The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett

by Chelsea Sedoti

Hawthorn wasn't trying to insert herself into a missing person's investigation. Or maybe she was. But that's only because Lizzie Lovett's disappearance is the one fascinating mystery their sleepy town has ever had. Bad things don't happen to popular girls like Lizzie Lovett, and Hawthorn is convinced she'll turn up at any moment-which means the time for speculation is now.

• ISBN10: 1492636088
• ISBN13: 9781492636083
• Publish Date: 3 January 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 29 June 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Sourcebooks, Inc
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[empressbrooke]

I always enjoy a YA book with a main character who is more of a typical, flawed teen. It's a nice balance to the more fantastical YA novels where the teenagers are mature and worldly and have robust stress tolerance and problem solving skills. Hawthorne Creely is none of that. She is miserable and bored because she has no idea who she is or what she wants, and she assumes that all of her peers have their lives all figured out. She is deeply self-centered and hopelessly misunderstands other people. She's terrified of college being as big of a let down as high school, so she's avoiding all responsibility by retreating into her imagination: a local girl goes missing, and Hawthorne is convinced she turned into a werewolf. She's really obnoxious and I found myself getting frustrated with her (as most of the other characters do, too), but the author does a really skilled job of slowly nudging Hawthorne toward maturity and empathy through the second half of the book. I really love the YA heroines who are skilled assassins and long lost princesses who can lead armies and save the world, but sometimes it's nice to read about teenage feelings that are all too real.

[readingwithwrin]

"There's no such thing as a normal highschool experience, Thorny. You assume everyone else is happy all he time and living an ideal life. You don't get that other people are pretending too."

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS



Hawthorn is not a very likable character in my opinion. While yes she is very observant and admits that she wants to fit in like everyone else. She also does nothing to make herself more likable in almost any situation. Not only is she extremely self centered not just teenager self centered either, but truly so self centered that even her best friend gets tried of it after awhile.

I hoped to see things start to change once Lizzie Lovett went missing and Hawthorn started to become obsessed with the case. But instead Hawthorn ends up going down a dangerous path in my opinion. Not only does she start coming up with crazy theories about Lizzie, and how if she was able to find her that then Lizzie would help her fit in and be liked by people. So in order to do this Hawthorn decides to get close to those who knew Lizzie as how she was now, after high school.

"Lizzie could teach me how to ignore all the people who thought I was broken and strange. She'd teach me how to fit in, how to be likable. How to be like her."

Which leads her to Lizzie's boyfriend who I didn't like at all. Not because I thought he did anything to Lizzie, but because after awhile I could see most likely how things were going to end with him and Hawthorn and I didn't want her to do that. I wanted her to stop obsessing over Lizzie so much and hoping that Lizzie's boyfriend would care for her as much as she was starting to about him.

Now that I've talked about most of the things I didn't like lets get to the few I did. I liked how for once we had a real brother sister dynamic and mostly 'normal' family dynamic as well. Hawthorn didn't blame everything on her parents, and instead knew that they did what they were doing because they cared about her and just wanted the best for her. Plus the brother did truly care about what was happening to her, even if he didn't exactly understand her.
The add in of my hippies was also really enjoyable and was part of the reason I kept reading. They weren't a huge part of the story, but they were interesting and helped Hawthorn occasionally.

Overall this book fell kind of flat for me, but I know others will love it.

"Don't talk then. Paint. Dance. Write. Just don't hold your feelings inside. The longer we let pain hide in our hearts, the more it turns to poison."

[layawaydragon]

Oh boy, this one is going to be rough. Look, this is not some teen sleuth finding out what happened to Lizzie. This is all about Hawthorne being unstable, unlikeable, and full of herself. This is all about perpetuating the bullshit and stigma around mental health. This is another mediocre white girl thinking she’s a special snowflake and all the angst when the world won’t treat her like it. This is a 25 year old guy fucking high school kids. This is the worst mean girl ever written acting out because she’s jealous of fucking Hawthorn for no damn reason besides “Hawthorne is special”.

While there are some authentic moments, like wishing ill on people making fun of you, wanting to belong and being lonely, the non-perfect reality of losing your virginity, and small town life, it is buried until a mountain of harmful, painful, awful bullshit.




Let’s start with the title: what a crock of shit. Lizzie Lovett hasn’t spouted off ‘alternative facts’ to people. What the title referred to is actually other’s incorrect perception of her and social stigma against mental health issues.

Depressed people CAN have happy or content moments so Lizzie saying at one point that she’s happy IS NOT EVIDENCE SHE WASN’T SUFFERING.

I went search for articles about the bullshit that “happy” people don’t kill themselves and found this article from Jezebel. There’s an interesting quote:

“Appalachian State at least three — the disappearance in September of a freshman, Anna M. Smith, led to an 11-day search before she was found in the North Carolina woods, hanging from a tree.”

Hmmm, boy that sounds familiar? Just swap out the collage for a small town and that’s Lizzie. There’s lot of “but she had it all!” spouted and doesn’t get debunked. Hawthorn’s just confused, and then depressed. And her family doesn’t get her help or talk to her. They threatened her with a doctor and snap, Hawthorn got out of bed but she wasn’t better.

Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett perpetuals the social bullshit that comes along with mental health issues. Nothing is found out about Lizzie. She’s not in the story or part of it besides a Hawthorn’s obsession. She never gets inside Lizzie’s head and understands her or depression or suicide.

There’s no insight or consideration or thoughtfulness. There’s no exploring the grief of the people affected by a person dying by suicide. No hope or help. Just Hawthorn being Hawthorn, using her imagination as denial and escape and believing in it way too much. It honestly sounds like she has a disassociation disorder.

This is not some nerd geeking out about a fantasy or sci-fi world. She honestly thinks Lizzie turned into a werewolf and goes into a depressive state when finding out that’s not true. This is not about “oh, everyone grieves differently”. Hawthorne chokes herself with a scarf to “see how it’s like”, FFS.

If someone is grieving like this, they need help because it’s not healthy and needs at the very least a therapist to talk to.

Is this something kids and teens need to know, talk, and read about? Absolutely! But this is not this book. Please, for the love of all that is good and decent, do not put this book in the hands of someone who has mental health issues. And don’t praise it and support this bullshit either but the horse is already out of the gate on that one.


Next up, our leading lady Hawthorn:
•Typical mediocre white girl that’s pretty but doesn’t think she is
•Not Like Those Other Girls ™
•Quirky ™
•Self-involved
•Selfish
•Malicious. Constantly wishes minor inconveniences on other people.
•Hates people that judge her but has a major in judging others
• Is targetted by others and lost friends because she reported a teacher/student romantic relationship
•She’s different & special, “just no one understands her” angst
•Thinks a boyfriend will fix everything
•Has no plans or ideas for the future. Spurns everyone asking and trying to help her as sheep that just don’t get it.

Hawthorn’s super out there theory? Lizzie turned into a werewolf. Seriously. Really Really.

FYI: Don't ever try to Google Shrek gifs.

She just wants someone to acknowledge and be open to the possibilities of magic though I don’t remember her using that term. But that’s what it boils down to, but has I stated earlier she uses it in unhealthy ways.

No one encourages her except Lizzie’s Boyfriend, her brother’s best friend, and hippies from her mother’s past that’s camping in the backyard. (This is important later, just wait.)

And apparently that kind of thinking makes her special and different and unique and should be a writer and she’ll go places! She won’t be stuck in a 9-5 job to pay the bills like everyone else, no siree bob. Those stupid sheep, just don’t get it. But this 17 year old white girl from a small white town has it all figured out. Even if she doesn’t know what she’s going to do after high school, it’ll work out just fine for Hawthorn the Special Snowflake.

Look, I’ve been a white girl in a small white town but I DO NOT identify with Hawthorne.

Did I wish bad things would happen to the people that made fun of me or joked around about things I was sensitive about? Yes. But when bad things enviably happened, like the popular girl breaking her arm, I wasn’t overcome with joy and thought she deserved what happened. That’s not karma, that’s just her being a cheerleader and landing horribly wrong once.

Did I anxiously want friends and a place to belong? Yes, but I didn’t alienate the one friend I had by treating her like shit, dominating the conversation making everything about me and daydreaming when she tried to speak. I sure as shit didn’t judge the dude she liked on assumptions and talk shit about him or try to break them up. Hawthorne should’ve been right there, getting to know the dude and making sure he treated her friend right.

Did I anxiously await the day to escape and never come back? Yes. But I HAD A FUCKING PLAN. You will not escape without a plan. Small towns live and breathe by families staying where the fuck they are. Like quick sand, panicking and screaming you don’t belong here make it fucking worse. You have to wait and plan until the time comes and strike out. Hawthorn is already working in a dead diner, I bet she keeps working there languishing until her parents kick her out to get her own crappy apartment.

If she really wants experiences, she could save up money and go traveling. But does she? No. Hawthorne doesn’t plan anything. She doesn’t follow through with anything like getting her fucking car fixed. Oh, did I mention she got an old used car because she wanted one with character and history? She turned down her parents offer and good advice to get a POS.

*SIGH* Anyways onto the plot…

There’s is Hawthorne being snoopy but she’s not a sleuth. There is no clues to follow or a mystery to unravel. It’s all about Hawthorne fucking over her one and only friend, her angst, and boys. And the feminine, traditionally ‘girly’ mean girl treating Hawthorne like shit because she’s jealous. (OF WHAT?!)

Oh and some hippies show up out of nowhere and camp in their backyard. Fun times!

Hawthorne hinks having a boyfriend will make her happy. She gets a sort-of one, loses her virginity, and she is admittedly happier than before with him by her side.

Her family and friend try to warn her off because the dude is 8 years older and used to date Lizzie. They surprisingly give up on talking about the subject quickly because Hawthorne has a temper-tantrum when they broach the subject. “At least she’s getting out of the house” WTF?

But wait! He’s a pathetic loser who’s not good enough for Hawthorne and finally she sees the light. Bam! Another dude who’s just been waiting in the wings for her is right there. HE believes her and thinks her way of thinking is cool. She promises to “search for magic but not invent it”. It ends with them walking and talking together and all is better.

SPARE ME.

[pagingserenity]

I received this book for free from NetGalley, courtesy of SOURCEBOOKS Fire in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This review was first published on Paging Serenity.

Narrated by its main character, Hawthorn, a high school senior, The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett is a story about self-discovery and the power of assumptions. A lesson not only about the self, but on the facades people put on and the masks we wear.

I have mixed feelings about The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett and most of them stem from Hawthorn. She’s just a… quirky and naive character. Her maturity and imagination was hard to believe given her age. What high school senior believes in the existence of mythical creatures (when you’re not reading, of course)? My realist mind could not cope with Hawthorn’s imagination and naivety. There were too many instances where I almost stopped reading the book because of the extremely high level of second-hand embarrassment and face palming that she caused.

Still, despite her flaws, Hawthorn’s quirkiness was kind of endearing at times and she did have her redeeming moments. There were times when I was close to dnfing, but she pulled through and kept me interested (and somewhat invested, tbh) in her story.

Although Hawthorn did a good job reeling me in when I thought about quitting, it was the moral of the story that really convinced me to push on through. I think the lesson The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett tells, the lesson on self-discovery, mental illness, stereotyping, and facades, is incredibly important for everyone to learn. The lesson Hawthorn learns is more relatable than Hawthorn herself. I found the plot kind of stagnant but it was simply the messenger. The message was far more important and worth putting up with the roller coaster ride (not in a good way) the messenger took you on.

So overall, Hawthorn wasn’t too bad and neither was the plot. They didn’t kill me. What killed me was the romance. Oh. Dear. The romance. Let’s just say I could do without it. I found it inappropriate and unnecessary. There were other ways to achieve the same outcome.

In conclusion, The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett was an okay read. I don’t regret reading it, but it is definitely not a book I would read again. Most of the time Hawthorn was a bit hard to connect to, with all the second-hand embarrassment and “seriously????” moments that she caused. But she did have her redeeming moments that kept me reading. The lesson of the story is an important one and it sort of compensated for the poor, but relatable plot (this is definitely more a character driven novel). That being said, I don’t think anything could compensate for the romance that I was not at all a fan of.

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
1.5*
This... did not work for me. I wanted it to, and I tried for it to, even after I knew I should probably just give up. But I am bad at giving up, so I persevered. Mistake? Probably, but I can live with it. It wasn't all bad or anything, but... I was hard pressed to find things I enjoyed.

Things I Enjoyed:

• I did really want to know what happened to Lizzie Lovett. I knew that Hawthorn's theories were ridiculous, but I still needed to know where Lizzie ended up, what went on in her life, etc.



• Hawthorn did end up having a bit of character growth, so that was a plus. Hawthorn also was written in a fun way so that her thoughts were humorous, when they didn't annoy me. Oh, and there are some people who come to her house, they are also big wins. They might have been the reason I kept reading? I do think that the author has a ton of potential, as I did enjoy the writing- just not the story.

What Went Wrong:

• Hawthorn is... I don't even know where to begin with this girl. She's supposed to be 17, but she's acting 7, at best sometimes. She's got this fixation with Lizzie, who she spoke to once for like 33 seconds. I get being curious and such, but Hawthorn is straight up obsessed. I mean, just in the synopsis it tells you that she basically takes over Lizzie's life, and that is not normal. And she thinks her really out-there theory about Lizzie is legit. She's not just like "oh, haha, I think X happened" as a joke... she is for real thinking things that even my five year old would roll her eyes at. If you must know, spoiler tags. She thinks Lizzie has turned into a werewolf. An actual werewolf. Again, not a joke, she's actually scouting places in full moons for were-people.



• Seriously, why is everyone so obsessed with Lizzie Lovett? It doesn't make any sense, and no one gives me any evidence to suggest why. She's spoken to no one in their town for eons, and sure I can understand searching for her and such, obviously she is a human being who is missing, but the strange obsession, especially on Hawthorn's part baffled me.



• Hawthorn's family wasn't great to her. Granted, she's tough to take, but man, they let her run about doing all kinds of things that my parents would probably not let me do still, and I am twice her age. I liked that eventually her relationship with her brother is explored a bit more but... her parents need to step it up.



• The ship was... creepy. Look, there are times when an age difference is not a big deal. For example, if I date someone eight years older or younger than me, no one cares, and you know why? We'd all be consenting adults. Spoiler! Hawthorn is not a consenting adult, and yet she's scampering around town with Lizzie's 25 year old boyfriend. Again, can someone please page mom and dad? I could not get on board with this, even though Enzo was every damn bit as immature as Hawthorn, he was still 25 and his girlfriend went missing in the woods. While he was alone with her. Red flags much? I felt like I needed to call CPS on some fictional characters.



• I was bored. Honestly, I started not to care what happened to Lizzie Lovett, and was kind of tempted a few times to just jump to the end to see what happened and be done with it.

 

Bottom Line: I really wanted to love this one, but I am afraid I did not. Between Hawthorn's unlikability, and some of the really outlandish plot points, I just couldn't get into it.

*Copy provided for review

[lisacee]

A surprising lovely book about learning to not judge others based on your perception of them. Not everyone is what they seem on the outside.

While exploring Lizzie's disappearance, Hawthorn grows up a bit and realizes that everyone feels a bit like an outsider at times.

*I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley.*