Bookish Mixtapes: Genuine Fraud

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart is one of my favorite suspense/thriller books. The authors writing style for the novel (reverse chronological order) adds to the mystery. Because of this irregular literary composition, many of the songs have to do with the time and place of events as well as the characters’ development. This playlist covers the story of Jule and Imogen and will be FULL OF SPOILERS from the book.

Click here for a Spotify link to the playlist.

Song (Artist): Reason

Mexico (James Taylor): The story starts out in Mexico, and will also eventually circle back to it for the book’s ending.

Girls On Film (Duran Duran): At several points in the book Jule compares herself to the hero of an action movie. She pictures her actions as camera shots and always tries to show off for the camera.

Poker Face (Lady Gaga): Jule goes into a casino (so yes this song is very literal) but also changes her identity within seconds of slipping in. It makes readers question if the persona she has been putting on so far is even her true one. Jule also has to keep a straight face throughout and hide what information she knows.

Pretender (SMASH Cast Version): This is another very straight forward song. As the book progresses, the reader begins to see Jule’s deceptive nature and that there is a lot about her to question.

I Will Survive (Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox): “but now you’re back, from outer space” Jule is at a London theater with her dead friend’s ex-boyfriend when she encounters another man, one who she once deceived. She never thought the two men would be in a room together, or that they could begin to uncover what she has done. But Jule is determined to find her way out of whatever predicaments threaten her.

London Calling (The Clash): Another chapter and jump backward in time brings the story to when Jule first arrived in London. This is because it has been discovered that her friend Imogen is dead, and has supposedly killed herself.

I Left My Heart In San Francisco (Tony Bennett): This section of the book describes the brutal murder of one of Imogen’s friends, followed by her departure from San Francisco where the two were staying together.

San Francisco (5 Seconds Of Summer): This song is for Jule’s arrival in San Fran. She plans it to be an escape until one of Imogen’s friends come to as about Imogen’s disappearance.

Killer Queen (Queen): This song is for the scene where Jule and Imogen fight, leading up to a brutal murder.

Runaway (Bon Jovi): Jule is already on the run from her past at the beginning of this story, although we don’t exactly know what her history is except for brief flashbacks.

Would I Lie To You (Eurythmics): The whole tale began when Jule took her friend’s shift at work, met a woman connected to Imogen, and introduced herself as someone other than Jule. That was really the first act of fraud.

**Graphics created by the author E. Lockhart.