Review: Fake ID by Lamar Giles

Fake ID
Lamar Giles
Series: None
Released: January 21st, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: 3.5 stars
Word Rating: More than I had expected
Reviewed by: Mel

Nick Pearson is hiding in plain sight…

My name isn’t really Nick Pearson.

I shouldn’t tell you where I’m from or why my family moved to Stepton, Virginia.

I shouldn’t tell you who I really am, or my hair, eye, and skin color.

And I definitely shouldn’t tell you about my friend Eli Cruz and the major conspiracy he was about to uncover when he died—right after I moved to town. About how I had to choose between solving his murder with his hot sister, Reya, and “staying low-key” like the Program has taught me. About how moving to Stepon changed my life forever.

But I’m going to.

Three star and three point five star books make me cringe because it’s basically screaming: MONOTONOUS REVIEW AHEAD. STAY AWAY FROM ‘MEH’-NESS. But fairly, this book wasn’t really ‘meh’ or just another book lost in the bookish ocean. Fake ID is much more than a murder mystery. Seriously, what if the person next to you is a murderer? 

1. Fake ID has an intelligent and even funny male main character. I do believe this is the first murder mystery I’ve read with a male lead and it was very successful. Nick and his family have been hiding under the Witness Protection Program for years and he has to try and stay unnoticed. Even his name isn’t his real one. This protagonist was easy to like with his smart and sceptical personality and flaws that only made him more three-dimensional. 

2. Fake ID manages to create a fascinating family dynamic in the background of a mystery thriller. I certainly did not go into this read thinking I’d have some substance such as a family drama. It’s not overbearing but it’s not miniscule either. Nick’s mother is becoming tired and sick of his father for dragging them into hiding and ruining their lives. Soon, her temper is going to break. I also love this aspect because it only made me want to know what the Witness Protection Program was and how they got caught in it even more. 

3. Fake ID does something that a lot of books fail to succeed at—creating a romance that isn’t angsty and domineering. I felt a little surprised when it kicked in, the build-up was obviously there but the kiss. Woah, out of the blue in my opinion. Reya, the love interest was strong and independently capable and also, easy to like. 

4. Fake ID made me constantly question whether what people were saying was true, or false. All the characters in this book were potential culprits of the murders going on and the author managed to throw me off guard when we finally discover who did it. All the conspiracies and tension! It got pretty crazy near the end. 

My main issue with Fake ID was the way it ended. Right now, it is not completely certain whether there will be a sequel or not but I sure hope there is because I have a handful of probing questions I am hoping to get answered. These loose strings honestly made me go a little OCD upon putting down my kindle. Being a more of an impulsive and emotional rater, despite the one standing flaw (and tiny few others) that I aforementioned, I still didn’t give this more than 3.5 stars because it felt like it was missing something. Something really hard to pin point exactly. Am I the only one that ever feels that way? I am getting weirder and weirder every day. O_O 

Fake ID has it all; a witty and humorous lead character, family dynamics, a non-dominating romance with endless questions and conspiracy theories about Whispertown. I do believe this book deserves more acknowledgements than it has now. Highly recommended to lovers of fun murder mysteries, who want even more substance in their reads than just a mystery.