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Lies I Live By
Romance, intrigue, and action collide in this psychic twist on the classic spy novel.
Callie Sinclair is literally out of her mind; as the government’s youngest psychic spy, she finds valuable information for top-secret missions. Her work keeps her headaches at bay, but it means she must lie to everyone she loves, including her longtime boyfriend, Charlie.
When a new psychic arrives at the office, Callie can’t help but flirt; Jasper already knows her in a way Charlie never will.
But as her love life gets more complicated, so do her visions. People halfway around the world seem to be in danger...and people in her own backyard, too. If Callie can’t find a way to alter future events, she could lose the people she loves—and her mind. Literally.
Lauren Sabel’s enthralling, romantic novel captures the thrill of exploring a unique power in a dangerous world.
Callie Sinclair is literally out of her mind; as the government’s youngest psychic spy, she finds valuable information for top-secret missions. Her work keeps her headaches at bay, but it means she must lie to everyone she loves, including her longtime boyfriend, Charlie.
When a new psychic arrives at the office, Callie can’t help but flirt; Jasper already knows her in a way Charlie never will.
But as her love life gets more complicated, so do her visions. People halfway around the world seem to be in danger...and people in her own backyard, too. If Callie can’t find a way to alter future events, she could lose the people she loves—and her mind. Literally.
Lauren Sabel’s enthralling, romantic novel captures the thrill of exploring a unique power in a dangerous world.
424 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 2016
10 people are currently reading
1026 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Sabel
2 books138 followersOriginally from the Rocky Mountains, Lauren Sabel has returned to the cool mountain air of Boulder, Colorado after living in several wonderful cities that she will always love and continue to visit year after year.
Lauren loves her husband, her kids, her family, her friends, and stories that end happily. She also loves digging into her mind and revealing tiny gems she didn’t know were there.
Lauren learned to mind dig while getting her MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa, a Buddhist college in Boulder, Colorado. Before Naropa, Lauren studied film in Rome, where she developed her love of crypts and other beautiful creepy things. She also worked in the film industry in New York and San Francisco, focusing mainly on film festivals, as she can never pass up a good party. In San Francisco she worked for Chronicle Books, where she was inducted into the fascinating world of book publishing.
For the past eight years, Lauren has been teaching college students the joys of creative writing, whether they like it or not.
In 2008, Lauren was published in Undiscovered Voices, an anthology of the best new writers for children in the U.K., where she was living at the time. Then life got very exciting very quickly. She signed with Jodi Reamer Esq. at The Writer’s House Agency in New York, and they made magic happen, and that magic is named Katherine Tegen. (aka: Katherine Tegen Publishing, Harper Collins).
Lauren's first book, VIVIAN DIVINE IS DEAD was published June 3 2014. Lauren's second book LIES I LIVE BY was released by KT Books on May 31 2016. She's currently working on her next book, which she can't wait to tell you about (but has to wait just a little while anyway).
Lauren believes that being a teenager is an act of courage, and is proud of anyone who manages to stick through it, despite the pain. :)
Lauren loves her husband, her kids, her family, her friends, and stories that end happily. She also loves digging into her mind and revealing tiny gems she didn’t know were there.
Lauren learned to mind dig while getting her MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa, a Buddhist college in Boulder, Colorado. Before Naropa, Lauren studied film in Rome, where she developed her love of crypts and other beautiful creepy things. She also worked in the film industry in New York and San Francisco, focusing mainly on film festivals, as she can never pass up a good party. In San Francisco she worked for Chronicle Books, where she was inducted into the fascinating world of book publishing.
For the past eight years, Lauren has been teaching college students the joys of creative writing, whether they like it or not.
In 2008, Lauren was published in Undiscovered Voices, an anthology of the best new writers for children in the U.K., where she was living at the time. Then life got very exciting very quickly. She signed with Jodi Reamer Esq. at The Writer’s House Agency in New York, and they made magic happen, and that magic is named Katherine Tegen. (aka: Katherine Tegen Publishing, Harper Collins).
Lauren's first book, VIVIAN DIVINE IS DEAD was published June 3 2014. Lauren's second book LIES I LIVE BY was released by KT Books on May 31 2016. She's currently working on her next book, which she can't wait to tell you about (but has to wait just a little while anyway).
Lauren believes that being a teenager is an act of courage, and is proud of anyone who manages to stick through it, despite the pain. :)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 24, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
This was a YA paranormal story about a girl who was a psychic spy.
Callie was an okay character, and she clearly didn’t like lying to her mother, she did maybe make some mistakes when it came to using her powers though.
The storyline in this was about Callie being a psychic spy, and trying to figure out what was going on with some lasers. The pace was very slow though, and the book dragged for me.
We did get some romance, but it was in the form of a love triangle.
The ending to this was okay, although I wasn’t very sure about a certain part of the storyline towards the end.
6 out of 10
“We’re not sure if it’s a terrorist act,”
This was a YA paranormal story about a girl who was a psychic spy.
Callie was an okay character, and she clearly didn’t like lying to her mother, she did maybe make some mistakes when it came to using her powers though.
The storyline in this was about Callie being a psychic spy, and trying to figure out what was going on with some lasers. The pace was very slow though, and the book dragged for me.
We did get some romance, but it was in the form of a love triangle.
The ending to this was okay, although I wasn’t very sure about a certain part of the storyline towards the end.
6 out of 10
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May 31, 2016DNF at 35%
I pretty much struggled with this right away.
Callie appears to be an okay character. She's definitely got an interesting ability. Her mom was delightfully scatterbrained, the mom's boyfriend seemed fun, and there was potential in Callie's boyfriend. There were also hints of an upcoming love triangle.
My main issue was that there didn't seem to be a spark. The tone of the story came across as monotone and it felt like one big run-on sentence. I liked concept, but maybe the execution was off.
I did skip ahead to read the last couple of chapters, but there wasn't anything that stood out to make me want to go back and read the middle. Ultimately, it just wasn't for me.
**Huge thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I pretty much struggled with this right away.
Callie appears to be an okay character. She's definitely got an interesting ability. Her mom was delightfully scatterbrained, the mom's boyfriend seemed fun, and there was potential in Callie's boyfriend. There were also hints of an upcoming love triangle.
My main issue was that there didn't seem to be a spark. The tone of the story came across as monotone and it felt like one big run-on sentence. I liked concept, but maybe the execution was off.
I did skip ahead to read the last couple of chapters, but there wasn't anything that stood out to make me want to go back and read the middle. Ultimately, it just wasn't for me.
**Huge thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
May 29, 2016
3.5/5 stars
Lies I Live By is a standalone YA mystery with a paranormal element (the girl is a psychic).
This was a cute YA mystery. It started off a bit slow. But it definitely picked up as the mystery progressed.
The narrator is 17 year old Callie. She lives in San Francisco. She is the daughter of a famous scientist. But she has a secret. She works for the government as a spy. She is a psychic viewer who can see electromagnetic radiation.
The beginning of the book did not really hold my attention. I love reading about psychics. And the idea of a teen psychic working as a spy was very appealing to me. But I guess I was not expecting her psychic abilities to be what we were shown in the first half of this book. Once the mystery started the book was much better.
The book is light and funny. There is a love triangle.
I thought her mom and her mom's fireman boyfriend were interesting characters. I also enjoyed both Charlie and Jasper (the two guys that she is interested in).
There were some interesting twists towards the end. Overall, it was an enjoyable and different read.
Thanks to edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for allowing me to read this book.
Lies I Live By is a standalone YA mystery with a paranormal element (the girl is a psychic).
This was a cute YA mystery. It started off a bit slow. But it definitely picked up as the mystery progressed.
The narrator is 17 year old Callie. She lives in San Francisco. She is the daughter of a famous scientist. But she has a secret. She works for the government as a spy. She is a psychic viewer who can see electromagnetic radiation.
The beginning of the book did not really hold my attention. I love reading about psychics. And the idea of a teen psychic working as a spy was very appealing to me. But I guess I was not expecting her psychic abilities to be what we were shown in the first half of this book. Once the mystery started the book was much better.
The book is light and funny. There is a love triangle.
I thought her mom and her mom's fireman boyfriend were interesting characters. I also enjoyed both Charlie and Jasper (the two guys that she is interested in).
There were some interesting twists towards the end. Overall, it was an enjoyable and different read.
Thanks to edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for allowing me to read this book.
July 11, 2016
'Lies I Live By' is a captivating young adult novel that will leave readers begging for more. There isn't really anything negative I can say about this book. I really loved it - more than I thought I would at first. The psychic aspect was what initially drew me in - I've always been fascinated by the possibility that it exists. Being described as a romance had me questioning if I was even going to give it a try, but I'm so happy that I did! There was definitely romance throughout the story, but it didn't overwhelm the plot.
I loved getting to know Callie, the main character. She doesn't think she's normal because of her psychic abilities, but it's obvious that she's much more normal than she believes. She's very smart, down to earth, caring, compassionate, and devoted to everything in her life - especially her relationships (both romantic and not) as well as her job as a "psychic spy." The story is told from Callie's perspective, so we're able to really get to know her on a personal level. I immediately clicked with her right from the very beginning, so by the time the ending came, I felt like I had been by her side the entire time everything was happening. I love that the author used the first person point of view for the book - it was a huge plus for me personally, and I think it was the perfect choice for the story.
The other components of the book were fantastic - the characters were all well rounded with unique personalities and traits, the plot was original and definitely helps to set this novel apart from the others in the genre. The writing was wonderful - the book had an effortless pace with no awkwardness at all, and everything was described vividly and with detail. Like I mentioned, I slid right into Callie's world from the very beginning of the book - without even thinking of it. The romantic aspect of the story played a key part in the plot, but it didn't take over the entire book or diminish the main story line. Most of the time, young adult romance is overly sweet and doesn't feel like real life, but the author managed to make it realistic - complete with both good and bad aspects. Although the romance wasn't the part of the plot that piqued my interest, it definitely added a layer of complexity to the book and I actually ended up really enjoying reading it and seeing how it would turn out for Callie. I honestly think that this would make an awesome series and I wish this wasn't the end of Callie and her psychic abilities. I can only hope that the author will write more books - the entire story has a ton of potential and could easily be made into a series. Overall, I loved this book and everything about it. I very highly recommend it to fans of the genre, as well as readers who are looking for something fresh and new to enthrall them.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved getting to know Callie, the main character. She doesn't think she's normal because of her psychic abilities, but it's obvious that she's much more normal than she believes. She's very smart, down to earth, caring, compassionate, and devoted to everything in her life - especially her relationships (both romantic and not) as well as her job as a "psychic spy." The story is told from Callie's perspective, so we're able to really get to know her on a personal level. I immediately clicked with her right from the very beginning, so by the time the ending came, I felt like I had been by her side the entire time everything was happening. I love that the author used the first person point of view for the book - it was a huge plus for me personally, and I think it was the perfect choice for the story.
The other components of the book were fantastic - the characters were all well rounded with unique personalities and traits, the plot was original and definitely helps to set this novel apart from the others in the genre. The writing was wonderful - the book had an effortless pace with no awkwardness at all, and everything was described vividly and with detail. Like I mentioned, I slid right into Callie's world from the very beginning of the book - without even thinking of it. The romantic aspect of the story played a key part in the plot, but it didn't take over the entire book or diminish the main story line. Most of the time, young adult romance is overly sweet and doesn't feel like real life, but the author managed to make it realistic - complete with both good and bad aspects. Although the romance wasn't the part of the plot that piqued my interest, it definitely added a layer of complexity to the book and I actually ended up really enjoying reading it and seeing how it would turn out for Callie. I honestly think that this would make an awesome series and I wish this wasn't the end of Callie and her psychic abilities. I can only hope that the author will write more books - the entire story has a ton of potential and could easily be made into a series. Overall, I loved this book and everything about it. I very highly recommend it to fans of the genre, as well as readers who are looking for something fresh and new to enthrall them.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
December 14, 2015
I got to read a pre-pub version of this book, and loved it! As a teen, I was really into psychic phenomena and tried very hard to develop my own psychic powers (to no avail...) I was also into spies and hot guys (hehehe). I would've been completely obsessed with this book as a teen.... And now, as an adult (who is still into psychic phenomena and spies-- my binge-watching of ALIAS is proof of this), I absolutely loved it, too. It's stylishly written, with an awesome main girl character and an intriguing mystery-thriller-romance storyline. A captivating, mind-bending and pulse-pounding adventure!
May 7, 2016
Lies I Live By by Lauren Sabel At seventeen, Callie Sinclair is the government’s youngest psychic spy, but if she doesn’t find a way to change the events she’s seen, she could lose the people she loves the most…and her mind in this exciting YA thriller.
The story is well written with lots of details that capture the imagination and draw the reader in, it starts off by letting readers get to know all the characters which are strong and compelling, but of course most of the focus is on Callie and the story is told from her point of view, it actually makes you feel as if Callie is talking to you directly, which kind of adds to the being part of the story feel. The plot is steady paced for the most part and full of interesting elements and spine tingling suspense, as Callie’s visions slowly reveal a huge plot that could cause lots of deaths including those that she cares about, but also leads her to some secrets regarding her personal life.
The romantic interest in the story is sweet as Callie has a long time boyfriend that doesn’t know her secret and expectation builds when that love is tested by a handsome young psychic that joins the agency, causing some emotional upheaval and excitement regarding both her personal and professional lives. The author also describes Callie and her life with enough detail that readers can easily understand all the emotional turmoil that a young woman in Callie’s situation might feel in both expanses of her life.
With all of that being said, I should warn you that I almost didn’t continue with the story because it starts off a bit on the slow side but like I said above, the author uses this time to give readers insight into Callie and the nature of her job. The story did kick up the pace with some intriguing twists and turns, Callie’s psychic abilities added flair and excitement and her love triangle added to the story as well, so overall the story was an enjoyable read.
The story is well written with lots of details that capture the imagination and draw the reader in, it starts off by letting readers get to know all the characters which are strong and compelling, but of course most of the focus is on Callie and the story is told from her point of view, it actually makes you feel as if Callie is talking to you directly, which kind of adds to the being part of the story feel. The plot is steady paced for the most part and full of interesting elements and spine tingling suspense, as Callie’s visions slowly reveal a huge plot that could cause lots of deaths including those that she cares about, but also leads her to some secrets regarding her personal life.
The romantic interest in the story is sweet as Callie has a long time boyfriend that doesn’t know her secret and expectation builds when that love is tested by a handsome young psychic that joins the agency, causing some emotional upheaval and excitement regarding both her personal and professional lives. The author also describes Callie and her life with enough detail that readers can easily understand all the emotional turmoil that a young woman in Callie’s situation might feel in both expanses of her life.
With all of that being said, I should warn you that I almost didn’t continue with the story because it starts off a bit on the slow side but like I said above, the author uses this time to give readers insight into Callie and the nature of her job. The story did kick up the pace with some intriguing twists and turns, Callie’s psychic abilities added flair and excitement and her love triangle added to the story as well, so overall the story was an enjoyable read.
April 14, 2016
This was a book which was out of my league! also out of my genre but it does not mean that I did not enjoy it. Slightly fantastic, slightly unreal but with a lot of stuff which in our present day and age seem quite feasible and doable!
Claire is the youngest psychic spy around. She lives a double life - one as a teenager about to enter college, going through applications and to all intents and purposes going to enter college. Her second life is working as a psychic spy, trying to figure out from her readings where the next disaster is going to happen and what the Government could do to prevent such a calamity. No easy feat or undertaking for such a young person. It can weigh very heavily on her and it does but she is not alone in this field and she finds kindred minded spirits who try to help her (she is the younget)
At the same time there are many evil minded souls in this galaxy and the story is a bit convoluted at times but it does all dovetail neatly!
There is romance as well as murder, a touch of fantasy, the psychic all thrown in together but it does not dull or bore the senses.
Claire is the youngest psychic spy around. She lives a double life - one as a teenager about to enter college, going through applications and to all intents and purposes going to enter college. Her second life is working as a psychic spy, trying to figure out from her readings where the next disaster is going to happen and what the Government could do to prevent such a calamity. No easy feat or undertaking for such a young person. It can weigh very heavily on her and it does but she is not alone in this field and she finds kindred minded spirits who try to help her (she is the younget)
At the same time there are many evil minded souls in this galaxy and the story is a bit convoluted at times but it does all dovetail neatly!
There is romance as well as murder, a touch of fantasy, the psychic all thrown in together but it does not dull or bore the senses.
May 25, 2016
**SPOILER FREE**
Really interesting book! This book intrigued me that it had me sucked in from the first chapter. Can you imagine what would happen if.... Or if we could.... But if it doesn't work, then what happens? All these thing to make you wander just what happens in this story plot. The book is really a good book even though I felt it was more for the younger adult, all aged adults can enjoy it! I think I will have to go search this author and see what else is out there!
*Received for an honest review*
Really interesting book! This book intrigued me that it had me sucked in from the first chapter. Can you imagine what would happen if.... Or if we could.... But if it doesn't work, then what happens? All these thing to make you wander just what happens in this story plot. The book is really a good book even though I felt it was more for the younger adult, all aged adults can enjoy it! I think I will have to go search this author and see what else is out there!
*Received for an honest review*
April 29, 2016
My students love this type of book, and so do I. Lauren Sabel doesn't disappoint in Out of My Mind.
I read it as soon as it arrived. I couldn't put it down once I started. Then I took it to school and shared it. Now everyone wants to read Out of My Mind. I need to buy more copies. That's the kind of problem any classroom can handle.
Thanks to Goodreads for a copy of this book. My students and I look forward to Lauren's next book.
I read it as soon as it arrived. I couldn't put it down once I started. Then I took it to school and shared it. Now everyone wants to read Out of My Mind. I need to buy more copies. That's the kind of problem any classroom can handle.
Thanks to Goodreads for a copy of this book. My students and I look forward to Lauren's next book.
June 13, 2016
* I received this book in return for an honest review. All opinions and statements within this review are my own.
I can only describe Lies I Live By as a science-fiction novel, mostly because I have no idea what the sub-genres are and since I rarely read anything in that genre I haven't done the research. As this is told from seventeen year old Callie Sinclair's perspective it's quite easy to settle into this YA book.
Lies I Live By can't be described as fast paced, it's the kind of book that you can pick up and put down between other books that are just too much for you at the time. It's not until about two thirds of the way in that you feel the need to race to the end, like I did today. Literally one revelation had me speeding towards the last page like my life depended on it.
At the beginning, we meet Callie, a seventeen year old who's been recruited by a government agency to use her psychic abilities to 'view' things that are happening around the world and report back. She has a neat little cover story and a very odd relationship with a boy named Charlie.
Callie has been seeing Charlie for three years, they even have a game they play where they tell each other something they saw that day that reminded them of the other one *insert cute 'awwww' noise here* but something about their entire relationship had me very upset. It was hard for me to connect with their relationship at all, as very early on we're introduced to a guy named Jasper, who has recently been recruited to the same agency as Callie. Jasper is a bad boy and Callie finds herself instantly attracted to him as she believes he could know her better than Charlie ever could. To say this frustrated me, is an understatement. Callie has been with this guy for three years and in swoops this bad-guy and she's questioning her relationship?! From the get go, Callie is pulling away from Charlie and that made it ever so difficult to like him at all. I couldn't even be remotely upset when bad things would happen between them, I just carried on like nothing even happened. It was almost like Charlie was only there to fill a gap in the story, so much of me wanted to love Charlie, but I just couldn't get there.
Anyway, there's so much more to this story than the romance. I mean, I just stated that the romance wasn't the best, so there has to be, right? For the first half of the book we see Callie go to work and view with her boss Indigo, she views, tells him what she sees, and then writes a report. This essentially happens again and again with tiny bits of plot thrown in-between the viewings, that would be very easy to miss if you had no idea what was going on, until a plot twist comes along... then things get interesting.
The last half of the book is action packed, filled with lasers, imminent natural disasters, guns, interesting psychic powers, a reunion, and two unexpected allies. I guess what I'm saying is, the first half of the book, which is fine if not a tiny bit slow, is so worth it when you get to the end of the novel, which was just fantastic!
One thing I would have loved was for the things that Callie saw in the 'viewings' to be in italics because sometimes I'd have to re-read a page and figure out properly where the viewing ended and where real and current life began again.
The characters within the book were all very likable, I didn't find myself instantly hating or disliking any of them. Callie's point of view was very enjoyable, and although she made some idiotic decisions and got mad about things she didn't really have a right to be angry about (accurate teenager there, to be honest!) she was a great character to read and I would happily read more about her world.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. I liked how slowly but surely the novel sucked you in until you were forced to read the last 150 pages like your life depended on it, I loved most of the characters, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's looking for an interesting stand-alone YA novel! I gave this book a 4/5 stars (★★★★☆)!
I can only describe Lies I Live By as a science-fiction novel, mostly because I have no idea what the sub-genres are and since I rarely read anything in that genre I haven't done the research. As this is told from seventeen year old Callie Sinclair's perspective it's quite easy to settle into this YA book.
Lies I Live By can't be described as fast paced, it's the kind of book that you can pick up and put down between other books that are just too much for you at the time. It's not until about two thirds of the way in that you feel the need to race to the end, like I did today. Literally one revelation had me speeding towards the last page like my life depended on it.
At the beginning, we meet Callie, a seventeen year old who's been recruited by a government agency to use her psychic abilities to 'view' things that are happening around the world and report back. She has a neat little cover story and a very odd relationship with a boy named Charlie.
Callie has been seeing Charlie for three years, they even have a game they play where they tell each other something they saw that day that reminded them of the other one *insert cute 'awwww' noise here* but something about their entire relationship had me very upset. It was hard for me to connect with their relationship at all, as very early on we're introduced to a guy named Jasper, who has recently been recruited to the same agency as Callie. Jasper is a bad boy and Callie finds herself instantly attracted to him as she believes he could know her better than Charlie ever could. To say this frustrated me, is an understatement. Callie has been with this guy for three years and in swoops this bad-guy and she's questioning her relationship?! From the get go, Callie is pulling away from Charlie and that made it ever so difficult to like him at all. I couldn't even be remotely upset when bad things would happen between them, I just carried on like nothing even happened. It was almost like Charlie was only there to fill a gap in the story, so much of me wanted to love Charlie, but I just couldn't get there.
Anyway, there's so much more to this story than the romance. I mean, I just stated that the romance wasn't the best, so there has to be, right? For the first half of the book we see Callie go to work and view with her boss Indigo, she views, tells him what she sees, and then writes a report. This essentially happens again and again with tiny bits of plot thrown in-between the viewings, that would be very easy to miss if you had no idea what was going on, until a plot twist comes along... then things get interesting.
The last half of the book is action packed, filled with lasers, imminent natural disasters, guns, interesting psychic powers, a reunion, and two unexpected allies. I guess what I'm saying is, the first half of the book, which is fine if not a tiny bit slow, is so worth it when you get to the end of the novel, which was just fantastic!
One thing I would have loved was for the things that Callie saw in the 'viewings' to be in italics because sometimes I'd have to re-read a page and figure out properly where the viewing ended and where real and current life began again.
The characters within the book were all very likable, I didn't find myself instantly hating or disliking any of them. Callie's point of view was very enjoyable, and although she made some idiotic decisions and got mad about things she didn't really have a right to be angry about (accurate teenager there, to be honest!) she was a great character to read and I would happily read more about her world.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. I liked how slowly but surely the novel sucked you in until you were forced to read the last 150 pages like your life depended on it, I loved most of the characters, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's looking for an interesting stand-alone YA novel! I gave this book a 4/5 stars (★★★★☆)!
December 25, 2016
Callie and Charlie have been together for many years. At first Callie could tell him everything, but her life has changed ever since she discovered she has psychic abilities. Callie works for the government and her work consists of spying operations with her mind. When Jasper joins the agency she works for work all of a sudden becomes a lot more interesting. Callie likes her boss, Indigo, but he isn't her own age. She's finally found someone she can connect to. When her visions become more and more specific Callie needs Jasper's help. She's heading into dangerous territory and nobody will be able to stop her...
Lies I Live By is a gripping page-turner. I loved Callie's attitude. She has incredible abilities and because of them she has to tell lies to the people she loves. Even though she hates it and would feel so much better if she could talk about her special skills, she tries to make the best of her situation and doesn't tell anyone close to her what she knows. She wants to protect everyone around her and I admired her for it. She uses her gift in a controlled environment and I loved that angle. It was great to read about her job and her colleagues.
I liked Charlie very much. He's a talented guy and he's one of the good ones. I could feel Callie's pain and understood her emotions. I loved that Lauren Sabel has given Callie and Charlie a long and meaningful relationship. It was clear from the start that their love would be tested though and I was anxious to find out where it would lead. The ending is unexpected, it's sweet and romantic in many different ways and I liked it very much.
I really enjoyed reading Lies I Live By. Callie's world is chaotic and her life is a bit of a rollercoaster. Lauren Sabel's story is fast-paced with plenty of interesting twists and turns. It isn't perfectly polished, it's messy, just like most hours in Callie's days, which is something I liked a lot. Callie is strong and smart and she isn't afraid to fight for what she believes in. That means she's willing to make mistakes to get ahead, which adds a measure of surprise. I had so much fun reading this unpredictable story, which is what I loved about it the most.
Lies I Live By is a gripping page-turner. I loved Callie's attitude. She has incredible abilities and because of them she has to tell lies to the people she loves. Even though she hates it and would feel so much better if she could talk about her special skills, she tries to make the best of her situation and doesn't tell anyone close to her what she knows. She wants to protect everyone around her and I admired her for it. She uses her gift in a controlled environment and I loved that angle. It was great to read about her job and her colleagues.
I liked Charlie very much. He's a talented guy and he's one of the good ones. I could feel Callie's pain and understood her emotions. I loved that Lauren Sabel has given Callie and Charlie a long and meaningful relationship. It was clear from the start that their love would be tested though and I was anxious to find out where it would lead. The ending is unexpected, it's sweet and romantic in many different ways and I liked it very much.
I really enjoyed reading Lies I Live By. Callie's world is chaotic and her life is a bit of a rollercoaster. Lauren Sabel's story is fast-paced with plenty of interesting twists and turns. It isn't perfectly polished, it's messy, just like most hours in Callie's days, which is something I liked a lot. Callie is strong and smart and she isn't afraid to fight for what she believes in. That means she's willing to make mistakes to get ahead, which adds a measure of surprise. I had so much fun reading this unpredictable story, which is what I loved about it the most.
May 7, 2016
At seventeen, Callie Sinclair is the government’s youngest psychic spy, but if she doesn’t find a way to change the events she’s seen, she could lose the people she loves the most…and her mind in this exciting YA thriller.
The story is well written with lots of details that capture the imagination and draw the reader in, it starts off by letting readers get to know all the characters which are strong and compelling, but of course most of the focus is on Callie and the story is told from her point of view, it actually makes you feel as if Callie is talking to you directly, which kind of adds to the being part of the story feel. The plot is steady paced for the most part and full of interesting elements and spine tingling suspense, as Callie’s visions slowly reveal a huge plot that could cause lots of deaths including those that she cares about, but also leads her to some secrets regarding her personal life.
The romantic interest in the story is sweet as Callie has a long time boyfriend that doesn’t know her secret and expectation builds when that love is tested by a handsome young psychic that joins the agency, causing some emotional upheaval and excitement regarding both her personal and professional lives. The author also describes Callie and her life with enough detail that readers can easily understand all the emotional turmoil that a young woman in Callie’s situation might feel in both expanses of her life.
With all of that being said, I should warn you that I almost didn’t continue with the story because it starts off a bit on the slow side but like I said above, the author uses this time to give readers insight into Callie and the nature of her job. The story did kick up the pace with some intriguing twists and turns, Callie’s psychic abilities added flair and excitement and her love triangle added to the story as well, so overall the story was an enjoyable read.
The story is well written with lots of details that capture the imagination and draw the reader in, it starts off by letting readers get to know all the characters which are strong and compelling, but of course most of the focus is on Callie and the story is told from her point of view, it actually makes you feel as if Callie is talking to you directly, which kind of adds to the being part of the story feel. The plot is steady paced for the most part and full of interesting elements and spine tingling suspense, as Callie’s visions slowly reveal a huge plot that could cause lots of deaths including those that she cares about, but also leads her to some secrets regarding her personal life.
The romantic interest in the story is sweet as Callie has a long time boyfriend that doesn’t know her secret and expectation builds when that love is tested by a handsome young psychic that joins the agency, causing some emotional upheaval and excitement regarding both her personal and professional lives. The author also describes Callie and her life with enough detail that readers can easily understand all the emotional turmoil that a young woman in Callie’s situation might feel in both expanses of her life.
With all of that being said, I should warn you that I almost didn’t continue with the story because it starts off a bit on the slow side but like I said above, the author uses this time to give readers insight into Callie and the nature of her job. The story did kick up the pace with some intriguing twists and turns, Callie’s psychic abilities added flair and excitement and her love triangle added to the story as well, so overall the story was an enjoyable read.
July 12, 2016
3.5/5
Lies I Live By is a quick, intriguing read about psychics and a deadly plot they must uncover. The first half is full of hints and adventure and mystery, while the second half is full of action, adrenaline, and discoveries. It’s easy to get lost in, and seems predictable until you’re proven wrong. It’s a great read that I devoured in a few hours!
I was intrigued by the whole psychics-working-for-the-government aspect, especially since our MC, Callie, had to lie because of it. She could only be honest with those she worked with because they already know and understand about psychics since they are psychics too. And even then, she kept a few secrets to herself. This helped move the pace and made for some very interesting situations. She struggled through hope, love, loss, and pain. Even when faced with a deep and painful betrayal, you can’t help but hope it all works out. This book is a play on emotions, and it’s a trickster. What you think will happen won’t always happen. Twists come out of seemingly no where but make so much sense you wonder why you didn’t see it coning! It’s fairly fast paced, has great flow, and the writing sucked me in easily.
*Read my full review here
*Thanks to FFBC for providing me with a free ebook in order to participate in this tour.:)
July 25, 2016
So...this book was, for lack of a better word, boring.
The first 3/4 of the book went something like this: have a psychic session, learn a snippet of information, write a report, investigate said snippet in the most boring, least action-oriented way possible, have a meaningful (or sometimes meaningless) moment with boyfriend or third-wheel love interest - sometimes both, go home, interact with mom and/or her boyfriend for a few moments, go to sleep. Rinse. Repeat. Over and over and over again.
By the time everything came together and the action picked up a bit (maybe 3/4 of the way through?), I was beyond caring.
And that was the worst part about this book. I simply couldn't bring myself to care. Not about the story and certainly not about the characters. Not Callie - who made some horrendously bad decisions about her love life. Not Charlie - who was annoyingly perfect and perfectly annoying. And not Jasper - who was, well...just wierd.
Add to that the appearance of the ever sucky "why do you even bother" love triangle and it's no surprise that I spent the bulk of my time feeling like I was the psychic, viewing this story from a distance and completely unable to engage with it on a meaningful level in any way.
The first 3/4 of the book went something like this: have a psychic session, learn a snippet of information, write a report, investigate said snippet in the most boring, least action-oriented way possible, have a meaningful (or sometimes meaningless) moment with boyfriend or third-wheel love interest - sometimes both, go home, interact with mom and/or her boyfriend for a few moments, go to sleep. Rinse. Repeat. Over and over and over again.
By the time everything came together and the action picked up a bit (maybe 3/4 of the way through?), I was beyond caring.
And that was the worst part about this book. I simply couldn't bring myself to care. Not about the story and certainly not about the characters. Not Callie - who made some horrendously bad decisions about her love life. Not Charlie - who was annoyingly perfect and perfectly annoying. And not Jasper - who was, well...just wierd.
Add to that the appearance of the ever sucky "why do you even bother" love triangle and it's no surprise that I spent the bulk of my time feeling like I was the psychic, viewing this story from a distance and completely unable to engage with it on a meaningful level in any way.
February 17, 2017
I'll admit I was biased about this book because a friend was forever ranting about it to me, but I've come to my own conclusion:
It's a shallow, lame book with shitty, plastic characters, a pretty cool plot, an impossibly long exposition.
Also- Callie's a fucking bitch
It's a shallow, lame book with shitty, plastic characters, a pretty cool plot, an impossibly long exposition.
Also- Callie's a fucking bitch
May 22, 2016
Loved it from cover to cover! The writing is engrossing, Callie is a captivating main character, and the plot line kept me guessing until the very end.
July 28, 2016
This book wasn't terrible, but I had a really hard time keeping my eyes open while I read it. #snoozefest
May 8, 2020
Callie discovers at a party that she can bend metal with her mind. She is recruited (at the age of 17) to work for the CIA in a little known and underfunded psychic unit. Callie can use her abilities to see radiation and so she can see where nuclear weapons and lasers are being used, therefore she can prevent some horrible things from occurring. She starts seeing visions of events that are a lot closer to home though and things start going terribly wrong...
OK, the literary merit may not have been the highest but I really enjoyed it anyway. A little violence but no swearing, drinking, or sex - a little kissing. Fine for middle school.
OK, the literary merit may not have been the highest but I really enjoyed it anyway. A little violence but no swearing, drinking, or sex - a little kissing. Fine for middle school.
July 25, 2017
Ugh, this book. A story of a girl who is a psychic spy for the government, along with her boyfriend. A billionaire gets interested in what they can do, and things go pear-shaped as they do, and it's up to our heroes to sort it out. This book, at well over 400 pages, felt so long and the stakes so low that it was hard for me to get invested or even care that much even with an interesting premise and solid writing on a whole.
Skip this one.
Skip this one.
February 5, 2022
A lighthearted read that was simple, descriptive and set in one of my favourite places, San Francisco. The plot was fairy simple, the drama was your average teenage love triangle but I pushed it aside and focused focused the mystery. I did enjoy the uniqueness however I found most of the book fairly repetitive and slow at times Though I had a few issues with this book, I did enjoy it for a filler read but wouldn't say I loved it.
July 25, 2021
Although she’s only 17, Callie is already working with the government as a psychic. The problem is that she can’t tell her mom or her boyfriend the truth about what she does. She hates lying to them, and then her new co-worker Jasper makes it even harder. Her visions grow more complicated, and she has to figure them out before she loses everyone close to her.
December 26, 2019
Overall I enjoyed this book, I like how we saw a lot of Callie's normal life and how she didn't always depend on her powers. But her powers were different, not like every other super hero story, so I kinda wish she could've used them more, but at the same time her powers really made the book...
January 20, 2021
Intense and wonderful. To me this book has the best possible ending ever! Love the sciencey aspects and the great characters.
November 28, 2021
I really enjoyed this book ! Definitely would recommend this book if you like action along with some mystery and romance.
January 27, 2022
I feel as though not much action happened until page 300. However Lauren sabel still kept the book intresting
June 22, 2022
Excellent read! Enjoyed the story line and got to know the characters, which made me want to know what was going to happen to them. Story had many twists and had me on edge a number of times.
July 2, 2016
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review as a part of a book tour and rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
A young adult thriller with paranormal elements, Lauren Sabel’s Lies I Live By combines psychic abilities, a teenage love triangle, astral projection and a light touch of humor. Raising the question of who we are and who we can really trust, Ms. Sabel reminds us that becoming an adult is not always an easy, or painless, journey. If you like young adult books and spy novels – you’re going to want to add this to your library.
A seventeen year old on the verge of graduating from high school, Callie Sinclair is not your normal teenager, she has a pretty big secret. The newest, and youngest, recruit for a secret government program, Callie has psychic abilities which allow her to see electromagnetic radiation and catch the occasional glimpse of the future. Lying to her single mother and boyfriend, Callie spends her afternoons practicing astral projection as she tries to keep the country safe from potential enemies. I really liked Callie’s character; she’s smart, brave and hates having to lie to everyone she knows. She’s also a teenager who questions who she is, what she wants to become and if she can really trust the people she knows. Ms. Sabel does a good job developing her character and I enjoyed watching Callie grow and mature throughout the story.
The secondary characters are well developed and I really enjoyed getting to know her mom, her “boss” and recruiter, Indigo, at the government agency, her boyfriend Charlie, who wants them both to go to the same college on the East Coast, and Jasper, a government psychic brought in from New York to work with Callie. Ms. Sabel used all of the secondary characters to give Callie’s character more depth, introduce a romantic element into the story and add emotional angst. They also introduced a light touch of humor and fun into Callie’s life.
The thriller portion of the story is well developed and I enjoyed reading about how Callie used her abilities to “spy” on dangerous enemies. Especially with the type of talent she had. The story’s pace is a little uneven – the story starts out very slowly, but I enjoyed Ms. Sabel’s voice as an author. Overall I thought Ms. Sabel did a good job balancing all of the elements in her story.
Will Callie continue working for the government after she graduates high school? Or will she choose to go to college on the East Coast? And will she have to make a choice between Charlie and Jasper? You’ll have to read Lies I Live By to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Sabel’s work.
A young adult thriller with paranormal elements, Lauren Sabel’s Lies I Live By combines psychic abilities, a teenage love triangle, astral projection and a light touch of humor. Raising the question of who we are and who we can really trust, Ms. Sabel reminds us that becoming an adult is not always an easy, or painless, journey. If you like young adult books and spy novels – you’re going to want to add this to your library.
A seventeen year old on the verge of graduating from high school, Callie Sinclair is not your normal teenager, she has a pretty big secret. The newest, and youngest, recruit for a secret government program, Callie has psychic abilities which allow her to see electromagnetic radiation and catch the occasional glimpse of the future. Lying to her single mother and boyfriend, Callie spends her afternoons practicing astral projection as she tries to keep the country safe from potential enemies. I really liked Callie’s character; she’s smart, brave and hates having to lie to everyone she knows. She’s also a teenager who questions who she is, what she wants to become and if she can really trust the people she knows. Ms. Sabel does a good job developing her character and I enjoyed watching Callie grow and mature throughout the story.
The secondary characters are well developed and I really enjoyed getting to know her mom, her “boss” and recruiter, Indigo, at the government agency, her boyfriend Charlie, who wants them both to go to the same college on the East Coast, and Jasper, a government psychic brought in from New York to work with Callie. Ms. Sabel used all of the secondary characters to give Callie’s character more depth, introduce a romantic element into the story and add emotional angst. They also introduced a light touch of humor and fun into Callie’s life.
The thriller portion of the story is well developed and I enjoyed reading about how Callie used her abilities to “spy” on dangerous enemies. Especially with the type of talent she had. The story’s pace is a little uneven – the story starts out very slowly, but I enjoyed Ms. Sabel’s voice as an author. Overall I thought Ms. Sabel did a good job balancing all of the elements in her story.
Will Callie continue working for the government after she graduates high school? Or will she choose to go to college on the East Coast? And will she have to make a choice between Charlie and Jasper? You’ll have to read Lies I Live By to find out, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Sabel’s work.
July 7, 2016
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
The cover was what originally drew me to this book. I thought it looked unique and when I saw the title and read the blurb, I was immediately interested… although, I have to say, reaching the end of the book, I felt it could have been expanded to be a bit longer, with less background dumped in the narration.
It was really intriguing to see a teenager struggling with having to deal with her psychic abilities, but also trying to juggle a family life… along with a boyfriend, all without telling any of them what she was really doing. I thought it was interesting to see that she chose to lie to her mother and boyfriend, even though she didn’t actually have to… but I felt her reasons for telling those lies (which fit in really well with the title) made a lot of sense.
I liked the fact that Callie wasn’t all-powerful all the time… but I really didn’t like her attraction to Jasper. I think it would have been more realistic to have her get to know him first, rather than be attracted to him so fast, to the point of having to remind herself she had a boyfriend. I had a lot of sympathy for Charlie, as I felt he got shafted quite a bit.
I thought it was good to see how the visions worked and I liked the implications that different members had different ways of triggering those. I thought it was a unique idea to have Callie consider it as sinking down into the ocean.
There was a lot of tension in this book, particularly in regards to the visions Callie had. I was also interested to see a character like Michael and see the very real danger presented in their job as psychics.
I also thought it was a really original idea for Callie to see the radiation and get visions that way and it was interesting to see the different types of abilities the characters had.
I’d give this book 3.5 stars out of 5, as I felt it could have done with being expanded upon quite a bit more. While I don’t think I’d read a sequel as it stands right now, I wouldn’t mind checking out more books by this author in the future.
(This review may contain spoilers).
The cover was what originally drew me to this book. I thought it looked unique and when I saw the title and read the blurb, I was immediately interested… although, I have to say, reaching the end of the book, I felt it could have been expanded to be a bit longer, with less background dumped in the narration.
It was really intriguing to see a teenager struggling with having to deal with her psychic abilities, but also trying to juggle a family life… along with a boyfriend, all without telling any of them what she was really doing. I thought it was interesting to see that she chose to lie to her mother and boyfriend, even though she didn’t actually have to… but I felt her reasons for telling those lies (which fit in really well with the title) made a lot of sense.
I liked the fact that Callie wasn’t all-powerful all the time… but I really didn’t like her attraction to Jasper. I think it would have been more realistic to have her get to know him first, rather than be attracted to him so fast, to the point of having to remind herself she had a boyfriend. I had a lot of sympathy for Charlie, as I felt he got shafted quite a bit.
I thought it was good to see how the visions worked and I liked the implications that different members had different ways of triggering those. I thought it was a unique idea to have Callie consider it as sinking down into the ocean.
There was a lot of tension in this book, particularly in regards to the visions Callie had. I was also interested to see a character like Michael and see the very real danger presented in their job as psychics.
I also thought it was a really original idea for Callie to see the radiation and get visions that way and it was interesting to see the different types of abilities the characters had.
I’d give this book 3.5 stars out of 5, as I felt it could have done with being expanded upon quite a bit more. While I don’t think I’d read a sequel as it stands right now, I wouldn’t mind checking out more books by this author in the future.
July 7, 2016
I hadn't actually heard much about Lies I Live By before it popped up on Edelweiss and I decided to give it a shot. I actually really enjoyed this book as well, at least for the most part. Sabel has created a thrilling story with intrigue and action and she has made it relateable and enjoyable to the YA demographic. I think YA as a genre has been so saturated by books of a certain trend and Lies I Live By offers something new that I an lots of people enjoying.
Callie was a great character, not perfect by any means but very intelligent, very talented and just the right level of reckless to make for exciting reading without her coming across as stupid. I loved the way she had to deal with saving the world at the same time as the smaller issues like lying to her mum and boyfriend, and dealing with her feelings for another guy. I loved the fact that she seemed real - like someone I could meet on the street.
Charlie and Jasper were also great. Whilst I don't like cheating in books, it is something that occasionally happens and this love triangle didn't seem over-done. I think the difference is in the fact that Callie and Charlie have had a long term relationship so it isn't Charlie fighting to get her, he's fighting to keep her. Both guys were well written but Charlie is, of course, my favorite.
The issue that I had with this book, which stops it from getting a much better rating is the pacing. Whilst the end was high stakes, gripping stuff the first half of the book is quite slow and took a bit of a push to keep reading. The writing itself is great, so that kept me going, but the pace itself just seemed to be a little too slow. I hope that anyone else who reads this book will stick it out because it is totally worth it.
Overall, Lies I Live By was something different and I totally loved it. There was some issues with the pacing to start with but the plot and characters pull it through. A great read that I recommend for anyone looking for something fun and intriguing.
Overall Rating: B
June 26, 2016
From a plot point of view, I really liked this book. The whole concept of a teen girl with psychic powers is interesting, and definitely appealed to me when I picked the book up off the library shelf. There is a definite mystery factor to this book, even if it isn't labeled outright a mystery. The characters were wonderful, each unique but also working together to form a story; The psychic teen, Callie, who has a lot more on her plate than the average girl; Charlie, Callie's ever-loving boyfriend; Callie's co-worker, Jasper, who she feels an undeniable connection to; Callie's scatterbrained mom and her sweet boyfriend, Richard. Everyone from Callie's employer to smaller characters like Charlie's little brother intrigued me.
Where this book fell short was the execution. The writng style of this author is good, but lots of parts seemed very one-dimensional, like there was only ever one draft of that section, and never any thoughts to change them or try to alter it into something better. The pace was slow, and didn't pick up until the last few chapters. I will say though, I couldn't figure this book out until the very end. Granted, I'm not the best at figuring out mysteries, this one did take me a while to fully get. There were lots of unexpected plot twists, some more important than others, but they did still help make up for the lower parts of the book.
If you're looking for a book about a determined girl who will do everything she can to help the ones she loves, you've found the right book. The main reson I picked up this book was because I love contemporary teen romances, and the synopsis inside the book talked about flirting between Callie and Jasper. There wasn't much romance, but there was enough that I didn't ditch the book.
Overall I give this book 3.5/5 stars
Where this book fell short was the execution. The writng style of this author is good, but lots of parts seemed very one-dimensional, like there was only ever one draft of that section, and never any thoughts to change them or try to alter it into something better. The pace was slow, and didn't pick up until the last few chapters. I will say though, I couldn't figure this book out until the very end. Granted, I'm not the best at figuring out mysteries, this one did take me a while to fully get. There were lots of unexpected plot twists, some more important than others, but they did still help make up for the lower parts of the book.
If you're looking for a book about a determined girl who will do everything she can to help the ones she loves, you've found the right book. The main reson I picked up this book was because I love contemporary teen romances, and the synopsis inside the book talked about flirting between Callie and Jasper. There wasn't much romance, but there was enough that I didn't ditch the book.
Overall I give this book 3.5/5 stars
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