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Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera

106 reviews

oxfordcommas91's review against another edition

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

4.5

I was hooked from the very first page. I’m admittedly someone who loves a first person murder mystery and/or thriller type book, but this one had all the right pacing, character development and plot twists to keep me guessing. I liked that the plot twists weren’t so outlandish - it all felt very realistic and you could easily picture this being the plot of a real life true crime podcast. There have been a few books in this genre (true crime pod) that I’ve read lately and I think this is among the best. It’s fast paced, doesn’t get overly loaded down in irrelevant details or red herrings, yet still provides you with a fleshed out story and plenty of classic whodunnit moments. 

I really liked all the characters - not in the sense that I liked who they were as people, but they were intriguing and complex and imperfect in a way that was satisfying to read. It makes me want to continue uncovering the details chapter after chapter.
Also, side note: this book really drives home the wisdom between women of never trusting the “nice guy.”


TL;DR I devoured this book in a little over 24 hours and it only took me that long because apparently you have to sleep and eat and show up to other life obligations. I strongly recommend if you need a fast paced twisty thriller that isn’t so scary it won’t keep you up long after reading. It would be fantastic to pull someone out of a slump!
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edhyndman's review against another edition

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

2.5

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lisettemarie's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense

3.5

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karinreadsalot's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense
  • 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? No

3.5

This book was good until the last 2 chapters and then the ending fell flat. The twist wasn’t a shock. Disappointing.
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br3nda's review against another edition

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

3.0

I really thought I was going to like this one more than I did. A podcast, a mystery murder and a main character that doesn't remember anything. Sounds like a winner but unfortunately no for me. The writing was well done but I just could not connect with any of the characters, especially Lucy. I could not handle the snarkiness or the decisions she was making. 
The pacing of the storyline was off too. There just was not much happening besides the podcast interviewing and Lucy trying to remember what happened the night of Savvy's murder. And seriously, we get how hot it is in Texas. I don't think we need to be reminded as frequently as we were!

I did listen to this on audio instead of reading the ebook version. The narration was fabulous! January Lavoy and Will Damron did a fantastic job of reading a large amount of characters (some of which I got mixed up at times). 
I also did not expect the outcome. I was completely surprised by the "whodunnit"! I seriously thought it was  someone else!

Overall it was a three star for me. I was happy to have read it! 

Thanks to Celadon and Netgalley for the opportunity!
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riella_reads'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? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was so good,  and the audio was top tier 👌 
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yinzer_barbie's review against another edition

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

3.5

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kerryamchugh's review against another edition

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

3.0

quick and engrossing thriller centered on a true crime podcaster revisiting a 5-year-old murder case in which a woman is believed to have killed her best friend. explores themes of believability and likeability, small town rumors, the importance of keeping up appearances, abuse, and whose story takes precedence.
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lori007's review against another edition

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funny mysterious medium-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

3.25

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notlikethebeer's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

A new addition to the "thrillers based around crime podcasts" genre: aka one of my favourite genres! What I'll say first of all is that Lucy isn't a likeable protagonist. She's blunt, her sense of humor is darker than my coffee, she's often very unsympathetic. And yet, honestly? She's certainly one of my favourite protagonists of 2024, and she may well have won a place in my heart long-term. Maybe that's because I also have a sense of humor as dark as the longest night... 

I also really liked that the book explored the ongoing risks posed by an abusive partner after the fact, such as the risk of reputational harm, and really clearly illustrated the devastating impacts even just the thought of risking this can bring. As well, there were some interesting reflections on the ethics of the podcast - and the podcaster. With that in mind, it does have quite an ambiguous ending, so if you like certainty and answers, this might not be for you. Otherwise, rock on.
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