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kbilan71'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
3.5
phoenix_down's review against another edition
2.0
This was a failed buddy read, so it took me quite a while to get around to finishing it.
I was hooked in the first half of the book. After that, it just dragged. There was no major plot twist that compelled me to keep going- I finished it for completion.
The writing also gave me a headache- it felt poorly written in the second half.
2 examples stuck out to me for this:
Page 302: “Malone was shaking me and, after a moment of sheer terror when I didn’t know where I was or whose arms were around me, I realized that they weren’t constricting me but supporting me, and we were sitting so close, and I could only look at him, not quite at his face but down at his chest, and a heat bloomed between us, and his arms closed around me, pulling me in, and it felt like melting, like disappearing, or everything else disappearing, and I breathed in deep, pulling him in, and he pulled me closer-“
That was ONE SENTENCE
Pages 355-356 when Alek sees her and is worried at the sight of her: “I’m fine” and then “Really. It’s worse than it looks”
That makes you not fine :(
Also this happened in the span of a week and you’re telling me that her and Malone kind of have a thing for each other? Questionable
And WILL- this man. The fact that he came clean and said he killed Liz, served time, and then lied to Ali about what happened that night? Sir. But I guess i get it. Man wanted out after 10 years
Also note- I’m primarily a fantasy and Romance reader. Murder mystery/ thrillers are not up my alley. For that reason, please take this review with a grain of salt
I was hooked in the first half of the book. After that, it just dragged. There was no major plot twist that compelled me to keep going- I finished it for completion.
The writing also gave me a headache- it felt poorly written in the second half.
2 examples stuck out to me for this:
Page 302: “Malone was shaking me and, after a moment of sheer terror when I didn’t know where I was or whose arms were around me, I realized that they weren’t constricting me but supporting me, and we were sitting so close, and I could only look at him, not quite at his face but down at his chest, and a heat bloomed between us, and his arms closed around me, pulling me in, and it felt like melting, like disappearing, or everything else disappearing, and I breathed in deep, pulling him in, and he pulled me closer-“
That was ONE SENTENCE
Pages 355-356 when Alek sees her and is worried at the sight of her: “I’m fine” and then “Really. It’s worse than it looks”
That makes you not fine :(
Also this happened in the span of a week and you’re telling me that her and Malone kind of have a thing for each other? Questionable
And WILL- this man. The fact that he came clean and said he killed Liz, served time, and then lied to Ali about what happened that night? Sir. But I guess i get it. Man wanted out after 10 years
Also note- I’m primarily a fantasy and Romance reader. Murder mystery/ thrillers are not up my alley. For that reason, please take this review with a grain of salt
toofondofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
The Liar’s Girl is the story of Alison, who meets the love of her life at university but then her life spirals when her best friend is murdered and her boyfriend Will is arrested for the killing. The novel is told predominantly from Alison’s perspective in a dual timeline: in the past when she’s at Uni and in the present ten years later as she’s trying to build a life for herself. Things begin to unravel when a copycat killer is on the loose and the police want Alison to come back to Dublin to speak to Will about what he might know.
The Liar’s Girl opens with a scene that was so unnerving. A young woman comes round in a house, obviously in the aftermath of a small party or gathering of other young people. She’s clearly had a drink but she’s aware that something’s really not right. Then she sees something which chills her to the bone and she runs. My adrenaline was racing as I read it and I just knew this was going to be a brilliant read (and I was so right!).
I liked Alison from the start of this novel and felt such sympathy for her at all she had been through. It’s clearly damaged her and affected her ability to form relationships with men, and she never feels like she can be honest about knowing Will or Liz. It must be so difficult to feel you have to keep such secrets. You can see from the start that Alison and Liz had a complicated friendship that is so common in the teenage years. One is often more of a leader than the other, and that leaves the other to feel like they’re just following along without really knowing who they are. When Liz and Alison get to Uni and Alison meets her flatmate and then Will she begins to grow in confidence, but then the murders happen. All through the novel I was hoping Alison would find the strength to come to terms with all the complex emotions she’d buried from the past.
I did work out some aspects of how this novel would end, although I had my doubts about a couple of the characters before I settled on a theory, but this never spoiled my enjoyment of the book as I wanted to know why and how.
The Liar’s Girl had perfect pacing for me – it’s quite a slow-burn, allowing the reader to get to know Alison and letting the tension build up, while at the same time being such a fast read because once you start reading you just don’t want to put it down! The novel is predominantly about Alison and about how the murders are investigated but it’s interspersed with creepy moments from the killer’s perspective that definitely get the adrenaline going!
The Liar’s Girl is gripping, thrilling and impossible to put down! I read this in one sitting and absolutely loved it! I definitely recommend this one!
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
The Liar’s Girl opens with a scene that was so unnerving. A young woman comes round in a house, obviously in the aftermath of a small party or gathering of other young people. She’s clearly had a drink but she’s aware that something’s really not right. Then she sees something which chills her to the bone and she runs. My adrenaline was racing as I read it and I just knew this was going to be a brilliant read (and I was so right!).
I liked Alison from the start of this novel and felt such sympathy for her at all she had been through. It’s clearly damaged her and affected her ability to form relationships with men, and she never feels like she can be honest about knowing Will or Liz. It must be so difficult to feel you have to keep such secrets. You can see from the start that Alison and Liz had a complicated friendship that is so common in the teenage years. One is often more of a leader than the other, and that leaves the other to feel like they’re just following along without really knowing who they are. When Liz and Alison get to Uni and Alison meets her flatmate and then Will she begins to grow in confidence, but then the murders happen. All through the novel I was hoping Alison would find the strength to come to terms with all the complex emotions she’d buried from the past.
I did work out some aspects of how this novel would end, although I had my doubts about a couple of the characters before I settled on a theory, but this never spoiled my enjoyment of the book as I wanted to know why and how.
The Liar’s Girl had perfect pacing for me – it’s quite a slow-burn, allowing the reader to get to know Alison and letting the tension build up, while at the same time being such a fast read because once you start reading you just don’t want to put it down! The novel is predominantly about Alison and about how the murders are investigated but it’s interspersed with creepy moments from the killer’s perspective that definitely get the adrenaline going!
The Liar’s Girl is gripping, thrilling and impossible to put down! I read this in one sitting and absolutely loved it! I definitely recommend this one!
This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com
jemthehologram's review against another edition
Didn't get hooked into it. Might come back
emilylynn1123's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
twice_jordyn's review against another edition
3.5
The story was mostly compelling, the twist was a bit predictable, and the plot a bit confusing in places. The alternating timelines are always fun. Overall, If you ignore the plot holes and the confusing bits, it's a decent little thriller.
jfizzle80's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
The unfolding of this mystery was intriguing and kept me hooked, and I thought the twist worked very well. This is exactly the kind of mystery/thriller I most enjoy reading, one that's concerned with the psychology of the characters, with what happened, what was said, and what was done, that led them up to the moment of the crime. This is my second of this author's books, and I definitely want to read more.
litwithleigh's review against another edition
3.0
Follow me on IG as I work my way through my April TBR list
Writing: 3.5/5 | Plot: 3/5 | Ending: 2/5
THE PLOT
Ten years ago, Alison's college boyfriend, Will, was arrested for the murder of five girls and subsequently dubbed the Canal Killer. When new girls start to die in a similar fashion, Will realizes this might be the chance to prove his innocence. But to do so, Will needs Ali to investigate on his behalf while he's chillin at the psych ward.
MY OPINION
I have some bad news guys. It seems I have been infected with plothole-itis by my friend Chantel which causes me to be relentlessly hyper aware of any flaws, inaccuracies, or general wtf-isms within a book. So for that reason, we are here, with a 3 star rating, when I think pre-plotholeitis I would've tossed this 4 just for funsies.
I loved, loved, LOVED [b:The Nothing Man|51166217|The Nothing Man|Catherine Ryan Howard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595212537l/51166217._SY75_.jpg|75872846] and made it about 50% through [b:56 Days|57628810|56 Days|Catherine Ryan Howard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1623124494l/57628810._SY75_.jpg|89201648] before I discovered NetGalley and got distracted. I enjoy the author's writing and I think she's very talented (even though she can be a little TOO detailed sometimes) but the plot and ending of this book just was not hittin. Here's why:
- Why TF did Will call Ali, an ex he hasn't seen/heard from in a decade, to see wassup on the outside when he has a whole ass LAWYER. This seems like a job for a lawyer, not a virtual stranger you dated for a hot minute.
- Mahone would've been canned from the Garda with the mf swiftness for his inappropriate behaviour, chiefly: giving way too much info to a civilian, falling in love with her and letting her squat at his home, using public wi-fi from starbucks (or starbs if you're nasty) to conduct official police business. Good. bye.
- During the final showdown, why did Ali text Mahone instead of calling the police??? GURL. PRIORITIES.
- The ending was very spoon-fed to the reader. It was literally like a Q&A covering all the questions the reader might be asking. Literally just 3 pages of straight dialogue explaining everything. Bleh.
THIS IS A SPOILER SO SCROLL FURIOUSLY TO THE BOTTOM IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK
- Idk if we were supposed to sympathize with Will for being a certified dumb ass and chucking Liz in the river hoping her death would be attributed with the Canal Killer, but I certainly could NOT. Are you actually dead ass with this? Liz was still alive and Will thought hmmm instead of finding someone to help me or just leaving her there to be found (still horrible, but better?) let's callously throw her body in the river and give her a painful death. Cool, cool, cool. And then when he was like "ya, I deserve to be locked up because I did murder someone" but changed his tune quickly and was like "but for how long bc this place is kinda stanky and I promise not to do it again" I wanted to roll my eyes so hard they might fall out of my head. The author should've kept this whole twisty twist to herself.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Good writing, the story flowed nicely
Cons: Several things just didn't add up, the final twist was garbagio, the writing got a little too closed-captioned at some points
Writing: 3.5/5 | Plot: 3/5 | Ending: 2/5
THE PLOT
Ten years ago, Alison's college boyfriend, Will, was arrested for the murder of five girls and subsequently dubbed the Canal Killer. When new girls start to die in a similar fashion, Will realizes this might be the chance to prove his innocence. But to do so, Will needs Ali to investigate on his behalf while he's chillin at the psych ward.
MY OPINION
I have some bad news guys. It seems I have been infected with plothole-itis by my friend Chantel which causes me to be relentlessly hyper aware of any flaws, inaccuracies, or general wtf-isms within a book. So for that reason, we are here, with a 3 star rating, when I think pre-plotholeitis I would've tossed this 4 just for funsies.
I loved, loved, LOVED [b:The Nothing Man|51166217|The Nothing Man|Catherine Ryan Howard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595212537l/51166217._SY75_.jpg|75872846] and made it about 50% through [b:56 Days|57628810|56 Days|Catherine Ryan Howard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1623124494l/57628810._SY75_.jpg|89201648] before I discovered NetGalley and got distracted. I enjoy the author's writing and I think she's very talented (even though she can be a little TOO detailed sometimes) but the plot and ending of this book just was not hittin. Here's why:
- Why TF did Will call Ali, an ex he hasn't seen/heard from in a decade, to see wassup on the outside when he has a whole ass LAWYER. This seems like a job for a lawyer, not a virtual stranger you dated for a hot minute.
- Mahone would've been canned from the Garda with the mf swiftness for his inappropriate behaviour, chiefly: giving way too much info to a civilian, falling in love with her and letting her squat at his home, using public wi-fi from starbucks (or starbs if you're nasty) to conduct official police business. Good. bye.
- During the final showdown, why did Ali text Mahone instead of calling the police??? GURL. PRIORITIES.
- The ending was very spoon-fed to the reader. It was literally like a Q&A covering all the questions the reader might be asking. Literally just 3 pages of straight dialogue explaining everything. Bleh.
THIS IS A SPOILER SO SCROLL FURIOUSLY TO THE BOTTOM IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK
- Idk if we were supposed to sympathize with Will for being a certified dumb ass and chucking Liz in the river hoping her death would be attributed with the Canal Killer, but I certainly could NOT. Are you actually dead ass with this? Liz was still alive and Will thought hmmm instead of finding someone to help me or just leaving her there to be found (still horrible, but better?) let's callously throw her body in the river and give her a painful death. Cool, cool, cool. And then when he was like "ya, I deserve to be locked up because I did murder someone" but changed his tune quickly and was like "but for how long bc this place is kinda stanky and I promise not to do it again" I wanted to roll my eyes so hard they might fall out of my head. The author should've kept this whole twisty twist to herself.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Good writing, the story flowed nicely
Cons: Several things just didn't add up, the final twist was garbagio, the writing got a little too closed-captioned at some points