A review by crin_d1nk
All My Lies by Nelle Lamarr

emotional mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

0.75

All My Lies tells the story of Sloan, an aspiring writer who finds herself at a crossroads after discovering her boss dead under suspicious circumstances. Faced with a tempting opportunity, Sloan must decide: should she steal her boss’s unfinished bestseller and publish it as her debut novel? Through questionable decisions and a series of clumsy mistakes, Sloan finds herself in over her head with no one to trust. Can she keep her secret safe—and herself alive?
The premise of this book intrigued me when I first read the synopsis. However, I found the overall execution disappointing and clunky. Sloan had the potential to be a relatable, likable main character. Initially, I was rooting for her, and the mystery of her past kept me engaged. But, unfortunately, the constant reminders of her supposed "lovable clumsiness" became grating. Every time she attempted something, the reader was reminded of her tendency to trip over her own feet, or the various ways she might hurt herself. This repetition eventually overshadowed her character and turned what could have been endearing into something irritating.
Additionally, Sloan’s character felt one-dimensional. There was little development, and she never had a true "hero" moment to make her feel more fleshed out. I think the plot progression did her no favors, either. The reveal of the villain felt anticlimactic. I had already suspected who it was, and as a result, the reveal came across as more of an emotional payoff for Sloan rather than the reader. This is problematic because it felt like it took too long for Sloan to connect the dots. I would have preferred if she had suspected the villain earlier on and started to act more cautiously around them or it turned into a game of cat and mouse.
The big reveal about Sloan’s past in high school also felt unnecessary and didn’t add much to the story. If you removed that event entirely, the plot wouldn't change significantly, and the villain’s motivations would be the same. The villain’s actions were exaggerated to the point of excess. I understand the desire to show that he has no morals and is willing to resort to violence, but it felt over the top and detracted from the overall believability of the story. It would be more compelling if he had conflicted feelings about his plan or if Sloan and him engaged in mind games trying to outwit each other. This, along with the flat emotional payoff, made it difficult for me to connect with or care about the characters.
One of the final missteps for me was the flashback in the epilogue. It felt out of place and served more to shock the reader than to add anything meaningful to the story. Instead of feeling like an important plot point, it left me confused and added to the sense of disconnect I had with the characters.
Another barrier for me was the excessive detail and overuse of popular culture references. The narrative often included mundane events, like Sloan opening containers, in almost every scene. As a reader, this made me feel like the author didn’t trust me to fill in the gaps using context clues. It resulted in a lot of hand-holding, which ultimately detracted from the flow of the story.
Despite these issues, there’s potential here. The pacing was well done, and I enjoyed how the story progressed through time. The gradual buildup of tension and the constant sense that Sloan was never truly safe kept me engaged. It was an easy read, and I was genuinely curious to see how the story would end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for providing the DRC for review. All opinions are my own.

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