Fake Plastic World

Fake Plastic Girl #2

by Zara Lisbon

Youth, beauty, and the perils of fame combine in Zara Lisbon's Fake Plastic World, the suspenseful sequel to Fake Plastic Girl.

How badly do you want to be famous? What—or who—would you sacrifice?

These are the questions Justine Childs is forced to reckon with as the main suspect in the murder of It-girl Eva-Kate Kelly. Not long ago, Eva-Kate drew Justine into her orbit before meeting her untimely end in a Venice Beach canal.

Prosecutors and the public want to know: Did Justine, now a social media darling in her own right, kill her celebrity best friend? Can anyone be trusted to tell the truth? Justine has always wanted people to know her name—but not all notoriety is created equal.

Genres: Mystery

304 pages, Hardcover

First published June 16, 2020

Reviews

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the follow up to FAKE PLASTIC GIRL, Justine stands accused of Eva-Kate’s murder. Determined to find the real killer she realizes Eva-Kate had no shortage of potential suspects from friends who used her, her twin sister, ex boyfriend maybe even Justine’s mother, Eva-Kate’s therapist.

Justine is an unreliable narrator due to a history of psychosis and a tenuous relationship with the truth. She’s narcissistic, histrionic and dishonest, craving her mother’s attention while shunning it.

FAKE PLASTIC WORLD has less useless dialogue than the first book in the series although at times the pace lagged due to useless detail that didn’t advance the plot or give insight to the characters.

Zara Lipson didn’t do her homework about psychiatric privilege. The records could have been subpoenaed, only Eva-Kate’s mother could contest the subpoena even though her daughter had been emancipated. Since they were central to Justine’s case, surely the judge would have allowed the records as they were material to the defense.

FAKE PLASTIC WORLD is at best mediocre. The only reason I wanted to read it was to see if Justine killed Eva-Kate and to find out the nature of Justine’s mental illness.

[Angela Sperl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Waow but I was right

[Rhiannon Rabby | 31 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly fantastic follow up to Fake Plastic Girl. It answered all of the questions left from the first novel, with a perfectly executed plot that hooked me right from the first page. The ending was DELICIOUS. The closer I got to it the more I had a feeling how it might play out, as I felt I had really gotten to know Justine over the course of the last two novels. And yet I still felt surprised in the very best, most satisfying way.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the shocking conclusion to Fake Plastic Girl, readers will finally find out who killed Eva-Kate. Zara Lisbon writes with genuine authenticity, giving her readers a story that is fast-paced and believable while taking them on a battle between illusion and fantasy. Opening the door to an elite lifestyle, Lisbon highlights the true vulnerability of celebrity life, while exposing the dangerous fractures that lie within. Readers will receive front row seats to the trial of Justine Childs, the social media frenzy, and the lengths one family will go to prove their daughter’s innocence. However, be prepared, Fake Plastic World takes readers in and out of false illusion, perceived reality, and ultimately the truth giving readers the ending they have been waiting for.

[Rebeccah Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this entire book in under 5 hours. If that doesn’t tell you how good it was, I’ll say this: I have been waiting for this book since the first came out. Zara weaved such an intricate web of detail and story over two books, and used the first to propel us into the investigation that takes place in the second. Sequels can often disappoint, but I don’t feel that way about this one. The sequel gave me everything I wanted, including Justine’s opinions on the newest Taylor Swift songs. And the ending left me satisfied and shocked all in one.

[Candace · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all, I had no idea this was the second book in a series. So I guess I should've read the first one first. Even so, nothing felt missing really...I just couldn't stand anything about this book. The characters, the constant name dropping, the unreliability of nearly everyone. It was just a big bust for me.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND losing yourself in Lisbon’s Fake Plastic World. I was entranced by the first book and couldn’t wait to pre-order this follow up. I needed to know who killed Eva-Kate Kelly once and for all!! Lisbon does an incredible job luring you into the dark dreamworld of teenage celebrity in her first book and in this one you get even more dirty secrets from her twin sister, stage mom and vapid besties. Lisbon kept me guessing who did it til the very end. I loved the rich details—like Eva-Kate in her bejeweled Juicy tracksuit in the open casket! Ha! Perfect!—details like this keep you drilling for more.

I loved how the author portrays the inner workings of Justine’s mind and found myself tearing through the courtroom drama to see what new evidence would surface which way the jury would decide—hell, which way I would decide! I didn’t know who to believe. I loved that tension the most, that and Lisbon’s tender musings on our obsession with fame. It’s really a pleasure to go down these rabbit holes with her.

Side note: I would LOVE a whole book following Ruby and her boy-toy brothel! There’s so much in this world I want to learn more about, like the VIP underground club. Can’t wait to see what Lisbon takes on next. I could read another whole book on her revealing the secret meaning of Taylor Swift songs. Lisbon really knows how to take our fascination with fame and beauty and dig deep.

[Dan Sparks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to read this book and was looking forward to it after reading 'Fake Plastic Girl'. That first book about this character was VERY engaging and well written. I REALLY enjoyed reading it. It had a quality to it that seemed insightful about celebrity culture, and I developed a lot of empathy for the main character and other characters in the story. This follow-up book was unable to sustain that for some reason, and I almost completely lost interest in what was happening and what was going to happen. By the end of the second book I was in a struggle to finish it. This woman is a very good writer, but somehow making two books out of this story ruined it. Why did that happen? Other than the desire to make more money out of the vehicle, I can't think of a good reason. This goes on all the time, with some success, but more often not. In this case let's hope she just stops at two and goes on to a new project. I will say that the first book 'Fake Plastic Girl' was so good I would recommend it anyway, and then you decide if you have to read this book, which you probably will. I would be interested to see if anyone else was tempted to put it down before they finished it.

[♡ alekse ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay book, I didn't quite no that it was a sequel but nothing felt missing while I read it. However, things relating to the investigation/court case sometimes felt rushed or out of the blue, the constant name-dropping wad annoying, and the characters could be slightly annoying at times.

[This part may contain spoilers]
However, I did enjoy the twist at the end and how it makes you realize Justine was an unreliable narrator. It may not have been the best set up plot twist, it still worked.
[Spoilers over]

Overall, I liked the book and it was an entertaining read.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Fake Plastic Girl specifically for the Taylor Swift obsession - I thought it was a fun way of adding another layer to the narrator's psychosis and I loved the continuation with Tswizzle's new songs in this sequel. Unfortunately, the rest dragged for me. The first installation was all build up and I had hoped for more of a payoff in the conclusion.

[Jenny Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was even better than the first. Zara is an impeccable writer, the novel is suspenseful and hard to put down. The character of Justine is so true. The language is beautiful without being overwrought.

[TJL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well shit, that was unexpected; I was not in love with the first book, so I wasn't expecting to like this one. But there was no preaching in here, and the Taylor Swift stan-behavior actually made sense since Justine is an actual unstable, obsessive freak who did murder Eva-Kate.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting and had a good look into what some teenagers see as their world. Part of my reaction was obviously due to my age, I'm older than dirt, but I found them to be shallow, cliquish, and relatively rude. The book was, however, really well written, and I did enjoy the read

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming soon!

[Tracey Rieger · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT???!!!! Wow, didn't see that coming!

[Alicia 🌻 · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY CRAP

[Mark Alpheus · Rating 1 out of 5]

stupid, dumb and everything in between

[Elizabeth Rossmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was nice to get some answers as to who did it!

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

That ending was :((((
I was really hoping it was something else but it was alright. Better than the first book.

[Jay G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...

3.5/5 Stars

The sequel to Fake Plastic Girl, following the trial of Justine Childs for the murder of child star Eva Kate Kelly.

This begins right where the first book ends, and answers all the questions left from that book. I liked that Justine was an unreliable narrator, which made for an interesting read. There were so many suspects, and I had no idea which one was the killer while reading. I read the entire book in one sitting, it was very entertaining and a fun time while it lasted.