Our Rating B

“My Brother Is a Big, Fat Liar” by James Patterson is a goofy, intriguing story that will take you back to your middle school days. The novel, the third installment of the Middle School series, is about a girl named Georgia Khatchadorian. Georgia is starting the sixth grade at Hills Village Middle School where her reputation is tainted by her brother Rafe who went there and broke every rule, which led to his expulsion. Therefore, when Georgia goes to the school, every teacher thinks that she is going to be exactly like Rafe; but she is NOTHING like her brother!

Patterson makes the story by creating believable characters: the mean girls, the trouble makers and the outsiders. This makes readers relate to the book even more. Throughout the story, the author teaches us the importance of standing up for yourself and not letting the bullies win.

At first, Georgia wanted be exactly like the mean girls, who are known as the Princesses, and she was obsessed with trying to fit in. The three rich, spoiled brats would always make fun of Georgia for the way she walked. They also made fun of others. Georgia had enough of the bullying and spilled pudding on the Princesses in the cafeteria. The story ends with Georgia standing up for her self and her friends by telling the mean girls to stop being rude. Patterson also uses a love interest, Georgia’s crush Sam, to grab the audience’s attention.

Along with the realistic characters and love interest, Patterson grabs the attention of the readers by using a lot of sarcasm. Readers can look forward to a lot of witty remarks between Georgia and the rest of the characters. It is also interesting to see Rafe’s life through Georgia’s point of view. If you have read the other books in the series, which focus on life from Rafe’s perspective, you will appreciate seeing the world of the Khatchadorians through the eyes of Georgia. At times, the book can be a bit cliché. But overall, it is a good read.

Patterson’s “My Brother Is a Big, Fat Liar” is a classical children’s book that adults can also enjoy. If you are a lover of a books like “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” then you should definitely give James Patterson’s Middle School series a try. This book will be a great addition to your spring break reading list because it is short and fun.