Liar, Liar

“I’m the best liar you’ll ever meet. […] I’m good because I make it easy for people to believe me. See, people only listen for what they want to hear, so I only tell them that.”

Liar, Liar’s opening lines establish Kevin’s knot—the main flaw in his character’s initial state that fuels the novel’s conflict. Here, Kevin shows his insight into what makes for a successful lie—a level of insight not applied to his self-assessments of his motives and altruism, complicating his character and the conflict he faces between selfishness and honesty.

“Another observation is that I’ve never gotten in trouble for lying. Because I’m that good. I have a knack for knowing what needs to be said and done. And if a little is good, then a lot is better, right? I used to think like that. Before my life went from zero to crap in a week.”

The final lines of the foreword act as a narrative hook designed to intrigue readers by hinting at the conflict to come. Kevin foreshadows the lessons he’ll learn about lying and the dramatic personal struggles he’ll have to endure first. These lines also offer a good example of the informal, intimate voice that characterizes the author’s style in this book.

“‘Of course’—she pushed her glasses a little higher on her nose—‘because that kind of organization and attention to detail will enable us to make the best possible choice among our options. Besides, I’m sure I can put the seemingly superfluous work to good use in the form of extra-credit projects later in the year.’”

Liar, Liar relies more on character and voice than plot in developing its themes and keeping the reader engaged in the story. This statement, which Katie makes to Kevin, effectively develops her character without direct authorial interpretation. In other words, an example of something Katie says depicts her attitudes and motivations more effectively than telling the reader directly that Katie is an ambitious student.