Liars and Losers Like Us

by Ami Allen-Vath

Keep calm and make it to prom night—without a legit panic attack.

For seventeen-year-old Bree Hughes, it’s easier said than done when gossip, grief, and the opportunity to fail at love are practically high-fiving her in the hallways of Belmont High.

When Bree’s crush, Sean Mills, gives her his phone number, she can’t even leave a voicemail without sounding like a freak. Then she’s asked to be on Prom Court because Maisey Morgan, the school outcast nominated as a joke, declined. She apologizes to Maisey, but it’s too late. After years of torment and an ugly secret shared with their class’s cruel Pageant Queen, Maisey commits suicide. Bree is left with a lot of regret…and a revealing letter with a final request.

With Sean by her side, Bree navigates through her guilt, her parents’ divorce, and all the Prom Court drama. But when a cheating-love-triangle secret hits the fan after a night of sex, drinks, and video games, she’s left with new information about Sean and the class Pageant Queen. Bree must now speak up or stay silent. If she lets fear be her guide, she’ll lose her first love, and head to prom to avenge the death of the school outcast—as a party of one.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, High School, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary

240 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2016

About the author

Ami Allen-Vath was born and mostly raised in Minnesota.

Since college, (SCSU, Hunter College, City College) Ami has performed with Just The Funny improv troupe in Miami, FL. She's also performed in two productions of The Vagina Monologues in Atlanta, GA, the state she met her husband.

She now lives with her family, including their dog Yoda, in New Jersey.

Ami loves great and terrible TV, ice cream, books, and vacations. She loathes cilantro, live birds, and when guys do cartoon impressions.

Her debut novel, LIARS AND LOSERS LIKE US is forthcoming from Sky Pony Press in March of 2016.

*Please note, I do use this account as an author and book page, and to add books I want to read to my TBR list, but I don't rate or review here. But, if you ever have any questions on my personal book recs or tastes, don't be afraid to ask!

Reviews

[Ami Allen-Vath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know about pre-orders:

Preorder Liars and Losers Like Us anytime from now until March 1, 2016 and receive a free bookmark, postcard and a personalized, signed bookplate. To claim your swag, just email amiallenvath@gmail.com with "PREORDER SWAG REQUEST" in the subject line. Please include a picture or screenshot of your receipt in the body of the email. You're awesome and thank you!

[Marci Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHHHHH...THIS BOOK.

Wow.

A twisty, addictive story brimming with hilarious characters, prom drama, and, yes, heart.

Loved. It.

[Ashley Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really encompassed so many high school feels for me. It was a perfect blend of fun and serious and the romance is so, so sweet, I can't even. Loved it!

[rachel, x · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I am pleased to say my first book of 2016 was a hit! I stumbled across Liars and Losers Like Us when I downloaded the Kindle app and checked what was in my cloud. I only meant to read the first chapter to get a feel for the book... but two and a half hours later, I was crying because it was over.

I don't know what, exactly, it was about this story but I loved it. It was exactly what I needed, nice and simple and sweet. The writing had an easily readable quality. The romance was swoon-worthy and completely adorable. It made me melt into a puddle of gooey feels. Bree was a realistic, relatable protagonist. My favourite thing to have in a contemporary! She had a great sense of humour and an honest, warm personality. I loved (as terrible as this will sound) that she struggled with anxiety!

The relationships were well-written too. Romance can be hit-or-miss, but Bree & Sean's gradual relationship was heart-warmingly adorable. It made me laugh and cry and feel all those good feels. I loved that friendship played an important role too and that Bree had a healthy female best friendship Too often female friendship becomes catty and overly dramatized in contemporaries.

Overall? I'd definitely recommend this book if you love simple but sweet contemporary romances with realistic protagonists and a sweet, slow-building romance full of heart-warming and hilarious moments. It was quick, fun, and easy to fly through.

▷ Representation: Bree (mc) is Mexican-American and has anxiety; queer scs.

Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.

Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph

[Sarah Glenn Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had the privilege of reading PROM BITCH as Ami's critique partner, and I can't wait to read it again! The memorable characters and Mean-Girls vibe are totally addictive.

Read it. Love it. Repeat!

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Perseus/PGW/Legato and Edelweiss.)

“If anyone would’ve told us last year that we’d be up for prom queen and our dates are the hottest guys in school, we’d have laughed our asses off.”

This was an okay story, but it seemed a bit slow.

Bree was an okay character but I didn’t really love her. It was good of her to apologise to a certain person, but like she admits herself in the book, she did it quite covertly!

The storyline in this was basically about prom and the lead up to it, and the event mentioned in the blurb about one girl committing suicide didn’t happen until nearly half-way through the book, I also didn’t feel like enough was really made of it until the end either.
There was a bit of romance, but unfortunately it didn’t really appeal to me.

The ending to this was okay, but the whole thing just seemed a bit superficial considering that a girl was supposed to have committed suicide!



6 out of 10

[Melissa (thereaderandthechef) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A GAZILLION STARS GUYS. SO MANY FREAKIN' STARS. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Whenever a book really hits me, because of its awesomeness and sparkles, I usually end up wanting to email the author SO BAD just to thank him/her for writing the book. To express all my feels and smother them with praise. I hardly ever do it because #shyness, but this time I came close. So close that I even have the draft and everything. SO VERY CLOSE in fact that I actually DM'ed Ami on Twitter, emoji hearts and all (hey, everything is easier on Twitter!). Because guys, I had to. You cannot just read this book and not let her know how wonderful and fantastic it truly is.

I also cannot stop myself from telling you all today or the day you get to read these words about how much you need Liars and Losers Like Us in your life.

Because Liars and Losers Like Us is beyond glorious and beautiful and heartbreaking and funny and so many other wonderful things that I just can't find the exact words to do it justice.

It rocked. I loved it. It's special. A clear 2016 favorite. I know it's a bit early to say that but when you read a book as amazing as Liars and Losers Like Us, you just know it. And with this book, I felt it. From page one. I felt the characters. I adored Bree, I fell for Sean, I laughed with all the jokes and light banter from all the characters. It's been so many books ago since I've loved characters like the ones found in here.

Oh, but that feeling I got as the story moved forward. It felt as if someone was cutting off my air because the tension, the not knowing and ultimately the break of my heart had me pretending I was fine whenever my mom would ask, when I was actually trying to dry away tears.

I loved how this book balances light and heavy themes appropriately. I won't talk much about them because I don't want to spoil it more than the blurb already does (don't you run off to read again!) but I will say this: it was brave of the author to write and share with us more about these topics that are so serious and important, that need to be discussed more and make us more aware of how much our actions can affect other people's lives. Even when it's all fun and games.

But enough about my thoughts! I'll just end it off= by saying that Liars and Losers Like Us is the kind of book you want to read and the kind that was written to leave its mark, till the very end and beyond. ♥

Now go and preorder!

[Jamie (Books and Ladders) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'll have my full thoughts up as part of Sunday Street Team!
WARNING: There is suicide mention and a full blown panic attack in this, which can be triggering for some people! Please be cautious while reading this, friends.

This was a really good read. Allen-Vath can WRITE, that's for sure. And she does so in a way that not only feels realistic but tells the story in a way that you want to read it. There were some pacing things I wasn't a fan of, as I thought part of it dragged a little bit. However, this didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. The other thing was that there were some characterizations that left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth when it came to how Bree described other girls (and while it was realistic, it was still a little eh). I liked that I went into this expecting a light-hearted contemporary novel but that Allen-Vath gave us something so much more than that. I think the change was one that everyone needs to read. It is nice to have a light, fluffy contemporary novel, but it is also great to have something that has a bit more to it than that. And if nothing else, reading the last 10% made the whole book worth it.

Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'

[Amanda Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liars and Losers like us by Ami Allen-Vath
Release date March 15 2016
​​
 
I can't remember if I ever read a book where the MC infuriated me SO much! That's what makes this book so fantastic. Bree drives me nuts and her teenage mind makes the choices that frankly LOTS of teens might make. More than once I found myself screaming at the book " NO BREE Just pick up the phone!"


The romance is perfect Sean Mills is super swoony and some of the girls poor Bree has to put up with are down right wretched.
This book is about more than prom, romance, or snobby girls who need to be slapped.


This story deals with real life mental health issues and it deals with them in a gritty/real way. Bree suffers from anxiety in a big bad way, something I can relate to 100% and the author depicts it astoundingly. The book even touches on teen *spoiler* and *spoiler* and those left behind to deal with the aftermath . I'm not a huge reader of contemporary YA, but Liars and Losers like us was SO much more than your typical teen love, brooding, drama fest. 

You Guys are going to LOVE this book! 

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! At first, I was worried that this would be the standard contemporary YA fare, but as I started reading, it soon became obvious that there is a depth to this book.

All of the characters are flawed, all the while struggling to just "be", especially in the world of proms and high school. Although there are a lot of ups and downs with each character and mainly with Bree (Breeze), you still feel the love the author has for both the characters and her story.

Sprinkled with a love story, tragedy (which defines most of the book, even at the beginning when we, as readers, don't even know it yet).

Extremely well written with compassion a dose of humour and a strong parental figure (soooo nice to see this) - I absolutely adored this book.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Olivia-Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liars and Losers Like Us is a book I wanted to read because the premise sounded like it addressed a lot of important topics. Topics like depression, suicide, popularity and other issues teenagers have to face in a single book. And while all that is going on as well, there’s a massive fuss about prom. I was a little nervous because I wondered how this book was possibly going to cram all of that into its pages, but somehow it managed it, and managed it perfectly.

At the beginning of the book, I did struggle quite a lot. The main character isn’t exactly a nice person. Bree can be mean, and really annoying sometimes. But that’s the way it is supposed to be. The point is that just like everyone else, even the popular people can be cruel and hurt and have emotions too. Even though there were times when I didn’t like her (which I struggled with at the beginning) in time I also came to really like her, and she develops into a better person as well. I was worried I was going to be the black sheep here but if you find her character trying, I think it’s worth pushing through this one.

But as well as knowing that Bree is mean, there are other mean girls in this novel, and mean guys too. But for every time a character is mean, Allen-Vath also then goes to show us why and we can’t help but feel for these characters over. The truth is, things are tough all over and people are just trying to get by. Maybe we don’t all agree with the means by which they do that. But that’s for you to make up your mind about as you read.


Divorce is a big theme in this book because Bree’s parents break up. Although it isn’t the spotlight of the book, it isn’t in the backseat either and I think that the book did a brilliant job of portraying just enough light on the subject for us to understand the situation and what was happening because of it. Another important theme was bullying. Bree falls into the character of a bystander. We can hardly blame her for it because it’s the position that most likely, we would fall into ourselves in such a case. But when the bullying pushes the victim into committing suicide, the tables turn. Bree really feels the backlash from the situation and it gets her thinking and putting a lot of things into perspective. Her outlook on life changes and it’s very deep. It really did speak to me.

As well as that, there is a very cute romance to keep readers entertained that was handled perfectly. There wasn’t any insta love or silly drama that could annoy us. There was a lot of drama about prom but something I loved about Bree was that she didn’t care whether she got a crown or not. She didn’t need that to justify herself in the slightest.

When a novel handles all the difficult topics perfectly.
Cheating is something that happens quite a bit in this novel. Cheating really bothers me and it’s something horrible to do to someone who really cares about you. It broke my heart to read about it, and even made me angry at times – but the point is that it really does back up the theme of the novel that all comes together in the end.


And my is the end the perfect summary to the novel.

Reading the author’s note (which is something I recommend you ALL do) lets us know she was a victim of some of the same abuse that the girl who commits suicide went through. It’s a very serious matter and the fact that she is writing about it and spreading awareness on what must be such a personal issue for her really does reach out to me. Which is why I would recommend this book to everyone and anyone.

This review and others can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...

[Lois Sepahban · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to read an advanced copy of LIARS AND LOSERS LIKE US.

I loved this contemporary romance, both for the relatable main character, Bree, and for Sean, her sweet and swoony love interest. This book tackles difficult subjects, like teen suicide and anxiety, and as a person who has suffered from acute anxiety, I found the portrayal to be sensitive and honest.

I strongly recommend this book.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and touching and swoony all at once -- my favorite kind of book.

[Rhea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where the synopsis promises drama, heartbreak, grief, and even swoons, Liars And Losers Like Us unfortunately failed to deliver.

This book was a huge, huge disappointment to me.  You see, according to the blurb, when Maisey, a student from her school commits suicide, protagonist Bree Hughes tries to deal with the guilt of not having helped Maisey when she could, and deals with her grief alongside her boyfriend Sean Mills.  But what I got was a flimsy portrayal of Maisey being bullied, her tragic suicide that only felt like a plot device, and a long-ass speech at the senior prom that felt as forced as it was unnecessary.

The book which should have been about the impact of a fellow student’s suicidal on a school community was actually a 240 page long discussion on how much more important prom was than anything else on the planet.  I’ve been a teenager and I’ve been to dances, and thankfully, I know for a fact that teens really aren’t as shallow as this book showed them to be.  The mention of Maisey’s suicide was used in inside jokes even after her death, which seemed like something not even the most immature of teens would do.

The other thing that this book was chock full of was high school drama that was petty and confusing and absolutely pathetic.  It read like a monologue on exactly how not to spend your time in high school, and I was very very surprised at the utter ridiculousness of some of their conversations.  It got to a point where I had to stop, take a little break, skip a few pages ahead and then continue reading.

The love interest, Sean, was a one-dimensional, static character, who, in my opinion, featured way too much in this book.  He was the textbook book boyfriend (plays the guitar, smells good, doesn’t push for sex, loves the girl in a month’s time) and all of his cliché attributes made me irritable every time he opened his mouth to speak.  And sharing classes with Maisey was one thing, this guy didn’t even acknowledge that one of his classmates was dead.

Definitely one book you can go without reading this year.



I was provided a free review copy by Sky Pony Press through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This did not in any way, however, influence the content of this review.

[Dahlia]

I blurbed this! Here is what I said: "Liars and Losers Like Us is a story of secrecy, pain, and, self-awareness artfully wrapped in snort-laugh-out-loud humor and heart-melting romance, as the best and truest adolescent tales are. Bree Hughes is a YA heroine to remember."

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing this book, I'm a little distressed that I haven't been hearing more about it. I want to see it being raved about like it so deserves. I love the author's twitter presence/person so much so as soon as I heard about the book, I had a feeling I would really connect with it, but I honestly underestimated how much I would.


Liars and Losers Like Us has the shade of Pretty Little Liars (and really, Sara Shepard in general) that I'm extremely drawn to in contemporary YA. This book is less sensationalist than PLL, more nuanced, poignant, and sweet but it had that element of mystery and that feeling of peeling back the Glamor that certain kids have in high school to look at the dark underbelly underneath. Virtually every character was complex and multi-faceted and while the book deals with some VERY heavy issues ( suicide, sexual abuse, anxiety; the suicide and sexual abuse are NOT depicted on page, but the characters are dealing with the fall out in a nuanced way throughout. ), the humor and growth of the main character, Bree (as well as the romance) managed to bring a lot of levity and fun into a serious read. It also brought tears to my eyes at least twice, but in a very GOOD way.

Also! Additional points for a VERY positive depiction of therapy and varying depictions of what families can look like.

In short, I loved this book. If you like reading about the complex, tangly, nuanced relationships in friend-groups, I HIGHLY recommend.

[Rê · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 "Prom can be a real nightmare" STARS

ARC via Edelweiss - Thank you, Sky Pony Press!!

* Trigger warning: this book talks about suicide and bullying. *

Bree Hughes is the first main character to make my 2016 "unlikable character" list. Oh, well, Bree, this is another title to add to your list. ;-)

Jokes aside, this book touched a lot of sensitive topics, such as bullying, sexual abuse and suicide, all while following the MC's quest to becoming the next Prom Queen - sort of -- and a better person.

And while I can't say I fell in love with her throughout her journey, I can't also deny she did come to be a better version of herself by the end. Bree grew as a person, and character development is something I'm always glad to see.

To be honest, I find it hard to summarize the plot because I thought there wasn’t much of it. This is definitely not a plot-driven novel. But here's what I'm taking from this story:

Bree is a seventeen-year-old whose parents have recently gotten a divorce and who has a huge crush on Sean, a cute quarterback, which explains why she spends most of her time thinking and daydreaming about him. Other than those two things, Bree is also defined by her friendship with Kallie and their nomination to be part of the Prom Court. Well, you see, there's nothing distinctive about Bree. If you take out the names and replace them by others, Bree could be anyone: divorced parents, crush on cute boy, a best friend and prom queen aspirations -- it describes so many girls, but no one specific, if that makes sense. Truth is, I missed knowing something about her that made Bree her own persona. Maybe a hobby would've sufficed. Anything to make her stand out. Anything "nice" that would make me ignore how bitchy she sounded at times.

One thing I can say: Bree wasn't someone I'd want to be friends with. First, she could be really whiny. Second, she wasn't the best of friends to her best friend. Third, she sucked at communicating and prolonged confrontation for longer than necessary, because she
never wanted to be the one to first admit she was wrong. And while all of that makes her just another teenager (come on, you were probably like that, too), it doesn't make for a likable MC.

For those reasons, I thought the side characters made much better MCs than Bree. While Kallie wasn't anything special either (her attitude toward her BFF and her BF made me roll my ways countless times), Jane and Maisey were distinctive enough to steal the scene. They were both complex and messed up people, which made them "richer" characters. Their life stories were intriguing enough that they practically kept the book interesting and the characters moving, even though this was supposed to be all about Bree's life and choices. Even Bree's biggest arc was related to Maisey and Jane's decisions.

The romance was pretty cute. For some reason I kept expecting Sean to turn into this asshole that would do something terrible to hurt Bree, but although there was an incident, I can't really say it was entirely his fault. The relationship between Bree and Sean was more of a quiet, but still cute one. I personally didn't feel that fire or passion that takes over every sense, but that's okay. It doesn't always have to be like that. It can be quiet AND beautiful.

Hmmm, quiet is a good word to describe this novel. Like I said, there wasn't a crazy plot, the pacing didn't make me turn page after page desperately or anything like that, but the characters (especially Jane and Maisey) kept the story going and I was glad I got to read this.

[BethLee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I RECIEVED AN eARC OF THIS BOOK FROM SKY PONY PRESS THROUGH EDELWEISS. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY VIEWS OR OPINIONS ABOUT IT IN ANY WAY.

Liars and Losers Like Us is a touching romance novel with a lot of teenage drama.

Bree Hudges is a typical 17 year old girl. Prom is coming up at her school, and that means a lot of drama for everyone. When the class nerd, Maisey, who is constantly being teased, steps down from her prom court nomination, she lets Bree take her place. A few days later, Maisey commits suicide. Bree is confused about that, but she also has other things on her mind. Sean Mills, the hot boy in the class, starts going out with her. Will they make it to prom as a couple? Will they win prom court nomination?

There is a lot of drama in this book. That may irritate some people, but most teenager's lives are full of drama. It makes it more interesting and realistic.

This book starts out kind of slow, with a lot of teenage angst. However, as it progresses, it becomes more action packed and exciting. The ending fits with the book perfectly, and winds up all the loose ends from during the story. The love story has a few love triangles with Bree's best friend.
Once I got to about 50% through the book, I couldn't stop reading. I finished it in no time, and had a hard time putting it down.

The writing style in this book is similar to that of Meg Cabot and Sarah Dessen. The book deals with sensitive topics such as sex, divorce, and suicide. However, it does it in a lighter way. Liars and Losers Like Us also has a descriptive style that shows the main characters emotion.

The characters in this book are pretty cool. Sean sounds like he would be the perfect boyfriend, and he might be on my list of dream book-boyfriends. He is supportive and overall kind. Bree is a moody teenager who doesn't quite know where she belongs. Sometimes these characters, as well as the scenarios, seem stereotypical.

Overall, this book shows sensitive topics in a lighter fashion, making it a deeper young adult read that will leave readers engaged.

[Bailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always found it interesting to see how authors choose to portray things like high school and bullying. It certainly is a common thread within YA novels and I feel like everyone has a different take on the impact of those two entities. First, high school is either an exciting experience filled with new adventures or it is the epicenter of some of the most traumatizing moments. Second, bullying is something that is either at the forefront of the novel, in the subtext, or discussed but never really dealt with. This novel handles both topics in an interesting way, where neither necessarily appears to be the main focus of the novel. Yet, the author masterfully entwines the two subjects with a secret that is far more earth-shattering than I expected.

Bree, who is the main character, is not the individual who has to deal with the brunt of the issue of bullying, neither does high school pose as an archenemy that she must defeat. Rather, it is her going against herself as she struggles to accept, deal with, and inevitably confront the issues she finds herself faced with. In fact, she often prefers to run from the problems in her life rather than deal with the reality that surrounds her. Bree frequently avoids issues, which leads to the disintegration of friendships, relationships, and even self-confidence. Yet, by the end, she manages to find her voice — find her strength and handle the most prominent issue of all: whether or not she is a good person. In many ways, she is a bully by default because she never speaks up, and she is more lucky in high school than those she watches every day. This is a privilege that she never asked for, but will have to confront over the course of the novel. In the end, she becomes the most powerful voice against bullying — not because she’s been bullied herself but because she finally sees that being silent makes her just as complicit.

The next character I want to talk about is Maisey Morgan because even though she isn’t “in” the story for all that long, her personage haunts the narrative so much that it is hard to escape her. In some ways, she becomes this individual who is both perfected by her suicide, and misunderstood because no one ever tried to understand her. The bullying that she faces at school prove to be the tip of the iceberg for her and this just further solidifies her role as the most important character in the novel.

Truthfully, if I took into account just Bree’s plot, it would not be an extremely unique novel. I probably would have stopped reading just after I began, mainly because it feels somewhat cookie cutter. Yet, the addition of Maisey takes the novel to another level, something with a moral to really understand. I am glad that this book proved to be more than just another high school love story, and that it took on some darker themes. It is subtle throughout the novel, but by the end, you’ll be wondering why you didn’t think of it first.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

damnnnnn. this book's ending touched on a great subject, but i do wish the author touched on the subject earlier in the book. the romance in this book was once of the greatest, i loved how cute the couple was and how Bree (the main character) didn't focus her entire life onto the boy, like many other contemporary romances. one of my favorite things about this book was how each character was dimensional, and had their own issues.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly don't think I've ever felt so conflicted about a book. On one hand, the writing felt very weird and awkward most of the time. It made me roll my eyes a bit and just want more from each paragraph. On the other hand, it was interesting and addicting. There were some moments that made me laugh out loud and some that made me cringe. Coming in at under 200 pages, this book was super short and could have benefited a lot from 100 more pages of real stuff (instead of more dates and parties). I'm not sure. More thoughts to come.

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a copy from Edelweiss, In exchange for an honest review.)

Actual rating - 2.5

The characters in this weren't bad, but they annoyed me at times, so I can't say I liked them.

I didn't enjoy this one very much unfortunately. I just found it to be rather dull, and the book felt longer than what it was because it was dragging.

Overall, Not an awful read, but not one I enjoyed.

[ReadWriteLove28]

Review to come closer to release date!

[Jacquelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given access to an e-ARC of this book from Sky Pony Press on Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Hmm.. I was expecting to like this more than I did. I sort of was expecting a lighter and more happy contemporary but in the end, it really wasn't. There were fluffy parts but this book deals with some really tough topics as well, which in the end I came to appreciate.

For this being so short, it felt much longer than it is. It was really drawn out and it felt repetitive. The characters annoyed me and I didn't have any connection or investment in them.

The plot wasn't super intriguing so it was hard to read more than 5-10% of this at a time. However, towards the end (maybe the last 10% of this) I was really enjoying it. I loved the ending and how everything wrapped up (well, mostly).

I truly appreciated the diversity (race, sexual orientation, and mental illnesses such as anxiety) and how it was dealt with in this book. The ending was shocking and really was emotional. The diversity and ending were my two favorite parts of the book. I was also shocked to read the author's note. I met the author at an event in August of 2015 and she was so wonderful. I was heartbroken to read her story.

Overall, a disappointment for me. I was hoping to love it but the characters and plot restrained me from doing so. However, the diversity and ending of this book were great and it lifted my spirits on this book! Despite my rating, I would still recommend picking up a copy when it comes out so you can see for yourself.

[Grace Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bree Huges may not make it through senior year without quite a few panic attacks. Her problems range from her parent’s recent divorce to the super sexy Sean Mills, but nevertheless staring at Sean can’t fix all her problems. When Bree is invited to be on Prom Court because another student declines the invitation Bree goes to apologize to Maisy Morgan, the school outcast who declined the nomination, but its too late. Maisy commits suicide and Bree’s world is turned upside down when she realizes Maisy left her a enlightening letter with a request. Bree sets out on a quest to avenge Maisy and has to face her own obstacles so she doesn’t go to Prom to avenge Maisy alone. Liars and Losers Like Us was an emotional rollercoaster that in the end, I am so glad I read. Words cannot describe the emotions I felt while I read this book and I think this book would be a very good resource for those who have suffered losing loved ones as I have to suicide. This book moved me in a way I did not think possible and I give the best to the author, in the hopes she will write another like it.

*Reviewed for San Francisco Book Review

[Adriana Mather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brave and powerful book.

Bree Hughes is a 17-year-old senior introvert who suffers from panic attacks, especially in crowded situations. Emotionally, she is reeling from her parents divorce and the three years of fighting that preceded it. When she finds herself nominated for Prom Court along with some of the heaviest social players from her high school, the pressure is on. To make matters more difficult, her crush, quarterback Sean Mills, has started to pay attention to her and this stirs up her latent insecurities.

Things intensify further after a confrontation in the bathroom with Maisey, a classmate who has been tormented and bullied for years. Maisey has also been nominated to Prom Court as a cruel joke. Bree realizes that although she didn't actively participate in Maisey's bullying, she also never spoke up against it. When Maisey commits suicide, Bree must find her own voice.

Allen-Vath has written deftly about the pressures teens face. She has given a voice to those who feel like they have no voice. Beautiful!

[Natasha Sinel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My blurb!

Witty, heartbreaking, and extremely thoughtful, LIARS AND LOSERS LIKE US will take you on a roller coaster ride to prom that will leave you breathless and wanting more. –Natasha Sinel, author of THE FIX

[Kelly Gunderman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!

Actual Rating - 3.5 Stars.

This was another super hyped YA release that I was really looking forward to, and when I got the chance to read it, I was really excited. I more or less jumped into this the day I received it, but from the very beginning of this book, I had mixed feelings. It started off slow, and then didn't really pick up pace until the end.

I honestly had a really hard time rating Liars and Losers Like Us. Again, I feel like the black sheep when it comes to another really hyped up book...and while I wanted to love this, I just had a hard time with it. It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't anything particularly different from other books I've read, either. I did enjoy reading it, and once I started it I did lose myself in the high school prom drama, but it felt a little bit like something was missing.

Liars and Losers Like Us was supposed to deal with the suicide of a young girl's classmate - but to me, it seemed like it barely touched on the subject, instead filling the book with prom plans, parties, drinking, and, well...drama. But for the majority of the book, I was pretty disappointed in how all of this was dealt with. I would have loved to see more about Maisey - maybe a memorial or something for her, but it seemed like she was just pushed aside. It seemed...way too upbeat for what I thought it was going to be.

Bree is super excited about her upcoming date with her crush, Sean. Feeling a little bummed out because her best friend was nominated to be on the Prom Court and she wasn't, she at least perks up at the thought of spending time with her crush. However, when the school outcast, Maisey, declines her nomination for Prom Court (she was nominated as a joke), Bree is put on the court, and essentially given the chance to win the Prom Queen title. However, when Maisey commits suicide, and leaves behind a note for Bree, it makes her feel horrible for the way she treated Maisey.

While we don't learn what Maisey's note says until the end of the book, it's a powerful one, and one that might have made people think twice about the way that they treated Maisey.

During the course of the book, Bree essentially fights with Jane, Maisey's number one tormentor, the popular girl, because she treats Bree pretty terribly (and she wants Sean for herself). In the meantime, there is plenty of high school drama, prom drama, drinking, and self-discovery.

I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters other than Bree (she suffers from bad anxiety and she tries hard to do the right thing, and regrets when she doesn't stand up for what's right). Sean seemed like your typical YA boyfriend, and Bree's best friend didn't seem like anything special, either. But Bree's character shines through, and it's easy to like her. I really liked Bree's mom - yes, there is actual parental involvement here, so I was pretty happy about that.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic Sunday Street Team read. I received a copy from Edelweiss to review, and ended up giving this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

So the characters…Bree was a pretty good main character overall. I wasn't sure about Sean, but he was okay. I'm not sure he's a book boyfriend though. The relationship Bree had with her mom seemed realistic for the most part, except some lack of parental concern. But I liked that it was overall pretty positive. Jane's a character I loved to hate, but I liked that she had sides to her personality that were slowly revealed the more you kept reading.

I liked the fact that the main character, Bree, was diverse. That got major pluses in my book. But it took a while to find that out, and it was kind of just thrown in there haphazardly. Overall, I liked the book a lot. I just didn’t love it wholeheartedly, but I’d definitely recommend it if someone wants a (mostly) cute contemporary read.

I was surprised by some things that didn't happen in the book, because I had a feeling that something bad besides Maisey’s suicide was going to happen, while reading most of the book. But I did guess why Maisey did what she did. The ending felt a little rushed to me, but it covered the necessities, and didn’t really leave me demanding more. The author's note was amazing, and emotional. I love that more authors are focusing on tough issues, because these things need to be discussed.

Final note: Overall, a pretty good book. I’d recommend it to contemporary fans, or anyone that likes books that focus on tough topics.