his life with a woman so attractive he’s stunned she even glanced his way, but he feels truly known for the first time in his life. But Gibson’s friends are wary of Cammie, and eventually he, too, has to admit that all the drama in Cammie’s life can feel a bit over the top.
When Gibson and Shelby meet, they realize Cammie’s stories don’t always add up. In fact, they’re far from the truth. But what kind of a person would lie about having cancer? And what does it say about Shelby and Gibson that they fell for it? From the author of The Best Kind of People and The Spectacular comes a sharp, emotional novel about lies, liars, and the people who love them.
Do you want to know what I loved about this book?
Everything!
From the title, to the cover and then the synopsis!!! I was so excited before I even hit chapter one.
Boy oh Boy did Zoe Whittall, deliver!!!!!!
This book was everything I needed it to be and just so much more. It doesn't matter what your preferred genre is, this is a book that will be loved by all.
Teaser :
A scammer as alluring as she is elusive irrevocably upends the lives of two strangers in this gripping novel from the acclaimed author of The Best Kind of People.
After the death of her wife, Shelby is suffering from prolonged grief. She’s increasingly isolated, irritated by her family’s stoicism and her friends’ reliance on the toxic positivity of self-help culture. Then, in a grief support group, she meets Cammie, who gives her permission to express her most hopeless, hideous feelings. Cammie is charismatic and unlike anyone Shelby has ever met. She’s also recovering from cancer and going through several other calamities. Shelby puts all her energy into helping Cammie thrive—until her intuition tells her that something isn’t right.
Gibson is fresh from divorce, almost forty, and deeply depressed. Then he falls in love with Cammie. Not only is he having the best sex of his life with a woman so attractive he’s stunned she even glanced his way, but he feels truly known for the first time in his life. But Gibson’s friends are wary of Cammie, and eventually he, too, has to admit that all the drama in Cammie’s life can feel a bit over the top.
When Gibson and Shelby meet, they realize Cammie’s stories don’t always add up. In fact, they’re far from the truth. But what kind of a person would lie about having cancer? And what does it say about Shelby and Gibson that they fell for it? From the author of The Best Kind of People and The Spectacular comes a sharp, emotional novel about lies, liars, and the people who love them.
May 26, 2024
Would have liked more in-depth characterization.
I can't feel sorry for a guy that thinks with his penis.
Something was tickling my brain about a Canadian woman who fakes having cancer so looked up and found the case
The point that Whittall is making is a gracious one - we all have something that we want from each other, there are no absolute victims. There are those with hero complexes, for instance. I think it's gracious because the author has seemingly encountered a Cammie-like character in her life. As this person and her motives were seemingly opaque to the pen wielder, the character is written as such - defiant, sparkling, chameleon.
The denouement was clumsily done though, especially for Gibson.
I can't feel sorry for a guy that thinks with his penis.
Something was tickling my brain about a Canadian woman who fakes having cancer so looked up and found the case
The point that Whittall is making is a gracious one - we all have something that we want from each other, there are no absolute victims. There are those with hero complexes, for instance. I think it's gracious because the author has seemingly encountered a Cammie-like character in her life. As this person and her motives were seemingly opaque to the pen wielder, the character is written as such - defiant, sparkling, chameleon.
The denouement was clumsily done though, especially for Gibson.
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