The Lies They Tell by Gillian French

The Lies They Tell

by Gillian French

THE FIRE TOOK EVERYTHING. EXCEPT THE TRUTH.


Everyone in Tenney's Harbor knows about the Garrison tragedy. An unexplained fire. A family of five reduced to one. And no leads on who did it. Of course, all fingers point at Pearl Haskins's father, the caretaker of the property, but she just can't believe it. Leave it to a town of rich people to blame 'the help'.

Then Pearl meets Tristan, the last surviving Garrison, and his group of affluent and arrogant friends. Though she's repulsed by most of them, Tristan's quiet sadness and sombre demeanour intrigue her. Befriending the boys could mean getting closer to the truth, clearing her father's name, and giving Tristan the closure he seems to be searching for. But it could also trap Pearl in a sinister web of secrets, lies, and betrayals that would leave no life unchanged ... if it doesn't take hers first.

From the author of the acclaimed debut novel Grit comes a dark and twisted mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very final page.



PRAISE

'An eerie, well-drawn mystery.' -- Kirkus Reviews

'Gorgeously written, chilling, and twisty, The Lies They Tell kept me guessing until the very end. Small-town mystery at its best.' -- Carlie Sorosiak, author of If Birds Fly Back and Wild Blue Wonder

'This was a little bit Gatsby, a little bit The Girl on the Train, and I loved every minute of it.' -- Jessie Ann Foley, author of Neighborhood Girls and Michael L. Printz Honor Book The Carnival at Bray

'A strong heroine, a satisfying conclusion-this is one of the best YA novels I've read all year.' -- Paula Stokes, author of Liars, Inc.

'Privileged summer families, murder, intoxicating boys, and a fierce heroine converge in this novel perfect for fans of We Were Liars and One of Us Is Lying.' -- Shannon M. Parker, author of The Girl Who Fell and Rattled Bones

Reviewed by Amber on

2 of 5 stars

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The Lies They Tell was boring. There’s no other way to put it. The beginning does nothing to grip you, aside from the initial prologue where the family dies, and the book really doesn’t improve from there.


I felt nothing for the characters, not even the main one. She didn’t have much of a personality.

Since this is a thriller, it could have at least had a decent twist. However, it’s pretty clear who the culprit is from the start. It was so obvious that I almost started to believe it couldn’t be them, and that there would be some sort of twist to mix things up a bit. But no. It was that person, and I wasn’t shocked at all.

If you’re looking for a good summer thriller, this isn’t one for you.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 13 January, 2018: Finished reading
  • 13 January, 2018: Reviewed