Scan barcode
julesanneliese's review against another edition
3.0
This book was good and mysterious but included unnecessary storyline’s that never fully got resolved. Normally, as much as it pains me, I can deal with questions at the end of a novel but this book made an attempt at answering all those questions, which in the end just sounded like Callaghan forgot that she included that storyline so just had to try and wrap it up and help it make sense. It was a page turner, and interesting in that it was based around a cult, but the flaws in its storyline and it’s ability to make sense were disappointing to me and hence I couldn’t rate it higher.
juliwi's review against another edition
4.0
Aaah give me all the family drama thrillers! I heard a lot about Everything is Lies and Helen Callaghan before I even started reading this novel, and usually that makes me quite nervous. There is something about major anticipation that alters a reading experience. The expectations are set high, sometimes so high it is almost impossible for an author to meet them. I'm glad to say Callaghan, however, didn't let me down. Thanks to Penguin UK, Micheal Joseph and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
At the heart of Everything is Lies is Sophia's discovery that everything she thought she knew is perhaps not what it seemed. At the very beginning of the novel she finds herself in a sticky situation with a senior colleague, which sets her on a path of nervous anticipation of disaster. When she discovers her parents, one dead and the other dying, she refuses to believe the police's story that it was her mother. Sophia sets out to prove her mother's innocence and so discovers secrets buried under years of guilt and denial. The pace of Everything is Lies is at times slow but this allows Callaghan to truly set a scene and let her characters get used to the spaces they find themselves in. Throughout the novel Callaghan manages to address a number of themes but the one that stood out to me most was the theme of power (im)balance, especially how easy it is for men in power to take advantage of or threaten young women. It is a very timely theme and it was fascinating to see Callaghan address this in different time periods, both Sophia's present and her mother's past.
Helen Callaghan takes her readers on a journey through Sophia's mind as she begins to unravel her own life and that of her parents. Everything is Lies is split between Sophia's narrative and that of her mother, Nina, as the former starts digging and the latter offers up spare glimpses and explanations. Callaghan strikes a masterful balance between the two, allowing her readers to identify and sympathise with both characters while keeping them on Sophia's side by only giving them the same bare insights as her. There are a number of high intensity scenes in the novel in which Callaghan very successfully keeps the reader on edge, even after the scene has ended. Just like Sophia, the reader finds themselves constantly questioning what people are saying, wondering if they are who they are or if, indeed, everything is lies. In the end I saw some of the plot twists coming, with just enough hints having been dropped that I had terrible realizations before Callaghan revealed them to be truth. But this is part of the fun, figuring things out as or before they happen, and Everything is Lies provides the reader with plenty of twists and turns to make it a real page turner.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2018/05/review-everything-is-lies-by-helen.html
At the heart of Everything is Lies is Sophia's discovery that everything she thought she knew is perhaps not what it seemed. At the very beginning of the novel she finds herself in a sticky situation with a senior colleague, which sets her on a path of nervous anticipation of disaster. When she discovers her parents, one dead and the other dying, she refuses to believe the police's story that it was her mother. Sophia sets out to prove her mother's innocence and so discovers secrets buried under years of guilt and denial. The pace of Everything is Lies is at times slow but this allows Callaghan to truly set a scene and let her characters get used to the spaces they find themselves in. Throughout the novel Callaghan manages to address a number of themes but the one that stood out to me most was the theme of power (im)balance, especially how easy it is for men in power to take advantage of or threaten young women. It is a very timely theme and it was fascinating to see Callaghan address this in different time periods, both Sophia's present and her mother's past.
Helen Callaghan takes her readers on a journey through Sophia's mind as she begins to unravel her own life and that of her parents. Everything is Lies is split between Sophia's narrative and that of her mother, Nina, as the former starts digging and the latter offers up spare glimpses and explanations. Callaghan strikes a masterful balance between the two, allowing her readers to identify and sympathise with both characters while keeping them on Sophia's side by only giving them the same bare insights as her. There are a number of high intensity scenes in the novel in which Callaghan very successfully keeps the reader on edge, even after the scene has ended. Just like Sophia, the reader finds themselves constantly questioning what people are saying, wondering if they are who they are or if, indeed, everything is lies. In the end I saw some of the plot twists coming, with just enough hints having been dropped that I had terrible realizations before Callaghan revealed them to be truth. But this is part of the fun, figuring things out as or before they happen, and Everything is Lies provides the reader with plenty of twists and turns to make it a real page turner.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2018/05/review-everything-is-lies-by-helen.html
mandylovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
The second half was definitely better which boosted my rating. Really enjoyed it once the story got going.
neenor's review
4.0
I’ve read a lot of intense and amazing books recently, and after a while it can feel like you need a palate cleanser. Mystery/thrillers always do the job perfectly for me, as 99% of the time they are easily engrossing and interesting. This is definitely true for Everything is Lies (which I have really struggled to put down). I’m excited to see what the author will bring out next.
6031intergalactic's review against another edition
4.0
Creepy and cool in a way that I was not anticipating! I think this novel would have an amazing soundtrack.
courtneyevason1910's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was such a good thriller which made a quick, exciting read! The book follows Sophie, who returns home to find her mum dead and her dad fighting for his life in hospital. All is suspected to be a murder suicide but Sophie is convinced that her mother would not be capable of this.
This book is great and really details how we may not know the people around us. Although there are some flaws with the plot, and the book jumped around a lot, I did find that I wasn’t able to put it down. We find a lot out about Sophie’s Mum and we see this come to life through a series of memoirs. I enjoyed learning more about Sophie’s mums past and how she really wasn’t who everyone suspected her to be.
This book left me guessing throughout and I would recommend to everyone who loves a thriller. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
ciska's review
3.0
I got this book as a present from my partner. Which is a challenge so it got me very curious as it had not been on my radar at all. Though the book is not mind blowing I was satisfied with how things were tied up at the end.
Sophia gets a call from her mum and sends her to voicemail. Later she will regret. I had a bit of a difficulty to get a grip on her characters. She has something fierce but the next moment she is as docile as can be. hat was a but annoying. I like the story about the cult and how that works.
How they manage to pull a person in.
Tessa has a hew interesting things to say about that around page 250. It is clear the author did her research how cults and their pull work.
I did realize the truth about Sophia her father early int he story. It takes till the end of the book to be revealed. making me consider it only makes sense if it is about him. The motives for all the actions were unclear though and did make an interesting revelation. Quick read and enjoyable book.
Sophia gets a call from her mum and sends her to voicemail. Later she will regret. I had a bit of a difficulty to get a grip on her characters. She has something fierce but the next moment she is as docile as can be. hat was a but annoying. I like the story about the cult and how that works.
How they manage to pull a person in.
Tessa has a hew interesting things to say about that around page 250. It is clear the author did her research how cults and their pull work.
I did realize the truth about Sophia her father early int he story. It takes till the end of the book to be revealed. making me consider it only makes sense if it is about him. The motives for all the actions were unclear though and did make an interesting revelation. Quick read and enjoyable book.