A review by minimicropup
Count My Lies by Sophie Stava

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? Yes

3.5

This was a blend of psychological suspense with twisty summer thriller energy, but the POV shift and messy ending didn’t work for me. It started off great, I just didn’t like the back half. A fun enough thriller though. 
 
Energy: Scintillating. Candid. Sordid. 
 
🐺 Growls: That ending killed it for me, the logic fell apart so it went from suspended disbelief into ‘there’s no way’ territory.  
 
🐕 Howls: The audio narrator for the POV switch was too cackly and sounded much older than the character, it threw off the vibe (I switched to text for the second half). I dislike  plots that rely on “perfect plans” that only work if the villain is psychic, but this one didn’t bother me so much – had to suspend disbelief but not turn my brain off completely.
 
🐩 Tail Wags: The sharp character study in the first half. Sloane’s POV was my favourite, she’s deeply flawed but self-aware enough to be compelling. How the book kind of plays tug-of-war with your loyalties.
 
Scene: 🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NYC, USA
Perspectives (2): One character struggles with telling the truth and is aware of it but can’t stop lying. They are trying to get back on their feet, living with their mother and working a low-paying job that doesn’t require background refs. Their lies lead them to a family they see as living the ideal life. The other perspective is from a parent in a well-off family planning a way to fix what makes them most miserable in their life…
Timeline: Linear. 2020s. 🍃☀️ Spring and Summer.
Fuel: Red flags, something’s off, wondering how things will play out, finding out about schemes. What did Sloane do at her last job? Why does someone have a restraining order against her? What is Violet’s life  like behind closed doors? 
Cred: Suspended disbelief to all disbelief
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Leftovers. Eucalyptus and lemongrass. Polish and acetone. Seinfeld episodes. Taylor Swift sing-alongs. Brownstone. Sailboat. Hot dogs. 
  • Tagging along, listening to characters speaking to us; reader in the know and in the dark (first person)
  • Breezy, casual writing style
  • Flawed, schemy, clingy, and pitiful characters
  • “I want your life” meets “Best friends…forever”
  • Beachy summer vacation moments
  • Obsession, deception, infiltration, manipulation
  • Glow ups + pick-me female friendship energy
  • Set-ups, schemes, flip-the-script twists
  • Love triangles, mind games, domestic drama bombs
  • Sprinkling of secondhand cringe 
 
Content Heads-Up: Alcohol (recreational; allergy). Classism. Gambling (off page). Infidelity, serial cheating. Lying (identity, circumstances; pathological). Parental abandonment (as baby). Suicide  attempt (recall). Unemployment (fired, financial insecurity). 
 
Rep: American. Eastern European American (peripheral). Second generation Korean American (peripheral). Half Vietnamese half Sicilian heritage (peripheral). Cis. Hetero. Gay (peripheral). Pale, tan skin tones. 
 
📚 Format: Library Digital + Everand Audio
 
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