Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark

52 reviews

jasmine256's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense 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

3.0


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beckyremillard's review against another edition

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emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Meg is a con-woman. She’s spent over a decade going by several aliases, but now she’s back to using her actual name. 

Kat is a journalist who knew Meg 10 years ago and she knows she’s doing some sort of con now. She wants to stay close to a Meg to keep an eye on whatever she is up to. 

This book was decent but I felt like I was getting through it to be done rather than enjoying the story. I didn’t find anyone all the likable as they weren’t great people. 

Kay’s drama with Scott was so obvious I almost stopped reading. He added nothing to the story except an annoyance.

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bigbookbaby's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


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blackcatkai's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

CW: death, sexual assault/date rape, adult/minor relationship, catfishing, gaslighting, casual ableism, gambling addiction, abuse of power (school staff & law enforcement)

I really enjoyed this one, though i did initially have some trouble keeping up in the earlier parts. despite the clearly marked beginnings of chapters, i still found myself occasionally confused with the regular flashbacks. that could very well just be a me issue, of course, but i did want to mention it. it's a dual pov novel that goes back and forth in time with both characters, all in first person.

i am here for a con artist revenge story, and i like the way the book ended with each character quite. possibly a bit too much info-dumping right at the end which some people may not care for, but this was still highly enjoyable and found me cheering for both kat & meg.

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oceanwriter's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0

Julie Clark does not disappoint! She has a knack for writing flawed yet lovable characters. Together, Meg and Kat make an unlikely yet powerful duo.

When Meg comes back to town, Kat thinks this is her opportunity to seek revenge on her for an incident that occurred ten years prior. What she doesn't realize is that Meg holds the reigns. A skilled and seasoned con artist, she cannot be easily conned herself. The two forge an unorthodox friendship, and Kat comes to see that maybe Meg's cons aren't as selfish as she once assumed. 

Both Meg and Kat's stories are strong and well-developed, playing off each other flawlessly. My only quip is how only one man in the entire book is one of the 'good guys' and we only see him for a brief time. It wasn't a major turn-off for me because the story was strong enough, but it was an obvious case of an 'all men are bad' situation. Nonetheless, I loved both of the main characters and I love how the story came full circle. 

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basicbookstagrammer's review against another edition

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adventurous dark inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0


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crose84's review against another edition

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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? Yes

4.0


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shakira19's review

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emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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irenemarie's review

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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? Yes

3.75


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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.
"The Lies I Tell" is a mystery/thriller that follows the perspectives of two women. The first woman is Meg Williams, a woman who has devoted her life to pretending to be someone she is not so she can con men out of everything they have. The other woman is Kat Roberts, a journalist who has spent the majority of her adult life to researching and trying to uncover who Meg Williams truly is. Their paths finally cross when Meg comes back to her hometown to complete her most important con yet and Kat wiggles her way into Meg's life. 
I really enjoyed getting both women's perspectives throughout this book. I particularly enjoy multiple points of view because I feel like as a reader, we get a better, more thorough picture of what is really going on. Despite this idea, this book kept me guessing, and I did not know the full story until it was laid out in black and white before me. I went through an array of emotions for Meg including cautious, angry, sympathetic, weary, heartbroken, and understanding. I was also equally invested in Kat's story and how her life crossed with Meg's. It was very satisfying to see the mirroring of themes between Meg and her latest con and Meg and Kat's relationship. 
I look forward to reading more from Julie Clark in the future! 

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