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A review by skylarkblue1
Lie or Die by A. J. Clack
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Representations: https://trello.com/c/NdCdD2wm/101-lie-or-die-by-a-j-clack
Oooooh I loved this. Started off really slow, but once things started happening it was really fast paced right up until the final page! But even then, the slower paced parts still kept me really hooked! I sped through this mostly in a single sitting, I just couldn't put it down.
The characters where a right mix, all different kinds of tropes (something that's jabbed at in the book by the characters themselves which was pretty fun). Some aggravating, some kind and lovely to read. Some where of course more 2d than others, but that's pretty understandable due to the nature of the plot. It was pretty surprising but a lot of the deaths did get emotion from me, even near the start with the characters that weren't too fleshed out.
I don't think the book was trying to be too smart, there was some pretty good twists though that I didn't fully predict. The characters felt like they where acting their age for sure (I think? I read them as mostly pretty young but I honestly can't remember any of their ages lol), but in a realism way and not an annoying way honestly. Plans aren't super complicated, actions fit to the character types and in general it flowed pretty well. It's not fully realistic, naturally, it's a pretty out-there plot with exaggerated characters and a semi-cartoon villain. But it makes for an incredibly fun, tense and mysterious read!
Loved the slight touch of Welsh, always appreciate that done well in books! The romance as well I felt was pretty good, there's not a massive focus on it and it can mostly be ignored pretty easily. Main focus is on strong friendships and the bonds made through trauma. The romance-type relationships are pretty realistic for the type of situation. Single weekend, very high stakes, more concerned with surviving than making out - you'd think that was a low bar to pass but like, that was pretty refreshing to read honestly.
I'm not sure if there'll be a sequel, but the final page seems to imply there will be? Or at least, it's open to another. But this absolutely can be a standalone without feeling like you're missing anything. If there was a sequel, the only way it'd make sense was if it does like what the film Escape Room: Tournament of Champions does, but I'd also like for it to go a lot deeper into the aftermath. I felt like that was cut really short and the very important messages and points there didn't have enough time to really evolve honestly.
Oooooh I loved this. Started off really slow, but once things started happening it was really fast paced right up until the final page! But even then, the slower paced parts still kept me really hooked! I sped through this mostly in a single sitting, I just couldn't put it down.
The characters where a right mix, all different kinds of tropes (something that's jabbed at in the book by the characters themselves which was pretty fun). Some aggravating, some kind and lovely to read. Some where of course more 2d than others, but that's pretty understandable due to the nature of the plot. It was pretty surprising but a lot of the deaths did get emotion from me, even near the start with the characters that weren't too fleshed out.
I don't think the book was trying to be too smart, there was some pretty good twists though that I didn't fully predict. The characters felt like they where acting their age for sure (I think? I read them as mostly pretty young but I honestly can't remember any of their ages lol), but in a realism way and not an annoying way honestly. Plans aren't super complicated, actions fit to the character types and in general it flowed pretty well. It's not fully realistic, naturally, it's a pretty out-there plot with exaggerated characters and a semi-cartoon villain. But it makes for an incredibly fun, tense and mysterious read!
Loved the slight touch of Welsh, always appreciate that done well in books! The romance as well I felt was pretty good, there's not a massive focus on it and it can mostly be ignored pretty easily. Main focus is on strong friendships and the bonds made through trauma. The romance-type relationships are pretty realistic for the type of situation. Single weekend, very high stakes, more concerned with surviving than making out - you'd think that was a low bar to pass but like, that was pretty refreshing to read honestly.
I'm not sure if there'll be a sequel, but the final page seems to imply there will be? Or at least, it's open to another. But this absolutely can be a standalone without feeling like you're missing anything. If there was a sequel, the only way it'd make sense was if it does like what the film Escape Room: Tournament of Champions does, but I'd also like for it to go a lot deeper into the aftermath. I felt like that was cut really short and the very important messages and points there didn't have enough time to really evolve honestly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Grief, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Suicide