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A review by liz_ross
All My Lies Are True by Dorothy Koomson
dark
emotional
reflective
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
2.75
I had this feeling when I bought the book. Reading it just confirmed that feeling. This book is just unnecessary. It may seem harsh, but it's exactly what I feel. It adds nothing new to Serena and Poppy's story. Actually, it even ends up destroying the extraordinary ending of the last book, which felt just so right.
Everything Serena and Poppy had achieved in the end of the first book, Koomson had to undo in order for this book to even stand a chance. They had already moved on, accepted their past, made peace with it and where now looking for a future that could give them some hapinness. They had got their closure, which was exactly what they needed. In order to write this book, Koomson had to force them to give up on that closure that was so right in a way that doesn't really make much sense. They just wake up one day and decide "Oh, wait. I actually didn't get the closure I needed. How can I when me being unhappy and suffering is of the upmost importace to allow the book to have the drama it needs?". They are very right, you know? Without them still unable to move oneafter spending ten years happy after getting the closure they needed, but who is counting, right?!the book wouldn't have half the drama it had. And it had very little drama as it was, so half of it would be pretty much none.
You may be wondering how could it have no drama without Serena and Poppy going back to not having their closure if the story wasn't even about them. That's because although we could try to not see them as main characters, they were the reason for everything and no matter how much the plot tried to run away from them, it would inevitably go back to them and their unsolved past. And in part I am thankful that's true, because every time it would try to run away from them and focus on Verity and Logan it would just get... annoying.
Don't get me wrong, the idea has potential and it's something we need to raise awareness about, but it was so freaking obvious that it actually hurt. Obviously, the story would repeat itself. What would be the fun if that didn't happen? Annoying or not, obvious or not, what's a fact is that when the book reached its climax I was on the egde of my seat, there's no way of denying it. But I wasn't surprised, just worried, because although I knew how things woukd turn out, I was still scared for the characters.
Which says more about Koomson's writing style and her capacity to make the readers feel every single emotions she wants us to feel than the chracters themselves, which were rather bland. It didn't get to the cliche level, but they were without doubt bland.
There's things Koomson did right, though, and one in particular that I am really, really glad she chose to include in the book. However, that's the one I will speak about lastly, because I think the matter is far too important to get lost in the middle of the others.
So, first thing I think Koomson did right. Jack. His appearence was obvious, I mean I would be disappointed if he didn't show up. What was even the point then? I do think he could have been used to add more drama, though. I mean Poppy barely shared three words with him and with Serena it was kind of a side plotline that got almost no attention at all, when it could have been a main part of Serena's path to find closureagain. Anyway, although I think some of his potential was wasted, I do like what she did with him and the twist she gave to the uncover of the truth and which reminded me why I love her books.
The second thing I liked was that ending. It is just perfect. Once again the characters managed to get their closure and to accept their mistakes and to learn to live with them. It's not a perfect happily ever after ending, just like first wasn't. It leaves questions without answer, problems needing solving. It is not the ending of a book that Koomson wrote. She wrote the end of a chapter in Poppy and Serena's lives and their families', to which will follow another and another with their own problems to be solved. It's the end of a chapter of their lives and so it isn't perfect, it isn't a happily ever after because there's no such thing in real life. New problems will follow sooner or later, but there's always time to celebrate between chapters. So, no, the ending isn't perfect, but it is the perfect ending for this chapter of their lives.
And now the last thing I liked and by far the most important matter. As I said story repeats itself. You couldn't really be expecting anything else, could you? But this book also has something the first one didn't. Domestic abuse and violent relationships don't always have the woman as the victim. Koomson reminds us of that in this book and that's something I believe more authors should try to do. The number of women suffering from domestic abuse and in violent relationships is so much higher than the men's that we often end up forgetting that men suffer from that too. Which cannot happen because they deserve just as much help as women. There has to be more people figthing against the idea that only women can be the victims, so men can get help in cases like this more easily. Raising awareness for both sides of the problem is of the upmost importance and I think Koomson did great by bringing that matter up in her book. Even if she never gave the matter never got much "screen time" when it was brought up, she did bring it up several times, giving it a little time to "shine" in every single one, adreesing it with all the attention and seriousness it deserved, which perhaps was even better as Koomson was capable of making sure we didn't forget about it through the book.
Overall, sure the book had great things in it. But although I liked the twist, was Jack really necessary? And I can find an ending in every single one of Koomson's books. The only thing that I liked and that was actually unique was the third and she could have perfectly write a new book, with a new set of characters to talk about that. Which means that even if I did like all that, I still think this book was unnecessary, especially because for all its lenght it robbed Serena and Poppy the closure they had fought so hard to get in the first book.
<u>SCORE: 2.75 out of 5.00 stars</u>
Everything Serena and Poppy had achieved in the end of the first book, Koomson had to undo in order for this book to even stand a chance. They had already moved on, accepted their past, made peace with it and where now looking for a future that could give them some hapinness. They had got their closure, which was exactly what they needed. In order to write this book, Koomson had to force them to give up on that closure that was so right in a way that doesn't really make much sense. They just wake up one day and decide "Oh, wait. I actually didn't get the closure I needed. How can I when me being unhappy and suffering is of the upmost importace to allow the book to have the drama it needs?". They are very right, you know? Without them still unable to move one
You may be wondering how could it have no drama without Serena and Poppy going back to not having their closure if the story wasn't even about them. That's because although we could try to not see them as main characters, they were the reason for everything and no matter how much the plot tried to run away from them, it would inevitably go back to them and their unsolved past. And in part I am thankful that's true, because every time it would try to run away from them and focus on Verity and Logan it would just get... annoying.
Don't get me wrong, the idea has potential and it's something we need to raise awareness about, but it was so freaking obvious that it actually hurt. Obviously, the story would repeat itself. What would be the fun if that didn't happen? Annoying or not, obvious or not, what's a fact is that when the book reached its climax I was on the egde of my seat, there's no way of denying it. But I wasn't surprised, just worried, because although I knew how things woukd turn out, I was still scared for the characters.
Which says more about Koomson's writing style and her capacity to make the readers feel every single emotions she wants us to feel than the chracters themselves, which were rather bland. It didn't get to the cliche level, but they were without doubt bland.
There's things Koomson did right, though, and one in particular that I am really, really glad she chose to include in the book. However, that's the one I will speak about lastly, because I think the matter is far too important to get lost in the middle of the others.
So, first thing I think Koomson did right. Jack. His appearence was obvious, I mean I would be disappointed if he didn't show up. What was even the point then? I do think he could have been used to add more drama, though. I mean Poppy barely shared three words with him and with Serena it was kind of a side plotline that got almost no attention at all, when it could have been a main part of Serena's path to find closure
The second thing I liked was that ending. It is just perfect. Once again the characters managed to get their closure and to accept their mistakes and to learn to live with them. It's not a perfect happily ever after ending, just like first wasn't. It leaves questions without answer, problems needing solving. It is not the ending of a book that Koomson wrote. She wrote the end of a chapter in Poppy and Serena's lives and their families', to which will follow another and another with their own problems to be solved. It's the end of a chapter of their lives and so it isn't perfect, it isn't a happily ever after because there's no such thing in real life. New problems will follow sooner or later, but there's always time to celebrate between chapters. So, no, the ending isn't perfect, but it is the perfect ending for this chapter of their lives.
And now the last thing I liked and by far the most important matter. As I said story repeats itself. You couldn't really be expecting anything else, could you? But this book also has something the first one didn't. Domestic abuse and violent relationships don't always have the woman as the victim. Koomson reminds us of that in this book and that's something I believe more authors should try to do. The number of women suffering from domestic abuse and in violent relationships is so much higher than the men's that we often end up forgetting that men suffer from that too. Which cannot happen because they deserve just as much help as women. There has to be more people figthing against the idea that only women can be the victims, so men can get help in cases like this more easily. Raising awareness for both sides of the problem is of the upmost importance and I think Koomson did great by bringing that matter up in her book. Even if she never gave the matter never got much "screen time" when it was brought up, she did bring it up several times, giving it a little time to "shine" in every single one, adreesing it with all the attention and seriousness it deserved, which perhaps was even better as Koomson was capable of making sure we didn't forget about it through the book.
Overall, sure the book had great things in it. But although I liked the twist, was Jack really necessary? And I can find an ending in every single one of Koomson's books. The only thing that I liked and that was actually unique was the third and she could have perfectly write a new book, with a new set of characters to talk about that. Which means that even if I did like all that, I still think this book was unnecessary, especially because for all its lenght it robbed Serena and Poppy the closure they had fought so hard to get in the first book.
<u>SCORE: 2.75 out of 5.00 stars</u>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail