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carolinerosereads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
alannar2422's review
5.0
This book was groundbreaking in so many ways. The relationship between Elise and Remy was toxic and explosive. Love and trauma became intertwined in their stories and that's what drew them to each other. Amazing book, I really recommend it.
chass85's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
what_the_puck's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
its_cece's review
dark
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
3.0
kayladbruns's review against another edition
2.0
This was a book that I was looking forward to but I am so disappointed by what I just read. This was portrayed as a mystery type read and that couldn’t be farther from what this actually was. This read nothing like a mystery/thriller like it’s portrayed to be. It really read like any other YA contemporary and I was so disappointed not to have the mystery/thriller feel.
This book was about the effects of a toxic friendship. The friendship follows Remy and her friend Elise. We get flashbacks of them meeting and forming this bond and everything that leads up to Elise shooting Remy’s boyfriend Jack.
As far as the relationship between Remy and Elise goes, the first word that comes to mind was toxic. Remy seemed to have this obsession with Elise. She thought that she was tough and strong and had a hero complex about her. Elise bathed in that adoration but in truth was just a manipulative person and a liar. I keep seeing this book being tagged as LGTBQ+ but I don’t think that’s the case. They did say that they loved one another called each other their soulmates but I don’t think that it was in an attraction way. They saw each other as family and they thought of their tragic lives as something that gave them strength. As much as Remy cared for Jack, I don’t see this being true.
I have to say that the only redeeming character here was Jack. Yes, the guy who was shot in the beginning of the book. Not even Remy was likable to me. She enabled Elise’s behavior so much that she even started making excuses for her in her mind. She knew that something should have been done way before the shooting happened.
Like I said earlier, this definitely read more like a contemporary than a mystery/thriller. I also need to say that this book was so much darker than what I thought. Some of the things said here really shocked me. While it does make it more real, I was still shocked that the author went there.
All in all, this book was dark and showed how some friendships can turn toxic. I think it did show that part well but it lacked in other areas. Since this was the author's debut, I would be willing to read something else by her.
TW: physical & mental abuse; acts of suicide
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This book was about the effects of a toxic friendship. The friendship follows Remy and her friend Elise. We get flashbacks of them meeting and forming this bond and everything that leads up to Elise shooting Remy’s boyfriend Jack.
As far as the relationship between Remy and Elise goes, the first word that comes to mind was toxic. Remy seemed to have this obsession with Elise. She thought that she was tough and strong and had a hero complex about her. Elise bathed in that adoration but in truth was just a manipulative person and a liar. I keep seeing this book being tagged as LGTBQ+ but I don’t think that’s the case. They did say that they loved one another called each other their soulmates but I don’t think that it was in an attraction way. They saw each other as family and they thought of their tragic lives as something that gave them strength. As much as Remy cared for Jack, I don’t see this being true.
I have to say that the only redeeming character here was Jack. Yes, the guy who was shot in the beginning of the book. Not even Remy was likable to me. She enabled Elise’s behavior so much that she even started making excuses for her in her mind. She knew that something should have been done way before the shooting happened.
Like I said earlier, this definitely read more like a contemporary than a mystery/thriller. I also need to say that this book was so much darker than what I thought. Some of the things said here really shocked me. While it does make it more real, I was still shocked that the author went there.
All in all, this book was dark and showed how some friendships can turn toxic. I think it did show that part well but it lacked in other areas. Since this was the author's debut, I would be willing to read something else by her.
TW: physical & mental abuse; acts of suicide
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hitbooksnotgirlz's review
5.0
I couldn’t believe the intensity of this book! Talk about toxic friendships. Great read.
1literaryfairy's review
2.0
A DNF for me. Just didn't sit well. Probably an overall very good read. Just not for me.
sidneyellwood's review
5.0
If you've ever wanted to know about the other side of obsessive friendship, this is the book you need. One of my favourite tropes to read about in books is the sick, pining friendship, and I've only really imagined it from the person who's pining. The Best Lies takes this trope and twists it into something gruelingly real and dangerous, showing just how toxic some friendships can become.
The book opens just after the murder of Remy's boyfriend, Jack, with her best friend/ soulmate Elise being the one who pulled the trigger. Remy is, understandably, in an absolutely awful place as the book opens, but as the reader continues it turns out that a lot of Remy's life has been shaped by reactions to trauma. It's what draws her to Elise in the first place: both of them have been deeply hurt in their childhood, and it's why they can connect so well to each other. I could really connect with Remy: she's quieter and more timid, with more of a propensity to hide from her problems than enact revenge like Elise compels her to. Like Remy, I'm very mediocre compared to the rest of my family, and I can definitely see why Remy does what she does over the course of the book, because I would do them as well.
Though Remy narrates the book, I'd argue that Elise is definitely the true protagonist of The Best Lies: so much of Remy's thoughts revolve around Elise. From the moment they meet, Remy and Elise are attached at the hip, and even after Elise shoots Jack, Remy desperately tries to protect her. Elise and Remy refer to themselves as more than best friends: soulmates, family, and until Remy meets Jack, the two are absolutely insepratable. Elise is such a fascinating character, oddly sympathetic even though you know what happens and what the book is gearing up to as it goes on. Elise is a character who, in many ways, is shaped by her history of complex trauma, and many of her actions throughout the book are reactions to her experiences.
The Best Lies is, among other things, an in-depth discussion of the nature of trauma and abuse and toxic people. Both Remy and Elise have had a lifetime of traumatic situations: Remy's parents argue constantly and threaten divorce, and her mom clearly favours her brother over her; on the other hand, Elise's father is abusive in a way that one would imagine. Both are portrayed as inherently traumatic and life-changing, even though one may be considered objectively worse than the other. The author herself comes from a history of abuse, and the message running throughout the book is clear: abuse and trauma does not excuse the perpetuation of more abuse and trauma, and even if your trauma isn't objectively the worst, it's still valid, because it still hurt. It's such a nuanced and realistic look at the nature of trauma and how people deal with it.
Even though it's told through alternating perspectives, which would make one think that there would be a foregone conclusion, the book never quite loses its momentum. Not only is it a murder mystery, it's a tale of an obsessively spiraling friendship between two desperate girls, and the two stories in past and present complement each other perfectly. I was absolutely entranced by the story, and couldn't stop reading it even as the clock ticked closer and closer to morning.
I have seen some people say that this was a sapphic book, and in the interest of not misleading anyone I want to be clear that the relationship between Elise and Remy is not explicitly sapphic. It can certainly be read as such, and I did read a lot into their relationship. Neither Elise or Remy are explicitly straight, either, so there's a lot of room for reader interpretation either way.
I highly recommend The Best Lies to anyone who's a fan of dangerous girls, and anyone who can relate to girls who are just trying to survive day to day. It's a harsh book and can get dark at times, but it's also incredibly well-written and incredibly complex in its narration and characterization.
Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy! Any quotes are from the ARC version and not finalized.
content warnings | abuse (emotional & physical), manipulation, grief, suicide mentions, death
rep | asian mc, abuse survivor
BLOG | TWITTER
The book opens just after the murder of Remy's boyfriend, Jack, with her best friend/ soulmate Elise being the one who pulled the trigger. Remy is, understandably, in an absolutely awful place as the book opens, but as the reader continues it turns out that a lot of Remy's life has been shaped by reactions to trauma. It's what draws her to Elise in the first place: both of them have been deeply hurt in their childhood, and it's why they can connect so well to each other. I could really connect with Remy: she's quieter and more timid, with more of a propensity to hide from her problems than enact revenge like Elise compels her to. Like Remy, I'm very mediocre compared to the rest of my family, and I can definitely see why Remy does what she does over the course of the book, because I would do them as well.
Though Remy narrates the book, I'd argue that Elise is definitely the true protagonist of The Best Lies: so much of Remy's thoughts revolve around Elise. From the moment they meet, Remy and Elise are attached at the hip, and even after Elise shoots Jack, Remy desperately tries to protect her. Elise and Remy refer to themselves as more than best friends: soulmates, family, and until Remy meets Jack, the two are absolutely insepratable. Elise is such a fascinating character, oddly sympathetic even though you know what happens and what the book is gearing up to as it goes on. Elise is a character who, in many ways, is shaped by her history of complex trauma, and many of her actions throughout the book are reactions to her experiences.
The Best Lies is, among other things, an in-depth discussion of the nature of trauma and abuse and toxic people. Both Remy and Elise have had a lifetime of traumatic situations: Remy's parents argue constantly and threaten divorce, and her mom clearly favours her brother over her; on the other hand, Elise's father is abusive in a way that one would imagine. Both are portrayed as inherently traumatic and life-changing, even though one may be considered objectively worse than the other. The author herself comes from a history of abuse, and the message running throughout the book is clear: abuse and trauma does not excuse the perpetuation of more abuse and trauma, and even if your trauma isn't objectively the worst, it's still valid, because it still hurt. It's such a nuanced and realistic look at the nature of trauma and how people deal with it.
Even though it's told through alternating perspectives, which would make one think that there would be a foregone conclusion, the book never quite loses its momentum. Not only is it a murder mystery, it's a tale of an obsessively spiraling friendship between two desperate girls, and the two stories in past and present complement each other perfectly. I was absolutely entranced by the story, and couldn't stop reading it even as the clock ticked closer and closer to morning.
I have seen some people say that this was a sapphic book, and in the interest of not misleading anyone I want to be clear that the relationship between Elise and Remy is not explicitly sapphic. It can certainly be read as such, and I did read a lot into their relationship. Neither Elise or Remy are explicitly straight, either, so there's a lot of room for reader interpretation either way.
I highly recommend The Best Lies to anyone who's a fan of dangerous girls, and anyone who can relate to girls who are just trying to survive day to day. It's a harsh book and can get dark at times, but it's also incredibly well-written and incredibly complex in its narration and characterization.
Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy! Any quotes are from the ARC version and not finalized.
content warnings | abuse (emotional & physical), manipulation, grief, suicide mentions, death
rep | asian mc, abuse survivor
BLOG | TWITTER
jenacidebybibliophile's review
5.0
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher, Simon and Schuster, via Edelweiss+ for an honest review.
“Jack’s blood is on my face and in my hair, on my arms and under my fingernails. There was so much, the paramedics had rushed to me, checking for signs of trauma, but they couldn’t see the hole in my heart.
My name is Remy.
I am seventeen years old.
This won’t last forever.”
If you’re looking for a book that will leave you feeling lost, confused, unsure of your current relationships, angry, sad and utterly devastated…
…you’ve come to the right place.
The Best Lies is a book that literally any and every person can relate to.
Whether it touches the angst in your stomach for never experiencing a friendship so true and heartfelt; tickles the sadness in your heart for lost love or flicks awake the inner child slumbering deep inside you that can relate to the dire need for someone – this book is going to rip your feelings out through your eyeballs and leave you so full, you’ll be empty.
“I am pain and pain is me.”
First off, this book isn’t going to be what you think. Even from the quotes I have inserted throughout this review, you are going to be making assumptions as where this story will go. And most likely, you’re going to be wrong. This book is about toxic relationships, mental health, obsessive behaviors, manipulation, family dynamics, love, friendship and of course…lies. It is beautiful and tragic, and embodies innocence so fiercely that you can’t help but weep for every character.
“I am alone now as I was then.”
Remy Tsai is a straight-edged and somewhat reserved character. From the beginning I saw the patterns of how Remy would envelop herself into her relationships with friends or boyfriends. She gave every part of herself up and quickly latched onto them if they said something nice to her, and then fully looked to them to fill her with happiness and love. I found her character to be a lost soul, looking for others to tell her who she is or how she should feel about herself and the world. For me, Remy embodies a typical teenager. Desperately trying to discover who they are through the people they surround themselves with. Hoping they will be remembered, loved and needed by others.
When Remy first meets Elise, it is in a moment of deep rejection and sadness for her. She has just been dumped and is feeling alone and unwanted. But then Elise is there. Reaching out a hand and whisking her off into a spontaneous night of adventure and mischief. And so begins their fierce friendship of love, truths, lies and painfully raw emotions.
“Elise was electricity. I was the night. She banished the darkness, she lit me up.”
Elise is an electrifying, exciting, daring and fierce character. She is strong and courageous, stands up for herself and others, and sees herself as a vigilante put on Earth to right every wrong. She is intoxicating and beautiful. She is a character we would all love to be friends with, and even love to BE. For Remy, being around Elise was like breathing in sunlight or Heaven’s air. Elise made her feel safe, wanted, important and necessary. Which is everything that Remy never felt in life.
“Elise liked that I needed protection, and I liked that she wanted to protect me. We needed each other, we chose each other, and there was power in that.”
Both of the girls also have difficult family lives they fight to keep hidden from the rest of the world. Remy’s parents are involved in an emotionally abusive relationship that involves nightly screaming matches, adultery and the continuous act of her father leaving their family, only to return again in a few days. Elise was abandoned by her mother at a young age and left with an absent and angry father. Both girls find camaraderie and solace in each other, and use each other as lifelines to survive each day in their own personal Hells.
“’I need you, Remy,’ she said softly. What she was saying: I love you. After a moment I said, ‘I need you, too.’”
But this isn’t just a story of strength between two friends, or family dysfunction. It is also a story of obsession and need. I can’t go too into detail without giving away all the best parts, but this story definitely takes a turn into a space of deep darkness and sorrow. The relationships and friendships that once felt uplifting and whole, begin to crumble. The common theme for many of these characters was their overwhelming need to be NEEDED. It leaves you feeling irritated because they can’t find love for themselves and have to seek it out in others. But it also leaves you aching because you know EXACTLY what that need feels like. To be wanted and accepted by others.
“She wasn’t magical. She was magic itself and I was completely under her spell.”
Obviously, this story ends tragically. Remy’s boyfriend is killed by her best friend and it is…devastating. But the reason behind WHY he is killed, is really why you want to read this story. It is intricate, well-developed, dripping in emotional turmoil, and embodies every feeling a teenager can have.
But just remember.
This isn’t a happy story.
It will hurt you, and you will feel lost afterwards. Just as I do now.
So tread carefully.
“A night tech comes into the room. ‘Are you okay?’ he asks. I answer honestly. ‘I don’t know.’”
“Jack’s blood is on my face and in my hair, on my arms and under my fingernails. There was so much, the paramedics had rushed to me, checking for signs of trauma, but they couldn’t see the hole in my heart.
My name is Remy.
I am seventeen years old.
This won’t last forever.”
If you’re looking for a book that will leave you feeling lost, confused, unsure of your current relationships, angry, sad and utterly devastated…
…you’ve come to the right place.
The Best Lies is a book that literally any and every person can relate to.
Whether it touches the angst in your stomach for never experiencing a friendship so true and heartfelt; tickles the sadness in your heart for lost love or flicks awake the inner child slumbering deep inside you that can relate to the dire need for someone – this book is going to rip your feelings out through your eyeballs and leave you so full, you’ll be empty.
“I am pain and pain is me.”
First off, this book isn’t going to be what you think. Even from the quotes I have inserted throughout this review, you are going to be making assumptions as where this story will go. And most likely, you’re going to be wrong. This book is about toxic relationships, mental health, obsessive behaviors, manipulation, family dynamics, love, friendship and of course…lies. It is beautiful and tragic, and embodies innocence so fiercely that you can’t help but weep for every character.
“I am alone now as I was then.”
Remy Tsai is a straight-edged and somewhat reserved character. From the beginning I saw the patterns of how Remy would envelop herself into her relationships with friends or boyfriends. She gave every part of herself up and quickly latched onto them if they said something nice to her, and then fully looked to them to fill her with happiness and love. I found her character to be a lost soul, looking for others to tell her who she is or how she should feel about herself and the world. For me, Remy embodies a typical teenager. Desperately trying to discover who they are through the people they surround themselves with. Hoping they will be remembered, loved and needed by others.
When Remy first meets Elise, it is in a moment of deep rejection and sadness for her. She has just been dumped and is feeling alone and unwanted. But then Elise is there. Reaching out a hand and whisking her off into a spontaneous night of adventure and mischief. And so begins their fierce friendship of love, truths, lies and painfully raw emotions.
“Elise was electricity. I was the night. She banished the darkness, she lit me up.”
Elise is an electrifying, exciting, daring and fierce character. She is strong and courageous, stands up for herself and others, and sees herself as a vigilante put on Earth to right every wrong. She is intoxicating and beautiful. She is a character we would all love to be friends with, and even love to BE. For Remy, being around Elise was like breathing in sunlight or Heaven’s air. Elise made her feel safe, wanted, important and necessary. Which is everything that Remy never felt in life.
“Elise liked that I needed protection, and I liked that she wanted to protect me. We needed each other, we chose each other, and there was power in that.”
Both of the girls also have difficult family lives they fight to keep hidden from the rest of the world. Remy’s parents are involved in an emotionally abusive relationship that involves nightly screaming matches, adultery and the continuous act of her father leaving their family, only to return again in a few days. Elise was abandoned by her mother at a young age and left with an absent and angry father. Both girls find camaraderie and solace in each other, and use each other as lifelines to survive each day in their own personal Hells.
“’I need you, Remy,’ she said softly. What she was saying: I love you. After a moment I said, ‘I need you, too.’”
But this isn’t just a story of strength between two friends, or family dysfunction. It is also a story of obsession and need. I can’t go too into detail without giving away all the best parts, but this story definitely takes a turn into a space of deep darkness and sorrow. The relationships and friendships that once felt uplifting and whole, begin to crumble. The common theme for many of these characters was their overwhelming need to be NEEDED. It leaves you feeling irritated because they can’t find love for themselves and have to seek it out in others. But it also leaves you aching because you know EXACTLY what that need feels like. To be wanted and accepted by others.
“She wasn’t magical. She was magic itself and I was completely under her spell.”
Obviously, this story ends tragically. Remy’s boyfriend is killed by her best friend and it is…devastating. But the reason behind WHY he is killed, is really why you want to read this story. It is intricate, well-developed, dripping in emotional turmoil, and embodies every feeling a teenager can have.
But just remember.
This isn’t a happy story.
It will hurt you, and you will feel lost afterwards. Just as I do now.
So tread carefully.
“A night tech comes into the room. ‘Are you okay?’ he asks. I answer honestly. ‘I don’t know.’”