The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

The Last Time I Lied

by Riley Sager

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
 
From the author of Survive the Night and Final Girls comes a tense and twisty thriller about a summer camp that’s impossible to forget—no matter how hard you try.

Two Truths and a Lie. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and Emma played it all the time in their cabin at Camp Nightingale. But the games ended the night Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out into the darkness. The last she—or anyone—saw of the teenagers was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips....

Fifteen years later, Emma is a rising star in the New York art scene, turning her past into paintings—massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches over ghostly shapes in white dresses. When the paintings catch the attention of the wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale, she implores Emma to come back to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor.

Despite her guilt and anxiety—or maybe because of them—Emma agrees to revisit her past. Nightingale looks the same as it did all those years ago, haunted by a midnight-dark lake and familiar faces. Emma is even assigned to the same cabin she slept in as a teenager, although the security camera pointed at her door is a disturbing new addition.
 
As cryptic clues about the camp's origins begin to surface, Emma attempts to find out what really happened to her friends. But her closure could come at a deadly price.

Reviewed by boghunden on

3 of 5 stars

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I've now read two books by Riley Sager, and although none of them have been more than three star reads for me, I'll definitely read more by him. I just have this feeling that one day, he's gonna write my new favorite thriller. I thought this one was too much like [b:Final Girls|32796253|Final Girls|Riley Sager|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1496658340l/32796253._SY75_.jpg|50669966] with all the flashbacks. I didn't really like the alternate storylines, but I do see why it's such an important part of the book. It's kind of the plot, really...

Let's talk about the plot twist of the book. I think I fall into the middle category of people here. I wasn't too surprised, but I also didn't see it coming. I just kept it as a possibility, you know? I don't even know if that makes sense to you...

I loved Vivianne and Theo's characters, they were definitely my favorites. The main character, Emma, was fine, but I never really connected with her. What I did like about her though, was how she used art as a form of therapy and how the girls always showed up in her paintings.

As I said, I want to read more of Sager's books. There's something intriguing about the writing style that leaves me wanting to read more. I do hope he picks up the pace of the next book though, because it wasn't until near the middle of this one that things started to finally happen.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 21 August, 2019: Finished reading
  • 21 August, 2019: Reviewed