The Lies We Told

The Lies We Told

By: Camilla Way

The Deets:

336 Pages

Thriller, Fiction

Published: October 9, 2018

Review:  

From the Cover

A daughter
Beth has always known there was something strange about her daughter, Hannah. The lack of emotion, the disturbing behavior, the apparent delight in hurting others . . . Sometimes Beth is scared of her and what she could be capable of.

A son
Luke comes from the perfect family, with the perfect parents. But one day, he disappears without a trace, and his girlfriend, Clara, is desperate to discover what has happened to him.

A life built on lies
As Clara digs into the past, she realizes that no family is truly perfect, and uncovers a link between Luke’s long-lost sister and a strange girl named Hannah. Now Luke’s life is in danger because of the lies once told and the secrets once kept. Can Clara find him before it’s too late?

Review

Another thriller. Another good thriller. I am constantly amazed by the twists and turns that the authors from this particular genre are able to conjure. The Lies We Told tricked me from the beginning. I thought I knew what was going to happen; it seemed almost tangibly obvious. And then came the twists . . . How I still think I will foresee the plot twists before they happen is a mystery to me. I should know better by now.

Camilla Way is a fantastic storyteller. This book shifts back and forth between past and present, focusing on what seems to be two totally distinct plots (Thriller Rule #1: Everything always connects. Always). The character development is incredible. Way creates characters that are visceral and raw. They are imperfect and difficult to trust (Thriller Rule #2: Never trust a character. Ever). Some are downright creepy in a spine-crawling-heebie-jeebies kind of way. I read this book around Halloween, and let me tell you, it definitely contributes its own spooky vibes.

The more realistic these thrillers are, the scarier they seem to me. I was entranced by the plot; I constantly tried to seek out the connections and think one step ahead of the author. Way’s writing is engaging and raw. She will make you psychoanalyze your own decisions and also your choices in who you allow to enter your life. This is a disquieting book. I wish I could say the ending provided a feeling of resolution, but instead it made me feel even more unsettled than I did while reading. In a way, I appreciated this from Way. She didn’t feel the pressure to create a tight and neat ending; she left it somewhat open, allowing the reader’s imagination to continue in her place. This is a fast and engaging read that deserves a spot on your reading list.

P.R.

Everything hinges on one decision Do you ever feel like one decision could change the course of your life forever? Saying yes to that blind date, taking the alternate route to work, choosing which college to go to, an answer in a job interview, etc. Well, this book felt like the epitome of this idea. One decision. That’s all it takes. From there it’s a cascade, a never-ending series of ripples, an avalanche of effects waiting to emerge in consequence–good or bad.