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Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'
Everyone Here Is Lying: A Novel by Shari Lapena, Shari Lapena
6 reviews
kgonzalez22's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.5
Overall, the book was captivating and had a few turns that I was not expecting.
The pace, though, almost felt stuck at times. It felt important as it felt like we were really a part of the investigation into what happened but I would have liked if there was more time spent with the characters before the book was over - to really close up some loose ends.
Despite of this, the twists, turns, and cliffhangers made this a fun read. I’d recommend for someone who likes thrillers and who may prefer things that are insinuated (can be more creative with the imagination) rather than explicitly laid out for them.
The pace, though, almost felt stuck at times. It felt important as it felt like we were really a part of the investigation into what happened but I would have liked if there was more time spent with the characters before the book was over - to really close up some loose ends.
Despite of this, the twists, turns, and cliffhangers made this a fun read. I’d recommend for someone who likes thrillers and who may prefer things that are insinuated (can be more creative with the imagination) rather than explicitly laid out for them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Drug use, Suicide, and Rape
rochelleisreading's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Kidnapping, Infidelity, and Drug abuse
bekah1210's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Infidelity, and Child abuse
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, and Kidnapping
jilljemmett's review against another edition
fast-paced
5.0
William Wooler has been having an affair, but his mistress ends it one afternoon. He goes home and finds his difficult nine-year-old daughter home alone, when she should still be at school. They have an argument and William loses his temper and slaps her. He storms out of the house after apologizing. However, a little while later, William is called home because Avery has disappeared. Everyone on their street is a suspect, and everyone has secrets.
This was another awesome fast-paced Shari Lapena thriller. It was told through small scenes that alternated between all the characters which gave some insight into what everyone was thinking. It was still hard to figure out who was behind her disappearance because they were all guilty of something in their lives. The story took a surprising twist that I didn’t see coming. The ending was great and satisfying!
Everyone Here Is Lying is a fast-paced thriller!
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book.
Content warnings: murder, child abuse, mentions of drug abuse, mentions of sexual assault
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
Minor: Drug abuse
aileron's review against another edition
mysterious
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? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Minor: Confinement, Blood, and Drug abuse
shelfofunread's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Shari Lapena has gained a reputation for being one of the queens of suburban thriller and her latest novel, Everyone Here is Lying, certainly cements that. All of the ingredients for top-class domestic suspense are here: a quiet and well-to-do residential neighbourhood, a series of seemingly respectable families, and more secrets and lies than you can shake a stick at.
Stanhope is a quiet suburban neighbourhood. The sort of place that people choose to live in because it’s a safe place to raise their kids. So when nine-year-old Avery Wooler goes missing, it shocks the neighbourhood to its core. For Avery’s parents, Erin and William, the disappearance of their daughter brings some unwelcome home truths to life. Avery was a challenging kid and William had lost his temper with her several times. Oh, and it turns out William was having an affair with one of their neighbours. As suspicion mounts and witnesses come forward with information, the respectable façade of Stanhope is gradually lifted, revealing an abundance of dark secrets and deadly lies underneath.
Anyone who has read one of Shari’s previous books will know what to expect from Everyone Here is Lying. Minimalist prose and end-of-chapter cliff-hangers keep the pages turning whilst plenty of twists and revelations keep the stakes high. Slipping down with the ease of a cocktail on the beach, this is perfect poolside reading, although it should be noted that the book does explore several dark themes. Although there is no graphic detail, content warnings should be noted for the exploration of themes of domestic violence, infidelity, and child abuse, as well as some brief mentions of drug use.
Shari is also an absolute genius at crafting complex characters who, although flawed, retain the reader’s empathy. Although I didn’t many like the characters in Everyone Here is Lying, I did understand their reasoning – however flawed or twisted that might be – and I came to empathise with several of them as their lives come under such intense scrutiny (and, inevitably, fall apart as a result). Lapena writes dysfunctional families with great skill and really cranks up the tension as petty differences between neighbours, festering jealousies, and long-held doubts all rise to the surface under the spotlight of the police investigation into Avery’s disappearance.
That said, anyone looking for intensive character development and backstories isn’t going to find that here. Although there are several narrative perspectives in Everyone Here is Lying, deep-dives into character’s lives and motivations beyond the timeline of the immediate action aren’t what this book is about. This did leave me questioning one or two of the central characters as, without knowing more about them, their motivations for their actions felt a little flat.
I also felt that, although Lapena did an admirable job of highlighting the challenges and prejudices faced by parents of neurodiverse children, her depiction of the children themselves lacked the same level of nuance. Although I very much enjoyed the ending, there were some elements of one character’s behaviour that I didn’t fully believe given the supposed age of the person in question.
That said, and without giving away any spoilers, Everyone Here is Lying has several fantastic twists towards the end that I genuinely did not see coming. There will several ‘jaw-drop’ moments where the novel completely turned on its head and I suddenly saw previous events and conversations from a wholly different angle.
I saw another review (by @GirlWithThePinkSkiMask) on Goodreads that described this novel as ‘popcorn’ and I think that’s a really great way of putting it because, just like the aforementioned snack, once you start reading Everyone Here is Lying, you just won’t be able to stop! Yes, this isn’t the most ‘nutritional’ of reads but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as you go in knowing what to expect. We all need those books in our lives that you can just pick up, relax with, and devour in a matter of days (or hours!). If you’re looking for an edge-of-your-seat suburban thriller with that ‘just-one-more-page’ quality, then Everyone Here is Lying should definitely make its way onto your TBR.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https@//theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Stanhope is a quiet suburban neighbourhood. The sort of place that people choose to live in because it’s a safe place to raise their kids. So when nine-year-old Avery Wooler goes missing, it shocks the neighbourhood to its core. For Avery’s parents, Erin and William, the disappearance of their daughter brings some unwelcome home truths to life. Avery was a challenging kid and William had lost his temper with her several times. Oh, and it turns out William was having an affair with one of their neighbours. As suspicion mounts and witnesses come forward with information, the respectable façade of Stanhope is gradually lifted, revealing an abundance of dark secrets and deadly lies underneath.
Anyone who has read one of Shari’s previous books will know what to expect from Everyone Here is Lying. Minimalist prose and end-of-chapter cliff-hangers keep the pages turning whilst plenty of twists and revelations keep the stakes high. Slipping down with the ease of a cocktail on the beach, this is perfect poolside reading, although it should be noted that the book does explore several dark themes. Although there is no graphic detail, content warnings should be noted for the exploration of themes of domestic violence, infidelity, and child abuse, as well as some brief mentions of drug use.
Shari is also an absolute genius at crafting complex characters who, although flawed, retain the reader’s empathy. Although I didn’t many like the characters in Everyone Here is Lying, I did understand their reasoning – however flawed or twisted that might be – and I came to empathise with several of them as their lives come under such intense scrutiny (and, inevitably, fall apart as a result). Lapena writes dysfunctional families with great skill and really cranks up the tension as petty differences between neighbours, festering jealousies, and long-held doubts all rise to the surface under the spotlight of the police investigation into Avery’s disappearance.
That said, anyone looking for intensive character development and backstories isn’t going to find that here. Although there are several narrative perspectives in Everyone Here is Lying, deep-dives into character’s lives and motivations beyond the timeline of the immediate action aren’t what this book is about. This did leave me questioning one or two of the central characters as, without knowing more about them, their motivations for their actions felt a little flat.
I also felt that, although Lapena did an admirable job of highlighting the challenges and prejudices faced by parents of neurodiverse children, her depiction of the children themselves lacked the same level of nuance. Although I very much enjoyed the ending, there were some elements of one character’s behaviour that I didn’t fully believe given the supposed age of the person in question.
That said, and without giving away any spoilers, Everyone Here is Lying has several fantastic twists towards the end that I genuinely did not see coming. There will several ‘jaw-drop’ moments where the novel completely turned on its head and I suddenly saw previous events and conversations from a wholly different angle.
I saw another review (by @GirlWithThePinkSkiMask) on Goodreads that described this novel as ‘popcorn’ and I think that’s a really great way of putting it because, just like the aforementioned snack, once you start reading Everyone Here is Lying, you just won’t be able to stop! Yes, this isn’t the most ‘nutritional’ of reads but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as you go in knowing what to expect. We all need those books in our lives that you can just pick up, relax with, and devour in a matter of days (or hours!). If you’re looking for an edge-of-your-seat suburban thriller with that ‘just-one-more-page’ quality, then Everyone Here is Lying should definitely make its way onto your TBR.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https@//theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Kidnapping, and Infidelity
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
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