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See How They Lie
Mae believes that the reason she's lived all her life in a psychiatric hospital is because her father is a psychiatrist. Everyone says she's lucky to be there. With its high-end facilities and 24-hour surveillance, no one could be safer. But why is she being watched too? And how come she can never leave?
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 2, 2017
76 people are currently reading
2555 people want to read
About the author
Sue Wallman
11 books264 followersFrom eight to eighteen years, I lived in Highcliffe, Christchurch, on the south coast of England. Before that we lived in various places, including a hospital in York where my dad was a psychiatrist.
After Oxford Brookes University (I was one of the first people to do their publishing degree), I became a magazine journalist. A couple of years later, I went to live in Paris where I was editorial assistant for an American newspaper. Eventually, I returned to England via travelling around South America. I now live near Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey.
I love words. I've been a sub-editor, letters page editor and deputy features editor. In my spare time I've always written different types of fiction. In January 2007 I decided to stop faffing about and take seriously the one thing I'd wanted to achieve all my life. Five books and eight years later, I signed a book deal. Then, in May 2016, Lying About Last Summer, my debut novel, was published.
After Oxford Brookes University (I was one of the first people to do their publishing degree), I became a magazine journalist. A couple of years later, I went to live in Paris where I was editorial assistant for an American newspaper. Eventually, I returned to England via travelling around South America. I now live near Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey.
I love words. I've been a sub-editor, letters page editor and deputy features editor. In my spare time I've always written different types of fiction. In January 2007 I decided to stop faffing about and take seriously the one thing I'd wanted to achieve all my life. Five books and eight years later, I signed a book deal. Then, in May 2016, Lying About Last Summer, my debut novel, was published.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
September 12, 2025
I loved this because it was an addicting story (even if a little slow paced and predictable), I read it the same day I bought it (which never happens), I read it in one sitting, whilst sat outside on the beautiful weather! Regardless of what I thought of the actual plot/writing/characters, I will always have delightful memories attached to this book, and sometimes, that's enough.
July 26, 2017
I enjoyed this less than 'Lying About Last Summer' because the mystery was...less mysterious. I picked up on almost everything before the characters did, so I was just reading quickly to get to the end. Still, I really like books with this vibe and cult-y style plots are a secret favourite of mine, so I'll definitely keep my eye on this author!
March 29, 2020
The last title in the poll I created back then for me to read and it was such a disappointment.
This may be one of the unpopular opinions circulating around this book. To start off this short review-
I have come to the conclusion that this book is not intended for me. Although it was focused more on the plot rather than the development of each character, I found it so weak, vapid and uneventful. The plot progressed slower than I thought it would, almost like how a snail moves from one area to another. Everything from the get-go seemed too predictable for my taste so for the most part, I was not stirred enough to know what would happen next. Like from the start it was obvious some kind of inimical ploy was lurking around the shadows continuously pouncing at the patients and staff kids of Hummingbird Creek without them knowing about it. Also, it was like the head of that undertaking raised their hand and made themselves known deliberately to the readers just on the first half of the book, depriving us of any real mystery that its synopsis had promised to deliver. Plus, the ending felt too rushed and lackluster.
If there was one good thing about it, it would likely be the main character's unequivocal stance. All this to say the credit should be given to the author's crisply written narrative.
I just wanted it to end, if I'm being honest. Neither was I intrigued nor hooked by its plot. I felt like I was misinformed and fooled to pick up this book because that is how bad this is and I definitely would not want others to go through such a brutal ordeal. I am not trying to exaggerate things. Perhaps, though, this will be striking to some readers who are just starting to delve on the genre. But do not be mistaken, I still do not recommend this book to anybody at all. I am just so ecstatic that I am finally done with this and so I can move on to my next read with a fresh start. I just want to forget I ever wasted my time on this and rid myself completely of this book.
And thanks for nothing, especially for almost pushing me into a deep chasm of a thing called book slump. Hopefully the other books Ms. Wallman has written are nothing like this one as I am still willing to give them a chance. Maybe not now, but someday.
This may be one of the unpopular opinions circulating around this book. To start off this short review-
I have come to the conclusion that this book is not intended for me. Although it was focused more on the plot rather than the development of each character, I found it so weak, vapid and uneventful. The plot progressed slower than I thought it would, almost like how a snail moves from one area to another. Everything from the get-go seemed too predictable for my taste so for the most part, I was not stirred enough to know what would happen next. Like from the start it was obvious some kind of inimical ploy was lurking around the shadows continuously pouncing at the patients and staff kids of Hummingbird Creek without them knowing about it. Also, it was like the head of that undertaking raised their hand and made themselves known deliberately to the readers just on the first half of the book, depriving us of any real mystery that its synopsis had promised to deliver. Plus, the ending felt too rushed and lackluster.
If there was one good thing about it, it would likely be the main character's unequivocal stance. All this to say the credit should be given to the author's crisply written narrative.
I just wanted it to end, if I'm being honest. Neither was I intrigued nor hooked by its plot. I felt like I was misinformed and fooled to pick up this book because that is how bad this is and I definitely would not want others to go through such a brutal ordeal. I am not trying to exaggerate things. Perhaps, though, this will be striking to some readers who are just starting to delve on the genre. But do not be mistaken, I still do not recommend this book to anybody at all. I am just so ecstatic that I am finally done with this and so I can move on to my next read with a fresh start. I just want to forget I ever wasted my time on this and rid myself completely of this book.
And thanks for nothing, especially for almost pushing me into a deep chasm of a thing called book slump. Hopefully the other books Ms. Wallman has written are nothing like this one as I am still willing to give them a chance. Maybe not now, but someday.
September 25, 2017
For my written review, please check out the link below:
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
December 14, 2023
stars: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
spice: 0
i literally read this book today and can't remember anything.
spice: 0
i literally read this book today and can't remember anything.
September 2, 2017
4.0653 stars
I picked up this book randomly whilst food shopping because I
Mae Ballard is a 15 year old growing up in an in highly luxurious psychiatric sanatorium (Hummingbird Creek) for wealthy teenagers. Mae is not a patient at the Creek though, she is the daughter of the head Psychiatrist, Hunter Ballard. On the surface it appears as though Mae has a good life. Her family is wealthy and powerful, they live in a nice apartment, she has lots of materialistic things, she has personalised tuition, a good group of friends and all that jazz. Sounds lovely doesn’t it? I mean, who wouldn’t want to live in a place like this, right? Wrong. One day, Mae is caught breaking one of the many Creek rules and the truth about the place she calls home starts to be revealed.
Pretty quickly into the story we learn that everything is strictly controlled by Hunter at Hummingbird Creek. And when I say everything, I mean everything including food intake, exercise, which books they read, movies and tv they have access to, and the lessons the staff kids receive. Very rarely are staff kids allowed to leave the Creek, and when they do, they are chaperoned by a member of staff. Everyone has strict curfews and shutters automatically come down on windows at night. Internet access is highly restricted. The kids earn Credits instead of real money. Credits that can only be spent within the Creek, or on certain selected websites. Visiting someone else’s apartment is a rare privilege. The site is littered with security cameras and staff report any slight rule breaking, any questioning of rules, or even behaviour that may be seen as potentially leading to questioning the rules. It doesn’t sound so nice now does it?! Hunter is a total control freak and uses his influence to control and intimidate not only his own family, but all the staff and patients at the Creek. Mae makes it her own personal mission to find out why Hunter is so controlling, why she doesn’t know much about her own family history, and what is it with the vitamin pills everyone is prescribed.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. There isn’t a great amount of mystery but the story is very addictive. It is a slow burn, but I didn’t mind that. The characters are great, realistic and very believable. Mae is a little frustratingly naive at times, but that adds to her backstory and the way she has been brought up. The way she is quick to defend the Creek and its strict rules with others even when she is secretly questioning them herself shows just how brainwashed she has been. She collects fountain pens and I collect fountain pens so I instantly wanted to be her friend so we could talk about fountain pens NEEERRDSS. I hated Hunter from the get go! I think I was supposed to feel a little sorry for Mae’s mother, but she just annoyed the hell out me. I loved Thet though (a patient at the Creek). Thet had her own issues that she was working through, but it was easy to see that underneath her problems, there was a smart, sassy and extraordinary human being. It was nice to see a character with a mental health condition written with such depth.
Anyway, I’m off now to peruse vintage fountain pen websites.
January 2, 2021
I own this book.
Going into this book, I was a little skeptical. I read another book by Sue Wallman that promised a lot but did not deliver on those promises, so I expected the same from this book, touted as a YA book guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. I have to say. I'm pleasantly pleased.
This book follows Mae Ballard and her life growing up within the confines of a psychiatric facility ran by her father. As a staff kid, she follows a similar regime to the patient kids, she exercises when told, eats when told, takes her vitamins as given, goes to doctors appointments and so on. She has one solace, Drew and their sneaky cigarette breaks. But when things begin to become suspicious at the Creek, Mae finds herself questioning everything she knows to be true. Her life. The Creek. Her father.
This book was just like another YA Cult book. The reader knows it's a cult, the author knows it's a cult, but the characters don't yet and you get to discover that with them. I'm a sucker for a cult book. I love the drama and the conspiracies and the secrecy of it all and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was easy to follow, easy to read and I didn't find it over burdened on the information.
Going into this book, I was a little skeptical. I read another book by Sue Wallman that promised a lot but did not deliver on those promises, so I expected the same from this book, touted as a YA book guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. I have to say. I'm pleasantly pleased.
This book follows Mae Ballard and her life growing up within the confines of a psychiatric facility ran by her father. As a staff kid, she follows a similar regime to the patient kids, she exercises when told, eats when told, takes her vitamins as given, goes to doctors appointments and so on. She has one solace, Drew and their sneaky cigarette breaks. But when things begin to become suspicious at the Creek, Mae finds herself questioning everything she knows to be true. Her life. The Creek. Her father.
This book was just like another YA Cult book. The reader knows it's a cult, the author knows it's a cult, but the characters don't yet and you get to discover that with them. I'm a sucker for a cult book. I love the drama and the conspiracies and the secrecy of it all and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was easy to follow, easy to read and I didn't find it over burdened on the information.
July 27, 2018
This is a magnificent book. It is absorbing, it is thought-provoking, and it is full of unbelievable ideas that for me, make it stand out as one of the better contemporary YA books.
Not too long ago I read Sue Wallman's most recent YA thriller, Your Turn To Die. It was an entertaining and thoughtful read though not without its flaws. However, I saw more than enough in her writing style, characterisation, and ability to formulate and intriguing plot to convince me to read some of her other work.
There are two things that really drive this book. The first is the setting; a stunningly realised and scarily sinister psychiatric facility. Hummingbird Creek is one massive juxtaposition, and a very skilful one at that. The serenity of the place is unnerving when contrasted with the the dictatorial, dishonest, and cult-like regime within, all orchestrated by Mae's mysterious father.
And speaking of Mae, she is the other thing that drives this book. She is a fantastic narrator, so strong-willed and selfless and determined. You really experience the whole story with her as it unravels with sophistication at a solid pace. Indeed, all of the characters are very well realised, and I really felt I got to know them all as individuals.
Mae is also such a powerful character because she starts out as so unwilling and so unaware, with very little life experience. As the daughter of the man in charge of the facility and also one of its subjects, she is symbolic of what it represents, and this makes her journey towards discovering the true nature of her existence even more compelling.
There is very little, if anything, that I can criticise. It presents you with a mysterious plot, a compelling narrator, fascinating underlying themes, an engaging writing style, and an outstanding villain.
Thank you to Sue Wallman for this fabulous and captivating read. Five perfect stars!
Not too long ago I read Sue Wallman's most recent YA thriller, Your Turn To Die. It was an entertaining and thoughtful read though not without its flaws. However, I saw more than enough in her writing style, characterisation, and ability to formulate and intriguing plot to convince me to read some of her other work.
There are two things that really drive this book. The first is the setting; a stunningly realised and scarily sinister psychiatric facility. Hummingbird Creek is one massive juxtaposition, and a very skilful one at that. The serenity of the place is unnerving when contrasted with the the dictatorial, dishonest, and cult-like regime within, all orchestrated by Mae's mysterious father.
And speaking of Mae, she is the other thing that drives this book. She is a fantastic narrator, so strong-willed and selfless and determined. You really experience the whole story with her as it unravels with sophistication at a solid pace. Indeed, all of the characters are very well realised, and I really felt I got to know them all as individuals.
Mae is also such a powerful character because she starts out as so unwilling and so unaware, with very little life experience. As the daughter of the man in charge of the facility and also one of its subjects, she is symbolic of what it represents, and this makes her journey towards discovering the true nature of her existence even more compelling.
There is very little, if anything, that I can criticise. It presents you with a mysterious plot, a compelling narrator, fascinating underlying themes, an engaging writing style, and an outstanding villain.
Thank you to Sue Wallman for this fabulous and captivating read. Five perfect stars!
June 6, 2017
A full review is available on my blog!
I was so excited to see this book fly through the letter flap in my door. I'm a lover of all things psychological so I had the highest of hopes for this book. I have to say, I was a little disappointed with it, for various reasons- but the concept is incredible.
The first thing I didn't like about this book was the pace. I mean, nothing really happened until we got to the last 100 pages or so. I think there was way too much introduction to the facility and the characters that was really just unnecessary. By the fourth description of the facility, I was pretty much convinced that I lived there - we knew every little irrelevant detail there was to know about the running of Hummingbird Creek... but nothing really happened.
May 24, 2018
This was quite slow to get into if I am honest. I did guess what was going on at Hummingbird Creek quite early on. I was hoping that particular info would be revealed earlier on in the book in order for the story to get a bit more exciting. Unfortunately this wasn't the case, only revealing the true intentions of the creek in the final stages of the book. As a result, this then came across to me as quite a rushed ending, trying to cram in as much information as possible into the final few chapters.
July 11, 2023
I've been wanting to re-read this book since I first read it almost 5 years ago, and it did not disappoint!
August 28, 2017
DNF at 127.life is too short and this book is just one big POOO 🤷🏻♀️
May 16, 2024
Honestly a mid book, i was much younger when i last read sue wallman and now i think back, shes just generally a mid author, but good for younger auiences imterested in thriller/mystery books.
Quite disappointed with this one.
Quite disappointed with this one.
March 30, 2017
Going into See How They Lie I had no idea what to expect. The first time I had heard of this book was at a blogger brunch, but after hearing the author talk about it I knew I had to read this one.
Imagine being able to live in the worlds best resort, not having to worry about the outside world and stress over simple things. Mae's parents work at Hmmingbird Creek, and she gets to live there with other workers children, taking lessons, taking part in sporting activities, and the occasional visit to the spa. The only problem is the restrictive diet and lifestyle, no junk food, sugary food, nothing but the best food is available to eat. But soon Mae becomes suspicious after accepting a phone call from someone who she never knew existed.
See How They Lie was a book that had me trying to figure everything out. I really liked that we are fed small bits of information, and are left to piece it all together with Mae, trying to discover where each new piece fits into the puzzle. I liked the idea behind the story and how it was portrayed to us. On any given day a wellness resort would sound amazing, having the chance to get away from it all, forgetting your troubles, and being with others in the same situation,...until you connect the dots and are really glad you aren't there.
I enjoyed seeing a variety of characters, with a variety of reasons for being at the centre, either put there by parents to help them get better, or to help a child relax, or even down to working thier. Each person has thier own reasons for being there, and eventually thier own reasons for doing what they do. Mae herself was someone who I felt sorry for, but knowing she had real friends in the centre made me feel better for her, especially when she receives help from Noah who becomes a very willing partner in crime. I loved the twisty turn story line and how the plot thickened towards the end of the book.
Once again I'm being very vagueish and dodging a lot of the details about what happens......but it's for your own good.
Final Verdict
See How They Lie was a book I did not put down, and read in a few hours. It was a book that drew me in and had me wanting to know more. I also need to read Sue Wallman's other book now.
Imagine being able to live in the worlds best resort, not having to worry about the outside world and stress over simple things. Mae's parents work at Hmmingbird Creek, and she gets to live there with other workers children, taking lessons, taking part in sporting activities, and the occasional visit to the spa. The only problem is the restrictive diet and lifestyle, no junk food, sugary food, nothing but the best food is available to eat. But soon Mae becomes suspicious after accepting a phone call from someone who she never knew existed.
See How They Lie was a book that had me trying to figure everything out. I really liked that we are fed small bits of information, and are left to piece it all together with Mae, trying to discover where each new piece fits into the puzzle. I liked the idea behind the story and how it was portrayed to us. On any given day a wellness resort would sound amazing, having the chance to get away from it all, forgetting your troubles, and being with others in the same situation,...until you connect the dots and are really glad you aren't there.
I enjoyed seeing a variety of characters, with a variety of reasons for being at the centre, either put there by parents to help them get better, or to help a child relax, or even down to working thier. Each person has thier own reasons for being there, and eventually thier own reasons for doing what they do. Mae herself was someone who I felt sorry for, but knowing she had real friends in the centre made me feel better for her, especially when she receives help from Noah who becomes a very willing partner in crime. I loved the twisty turn story line and how the plot thickened towards the end of the book.
Once again I'm being very vagueish and dodging a lot of the details about what happens......but it's for your own good.
Final Verdict
See How They Lie was a book I did not put down, and read in a few hours. It was a book that drew me in and had me wanting to know more. I also need to read Sue Wallman's other book now.
March 13, 2018
Mae has grown up as one of a very few staff children in a swanky private psychiatric facility. Officially, as a staff kid, she has a better life than the patients. But at sixteen she starts asking some questions...how much freedom does she really have? And what is the cost of this isolated life?
It's a fun premise (shades of Breaking?) but drags in places. Sort of felt like the middle section was all The vitamins...could something be wrong with the vitamins? I think there's something going on with the vitamins. Could...could it be? Something to do with the vitamins? It's set up so that the reader figures things out much, much faster than Mae, which can in some cases be satisfying, but...not so much here.
Mae's grown up in this facility, and there's a lot about the outside world that she doesn't know, but in a lot of places it sort of felt that she understands the real world just fine, unless it's convenient to the story that there be something she doesn't know. I didn't love the use of the patients in the story, as they were really relegated to the background, but I'd have been curious to see a dual-POV version of this story, one side Mae's and one side somebody who knows what the real world is like...and who will have, eventually, the option to leave.
It's a fun premise (shades of Breaking?) but drags in places. Sort of felt like the middle section was all The vitamins...could something be wrong with the vitamins? I think there's something going on with the vitamins. Could...could it be? Something to do with the vitamins? It's set up so that the reader figures things out much, much faster than Mae, which can in some cases be satisfying, but...not so much here.
Mae's grown up in this facility, and there's a lot about the outside world that she doesn't know, but in a lot of places it sort of felt that she understands the real world just fine, unless it's convenient to the story that there be something she doesn't know. I didn't love the use of the patients in the story, as they were really relegated to the background, but I'd have been curious to see a dual-POV version of this story, one side Mae's and one side somebody who knows what the real world is like...and who will have, eventually, the option to leave.
January 19, 2018
What a good book. It is difficult to review without spoilers. I enjoyed the writing style and the plot swept you along slowly. I thought the characterisations were excellent. Especially the main female protagonist Mae, I loved her as much as I hated her Father Hunter. Teenage friendship and loyalty are also strong themes covered This is an excellent example of a modern day cult and how easily people can become manipulated when they are at their most vulnerable.
The ending for me felt a little rushed as I would have liked it to have been more fleshed out, including the aftermath. This would have been 4.5* from me if this had been done.
The ending for me felt a little rushed as I would have liked it to have been more fleshed out, including the aftermath. This would have been 4.5* from me if this had been done.
October 22, 2019
Jest to naprawdę fajna książki. Trochę w klimatach thrillera dla młodzieży z różnymi tajemnicami i zagadkami. Owszem, pozcyja ta była przewidywalna, ale to nie odbierało frajdy z czytania, bo czas spędzony z tą książką należał do udanych.
Czyta się ją bardzo szybko i naprawdę jestem w stanie ją polecić każdemu nastolatkowi lub nawet młodszemu czytelnikowi.
Czyta się ją bardzo szybko i naprawdę jestem w stanie ją polecić każdemu nastolatkowi lub nawet młodszemu czytelnikowi.
December 16, 2021
6.3/10, dupy nie urywa, przewidywalna
July 26, 2024
Nie mijn favo boek v Sue Wallman maar zeker nie slecht :)
April 21, 2018
2.75
Feels like I’ve been reading this forever. Unfortunately the “little hints” in this book were far too easy for me to figure out so I spent the majority of this book waiting for Mae to catch up and sort this stuff out. I was more intrigued by Louelle’s past and was quite disappointed by how quickly the resolution of that occurred. The build up was too long for me and whilst this isn’t a long book I do think it was longer than it needed to be. I will definitely give this author another go though - I think I was just really in the mood for a proper mystery/thriller which this isn’t
Feels like I’ve been reading this forever. Unfortunately the “little hints” in this book were far too easy for me to figure out so I spent the majority of this book waiting for Mae to catch up and sort this stuff out. I was more intrigued by Louelle’s past and was quite disappointed by how quickly the resolution of that occurred. The build up was too long for me and whilst this isn’t a long book I do think it was longer than it needed to be. I will definitely give this author another go though - I think I was just really in the mood for a proper mystery/thriller which this isn’t
July 13, 2017
Wallman's writing style is not for me. The story drags before reaching a predictable end. Very little story development and poorly created characters left me with a book I struggled to read.
October 15, 2024
I devoured this book! It kept my attention the full way through hated when I had to put it down! I had no expectations for this book but I was totally impressed by it!! Well done Sue!!
April 20, 2018
4.5 stars. An interesting read that I really enjoyed. This book covers a tough topic and does it really well, with the focus on how the cult functions and causes their "inmates" to be unable to function outside the realms of the retreat, or at least convinces them that this is the case. Hunter is a complete villan, and as far as I can tell has no redeeming qualities what so ever, making the climax of his story arc even more satsifying when it gets there. Seeing his character develop from what he is at the start, and what he is at the end (I don't want to post spoilers) is one of the most interesting developments in the story. Other characters of hate-worthy note include Greta, Mick and, surprisingly, Romeraz. Even though these characters have hardly any page-time, the writer uses it well to show the sort of people we are dealing with.
Mae is an interesting narrator, although there are a couple of times where she causes an eye roll due to her internal dialogue (especially when it comes to Drew). I also loved the relationship with her mother and Ms Ray (who by the way is absolutely wonderful and exactly what a teacher should be).
The plot moved at a steady pace, although there were a couple of times where it slowed and was a tad difficult to read. Also, and this is a rare case, I think the book could have been longer as there were interesting characters that I would have loved to have read more about and there were times where the plot moved a little too quickly with some of the shocks. They just sort of happened and then we moved on. Example below includes spoilers (warning as I am not sure how to hide parts of my review so I apologise)
[An example for me is Austin,as I would have loved to have seen how his relationship with Will developed in the short time that they were together and feel that this would have made his death have more an emotional punch].
All in all a great read that has a satisfying ending with a great plot. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Mae is an interesting narrator, although there are a couple of times where she causes an eye roll due to her internal dialogue (especially when it comes to Drew). I also loved the relationship with her mother and Ms Ray (who by the way is absolutely wonderful and exactly what a teacher should be).
The plot moved at a steady pace, although there were a couple of times where it slowed and was a tad difficult to read. Also, and this is a rare case, I think the book could have been longer as there were interesting characters that I would have loved to have read more about and there were times where the plot moved a little too quickly with some of the shocks. They just sort of happened and then we moved on. Example below includes spoilers (warning as I am not sure how to hide parts of my review so I apologise)
[An example for me is Austin,as I would have loved to have seen how his relationship with Will developed in the short time that they were together and feel that this would have made his death have more an emotional punch].
All in all a great read that has a satisfying ending with a great plot. I look forward to reading more by this author.
January 22, 2023
Recently, I read Lying About Last Summer by Sue Wallman and enjoyed the read and wanted to give her other books a go. This one I feel followed a bit of a similar trend but not. What I found similar was that both books are set in a psychiatric-type facility - Lying about Last Summer had our main character at a camp for grieving teens and they had to attend therapy. This one is an actual facility with all walks of life. Our main character Mae lives with her family at Hummingbird Creek as her Dad - Dr. Hunter Ballard owns the facility. They live via strict rules and regimes and everything is a token base. Follow the rules and there are no problems, don't follow them or slightly step out of line and that is a whole different ballgame.
The book starts with Mae helping Jenna the receptionist out when Jenna walks away, Mae answers the phone to hear that it's her Uncle Frank and to pass the message to her mum that her Mother has died. This surprises Mae as her mum doesn't have any family that she knows of. Soon Mae will start to ask questions but will see walls put up and eventually when a new teacher starts, it helps her to question everything she has ever been taught. Is anything about her life, real or is someone controlling their every move at the facility? During the book, Mae will become more and more suspicious and with the help of Noah and Miss Ray, she will reach out to the "real world" and discover not all is as it seems. When a patient dies at Hummingbird Creek and her mum gets sick, can Mae uncover the dark truth before anyone else gets hurt? Find out in this YA psychological thriller - See How They Lie by Sue Wallman. Though this book is set in the US, due to the author being from the UK it is written very similar to books based in the UK - that slow-paced thriller style rather than the US's faster-paced stories. Overall, Sue Wallman is a great author for fans of YA thrillers.
May 2, 2018
See How They Lie follows Mae, a teenage girl living in a luxury psychiatric facility run by her father, Dr Hunter Ballard. But not as a patient. She lives on the site with her parents, and, along with other children of staff, is able to experience luxurious health treatments and facilities.
But if she's not a patient, why is her every move being monitored? Why can't she leave the hospital? And just what are the 'vitamins' being fed to all the patients and the staff's children???
Going into it, I wrongly assumed the twist would be But the real twist shook me. Dr Hunter Ballard has to be one of the most despicable, evil characters I've ever read about. .
Overall, it was an okay read but not something I would rave about.
But if she's not a patient, why is her every move being monitored? Why can't she leave the hospital? And just what are the 'vitamins' being fed to all the patients and the staff's children???
Going into it, I wrongly assumed the twist would be But the real twist shook me. Dr Hunter Ballard has to be one of the most despicable, evil characters I've ever read about. .
Overall, it was an okay read but not something I would rave about.
July 15, 2017
Actual review 2.5 stars...
This book… was bought completely on a whim if I’m completely honest. The cover initially caught my attention, there’s no denying it is a gorgeous cover and I’ve got to admit the synopsis did somewhat catch my interest but it was indeed the cover that pushed me to buy this book… not always the wisest of ways to go about book buying but… as it is I’m a book buying addict! At least my spontaneous buying of this book essentially allowed me to go into it with a completely open mind.
I’m going to start off by saying as well before I get into the main bulk of the review that I’m not the biggest fan of thriller’s or books with a psychological aspect involved… they’ve never really been my cup of tea. So whilst I went into this book with an open mind I was also well aware that I may simply not like it because of it falling under those particular genre’s....
See my full review on my blog - mediashadowreads.wordpress.com
This book… was bought completely on a whim if I’m completely honest. The cover initially caught my attention, there’s no denying it is a gorgeous cover and I’ve got to admit the synopsis did somewhat catch my interest but it was indeed the cover that pushed me to buy this book… not always the wisest of ways to go about book buying but… as it is I’m a book buying addict! At least my spontaneous buying of this book essentially allowed me to go into it with a completely open mind.
I’m going to start off by saying as well before I get into the main bulk of the review that I’m not the biggest fan of thriller’s or books with a psychological aspect involved… they’ve never really been my cup of tea. So whilst I went into this book with an open mind I was also well aware that I may simply not like it because of it falling under those particular genre’s....
See my full review on my blog - mediashadowreads.wordpress.com
November 27, 2017
3 star rating. I liked the plot was good. unfortunately it took a while for things to start happening was very slow to start with 150 pages in and was still slow and the ending was very rushed. I preferred her other book lying about last summer.
April 9, 2017
This was a really interesting one, I picked it up in the library as a holiday book and it was definitely worth it! Creepy and good fun! (Proper review on my blog soon)
August 3, 2017
It took a while to get into but it was interesting seeing all the secrets unravel
The writing wasn't fantastic but it was a nice read
The writing wasn't fantastic but it was a nice read
August 6, 2017
Look out for a video review soon on Bookish Brits
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