Scan barcode
agathajanemaud1908's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Can’t remember the last time I finished a book in two days (there were many other things I should have been doing but I couldn’t stop reading - the greatest feeling!) or sobbed (not cried, sobbed) over a book. Definitely read but make sure you have a block of free time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Addiction, Cursing, Infidelity, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Grief
thrillofthepage's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Murder, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Sexual assault
100_pages_hr's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Medical trauma
skersnick's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Blood, Domestic abuse, Death, Violence, Alcohol, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Cursing
Minor: Vomit and Addiction
sandiet's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
5.0
Publication Date: March 5, 2024
#ListenfortheLie #NetGalley
The debut adult novel (she typically writes YA) from Amy Tintera is simply in a word engaging! I'm not typically a lover of the thriller genre but this book kept me up to the wee hours of the morning.
I was reeled in from the first line "A podcaster has decided to ruin my life, so I'm buying a chicken".
With a start like that you'd be expecting a funny book but this book deals with domestic violence, toxic relationships and dysfunctional families. Lucy, the main female character is the unreliable narrator, who hears voices telling her to kill people. It becomes clearer whose voice she's hearing as you get deeper into the story. Lucy can't remember what happened 5 years ago when she was found wandering around covered in her best friend's blood. She was never charged with Savvy's murder, but most of the people in the small town of Plumpton, including her parents and ex-husband were and still are convinced she's guilty.
Ben, who has a very successful true crime podcast, comes to town to try to figure out what happened. Unbeknownst to Lucy, her kick-ass grandmother Beverly has orchestrated the whole thing because she's never believed Lucy was the murderer. Lucy agrees to help Ben but only because her grandmother has asked her to.
There are many twists and turns and a lot of suspects, but the journey to get to the truth was never boring. I really enjoyed this book despite the subject matter.
This is a true "me too" movement book and a lot of good points are made about how a woman's version of the truth is completely dismissed in favour of the man's version.
A quote from the book "Men always believe each other".
5* + read and I'll be looking for more adult novels from this author.
Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
#ListenfortheLie #NetGalley
The debut adult novel (she typically writes YA) from Amy Tintera is simply in a word engaging! I'm not typically a lover of the thriller genre but this book kept me up to the wee hours of the morning.
I was reeled in from the first line "A podcaster has decided to ruin my life, so I'm buying a chicken".
With a start like that you'd be expecting a funny book but this book deals with domestic violence, toxic relationships and dysfunctional families. Lucy, the main female character is the unreliable narrator, who hears voices telling her to kill people. It becomes clearer whose voice she's hearing as you get deeper into the story. Lucy can't remember what happened 5 years ago when she was found wandering around covered in her best friend's blood. She was never charged with Savvy's murder, but most of the people in the small town of Plumpton, including her parents and ex-husband were and still are convinced she's guilty.
Ben, who has a very successful true crime podcast, comes to town to try to figure out what happened. Unbeknownst to Lucy, her kick-ass grandmother Beverly has orchestrated the whole thing because she's never believed Lucy was the murderer. Lucy agrees to help Ben but only because her grandmother has asked her to.
There are many twists and turns and a lot of suspects, but the journey to get to the truth was never boring. I really enjoyed this book despite the subject matter.
This is a true "me too" movement book and a lot of good points are made about how a woman's version of the truth is completely dismissed in favour of the man's version.
A quote from the book "Men always believe each other".
5* + read and I'll be looking for more adult novels from this author.
Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Murder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
shesflippinpages's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I absolutely flew through this book and really enjoyed it. I loved the idea of a true crime podcast interviewer digging up the details from people in the small town in order to help solve this cold case.
It kept me guessing throughout as there were so many suspicious characters with intertwined storylines. It was one of those books that kept you on your toes and just when you thought you had it figured out, another curveball was thrown your way. Definitely recommend this one!
Thank you to Celadon Books & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It kept me guessing throughout as there were so many suspicious characters with intertwined storylines. It was one of those books that kept you on your toes and just when you thought you had it figured out, another curveball was thrown your way. Definitely recommend this one!
Thank you to Celadon Books & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Grief, Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment, Vomit, Sexual content, Rape, Drug use, and Sexual assault
xandriaisreading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Your best friend has been murdered. You were the last to see her. You're found wandering the streets with her blood on your clothes. And you have no memory of that night. What do you do? Let your grandmother convince you to return home 5 years later and speak to a true crime podcast host with the hope of clearing your name. Obviously!
This book was amazing; I read it in one day it was that good! The plot instantly grabbed my attention and the fact that it's based in Texas only further convinced me to read it.
You get a lively cast of characters, no one is as they seem at first. Each unraveling as secrets get exposed in service of uncovering the truth. While the book is from Lucy's perspective, you get to hear from other people via the transcript of the podcast. It balances out and adds to the mystery while offering up many different conclusions as the story unfolds.
I'll be honest, I couldn't predict who'd done it. That's all I ask of a mystery book and this one delivered.
Thank you NetGalley & Celadon Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This book was amazing; I read it in one day it was that good! The plot instantly grabbed my attention and the fact that it's based in Texas only further convinced me to read it.
You get a lively cast of characters, no one is as they seem at first. Each unraveling as secrets get exposed in service of uncovering the truth. While the book is from Lucy's perspective, you get to hear from other people via the transcript of the podcast. It balances out and adds to the mystery while offering up many different conclusions as the story unfolds.
I'll be honest, I couldn't predict who'd done it. That's all I ask of a mystery book and this one delivered.
Thank you NetGalley & Celadon Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
aftereliza's review against another edition
challenging
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Death, Blood, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, and Gore
Minor: Sexual violence and Toxic relationship
chezler24's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
"The truth doesn't matter." (p. 325)
In this age of true crime podcasts and TV show dramas centered around real, gruesome events, Tintera has crafted an interesting new angle within this genre. The book takes place 5 years after Savvy (Savannah) had been murdered in Plumpton Texas. The main character, Lucy, has been living with everyone assuming she had been responsible for her friend's death; however, she has no memories from that night. Throughout the book, we see Lucy wrestle with her fragmented memory and poor reputation as a podcaster, Ben Owens, begins prying open the cold case to see if Lucy really did it or if someone else was to blame.
I enjoyed the novel's format and how it switched back and forth between Lucy's internal monologue and transcripts from the Listen for the Lie podcast. The book had a rough start for me, but I was hooked once we got the ball rolling with the true crime element, and I was immersed in our screwed-up little cast of characters. (I do mean that. Most everyone here has some element of unlikability whether it's from their sarcastic demeanor or from the hurtful, damaging things they've done.) The amnesia element is not going to work for everyone, but I did enjoy how Tintera decided to "trigger" the memories. Regarding this element, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome and mostly content with how things turned out.
(The real MVP was Grandma Beverly. She might be my favorite side character out of the bunch.)
(Rating probably around the 3.5-3.75 range)
(Advanced Reading Copy)
In this age of true crime podcasts and TV show dramas centered around real, gruesome events, Tintera has crafted an interesting new angle within this genre. The book takes place 5 years after Savvy (Savannah) had been murdered in Plumpton Texas. The main character, Lucy, has been living with everyone assuming she had been responsible for her friend's death; however, she has no memories from that night. Throughout the book, we see Lucy wrestle with her fragmented memory and poor reputation as a podcaster, Ben Owens, begins prying open the cold case to see if Lucy really did it or if someone else was to blame.
I enjoyed the novel's format and how it switched back and forth between Lucy's internal monologue and transcripts from the Listen for the Lie podcast. The book had a rough start for me, but I was hooked once we got the ball rolling with the true crime element, and I was immersed in our screwed-up little cast of characters. (I do mean that. Most everyone here has some element of unlikability whether it's from their sarcastic demeanor or from the hurtful, damaging things they've done.) The amnesia element is not going to work for everyone, but I did enjoy how Tintera decided to "trigger" the memories. Regarding this element, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome and mostly content with how things turned out.
(The real MVP was Grandma Beverly. She might be my favorite side character out of the bunch.)
(Rating probably around the 3.5-3.75 range)
(Advanced Reading Copy)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Infidelity, Murder, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Violence, and Toxic relationship
jess_xen's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
After ungluing myself from the pages and untangling myself from this web of mysteries, I can finally write this review. I could not put this book down.
Listen for the Lie is a brilliant and gripping combination of a podcast & a whodunit novel. Lucy, long suspected of her best friend’s murder in her small Texas hometown, is the subject of a true crime podcast 5 years after the murder. No suspects have been arrested, and Lucy can’t remember a thing about that night, adding to the town’s suspicions of her guilt. Preferring obscurity, Lucy moved away to start a new life in LA, only to be forced to return to her hometown to confront her dark past.
From the very beginning, the pacing, voice, and perfectly articulated emotions had me in a chokehold. I was hooked; there were so many questions that I needed answers to. Amy Tintera is a master at weaving together a tale that feels like wandering through an ill-lit hedge maze, always thinking that around the next corner all the secrets will yield themselves, only to be confronted with a new path in a new direction.
From the very beginning, the pacing, voice, and perfectly articulated emotions had me in a chokehold. I was hooked; there were so many questions that I needed answers to. Amy Tintera is a master at weaving together a tale that feels like wandering through an ill-lit hedge maze, always thinking that around the next corner all the secrets will yield themselves, only to be confronted with a new path in a new direction.
I was completely invested in the true crime podcast, Lucy’s sarcastic behavior towards those who distrusted her, and the small-town vibe complete with quintessential small-town gossip emanating throughout. I was squealing by the time the conclusion came satisfyingly to a close.
I wish I could speak more on some of the elements of the novel that I really appreciated, as they were depicted perfectly and poignantly, but I would prefer to keep this review spoiler-free for now. Suffice to say, the author does a fantastic job of showing interpersonal relationships, the good and the ugly.
Some caveats: this was definitely chick lit-y and millennial-coded; I personally loved those aspects and it added to the overall story to me, but I can understand if those could be a drawback for some.
Listen for the Lie is Amy Tintera’s adult debut, and I’m excited to read more of her work in the future, as this was everything I could want out of a whodunit novel.
A sincere thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books & Amy Tintera for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Listen for the Lie will be published March 5, 2024.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Violence