Reviews

First Lie Wins: A Novel by Ashley Elston

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ssilk44's review against another edition

challenging mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Very creative, excellently written, too slow for me, and I pretty much figured out the ending on my own. I like to be surprised!!

littlelibraryofsky's review against another edition

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1.0

Alright, so I caved in to all the buzz surrounding this book, thinking it had to be something special. Um, no.

There were more characters than a family reunion, and the whole time-jumping thing? Let's just say it took some serious mental gymnastics to keep up. I found myself flipping back a few pages more times than I'd care to admit, just to make sure I was on the right track.

And then, just when you're starting to make sense of it all, the main character decides to lay it all out for you in the final chapters. It felt a bit like being handed a cheat sheet after struggling through a tough test.

In the end, I can't deny there was some cleverness to it, but it felt like the story was trying too hard to be intricate, and it ended up stumbling over its own complexity. So while it had its moments, don't be surprised if you find yourself wishing for a bit more clarity by the time you reach the last page.

maryknitterer's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

jesseysnyder's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

gabbygetsreading's review against another edition

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3.0

This honestly would be better as a tv show or movie.

The main character doesn't seem to be good her job at all. She got picked up because she was "so good at what she does," but every job the book shows you is her messing up, being careless and being warned to not screw up again. Yet through the whole story, she continues to get attached and take careless risks. I got so tired of her saying, " That was careless of me, and if I hadn't done this, I would've gotten away." I just didn't believe in the main character at all and fully expected her to be caught throughout the story. I don't know why Mr Smith put so much faith in her after she proved to be a liability multiple times. Of course until it really mattered, then she was a perfect double agent. I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending and honestly felt a little bored through this story

olivialaa_'s review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-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

An amazing book! Unfortunately, there is a lot of language, but it was such a good book, I kept reading anyways. There are so many plot twists, and it is such a fun story!

Content Warnings