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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Ngl, I was going to give this book a 3-star review when I was about 6 chapters from the end. Y'know 'okay so it's alright, I'm not struggling to finish it but it's not moving worlds for me' and then BOOM! Shit got real in the final chapters! Wow. Stayed up late to finish it (regret it now...but not really) and the twist to tie up the book was perfect!
Not bad for a £1 book from The Works
Not bad for a £1 book from The Works
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I received this arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Told through three points of views - Jess, Karen and Mark - Lying to You is a slow burn about a vulnerable girl abused by her teacher, a man who protests his innocence and a wife who stands by her husband. Interspersed with snippets of Jess' counselling sessions and Mark's retelling of the events through his novel, you won't want to stop reading until you know the truth. Did he do it? Was she lying?
Packed with a powerful and shocking ending, Lying to You is a thriller you won't want to miss.
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was a pretty boring read.
Kinda intriguing at the start but too drawn out.
Kinda guessed the ending at the start.
Kinda intriguing at the start but too drawn out.
Kinda guessed the ending at the start.
Lying To You is about Jess Tidy and what happened to her the night of her prom. Throughout the book flips between narrative from Jess, Karen Winter and Jess from her counselling sessions. For me, the first 70 pages were hard to get through and was a struggle to understand what was going on at some points. But after I got past that point I found the book very tense and gripping, I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. The book kept me guessing throughout, especially at the end. THE ENDING THOUGH. WOW. I definitely wasn't expecting that!!! I would give this book 3/5 stars because the first half of the book wasn't as exciting as the second half, and it was quite hard to follow.
Goodness gracious me, what a sticky web of lies and deceit this story is!
When Jess Tidy was a teenager, she made an accusation against her teacher, Mark Winter. Despite maintaining his innocence throughout, Mark was sent to prison. Ten years later, Jess returns home to attend the funeral of her mother. Home is the village where she grew up but also, the village where Mark still lives with his wife and daughter. Will the truth about what happened all those years ago finally be revealed?
The story alternates between Jess and Karen, Mark's wife and the chapters are interspersed with snippets from counselling sessions Jess has attended and excerpts from a book Mark was trying to write. Suffice to say that none of these characters, while realistic and believable, are particularly likeable and I often found myself wondering how reliable their version of the truth was. Jess is obviously a very troubled young woman with a rather disturbing background and while Karen may have deserved some sympathy for her situation, for some reason I found it quite hard to muster any up.
The fall-out from whatever event occurred between Jess and Mark has an effect on everyone around them. This adds a truly thought-provoking layer to the story. How well do you really know someone? Why would a woman stand by her husband when he has been accused of something horrible? How does something like this affect the life of his own daughter? I admit that when stories like these pop up in the newspaper, these aren't exactly the people I'll be thinking of.
This is one of those character-driven slow burners, where the scene is set and the characters are introduced. Nevertheless, I personally thought it was utterly gripping from the start and found myself turning the pages faster as the truth was slowly being revealed. As topics go, this isn't exactly an easy one to deal with but I feel the author tackled it brilliantly and has delivered a well-written and compelling story.
This is my first introduction to Amanda Reynolds. I've had her debut Close to Me on my TBR pile since it was published but still haven't gotten around to reading it. If that one was anything like this one, I've been missing out and I should rectify that error soonish. Thoroughly enjoyed this psychological drama and I'm definitely keeping my eye on this author in future!
When Jess Tidy was a teenager, she made an accusation against her teacher, Mark Winter. Despite maintaining his innocence throughout, Mark was sent to prison. Ten years later, Jess returns home to attend the funeral of her mother. Home is the village where she grew up but also, the village where Mark still lives with his wife and daughter. Will the truth about what happened all those years ago finally be revealed?
The story alternates between Jess and Karen, Mark's wife and the chapters are interspersed with snippets from counselling sessions Jess has attended and excerpts from a book Mark was trying to write. Suffice to say that none of these characters, while realistic and believable, are particularly likeable and I often found myself wondering how reliable their version of the truth was. Jess is obviously a very troubled young woman with a rather disturbing background and while Karen may have deserved some sympathy for her situation, for some reason I found it quite hard to muster any up.
The fall-out from whatever event occurred between Jess and Mark has an effect on everyone around them. This adds a truly thought-provoking layer to the story. How well do you really know someone? Why would a woman stand by her husband when he has been accused of something horrible? How does something like this affect the life of his own daughter? I admit that when stories like these pop up in the newspaper, these aren't exactly the people I'll be thinking of.
This is one of those character-driven slow burners, where the scene is set and the characters are introduced. Nevertheless, I personally thought it was utterly gripping from the start and found myself turning the pages faster as the truth was slowly being revealed. As topics go, this isn't exactly an easy one to deal with but I feel the author tackled it brilliantly and has delivered a well-written and compelling story.
This is my first introduction to Amanda Reynolds. I've had her debut Close to Me on my TBR pile since it was published but still haven't gotten around to reading it. If that one was anything like this one, I've been missing out and I should rectify that error soonish. Thoroughly enjoyed this psychological drama and I'm definitely keeping my eye on this author in future!
4 Stars
Arc Book Review
Release Date-26/7/18
"Lying To You" is my second book by this particular author and out of the two, this was hands down my favourite.
This was a jam-packed read and though relatively slow building in nature, it still managed to tantalise my taste buds with its constant teasers and tidbits it so expertly dangled in front of my eyes.
Slowly drip feeding until a much more lucid picture is formed turning everything you think you know completely on its head.
The story follows Jess Tidy as she returns home after her mother's recent death.
Back to the small hometown, she grew up in and also fled ten years previous.
Back where the events of the past have a way of catching up with the present and though ten years have gone by peoples memories and prejudices are still running rife through this small community.
So the story ping-pongs between Jess and the wife of Mark Winters.
The wife who has nothing but contempt and hatred for the girl who in her opinion toppled her perfect life like a set of dominoes.
It was just so interesting to see this story unfold from two different angles giving such a unique perspective and with no idea who the real victims are here besides the obvious: I was kept on my toes throughout second guessing everything till that final reveal.
This was brilliantly done with just the correct amount of information to whet my appetite whilst still withholding the rest of the picture.
I also really liked the finale: a job well done.
I whizzed through this so fast and have no issues recommending this enjoyable piece of well-written fiction.
Thank you to the Publisher, Author and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of "Lying To You" of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm.
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
While the story was decent (until the ending), I didn’t particularly care for the characters. They were hideously self indulgent and self-serving, which made them so unlikable. The way the story concluded, as well, just confirmed that Karen had only her own best interests in mind - which drove me crazy.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated