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A review by readers_sea
Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering
emotional
slow-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
1.0
Well, unpopular opinion but this one was not for me.
I couldn't get past how much I disliked both of these characters. I was hoping there would be more of a point made by the end, but it felt lacking even in its conclusion.
Let's take a step back... This book follows Lucy as she starts college and meets Stephen at a party. Stephen isn't particularly striking in looks, but he's skilled with words and uses them to get what he wants. When Stephen sets his sights on Lucy, it kicks off a story of constant push and pull between them.
While Stephen isn't good for Lucy, she falls into the trap of his sweet words and attention. We follow them both through college and into adulthood as their relationship cycles through periods of growth and decline.
By the halfway point, I realized I didn't care about these characters. I didn't like them together or apart. I just couldn't invest in anything they were doing. I understand the book's intention and that people like Stephen and Lucy exist in real life, but I couldn't connect with these characters at all.
The constant back and forth became tedious, and I grew tired of reading the same patterns repeat. The book could have been significantly shorter since it became repetitive. Stephen's perspective made me uncomfortable, and I simply didn't enjoy my time with this book. While Lucy showed some growth by the end, it wasn't enough to redeem the story for me.
I couldn't get past how much I disliked both of these characters. I was hoping there would be more of a point made by the end, but it felt lacking even in its conclusion.
Let's take a step back... This book follows Lucy as she starts college and meets Stephen at a party. Stephen isn't particularly striking in looks, but he's skilled with words and uses them to get what he wants. When Stephen sets his sights on Lucy, it kicks off a story of constant push and pull between them.
While Stephen isn't good for Lucy, she falls into the trap of his sweet words and attention. We follow them both through college and into adulthood as their relationship cycles through periods of growth and decline.
By the halfway point, I realized I didn't care about these characters. I didn't like them together or apart. I just couldn't invest in anything they were doing. I understand the book's intention and that people like Stephen and Lucy exist in real life, but I couldn't connect with these characters at all.
The constant back and forth became tedious, and I grew tired of reading the same patterns repeat. The book could have been significantly shorter since it became repetitive. Stephen's perspective made me uncomfortable, and I simply didn't enjoy my time with this book. While Lucy showed some growth by the end, it wasn't enough to redeem the story for me.