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This Lie Will Kill You
A thrilling murder mystery, perfect for fans of Riverdale, One of Us Is Lying and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.
Tell the truth. Or face the consequences.
One year ago, there was a party.
At the party, someone died.
Five teens all played a part, and up until now, no one has told the truth.
But tonight, the five survivors arrive at an isolated mansion in the hills, expecting to compete in a contest with a $50,000 grand prize. But of course...some things are too good to be true.
They realise they’ve been lured together by a revenge seeker who wants to unravel the truth about what actually happened that deadly night, one year ago.
Five arrived, but not all can leave. Will the truth set them free?
Or will their lies destroy them all?
Tell the truth. Or face the consequences.
One year ago, there was a party.
At the party, someone died.
Five teens all played a part, and up until now, no one has told the truth.
But tonight, the five survivors arrive at an isolated mansion in the hills, expecting to compete in a contest with a $50,000 grand prize. But of course...some things are too good to be true.
They realise they’ve been lured together by a revenge seeker who wants to unravel the truth about what actually happened that deadly night, one year ago.
Five arrived, but not all can leave. Will the truth set them free?
Or will their lies destroy them all?
Audible Audio
First published December 11, 2018
1158 people are currently reading
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About the author
Chelsea Pitcher
5 books522 followersChelsea Pitcher is a karaoke-singing, ocean-worshipping Oregonian with a penchant for twisty mysteries. She is the author of THE S-WORD, THE LAST CHANGELING & THE LAST FAERIE QUEEN.
Watch for her new YA thriller, THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU, coming December 11, 2018 from S&S/McElderry!
Agent: Mandy Hubbard
Watch for her new YA thriller, THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU, coming December 11, 2018 from S&S/McElderry!
Agent: Mandy Hubbard
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,844 reviews
February 11, 2021
this lie will kill you more like reading this book will kill you
with boredom
It wasn't even that bad to be honest, but it was so slow and uninteresting that I could barely finish it.
with boredom
It wasn't even that bad to be honest, but it was so slow and uninteresting that I could barely finish it.
December 28, 2018
*2 WTF STARS*
In the blurb they said this would be like Clue meets Riverdale... Sounds great right? Color me intrigued!
Well, unfortunately it ended up being a big fat no for me.
I really don’t know what to say about this.
I can’t even properly put my finger on what exactly I disliked about this! The storyline was basically all over the place, I couldn’t care less about any of the characters, everything felt so unbelievably unrealistic, it was totally obvious who the bad guy was, the writing at the start was beautiful and lyrical but went downhill pretty fast...
I loved the concept and the idea behind the story but the execution was just awful. Some parts were pretty creepy but I feel like a lot more could’ve been done with the whole story. The constant switching between characters was a complete miss for me because I guessed who the culprit was very early on and that just ruined all the fun.
Received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
In the blurb they said this would be like Clue meets Riverdale... Sounds great right? Color me intrigued!
Well, unfortunately it ended up being a big fat no for me.
I really don’t know what to say about this.
I can’t even properly put my finger on what exactly I disliked about this! The storyline was basically all over the place, I couldn’t care less about any of the characters, everything felt so unbelievably unrealistic, it was totally obvious who the bad guy was, the writing at the start was beautiful and lyrical but went downhill pretty fast...
I loved the concept and the idea behind the story but the execution was just awful. Some parts were pretty creepy but I feel like a lot more could’ve been done with the whole story. The constant switching between characters was a complete miss for me because I guessed who the culprit was very early on and that just ruined all the fun.
Received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
October 8, 2018
*2.5 stars.
Yes. But No.
Loved the idea of this one but sadly, for this reader, it just wasn't there.
That's not to say it's all bad. The premise is sound for anyone who loves things like I Know What You Did Last Summer (in fact you could probably use that title for this story too) and the kind of stuck with a killer who will survive vibe.
The writing goes between pretty good and not so hot, but the plotting is all over the place. The bad guy was so obvious they may have well have spent the entire book smirking and twirling a moustache, the events that lead to the final confrontation, well frankly I'm not really clear on to be honest but that's possibly because I stopped paying proper attention.
It has it's very excellent creepy moments to give the author due, porcelain dolls and suchlike but those flashes of brilliance got lost amongst the idiotic and very uninteresting characters.
It's not horrible. But in comparison with other tales of this nature it falls very flat.
Also if you are going to rip off Edward Cullen you should probably try and improve on the original but Shane was, if it's even possible, even paler.
A shame. There is potential here in some of the descriptive sense and the setting was I think more fascinating than the characters. The house they were all trapped in was grear. I'll see what the author does next. Not dismissing the possibilities just yet.
Yes. But No.
Loved the idea of this one but sadly, for this reader, it just wasn't there.
That's not to say it's all bad. The premise is sound for anyone who loves things like I Know What You Did Last Summer (in fact you could probably use that title for this story too) and the kind of stuck with a killer who will survive vibe.
The writing goes between pretty good and not so hot, but the plotting is all over the place. The bad guy was so obvious they may have well have spent the entire book smirking and twirling a moustache, the events that lead to the final confrontation, well frankly I'm not really clear on to be honest but that's possibly because I stopped paying proper attention.
It has it's very excellent creepy moments to give the author due, porcelain dolls and suchlike but those flashes of brilliance got lost amongst the idiotic and very uninteresting characters.
It's not horrible. But in comparison with other tales of this nature it falls very flat.
Also if you are going to rip off Edward Cullen you should probably try and improve on the original but Shane was, if it's even possible, even paler.
A shame. There is potential here in some of the descriptive sense and the setting was I think more fascinating than the characters. The house they were all trapped in was grear. I'll see what the author does next. Not dismissing the possibilities just yet.
April 23, 2019
1 ⭐️
I feel like this had so much potential but in its execution it was just a let down. I try not to write negative reviews as I know whilst I may loathe a book others will love it, but this was just a disappointment.
The whole thing was just so unrealistic, starting with why the hell these kids would go to this weird murder mystery night to win a scholarship. Even with a website that seems totally bogus if you ask me, let alone the fact it was the anniversary of Shane’s death which clearly should’ve been a great big red flag.
Brett was the only character I liked, and that was mainly because even though he was a bully he seemed to have genuine emotions.
Parker was absolutely vile, no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Gavin was pointless. Like literally what was the point of his character?
Juniper was meh.
Ruby had a nice sequinned outfit.
That’s about it.
The plot of the five of them being lured to this house was absurd. Taking weapons to a party with your classmates? Yeh, ok then...
I can’t even remember half the stuff that happened up until the “revelation”. The twists didn’t really seem like twists, they seemed pretty obvious.
One thing I did like was the references to classic fairy tales that were scattered throughout. Perhaps if the author writes a retelling of a fairy tale I’ll read it.
I think because I read so many crime thrillers I was unfairly comparing this to them, but even so, the ending was just ridiculous and I’m pretty sure the police would be conducting one hell of an investigation.
Not for me I’m afraid.
I feel like this had so much potential but in its execution it was just a let down. I try not to write negative reviews as I know whilst I may loathe a book others will love it, but this was just a disappointment.
The whole thing was just so unrealistic, starting with why the hell these kids would go to this weird murder mystery night to win a scholarship. Even with a website that seems totally bogus if you ask me, let alone the fact it was the anniversary of Shane’s death which clearly should’ve been a great big red flag.
Brett was the only character I liked, and that was mainly because even though he was a bully he seemed to have genuine emotions.
Parker was absolutely vile, no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Gavin was pointless. Like literally what was the point of his character?
Juniper was meh.
Ruby had a nice sequinned outfit.
That’s about it.
The plot of the five of them being lured to this house was absurd. Taking weapons to a party with your classmates? Yeh, ok then...
I can’t even remember half the stuff that happened up until the “revelation”. The twists didn’t really seem like twists, they seemed pretty obvious.
One thing I did like was the references to classic fairy tales that were scattered throughout. Perhaps if the author writes a retelling of a fairy tale I’ll read it.
I think because I read so many crime thrillers I was unfairly comparing this to them, but even so, the ending was just ridiculous and I’m pretty sure the police would be conducting one hell of an investigation.
Not for me I’m afraid.
April 22, 2019
Trauma and lack of boundaries do not count as character traits. Ugh.
March 30, 2020
This is exactly what I needed!
A fantastic YA mystery with hints of the board game Clue sprinkled throughout the night.
I blew through this, it was so addictive.
The story is nothing new, but the writing had me turning page after page!
Something I will recommend to anyone looking for an easy, quick read with some surprises thrown in.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC.
A fantastic YA mystery with hints of the board game Clue sprinkled throughout the night.
I blew through this, it was so addictive.
The story is nothing new, but the writing had me turning page after page!
Something I will recommend to anyone looking for an easy, quick read with some surprises thrown in.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC.
June 20, 2019
I read the book and I found it very enjoyable!
I wasn’t expecting the end at all, and I read it in 2 days, like I couldn’t stop till I knew who was it !! 🙈
It’s a big yes for me , and I would read more books of this author ☺️
I wasn’t expecting the end at all, and I read it in 2 days, like I couldn’t stop till I knew who was it !! 🙈
It’s a big yes for me , and I would read more books of this author ☺️
December 12, 2018
This Lie Will Kill You by Chelsea Pitcher sounded like the perfect book for me... Pretty Little Liars meets Riverdale.... 2 of my favourite shows. Unfortunately it just did not live up to this at all for me. It was creepy but totally unrealistic and I really did struggle with it. I was enjoying it in the beginning but it went downhill for me once the kids got to the scary house. I loved the idea of this story but it fell flat for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Children's for the advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Children's for the advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
August 7, 2019
↠2.5+
My feelings towards this book are mixed. I didn’t like like it, but I found it amusing; the idea even though unoriginal was something I liked but the execution left a lot to be desired. The writing was trying to be poetic which was too much so it ended up being pretentious. I mean who, WHO? starts slow dancing in the middle of a school hall with a guy they see for the first time in their life?
The story did start good—with a death and a promise of revenge followed with five teenagers entering a house to solve a murder mystery game for a scholarship. It reminded me so much of hidden object games (which I like) and adding the mystery someone that orchestrated all of that gave me strong Pretty Little Liars vibes (also liked that), taking that in account this should’ve been a great read for me…however I’m semi disappointed with it. If/when the author publishes something new I would give it a look.
The characters have reasons for doing what they did (even though I think they were very stupid) and we get to see how some of them became what they became, what happened and all that… that should’ve make us understand them and get to know them, right? So wrong, the characters are cardboards.
Parker is a freaking stalker and everyone pretty much knows it but does nothing about it.
Brett… did he have a greater purpose than to be Parker's “bodyguard”?
Gavin…why is he in the book? Also don’t see a point. He’s just the guy that doesn’t fit in so naturally at this type of gathering there has to be someone in the group that isn’t really part of the group.
Juniper… was kinda okay, she’s the concerned, nice friend that drifted apart with her best friend.
Ruby… oh god. She was a contradiction to me. She is presented as strong and feisty, but in reality she’s extra needy and has to be in a relationship no matter how toxic it is.
My feelings towards this book are mixed. I didn’t like like it, but I found it amusing; the idea even though unoriginal was something I liked but the execution left a lot to be desired. The writing was trying to be poetic which was too much so it ended up being pretentious. I mean who, WHO? starts slow dancing in the middle of a school hall with a guy they see for the first time in their life?
The story did start good—with a death and a promise of revenge followed with five teenagers entering a house to solve a murder mystery game for a scholarship. It reminded me so much of hidden object games (which I like) and adding the mystery someone that orchestrated all of that gave me strong Pretty Little Liars vibes (also liked that), taking that in account this should’ve been a great read for me…however I’m semi disappointed with it. If/when the author publishes something new I would give it a look.
The characters have reasons for doing what they did (even though I think they were very stupid) and we get to see how some of them became what they became, what happened and all that… that should’ve make us understand them and get to know them, right? So wrong, the characters are cardboards.
Parker is a freaking stalker and everyone pretty much knows it but does nothing about it.
Brett… did he have a greater purpose than to be Parker's “bodyguard”?
Gavin…why is he in the book? Also don’t see a point. He’s just the guy that doesn’t fit in so naturally at this type of gathering there has to be someone in the group that isn’t really part of the group.
Juniper… was kinda okay, she’s the concerned, nice friend that drifted apart with her best friend.
Ruby… oh god. She was a contradiction to me. She is presented as strong and feisty, but in reality she’s extra needy and has to be in a relationship no matter how toxic it is.
July 30, 2019
Where do I begin... So I guess I’ll start with the Pros (of which there are little).
Pros:
1. The author really knows how to divert expectations and build up the twists that come at the end of the novel. There are two major twists that come at the end of the novel. Both of which I was NOT expecting and for that I am grateful. Every mystery novel needs an unexpected twist. In the beginning, I thought the author immediately gave away who the “killer” (no one dies except one character) was by describing a girl watching Shane’s body burning and then planning the party. Later when we find out Shane has a sister, my first initial thought was that she was the “killer.” And I was correct. Except that she wasn’t the one watching and that brings me to number 2.
2. The Ringmaster & Dollface revealed. So I was absolutely correct in guessing that Shane’s sister was behind the party. That was a given. But I never could’ve guessed that Ruby was the Ringmaster. I had my suspicions about her being involved but that was immediately done with when it was revealed that Parker was working with Brianna (Dollface/Shane’s sister).
Now, for the cons...
Cons:
1. The EFFING characters. Completely unlikable! All of them. I’m sorry but I just found myself disliking each and every one of the characters. Even when it was revealed that some of them were innocent. Juniper, Gavin, and Brett are all easy to swallow and endure but Ruby and Parker were just... UGH. And don’t even get me started on Parker.
2. PARKER. FUCKING. ADDISON. There, that’s it. That’s my second con. I have never in my life hated a character as much as I hated Parker Addison. Take a huge pile of shit and then smear it on some douchebag off the street and that’s Parker Addison. Not only did he have an annoying God Complex but the guy was just a manipulative, disgusting, controlling, abusive steaming pile of shit. It took too damn long for him to die but God damn was I happy he did. And why is this a con considering he’s meant to be the villain of the story? The author spends too much time on this character. And I get it, the story revolves around him but I hated reading his chapters. HATED IT. And there were just too many in my opinion.
3. The writing was all over the place and some lines were just so cringe. It’s like the author took a page out of John Green’s book on how teens speak. Which includes “poetic” claims about being a goddess among the sand and pyramids. And don’t even get me started on the porcelain and circus stuff. Ugh. I just can’t. Some of the writing is very flowery, lyrical and poetic and then sometimes the writing is juvenile and ends up reading like a Wattpad fanfic.
4. The story is all over the place and constantly cuts between the past and the present. Which I understand is necessary to the plot and the story BUT it’s honestly easy to figure out the truth of what happened at Dahlia Kane’s Christmas Party and as to who really killed Shane just from the first mentions of the party and the little pieces of info given to us by the characters. You really don’t need to read the whole book to figure out who did what.
5. Just listen to what others are saying on here and don’t read this book. Don’t waste your time. I admit the summary sounded very, very interesting but the story lacked and suffered from too many problems. Also, it gets very boring as you get closer to the middle and doesn’t even pick up until the last like 30 pages.
Well, rant done. Hopefully my next read is better.
Pros:
1. The author really knows how to divert expectations and build up the twists that come at the end of the novel. There are two major twists that come at the end of the novel. Both of which I was NOT expecting and for that I am grateful. Every mystery novel needs an unexpected twist. In the beginning, I thought the author immediately gave away who the “killer” (no one dies except one character) was by describing a girl watching Shane’s body burning and then planning the party. Later when we find out Shane has a sister, my first initial thought was that she was the “killer.” And I was correct. Except that she wasn’t the one watching and that brings me to number 2.
2. The Ringmaster & Dollface revealed. So I was absolutely correct in guessing that Shane’s sister was behind the party. That was a given. But I never could’ve guessed that Ruby was the Ringmaster. I had my suspicions about her being involved but that was immediately done with when it was revealed that Parker was working with Brianna (Dollface/Shane’s sister).
Now, for the cons...
Cons:
1. The EFFING characters. Completely unlikable! All of them. I’m sorry but I just found myself disliking each and every one of the characters. Even when it was revealed that some of them were innocent. Juniper, Gavin, and Brett are all easy to swallow and endure but Ruby and Parker were just... UGH. And don’t even get me started on Parker.
2. PARKER. FUCKING. ADDISON. There, that’s it. That’s my second con. I have never in my life hated a character as much as I hated Parker Addison. Take a huge pile of shit and then smear it on some douchebag off the street and that’s Parker Addison. Not only did he have an annoying God Complex but the guy was just a manipulative, disgusting, controlling, abusive steaming pile of shit. It took too damn long for him to die but God damn was I happy he did. And why is this a con considering he’s meant to be the villain of the story? The author spends too much time on this character. And I get it, the story revolves around him but I hated reading his chapters. HATED IT. And there were just too many in my opinion.
3. The writing was all over the place and some lines were just so cringe. It’s like the author took a page out of John Green’s book on how teens speak. Which includes “poetic” claims about being a goddess among the sand and pyramids. And don’t even get me started on the porcelain and circus stuff. Ugh. I just can’t. Some of the writing is very flowery, lyrical and poetic and then sometimes the writing is juvenile and ends up reading like a Wattpad fanfic.
4. The story is all over the place and constantly cuts between the past and the present. Which I understand is necessary to the plot and the story BUT it’s honestly easy to figure out the truth of what happened at Dahlia Kane’s Christmas Party and as to who really killed Shane just from the first mentions of the party and the little pieces of info given to us by the characters. You really don’t need to read the whole book to figure out who did what.
5. Just listen to what others are saying on here and don’t read this book. Don’t waste your time. I admit the summary sounded very, very interesting but the story lacked and suffered from too many problems. Also, it gets very boring as you get closer to the middle and doesn’t even pick up until the last like 30 pages.
Well, rant done. Hopefully my next read is better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2022
so unrealistically corny like no way you fall for a guy who asks you to dance on the school hallway to somebody's RINGTONE
December 20, 2018
There are few things that upset me more than a sound, if slightly unoriginal, premise being wasted through poor execution, and I'm afraid that's exactly what happened with This Lie Will Kill You. Don't get me wrong, the author has some glorious flashes of brilliance but they were quickly displaced in my memory by innumerable issues. The author does create a creepy atmosphere and at points, the writing is engaging, at others it's barely coherent. The suspense and thrills which usually come with the identification, search and capture of the antagonist are sorely lacking as the bad guy is clear and very obvious from the first chapter onwards. I was hoping for some shock or surprise, but sadly it didn't happen.
As time went on it descended into complete chaos and ended up being rambling and tough to get through. I never warmed to any of the characters as they felt one-dimensional and rather shallow and needed their personalities developing more in order to get the readers attention. This may be enjoyable to Teens and Young Adults and those looking for a light, quick read that is more a bit of fun than serious reading, but, unfortunately, it fell flat for me and was deeply disappointing. I am curious as to what the author will do next and wouldn't be averse to checking it out. Hoping it'll be more readable and exciting than this was.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster UK Children's for an ARC.
As time went on it descended into complete chaos and ended up being rambling and tough to get through. I never warmed to any of the characters as they felt one-dimensional and rather shallow and needed their personalities developing more in order to get the readers attention. This may be enjoyable to Teens and Young Adults and those looking for a light, quick read that is more a bit of fun than serious reading, but, unfortunately, it fell flat for me and was deeply disappointing. I am curious as to what the author will do next and wouldn't be averse to checking it out. Hoping it'll be more readable and exciting than this was.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster UK Children's for an ARC.
February 1, 2020
"That smoldering skeleton had once been a boy, and that boy had been loved.
Held.
Kissed.
Not anymore. The fire had transformed him into a creature of ashes and bone, and the sight made the girl tremble, tears sliding down her cheeks. She needed to be strong. No, she needed to be cold, like an unfeeling doll. Porcelain limbs couldn’t tremble, and a heart made of plastic couldn’t ache this terribly. It couldn’t break. It couldn’t bleed.
📚 Series: No.
📚 Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller.
📚 POV: Multiple.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.
⚠ Content Warnings: Domestic abuse. Physical assault. Suicidal tendencies. Revenge. Gaslighting.
⚠ Read if: you enjoy teen slasher films and reads.
This Lie Will Kill You reminded me of Pretty Little Liars, Scream, and I Know What You Did Last Summer. If I were to be honest, it felt like I was reading a screenplay or a story written for the screen instead of a book. Well, I read this as an audiobook, so it actually served a similar purpose.
I have to say that this book was able to set the mood and ambiance of a mystery that will hook you, but unfortunately, it was unable to deliver it's promise. I have to say that there were parts of this that I liked, but the cliche, cheesy, and unconnected parts outnumbered the things that I enjoyed.
Lots of the story is not realistic, so if that's what you are after, then this is not the read for you. But, there is a lot of dramatic scenes and dramatic lines, so if you love that, then you can go for this book.
This book is an okay read for me. It was promising and offered a good, mysterious time. But, plot twists are a little lacking and the plot lines can be a little predictable. Still, it just might not be for me, so I am not discouraging anyone to give it a try.
There are days when we are craving for cheesy murder mysteries a la slasher films. When you get that craving, you can pick this book up.
☁ THE CRITERIA ☁
🌼 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Thrill Factor: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Romance: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Audiobook Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
☁FINAL VERDICT: 3.33/5 ☁
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March 13, 2025
DNF
Time of death: 80%
This has been on my cr for over 5 months now, which is baffling to say the least, i mean, it isn’t because i’ve sadly been on a 3 month long reading slump.
I have literally started, AND finished 7 books after starting this book, and barely read it since, and i think thats insane.
5 teens played a part in killing someone at a party, and got away with it. One year later they get invited to a mansion to compete in a contest to win a $50,000 prize. Then later, they find out that they’ve been lured by somebody who wants to seek revenge.
Now, i don’t know if it’s because of either the writing, characters, plot, or if it was all of it (it was).
Boring, is what it is, none of it peaked my interest at all. I don’t think i cared about any of the characters, alas, they were all very annoying, ignorant, and unintelligent. The majority of the characters probably resemble the personality of a carrot (I feel like that’s an insult to carrots).
I think it’s disappointing, because this book had a lot of hype, and i’m upset that it didn’t live up to it.
This book has been haunting me for a long time, due to not finishing it sooner.. I think i would’ve gone mental. I am so, so glad that i dnfed this book:)
Time of death: 80%
This has been on my cr for over 5 months now, which is baffling to say the least, i mean, it isn’t because i’ve sadly been on a 3 month long reading slump.
I have literally started, AND finished 7 books after starting this book, and barely read it since, and i think thats insane.
5 teens played a part in killing someone at a party, and got away with it. One year later they get invited to a mansion to compete in a contest to win a $50,000 prize. Then later, they find out that they’ve been lured by somebody who wants to seek revenge.
Now, i don’t know if it’s because of either the writing, characters, plot, or if it was all of it (it was).
Boring, is what it is, none of it peaked my interest at all. I don’t think i cared about any of the characters, alas, they were all very annoying, ignorant, and unintelligent. The majority of the characters probably resemble the personality of a carrot (I feel like that’s an insult to carrots).
I think it’s disappointing, because this book had a lot of hype, and i’m upset that it didn’t live up to it.
This book has been haunting me for a long time, due to not finishing it sooner.. I think i would’ve gone mental. I am so, so glad that i dnfed this book:)
December 18, 2018
This book was F-U-N. It was like CLUE meets I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. I enjoyed it immensely. That said, I DID figure out the plot twist very early on (lol).
June 1, 2020
Disclosure: This book was provided to me by Edelweiss free of charge in return for an honest and unbiased review. This book is scheduled to be released on December 11, 2018 by Margaret K. McElderry Books.
I have a confession to make. I am a complete sucker for shows like "Pretty Little Liars" and "Harper's Island". You know, the genre of show where I can yell, "Bitch, try locking your door!" and for one hour feel slightly superior that I would survive the wrath of a maniacal killer on a (twinkie induced, maybe?) rampage. Let's be real, though. If I were in a similar situation, I would totally die. I mean, I'm the comic relief. I'd be the second person bumped off - hell, FIRST if all my Asian friends decided to stay home that evening. Plus, I can't even really run and power-walking away from a killer just isn't going to get you very far even if it does prevent me from contracting a debilitating case of the tripsies. That being said, I just can't say no to a cheesy, teenybopper revenge thriller.
Yeah. I need to learn to say no. Wait, where are my manners?! No, thank you.
"This Lie Will Kill You" is not good - in fact it's borderline terrible. And it really is hard for me to write those words because I so wanted it to be good. Maybe it should have been a glaring red flag to me when the synopsis reads that it's "Clue" meets "Riverdale". Really? I love both of those things! Where do I sign up?
Except this book is neither of those things. Even if you stripped "Clue" of its brilliant mystery and memorable characters, "This Lie Will Kill You" wouldn't even come close.
Let's begin with the writing. I realize that I read an uncorrected proof, however, it kind of reads like a "Dick and Jane" picture book with a serious comma problem. We're talking very basic words and sentences. You could always tell when the author got really excited about certain words or phrases, though, because they would be repeated extensively throughout the book (a la Stephanie Meyer and "chagrin"). Variations of the word "heart" are used 81 times - 82 if you include the dedication. It is mostly descriptions about Ruby's heart - how her heart feels, what her heart is made of and, my personal favorite, hopes that her heart would "soften to red". Whatever the fuck that means. "Cheshire grin" is used 3 times which is definitely 3 times too many. There are various other examples of word/phrasing over-usage but I've grown bored.
Pitcher also does something which I wish authors would avoid and that is mentioning other contemporary works within their writing. Hear me out. If you mention "Harry Potter" and your book is kind of crap then guess what? I'm just going to be thinking about how I'd rather be reading Harry Potter. Please, just STOP.
Given the type of novel that "This Lie Will Kill You" is, if the writing were its only issue it could pass with a 2.5/5 star review for me. A solid "meh". It's fine. It served its purpose. Unfortunately, the rest of the book is kind of a mess as well.
Let's begin with the characters. We have a group of teenagers with ridiculous names (Ruby Valentine, Gavin Moon, Juniper Torres, Brett Carmichael, Parker Addison, Shane Ferrick, Brianna Ferrick) and while their names are unique, they're basically The Breakfast Club.
Ruby Valentine - the most beautiful girl in school, dates the rich guy, has an abusive father
Juniper Torres - good girl who is academically inclined.
Gavin Moon - the outsider.
Brett Carmichael - jock, the muscle.
Parker Addison - controlling rich guy
Shane Ferrick - mysterious newcomer, he's basically Edward from "Twilight".
Anyway, they are invited to an eerie mansion for a Murder Mystery Party where the winner will receive a $50,000 scholarship. So of course they all go because money. Very basic plot, which isn't necessarily a complete dealbreaker. For me, however, the creep factor just wasn't there and any incidents that were meant to be scary just sort of fell flat. I was promised the intrigue of "Clue" and I got an episode of "Pretty Little Liars" - during the writer's strike. Ultimately, "This Lie Will Kill You" is lacking any real suspense. Most of the plot consists of flashbacks to an incident that happened the previous summer (sound familiar?). It's not a real deep mystery either and you basically know where the book is headed from the beginning. It's too bad the ride along the way just isn't enjoyable enough to be worth your time.
I have a confession to make. I am a complete sucker for shows like "Pretty Little Liars" and "Harper's Island". You know, the genre of show where I can yell, "Bitch, try locking your door!" and for one hour feel slightly superior that I would survive the wrath of a maniacal killer on a (twinkie induced, maybe?) rampage. Let's be real, though. If I were in a similar situation, I would totally die. I mean, I'm the comic relief. I'd be the second person bumped off - hell, FIRST if all my Asian friends decided to stay home that evening. Plus, I can't even really run and power-walking away from a killer just isn't going to get you very far even if it does prevent me from contracting a debilitating case of the tripsies. That being said, I just can't say no to a cheesy, teenybopper revenge thriller.
Yeah. I need to learn to say no. Wait, where are my manners?! No, thank you.
"This Lie Will Kill You" is not good - in fact it's borderline terrible. And it really is hard for me to write those words because I so wanted it to be good. Maybe it should have been a glaring red flag to me when the synopsis reads that it's "Clue" meets "Riverdale". Really? I love both of those things! Where do I sign up?
Except this book is neither of those things. Even if you stripped "Clue" of its brilliant mystery and memorable characters, "This Lie Will Kill You" wouldn't even come close.
Let's begin with the writing. I realize that I read an uncorrected proof, however, it kind of reads like a "Dick and Jane" picture book with a serious comma problem. We're talking very basic words and sentences. You could always tell when the author got really excited about certain words or phrases, though, because they would be repeated extensively throughout the book (a la Stephanie Meyer and "chagrin"). Variations of the word "heart" are used 81 times - 82 if you include the dedication. It is mostly descriptions about Ruby's heart - how her heart feels, what her heart is made of and, my personal favorite, hopes that her heart would "soften to red". Whatever the fuck that means. "Cheshire grin" is used 3 times which is definitely 3 times too many. There are various other examples of word/phrasing over-usage but I've grown bored.
Pitcher also does something which I wish authors would avoid and that is mentioning other contemporary works within their writing. Hear me out. If you mention "Harry Potter" and your book is kind of crap then guess what? I'm just going to be thinking about how I'd rather be reading Harry Potter. Please, just STOP.
Given the type of novel that "This Lie Will Kill You" is, if the writing were its only issue it could pass with a 2.5/5 star review for me. A solid "meh". It's fine. It served its purpose. Unfortunately, the rest of the book is kind of a mess as well.
Let's begin with the characters. We have a group of teenagers with ridiculous names (Ruby Valentine, Gavin Moon, Juniper Torres, Brett Carmichael, Parker Addison, Shane Ferrick, Brianna Ferrick) and while their names are unique, they're basically The Breakfast Club.
Ruby Valentine - the most beautiful girl in school, dates the rich guy, has an abusive father
Juniper Torres - good girl who is academically inclined.
Gavin Moon - the outsider.
Brett Carmichael - jock, the muscle.
Parker Addison - controlling rich guy
Shane Ferrick - mysterious newcomer, he's basically Edward from "Twilight".
Anyway, they are invited to an eerie mansion for a Murder Mystery Party where the winner will receive a $50,000 scholarship. So of course they all go because money. Very basic plot, which isn't necessarily a complete dealbreaker. For me, however, the creep factor just wasn't there and any incidents that were meant to be scary just sort of fell flat. I was promised the intrigue of "Clue" and I got an episode of "Pretty Little Liars" - during the writer's strike. Ultimately, "This Lie Will Kill You" is lacking any real suspense. Most of the plot consists of flashbacks to an incident that happened the previous summer (sound familiar?). It's not a real deep mystery either and you basically know where the book is headed from the beginning. It's too bad the ride along the way just isn't enjoyable enough to be worth your time.
December 28, 2018
This is a great young adult horror and reminded me a bit of the old Scream/ I know what you did...films etc. Teenagers really should learn to trust their instincts when given a ticket to a mysterious house and the only other people invited are linked to the murder of a boy. Seriously! However if they did behave sensibly we wouldn't have a book :)
Twelve months ago Shane was killed and now the 5 people linked to him are invited to the aforesaid mysterious house on the pretense of winning a $50k university scholarship. Except they're actually there to relive the night of the murder and their roles within it to find out exactly what happened and who was the one ultimately responsible. All whilst dodging the murderous attempts of the boys traumatised twin sister.
I love a bonkers plot line and this was one. It alludes a few times to film YA horrors and I could totally see this up there with them. It was really easy to imagine this cinematically. It's quite tense as you can imagine, taking place in one evening the pace is fast going and doesn't let up from the minute they all arrive at the mansion. Each character is easily identifiable and as each reveals their innermost secrets you learn to either like them or hate them more.
I liked the fact that you pretty much know who did it from the halfway point even though the it's not confirmed until nearer the end. There's a sub-story around abuse both from a parent child point of view and that of romantic relationships. It's also a story of friendship and love. Oh and a bonus point for Gavin who demanded a bathroom break when fleeing a demented killer because no one does that in films and I completely would!
Overall I loved this and as the last book I'm reviewing in 2018 it's great to end it with a 5 star book.
Twelve months ago Shane was killed and now the 5 people linked to him are invited to the aforesaid mysterious house on the pretense of winning a $50k university scholarship. Except they're actually there to relive the night of the murder and their roles within it to find out exactly what happened and who was the one ultimately responsible. All whilst dodging the murderous attempts of the boys traumatised twin sister.
I love a bonkers plot line and this was one. It alludes a few times to film YA horrors and I could totally see this up there with them. It was really easy to imagine this cinematically. It's quite tense as you can imagine, taking place in one evening the pace is fast going and doesn't let up from the minute they all arrive at the mansion. Each character is easily identifiable and as each reveals their innermost secrets you learn to either like them or hate them more.
I liked the fact that you pretty much know who did it from the halfway point even though the it's not confirmed until nearer the end. There's a sub-story around abuse both from a parent child point of view and that of romantic relationships. It's also a story of friendship and love. Oh and a bonus point for Gavin who demanded a bathroom break when fleeing a demented killer because no one does that in films and I completely would!
Overall I loved this and as the last book I'm reviewing in 2018 it's great to end it with a 5 star book.
October 13, 2018
Seems as though I’m going against the trend here, but I really enjoyed this book!
I don’t watch either of the shows that it has been likened to, so I don’t have a comparison, but it definitely has elements of Kara Thomas’ The Cheerleaders, Karen M. McManus’ One of Us is Lying and a dash of Gossip (the movie).
Set in a creepy mansion (I pictured Victorian Gothic) this book takes place over one evening, with flashbacks to a year ago detailing the events of a fateful party. The characters are brought in under the premise of winning a college scholarship and each one has need for that money for their future, but our host wants answers and everyone has a secret that could unravel their entire world.
The writing had me hooked, it was creepy and suspenseful and though it’s not as horror-tastic as a Stephen King novel, I will never be looking at porcelain dolls the same way again (no it’s not a Chucky thing, and I will not give any other comments on this because I don’t want to spoil it). There were moments that I struggled to tear my eyes away from the kindle screen afraid that I’d lose the thrill and have to build it up again.
Given the bulk of the story focuses on just the one night in the present, I think the characters were fleshed out really well. Definitely enough to get an idea of who they are, their values, and their growth. They were mature and had solid back stories.
I’m one of those readers who likes to guess the whodunnit ending, usually satisfied when I get it and love it when I don’t. But there is a middle range, where correctly guessing the who, but the surrounding events of the reveal are still a surprise; and it’s always fun. This book was the latter.
Many thanks to Chelsea Pitcher, Simon and Schuster UK Children’s, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t watch either of the shows that it has been likened to, so I don’t have a comparison, but it definitely has elements of Kara Thomas’ The Cheerleaders, Karen M. McManus’ One of Us is Lying and a dash of Gossip (the movie).
Set in a creepy mansion (I pictured Victorian Gothic) this book takes place over one evening, with flashbacks to a year ago detailing the events of a fateful party. The characters are brought in under the premise of winning a college scholarship and each one has need for that money for their future, but our host wants answers and everyone has a secret that could unravel their entire world.
The writing had me hooked, it was creepy and suspenseful and though it’s not as horror-tastic as a Stephen King novel, I will never be looking at porcelain dolls the same way again (no it’s not a Chucky thing, and I will not give any other comments on this because I don’t want to spoil it). There were moments that I struggled to tear my eyes away from the kindle screen afraid that I’d lose the thrill and have to build it up again.
Given the bulk of the story focuses on just the one night in the present, I think the characters were fleshed out really well. Definitely enough to get an idea of who they are, their values, and their growth. They were mature and had solid back stories.
I’m one of those readers who likes to guess the whodunnit ending, usually satisfied when I get it and love it when I don’t. But there is a middle range, where correctly guessing the who, but the surrounding events of the reveal are still a surprise; and it’s always fun. This book was the latter.
Many thanks to Chelsea Pitcher, Simon and Schuster UK Children’s, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 30, 2022
I really had to sit with this book for a few minutes after I had finishing reading to decide what I was going to rate it. I was in a reading slump going into this book, so I think that didn't help my enjoyment of the first 150 pages. However, the last 100 pages had me hooked. The number of twists and turns kept me on my toes throughout. I did figure out two parts of it quite early on but nonetheless, the other couple of plot twists were quite surprising. 3 out of 5 stars because I thought the start was a bit slow, but would still recommend this to fans of 'One of us is Lying'.
January 28, 2019
When the phrase, "The struggle is real" was created, I have a feeling they had this book in mind (they just didn't realize it yet).
I had zero clue what was going on. Characters were underdeveloped and the plot was weak. I hope to have my review up soon.
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Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
I knew nothing about this other than it was a murder mystery that promised to have great twists and turns Well, I’m still waiting for all of that to happen because they sure were not in this book.
The concept of a group of teens being invited to a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater type event was a great idea but the execution was just not there. Everyone keeps comparing this to the infamous I Know What You Did Last Summer movie but this read more like a really bad generic C-list movie rip off of.
The author wanted me to believe that a this group of highly intelligent whip-smart teens fell for weak lies and a flimsy promise of scholarship money if they attend this event. That was all it took to get them together in a creepy house where a murder/death takes place and everyone had a specific role to play as a participant. Could one of them be the murderer? It was obvious the author tired way too hard to make this a complex who-dun-it but it was not complex, it was just confusing. Everything was over-complicated to the point of being uninteresting. I often zoned out and my thoughts drifted to what else I could be reading instead of this weak attempt at a thriller.
I get what was trying to be accomplished but the journey to get there was rough. The writing did not feel fluid or natural. I don’t know how else to say it other than it was bad. The characters were badly developed (if at all) and had no redeeming qualities.The author should have just had a bad guy in a top hat twirling a mustache cackling the entire time. Everything was obvious and eye-roll worthy. It was tacky and predictable at best.
This story had so much potential but it let me down in every way a book could let me down. The most humorous part was one of the characters read like Edward Cullen’s strange rarely-talked about cousin. If the author was going to include Edward, at least he could have improved upon the character. There is no way anyone could be paler than Edward but I stand corrected. Do yourself a favor, hard pass on this book. I sure wish I had.
I had zero clue what was going on. Characters were underdeveloped and the plot was weak. I hope to have my review up soon.
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Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...
I knew nothing about this other than it was a murder mystery that promised to have great twists and turns Well, I’m still waiting for all of that to happen because they sure were not in this book.
The concept of a group of teens being invited to a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater type event was a great idea but the execution was just not there. Everyone keeps comparing this to the infamous I Know What You Did Last Summer movie but this read more like a really bad generic C-list movie rip off of.
The author wanted me to believe that a this group of highly intelligent whip-smart teens fell for weak lies and a flimsy promise of scholarship money if they attend this event. That was all it took to get them together in a creepy house where a murder/death takes place and everyone had a specific role to play as a participant. Could one of them be the murderer? It was obvious the author tired way too hard to make this a complex who-dun-it but it was not complex, it was just confusing. Everything was over-complicated to the point of being uninteresting. I often zoned out and my thoughts drifted to what else I could be reading instead of this weak attempt at a thriller.
I get what was trying to be accomplished but the journey to get there was rough. The writing did not feel fluid or natural. I don’t know how else to say it other than it was bad. The characters were badly developed (if at all) and had no redeeming qualities.The author should have just had a bad guy in a top hat twirling a mustache cackling the entire time. Everything was obvious and eye-roll worthy. It was tacky and predictable at best.
This story had so much potential but it let me down in every way a book could let me down. The most humorous part was one of the characters read like Edward Cullen’s strange rarely-talked about cousin. If the author was going to include Edward, at least he could have improved upon the character. There is no way anyone could be paler than Edward but I stand corrected. Do yourself a favor, hard pass on this book. I sure wish I had.
Read
August 17, 2025— dnf @ 34%
this lie will kill you...yeah, this book almost killed me with boredom
this lie will kill you...yeah, this book almost killed me with boredom
January 1, 2019
What started off as a great premise turned into a hot mess with flat characters and a plot that made no sense. Chelsea Pitcher’s word building is at times beautiful, almost poetic. I liked another book of hers, but can’t see any reason to recommend THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU.
March 2, 2023
YIKES
This is both my most disappointing and worst read of 2019. I struggled to finish it and by the end I was livid for being tricked into thinking this book could be any good by a synopsis that says it is similar to Pretty Little Liars (which I LOVE), Clue (GREAT) and Riverdale (the first season I guess, which I liked). Well, it was all a lie.
I am sorry but I don’t think this was really publishable. The publisher probably saw how other YA mysteries such as One of Us is Lying were selling well and thought they should jump in on this trend, but they could only get their hands on a Wattpad fanfiction. There was so much wrong with it that I don’t know where to start.
The beginning was good, I liked the presentation of the characters as you could tell they all were keeping some secrets. I also liked the idea of some sicko trying to make them act in some kind of murder dinner, where they play roles connected to something they did to the dead guy. However, I think it went shit when they find the doll that looks human. From there, we read such weird rambling trains of thoughts and an absurd plot that make my mystery story essay I wrote at 11 seem a masterpiece in comparison.
First of all, the bad guy was obvious. From the moment he appears you know he did it. You think he must be a red herring and there is actually a much more shocking solution, but no. It is as simple as that. He bad, he did it. And the fact it took a whole book to figure it out makes me mad, cause it was so unnecessary
I hated how he was portrayed as bad. Very bad. Take the worst guy in the world, Parker was worse than that. He was almost a rapist, was obsessive and violent, jealous. A good villain often has some redeeming qualities that make it not so easy to hate him, you have to kind of understand his reasoning, and usually his cruel steak is subtle, and not so in your face.
He was so bad he could be easily put in jail if Ruby had just gone to the police. But I think this is a parallel world where the police is not an actual institution, because there is no way they would not know he was the one who killed the dead guy.
Ruby was ridiculous. The whole love story with the dead was absurd, way too deep and unrealistic, and too poetic like no one is that pretentious and sickly sweet (they started slow dancing with no music in the middle of the school hall the first time they meet and talk, with no reason. COME ON who does that? Never in the history of humanity this ever happened), and they are so madly in love, they would die for each other and only knew each other for like a week. Romeo and Juliet were dry compared to these too. YIKES.
A special mention should go to Gavin, who was there for exactly zero (0) reason. Maybe he just had to provide some diversity in the form of a walking East Asian stereotype, but we could have done without.
The premise of this story is shaky, like they go to the house on the night of Shane’s death when it is obviously a set up. But ok let’s pretend it makes sense and they are just very gullible.
But why not leave? Like the bad guy is just one, you see her in front of the house, just tackle her, punch her till she can’t move and run.
No, just a girl faces her alone and is thrown in the pool. The others stay aside and look. Like this is why I think there is some sort of disconnection between the events that are going on. I think Juniper walks 5 steps to the pool and is chucked in and almost drowned there by Dollface. But the others do nothing for ages, as the focus is not on them and I believe the author forgot they were there and could have helped. Then they are described suddenly as rushing to the pool but taking 15 minutes to reach it so Juniper can almost die and the bad guy can run away. ??? The whole episode is not cohesive, you can’t stretch and shorten distances and time, and forget you should move the rest of the cast of characters mid-action. This is just bad writing.
The ending is so meh. It was not surprising or shocking, and so useless. You want me to believe this 16-year-old girl took possession of someone else’s house, bought furniture and decor to fill various rooms according to people’s weaknesses (which she knew how?), decorated the house including like 10 identical paintings with minor differences (did she commission them?? did she paint them? what is going on?), organised a room as a doll tea party, created various traps here and there, all this just to get the culprit, Parker, to say “yeah I killed him”. BUT SHE KNEW IT WAS PARKER. She did all this to hear him say it but she knew he did it, why go so far? And especially, why not lure just him and torture him before burning him alive, instead of concocting the most ridiculous plan possible involving other random people.
I had to reread a paragraph multiple times because they say Ruby lets Dollface die, and it sounds like she actually murders the girl, while in fact she just throws the mask in the fire, letting the character disappear and letting Brianna run free. But it is written SO BAD. After that, I think Ruby tells that she murdered her dad as well (no loss, rapists are good just when slaughtered, but exactly how did she drag him out of her window and buried him????), and she and two others walk away laughing and all happy. I mean, they just burned a guy alive without the blink of an eye (still he was a pig so I am glad he perished), but show no trauma from the hell of a night they spent. They just laugh and think about getting hot chocolate or something similar. YIKES.
The writing was very bad. But just the second half, because it was filled with the ugliest, most absurd and incomprehensible metaphors, which I swear made me want to carve my eyes out and smash my Kindle.
People, especially Ruby, were talking and thinking like they were the love children of John Green and Shakespeare, under heavy drugs, very drunk, with dementia. Or like Joey in that one episode of Friends when he writes a letter using the thesaurus on every single word. Not good. It was too flowery but tacky. And uninformative, there were stuff like “her porcelain heart shattered flaming red in a sea of stars”. I made this up but it was filled with this sort of sentences where random words are put together to sound evocative, but they tell me ABSOLUTELY nothing of what is going on. Just tell me she is sad ffs
Another instance is when they see a porcelain doll and go on and on and on saying how it looked human and they could almost see it moving and it gave them such a feeling as going back in time and getting lost and OMG PLEASE it really was so anticlimactic and made the whole book, which was supposed to be eerie, very boring.
I read this book in November. So this is all coming back to me after months, usually I forget most details of a book a read after months but this was so bad it burned into my mind.
There was not a single realistic thing, from events to dialogues to inner thoughts. I paid it just 99p but it was 99p wasted.
I truly believe that the killer lie from the title is that this is similar to Clue or Riverdale. But maybe they just meant it is reminiscent of the second and third season of Riverdale: sucky and completely bonkers.
This is both my most disappointing and worst read of 2019. I struggled to finish it and by the end I was livid for being tricked into thinking this book could be any good by a synopsis that says it is similar to Pretty Little Liars (which I LOVE), Clue (GREAT) and Riverdale (the first season I guess, which I liked). Well, it was all a lie.
I am sorry but I don’t think this was really publishable. The publisher probably saw how other YA mysteries such as One of Us is Lying were selling well and thought they should jump in on this trend, but they could only get their hands on a Wattpad fanfiction. There was so much wrong with it that I don’t know where to start.
The beginning was good, I liked the presentation of the characters as you could tell they all were keeping some secrets. I also liked the idea of some sicko trying to make them act in some kind of murder dinner, where they play roles connected to something they did to the dead guy. However, I think it went shit when they find the doll that looks human. From there, we read such weird rambling trains of thoughts and an absurd plot that make my mystery story essay I wrote at 11 seem a masterpiece in comparison.
First of all, the bad guy was obvious. From the moment he appears you know he did it. You think he must be a red herring and there is actually a much more shocking solution, but no. It is as simple as that. He bad, he did it. And the fact it took a whole book to figure it out makes me mad, cause it was so unnecessary
I hated how he was portrayed as bad. Very bad. Take the worst guy in the world, Parker was worse than that. He was almost a rapist, was obsessive and violent, jealous. A good villain often has some redeeming qualities that make it not so easy to hate him, you have to kind of understand his reasoning, and usually his cruel steak is subtle, and not so in your face.
He was so bad he could be easily put in jail if Ruby had just gone to the police. But I think this is a parallel world where the police is not an actual institution, because there is no way they would not know he was the one who killed the dead guy.
Ruby was ridiculous. The whole love story with the dead was absurd, way too deep and unrealistic, and too poetic like no one is that pretentious and sickly sweet (they started slow dancing with no music in the middle of the school hall the first time they meet and talk, with no reason. COME ON who does that? Never in the history of humanity this ever happened), and they are so madly in love, they would die for each other and only knew each other for like a week. Romeo and Juliet were dry compared to these too. YIKES.
A special mention should go to Gavin, who was there for exactly zero (0) reason. Maybe he just had to provide some diversity in the form of a walking East Asian stereotype, but we could have done without.
The premise of this story is shaky, like they go to the house on the night of Shane’s death when it is obviously a set up. But ok let’s pretend it makes sense and they are just very gullible.
But why not leave? Like the bad guy is just one, you see her in front of the house, just tackle her, punch her till she can’t move and run.
No, just a girl faces her alone and is thrown in the pool. The others stay aside and look. Like this is why I think there is some sort of disconnection between the events that are going on. I think Juniper walks 5 steps to the pool and is chucked in and almost drowned there by Dollface. But the others do nothing for ages, as the focus is not on them and I believe the author forgot they were there and could have helped. Then they are described suddenly as rushing to the pool but taking 15 minutes to reach it so Juniper can almost die and the bad guy can run away. ??? The whole episode is not cohesive, you can’t stretch and shorten distances and time, and forget you should move the rest of the cast of characters mid-action. This is just bad writing.
The ending is so meh. It was not surprising or shocking, and so useless. You want me to believe this 16-year-old girl took possession of someone else’s house, bought furniture and decor to fill various rooms according to people’s weaknesses (which she knew how?), decorated the house including like 10 identical paintings with minor differences (did she commission them?? did she paint them? what is going on?), organised a room as a doll tea party, created various traps here and there, all this just to get the culprit, Parker, to say “yeah I killed him”. BUT SHE KNEW IT WAS PARKER. She did all this to hear him say it but she knew he did it, why go so far? And especially, why not lure just him and torture him before burning him alive, instead of concocting the most ridiculous plan possible involving other random people.
I had to reread a paragraph multiple times because they say Ruby lets Dollface die, and it sounds like she actually murders the girl, while in fact she just throws the mask in the fire, letting the character disappear and letting Brianna run free. But it is written SO BAD. After that, I think Ruby tells that she murdered her dad as well (no loss, rapists are good just when slaughtered, but exactly how did she drag him out of her window and buried him????), and she and two others walk away laughing and all happy. I mean, they just burned a guy alive without the blink of an eye (still he was a pig so I am glad he perished), but show no trauma from the hell of a night they spent. They just laugh and think about getting hot chocolate or something similar. YIKES.
The writing was very bad. But just the second half, because it was filled with the ugliest, most absurd and incomprehensible metaphors, which I swear made me want to carve my eyes out and smash my Kindle.
People, especially Ruby, were talking and thinking like they were the love children of John Green and Shakespeare, under heavy drugs, very drunk, with dementia. Or like Joey in that one episode of Friends when he writes a letter using the thesaurus on every single word. Not good. It was too flowery but tacky. And uninformative, there were stuff like “her porcelain heart shattered flaming red in a sea of stars”. I made this up but it was filled with this sort of sentences where random words are put together to sound evocative, but they tell me ABSOLUTELY nothing of what is going on. Just tell me she is sad ffs
Another instance is when they see a porcelain doll and go on and on and on saying how it looked human and they could almost see it moving and it gave them such a feeling as going back in time and getting lost and OMG PLEASE it really was so anticlimactic and made the whole book, which was supposed to be eerie, very boring.
I read this book in November. So this is all coming back to me after months, usually I forget most details of a book a read after months but this was so bad it burned into my mind.
There was not a single realistic thing, from events to dialogues to inner thoughts. I paid it just 99p but it was 99p wasted.
I truly believe that the killer lie from the title is that this is similar to Clue or Riverdale. But maybe they just meant it is reminiscent of the second and third season of Riverdale: sucky and completely bonkers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2025
This book was so unremarkable I barely remember, the only thing sharp in my mind was my boredom while reading it.
The writing was okay tho.
The writing was okay tho.
November 26, 2018
"...They climbed into the car together, three little criminals ducking their heads. Three little lairs, beautiful and terrifying in their capacity for love, their capacity for vengence."I am conflicted. I got the creepy vibes I wanted from the story and the setting, but I didn’t love the characters or some of the interactions in the story. This Lie Will Kill Youis the perfect light spooky read. The location and the premise really shine with a murder mystery-style scholarship party happening at an old abandoned mansion. It was eerie and added to the plot and helped to create tension. Add in the who-dun-it from the death of a fellow classmate a year prior and the story has a lot of intrigue.
But the characters brought it down for me. I loved the idea of former friends all isolated and trying to survive, but they were pretty one-dimensional with clear roles to play so the story was more predictable. Also Ruby’s first interactions with her love interests were shown via flashback and they were some of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen with my own eyes. I also found the ending of the story to be rushed and unsatisfying. There didn’t really seem to have the payoff for any of the problems. I wanted to like this more than I did, but I still have a fun time reading. I torn through the book in less than a day and it was just so easy to read.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 12, 2018
I really wanted to like this story, the plot was intriguing and I am on a bit of a mystery/intrigue kind of roll at the moment. Sadly, This Lie Will Kill You just didn’t do it for me and I do feel bad saying that because I can see the potential of the book. I was left with the feeling that the author/publisher should just have held this one back for a little longer and worked out the finer points and they could have had an enjoyable murder mystery book on their hands. Alas it was not meant to be.
However, ultimately, the characters weren’t well developed and I did not feel a connection to any of them and the mystery element was predictable. There were very little subtleties surrounding who we should like and who we shouldn’t which meant that there could be no big reveal on who the villain was.
I can only really give this book 2 stars but don’t just take my word for it, I would advise you to read it and form your own opinions, I am interested to see what others think of this one because for some reason I feel incredibly guilty writing a bad review for this one!
However, ultimately, the characters weren’t well developed and I did not feel a connection to any of them and the mystery element was predictable. There were very little subtleties surrounding who we should like and who we shouldn’t which meant that there could be no big reveal on who the villain was.
I can only really give this book 2 stars but don’t just take my word for it, I would advise you to read it and form your own opinions, I am interested to see what others think of this one because for some reason I feel incredibly guilty writing a bad review for this one!
January 18, 2022
با اکراه سه میدم، خیلی ضعیف بود.
June 1, 2019
One year ago, someone died in a party. Five teens each had a part in it, but no one would come clean. One year later, they’re invited to play a game. The prize, the Burning Embers Scholarship worth $50,000. They’re invited to an isolated mansion to solve a fake murder mystery. Upon arrival, they realize that it isn’t all as easy as they thought it would be. They find that they’ve been set up, right in the middle of a person set on uncovering the truth of what happened that dreadful night the year before.
I am very conflicted about this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the plot. On the other, I didn’t enjoy the way it was written. The plot was very intriguing and well thought out. The story jumps between flashback and reality and between different characters without really specifying. The chapter may start out as a flashback, but at some point it would come back to the present without really saying. This made it very confusing of what was happening in the present. It also made it confusing about who was talking. Instead of each chapter title being the person’s name, it gave their nickname. It also threw a few in there that I didn’t know who it was talking about.
Overall, it isn’t a bad book. It just didn’t live up to the expectations I had for it.
I am very conflicted about this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the plot. On the other, I didn’t enjoy the way it was written. The plot was very intriguing and well thought out. The story jumps between flashback and reality and between different characters without really specifying. The chapter may start out as a flashback, but at some point it would come back to the present without really saying. This made it very confusing of what was happening in the present. It also made it confusing about who was talking. Instead of each chapter title being the person’s name, it gave their nickname. It also threw a few in there that I didn’t know who it was talking about.
Overall, it isn’t a bad book. It just didn’t live up to the expectations I had for it.
January 3, 2019
My hopes weren't exactly high going into this so I can safely say I was pleasantly surprised.
Its not much of a mystery (its pretty easy to figure out who dunnit), but there was a twist at the end that I was not expecting.
The language was sometimes too lyrical and flowery for the genre and it can sometimes be a little... cringe-y.
But it is wildly addicting and compulsively readable. Regardless of my criticisms above, its really quite enjoyable.
Its not much of a mystery (its pretty easy to figure out who dunnit), but there was a twist at the end that I was not expecting.
The language was sometimes too lyrical and flowery for the genre and it can sometimes be a little... cringe-y.
But it is wildly addicting and compulsively readable. Regardless of my criticisms above, its really quite enjoyable.
dnf
August 12, 2020dnf @40%
alas, i have been reading books on my phone for the past month and this unfortunately had to be the book i was reading when i decided i didn’t wanna do that anymore since i have 30 books cramming my physical tbr shelf.
maybe i’ll pick this up either physically or virtually in the future, but i wasn’t that captivated by the story anyway so i doubt it.
alas, i have been reading books on my phone for the past month and this unfortunately had to be the book i was reading when i decided i didn’t wanna do that anymore since i have 30 books cramming my physical tbr shelf.
maybe i’ll pick this up either physically or virtually in the future, but i wasn’t that captivated by the story anyway so i doubt it.
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