Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera

52 reviews

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-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

Lives up to the hype, totally unputdownable. I sped through this one because I needed to know what how everything ended up happening and was totally surprised by the ending. I love a good podcast-based mystery and would definitely recommend this on audio. Just a note though that there's a repetitive "let's kill" voice that gets grating after a bit, but still worth prioritizing this format for the podcast element.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Blood, Sexual content, Alcohol, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Murder, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Vomit

kerryamchugh's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Death, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism

juliaureads's review against another edition

dark funny 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

3.75

 Talk about a page turner! Tintera’s conversational style and frankly hilarious main character kept me entertained throughout the story. I loved the Texas setting and the little nods toward Texas culture, and really didn’t guess the ending until it was right in front of me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Death, Violence, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol

saramariebt's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, and Violence

bookdragonkatie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

I enjoyed this a lot. I didn’t expect to finish it in a day, but it definitely peaked my interest. I got a little confused trying to keep track of the some of the characters, especially if they were really only used for the podcast portions of the story, but overall I thought this was well done. I think I’ll probably pick it up again to see if I can find the clues; I definitely suspected just about every character at some point in the book! I recommend this one if you’re looking for an interesting who-done-it, particularly as an audiobook to really get the podcast vibe!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Alcohol, Infidelity, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism

spellbindingtomes's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Physical abuse

minimicropup's review against another edition

challenging dark funny hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I went into this expecting formulaic and predictable. It was so good - wit, darkness, and heartbreaking moments, all with a fun cast of characters. 

 

Energy: Diverting. Defiant. Expressive. 

Scene: 🇺🇸 Fictional town of Plumpton, Texas.

Perspective: Our main character is in their late twenties, with a string of failed relationships and job losses. A new podcast exploring their role in the death of their best friend five years ago isn’t helping things. They return to the town where it all happened and where the podcast is taking place at their beloved grandmother’s urging.  

 

🐩 Tail Wags: The characters and their dynamics. How the podcast element is handled. The slightly unhinged romances. Fine-tuning the plot so it’s like a popcorn thriller, but then it hits in the feels.

 

🤔 Random Thoughts: 

The podcast felt like a real one – like a CBC investigation or Wondery style production

 

I love diverse settings in books, like a tiny house! I love when we just get normal middle class homes in books too.  

 

An amnesia trope that works! I don’t really like amnesia tropes, but I think because it doesn’t take itself so seriously (like, other characters are skeptical) while acknowledging what trauma-related amnesia really is and what it looks like. 

 

Short chapters and perfect pacing. 

 

You know how mysterious cold cases irl have those details that could mean absolutely nothing, or could be a major clue? This story captured that dynamic. Both from the investigative/podcast side and from our MC trying to recall what happened.

 

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🤓 Reader Role: Insider to Lucy’s thoughts, almost like she’s talking to us directly. Also the podcast audience. As we get snippets of the podcast investigation, we get ahead of or behind the other characters’ knowledge, depending on when they’ve listened to the episode. 

🗺️ World-Building: Immersive and set not just with detail but with dialogue that is witty and sarcastic but also real-sounding (including the podcast snippets and interviews).

🔥 Fuel: Did Lucy kill her friend, Savvy? If so, why? If not, who did? Can Lucy trust those who seem to support her? Is she unhinged, mentally ill, or overstressed? 

📖 Cred: Plausible realism. 

 

Mood Reading Match-Up:

• Beer. whiskey. AC cold. Crickets. TV and laughter downstairs. Podcast intro music. Summer heat. Humidity. Dirt roads. 
• Amnesia + whodunnit cold case
• Romantic suspense and who to trust

 

Content Heads-Up: Murder. Potential false accusation. Intrusive thoughts. Infidelity. Domestic abuse (mental, physical). Violence (brawl, rage). Sexual content (consenting, role-playing, intoxicated). Misogyny. Gaslighting. Traumatic memory loss, blackouts. Sexual assault. Alcohol use. Alcoholism.

 

Rep: Latina, White, and Black American. Dark, pale, and ambiguous skin tones. Cisgender. Heterosexual. Lesbian.

 

📚 Format: Library Digital

 

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Minor: Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Misogyny

mookisbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

bringmybooks's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

✨Bring✨ | Borrow | Bypass

Review: This was SO. MUCH. FUN. I've heard the audio is absolutely fantastic, although I read it via ebook - and honestly? It might even be worth a re-read via audio, that's how much I enjoyed it! I was genuinely surprised multiple times throughout the book, and I loved the way it played with how we view those around us, and how that interpretation can change depending on other information we're given. And Lucy's grandmother? LOVED HER. I will definitely be on the lookout for more thriller/mystery books from Amy Tintera!
 

Overall Rating: ★★★★★ / 4.88 
 
Rating each element of the book out of 5★ 
Characters ★★★★ 
Atmosphere ★★★★ 
Writing ★★★★ 
Plot ★★★★ 
Intrigue ★★★★★ 
Logic ★★★★ 
Enjoyment ★★★★★ 
Pacing ★★★★ 
Dialogue ★★★★★ 

★ did not like / ★★ it was okay / ★★★ liked it / ★★★★ really liked it / ★★★★★ loved it

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Misogyny, Rape, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Alcoholism

heykellybutler's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

I surprisingly really liked this. The dialogue was pretty natural & while I was pretty sure who the murderer was the story kept me second guessing myself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Blood, Grief, Misogyny, Addiction, Violence, Alcohol, and Alcoholism