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mj_86's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction and Car accident
oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book had me absolutely gripped! I’d been seeing this book all over instagram and booktok so I was suspicious about whether it would live up to the hype, and boy did it! I love a page-turner thriller that isn’t super dark or scary, so this really fit the bill. The twists and turns throughout were absolutely delicious - I was truly on the edge of my seat the whole time and found it difficult to put this book down to go to work or function in real life! Fabulously written and highly compelling, I recommend this to anyone who wants a book that will get them out of a slump, because it certainly did that for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
michellegrl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
gabbyeleene's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Addiction and Cancer
katelynprice's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was really intrigued by this book, but I wanted to like it more than I did. The flashbacks to the past confused me, and I had a hard time keeping all of the names straight. I also had trouble suspending my disbelief. It was fun and twisty, but not as polished as I would like.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Death, and Death of parent
danaburrreads's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Car accident, and Murder
Minor: Cancer
lindaahogannxo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really enjoyed this book, was fast paced was a quick read and it kept me guessing until the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Car accident and Alcohol
kimberleyw12's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Review:
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston serves as an adequately diverting thriller that holds up as long as one doesn’t think too hard about it. Which, to be fair, is more than can be said about a lot of entries in the thriller genre. This book delivers twists and turns that make logical sense in context of the narrative, even if their mechanics are a bit fuzzy. The story avoids gaping plot holes, although it frequently leans on some dubious plot conveniences.
Elston’s clear, straightforward writing style works in this thriller’s favor. She demonstrates an instinct for balancing technical details with an entertaining storyline, letting the reader indulge in the fun of the main character’s espionage. The main character (who goes by multiple aliases throughout the novel), is not nearly as intelligent, sympathetic, or competent as her partner-in-crime, Devon. Devon gets little character development beyond being the token Black person who helps the main character, which is a shame because one gets the sense he would be a much more interesting protagonist.
The falling action of First Lie Wins hinges on the assumption that the reader is rooting for the main character. While she’s not an awful human being—her actions demonstrate that she has a moral compass—her motivations for crime aren’t particularly altruistic. More eyebrow-raising is the apparent happily-ever-after ending between her and Ryan, a bland and doting boyfriend who also uses violence to keep people in line at his smuggling operation. It’s supposed to be a cute ending because they’re both “morally gray,” but it ends up feeling more distasteful. If one wanted to take a more critical lens to this ending, perhaps they would question the decision to celebrate two white, financially well-off people’s choice to continue a life of crime without consequences when in reality, innocent Black and brown people are regularly murdered by law enforcement on the street in the United States. But that is more a critique aimed at the spy/thriller genre more generally, and not necessarily a reason to condemn First Lie Wins in particular.
TL;DR:
First Lie Wins manages to avoid some of the worst pitfalls of its genre and provide a somewhat entertaining story in the process. That said, the narrative and characters fail to be particularly memorable or believable.
The Run-Down:
You will might like First Lie Wins if . . .
· You enjoy cat-and-mouse spy thrillers
· You’re looking for a break from domestic thrillers
· You want a story with a splash of romance
· You like stories that take place in the American South
You might not like First Lie Wins if . . .
· You don’t typically enjoy thrillers
· You hate convenient plot points
· You don’t like stories with frequent flashback sequences
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction and Cancer
itsheyfay's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent