And Laurel knows her parents are easy and will feel guilty in a week and back off. Laurel apologizes to Ethan and Emma spends some time with Ethan trying to figure out her nightmare.
Emma realizes the dream is about a fire. Sutton starts to look for a house that burned down and finds it. She shows Emma the house through her cell phone and Emma starts to remember things like where her crib was and that there was a swing in the doorway. Emma remembers stars and Sutton finds a painting on the ceiling of stars and galaxies. Sutton calls Emma on the laptop only for Laurel to answer it. Emma almost walks into the room but stops just in time.
Sutton lies and says she was just calling Ethan to tell him she was running late. Laurel buys it and leaves the love birds alone to talk. Laurel doesn't seem to notice that Sutton has different clothes on. Emma freaks out and tells Sutton to come home and find the answers she needs here. Emma knows Ted is hiding something. Sutton wants to find out about their birth mother and nothing will stop her. Emma is worried the Mercers will kick her out when Sutton comes back.
Emma and Ethan hug. Mads is still hot for teacher. Nisha comes into the ballet studio to improve her footwork for tennis. Eduardo gives Nisha a one-on-one lesson and she notices Mads' behaviour around Eduardo. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends?
Convince my boyfriend she's the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, care-free daughter when she hugs my parents goodnight?
And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move? From Sara Shepard, the 1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences. Let the lying game begin. Young Adult Mystery Contemporary Fiction More details. Sara Shepard books Search review text. Garrett wanted to have sex with Sutton, so she told him that they could have their first time when Sutton turns That's all right.
But when her foster mom doesn't call her for even one time to make sure she's okay, that is messed up. I actually enjoyed this book.
I had a fun time reading it, because it's so light. It isn't all about romance, more friendship. I'd recommend this book.
Tylah Marie. I loved this. I remember watching the show years ago and when it got cancelled I was so disappointed. I had high hopes for this one. I was in the mood for a fun guilty pleasure, a kind of Veronica Mars meets Gossip Girl. Being a twin myself, though not an identical one, I love a good twin-switch mystery. I was prepared to accept a little stupidity, a few plot holes, for the sake of a fun soap opera.
But The Lying Game disappointed me even by my fairly low standards. It just felt so But, in The Lying Game, there was nothing but these paper-thin characters and a paper-thin plot. Seriously, from what I've seen, this could have been one book. Maybe two. The entire plot was one. Now, red herrings are a staple of the mystery genre.
I could have coped with it if there was some emotional core here. And, call me optimistic, but I thought this plot came with one built-in. Sure, the idea of a magic long-lost twin sister who just happens to track you down on the day you're murdered is totally ridiculous. But I was willing to be forgiving because it seemed like there was so much potential conflict built in here.
The epigraph - "we must be careful about who we pretend to be, because we are who we pretend to be" - got my hopes up even further. Emma, the long-lost twin, was a foster kid who'd got the rough end of the deal her whole life; Sutton, the murder victim, was an entitled bitch who had the luck to get adopted by a rich, coddling family.
Class conflict! Identity crisis! I thought it was all here. But Shepard managed to suck all the life out of this interesting plot with totally bland, vanilla characters sapped of any kind of emotion, briefly sketched. Nothing should be too interesting or complex in The Lying Game. And the plot holes For such a serial nitpicker, I'm actually not good with plot holes. I know!
They almost always slide under my radar if they're papered up with good enough writing. And, to be honest, I'm somewhat willing to excuse them for the sake of the story e. I understand that there's a difference between characters making stupid decision and plot holes, but exhibit A: Emma, foster kid, has just more or less fell into Sutton's life.
She's decided that she can't imitate her dead twin sister and she's determined to go to the police to get it straightened out. Only the video of Sutton's death has been deleted from the Net and it turns out Sutton has a bit of a reputation for lying to the police.
Whenever Emma tries to explain the whole long-lost-twin thing, people laugh at her, assuming it's another of Sutton's ridiculous jokes. Emma has a life of her own. Why doesn't Emma call her best friend Alex to vouch for her, or her ex-foster mother?
Why doesn't Emma ever show anyone in Sutton's family her Emma's Facebook page? And the most annoying thing is that this could have been easily covered up. I know that a lot of people don't like it when, in reviews, reviewers say that "it would have been much better if X had happened But TLG is full of ridiculous moments and plot holes that had me going "why doesn't Emmas just?
Why doesn't Emma try harder to show them that she's not Sutton? Well, maybe she wants to be Sutton. Why was Sutton adopted and Emma wasn't? Why doesn't Emma have any memories of Sutton? Was Sutton adopted when she was a baby? Why would Becky have Sutton adopted as a baby but not Emma? The list goes on and on. Nothing can be too complex or interesting in Shepard's simplistic, bland world. There's no edge, no reason to care.
Emma's emotions are simple and written down just like, "Emma was nervous. There's the sensitive male poet and the dumb jock, like I mentioned, but there's absolutely no chemistry or life infused within them. There's also the jealous little sister who's desperate to have her older sister's life. Well, maybe she killed her so that she could have it? Everything you've seen here, you've seen a million times before. And done better, too. The most annoying thing about TLG is the perspective it's told in.
Sutton is dead and narrates in a kind of beyond-the-grave first-person voiceover, though God knows why because she can't remember ANYTHING about her old life except the occasional flash. RUTH WARE delivers an atmospheric and vivid read here that is written in such a way that completely drew us right into the descriptions of the old, run-down Mill and the dark, creepy, and deserted Reach. With the strong sense of atmosphere we felt like we were experiencing it right along with all the characters in this book.
While Lindsay and I were reading and chatting about this one at one point we both picked up on and discussed how we both felt about the strong theme that was emanating within the story here. The main character, Isa Wilde, who narrates this story has a six-month-old baby daughter named Freya who we both absolutely loved and felt that she definitely stole the show for us!
These were very touching aspects of the novel and pulled at our heartstrings! While Lindsay was reading this book, it brought back a lot of memories for her of those sleep-deprived nights and the fond feelings of being a new mother. She could really relate to Isa in so many ways as far as motherhood goes.
We both really enjoyed the setting in this one, the game, all the drama within, and the strong connection that we felt to Isa was one of the main reasons that we both loved this book so much!
Would recommend! View all 61 comments. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If I hear one more thing about that ridiculous baby I really loved Ruth Ware's first two books. This one had the potential to be right up there with those first two, but I suspect it suffers from rushing to publication. The narrative is terribly disjointed and disruptive to the reader. There's so much build up to things that aren't "A HA! I predicted every reveal before it happened, so when it was finally laid out it made my brain say "Well, duh" and think the characters If I hear one more thing about that ridiculous baby I predicted every reveal before it happened, so when it was finally laid out it made my brain say "Well, duh" and think the characters very dimwitted.
By the end of this reading, I was rooting for the main character to die or be the killer. I was highly disappointed.
Let's talk about Freya and Isa. First, Isa's a nutter. She has a completely unhealthy attachment to her child, while simultaneous putting her baby in the direct line of danger whenever she has the chance. I literally laughed out loud at some of the situations she puts this kid into. Who takes their kid with them when they have a perfectly good parental unit available at home?
Then let's think about her leaving the kid with a sitter. That's not weird. What is weird is leaving her baby she can't live without in a house that is falling into the ocean, while a sheep gutter is wandering around. How was this baby better off with her than at home with her father? Also, Freya's constant squawking, crying, yanking, grasping, wailing, screeching, and feeding makes her seem like a baby you would want a break from.
I bet her bury-the-body set of buddies was thinking "We said we needed you to come, not your stupid boob sucking vampire baby. And what's up with taking the stroller for miles of walks in the marshlands of coastal Great Britain? What kind of all-terrain stroller is this woman using? Why won't she get in a car with Luc but she still let him carry both herself and her baby across a falling down bridge over the freaking sea? Let's not forget the plot holes so big you could drive a truck through them.
Also, why was Luc hooking up with Isa on the couch and Kate was the creeper upstairs but then it never gets brought up again. Why was Luc sending roses to her? Why are none of these things ever resolved? Why is Owen a bad guy for pointing out Isa is super gross about her baby, the breastfeeding, and getting roses from randos?
Why is Isa terrified to be in town, then walks on foot with her baby to town. She's terrified of the guy that works at the bar, so she goes to the bar to breast feed her vampire baby that eats constantly.
She's terrified of Luc, so she hangs out with him at the table in the bar until it's last call, and then goes home in the dark with him to hook up after carrying the baby over the drink I have a feeling the Women in Cabin 10 and In a Dark, Dark Wood were so successful the publishers rushed the author to print.
This could have been a really fantastic and tight thriller. Instead, it's a total mess. View all 38 comments. Oh Ruth Ware, I expected more from you. I digress…. Ware had up her sleeve next. I acknowledge that writers must be under immense pressure when penning their first story after a Oh Ruth Ware, I expected more from you.
I acknowledge that writers must be under immense pressure when penning their first story after a runaway hit. I get it. And The Lying Game sounded promising. After human remains are discovered, a group of women are summoned to their former stomping grounds by a mysterious message, hurriedly scribbled by the fourth member of their formerly tight quartet. Juicy, right??!! With all the pieces in place: interesting premise, good writer, you might think: how could this book fail?
But oh how it did. And then follows the pages upon pages of school-day reminiscing, which yes this is partly a reunion story, but these women are allegedly in imminent danger.
The characters are similarly frustrating. The remaining three women are one-dimensional tropes of the jock, cheerleader, bad girl variety. I'm not saying let's transform this novel into a James Patterson-esque thriller please for the love of literature, don't.
But a balance between actual mystery and pointless description needs to be struck think: Tana French, Kate Atkinson, Denise Mina. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. View all 23 comments. I'm now caught up on all of Ruth Ware's books!
She is one of my favorite writers, yet I'm still waiting to give one of her books a five star rating. That's how talented she is as a writer, I'm willing to overlook her product output in favor of the gorgeous technical skill she possesses. I was frequently bored and zoning out during the book, it really took me awhile to finish it and then, meh Ware is a master at creating atmosphere, mood and an overall foreboding tone to her mysteries.
She may very well be the next Agatha Christie, but I hope she comes up with a compelling plot to go with her first rate writing ability soon! This was my favourite Ruth Ware novel yet!! This suspenseful and secretive story had me hooked from the first page!
I loved the characters, storyline and atmosphere. I had the pleasure of reading this one with Norma. It sparked a lot of great conversation along the way. I highly recommend! Nov 15, Holly B rated it it was ok Shelves: a-bit-bored-with-it , read-in , slow-burner.
I really enjoyed this author's previous novel, The Woman in Cabin 10 and was really looking forward to this one. This book did not work for me and I even had a hard time finishing it. I know many have loved this one and I wish I could have liked it more. I couldn't feel any suspense building and the story just dragged on chapter after chapter.
I didn't feel the connections between the four women characters and I found the plot to be predictable and without any thrills. I do think many people will I really enjoyed this author's previous novel, The Woman in Cabin 10 and was really looking forward to this one. I do think many people will enjoy this book with the girlfriends and their secret past that comes back to haunt them, but I figured the mystery out early.
Give it a try and see what you think. I do like this author and of course I am looking forward to her next novel. View all 45 comments. If you've read Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood , then you'll recognise that the essence of the plot here is exactly the same: a group of girls were once close friends, something horrible happened, they went their separate ways and are brought back together again 17 years later; the horrible thing resurfaces, the truth is uncovered.
Once again, too, we're in an unusual location, here a dilapidated mill which is sinking under the encroachment of water. What this book lacks, though, that the first one d If you've read Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood , then you'll recognise that the essence of the plot here is exactly the same: a group of girls were once close friends, something horrible happened, they went their separate ways and are brought back together again 17 years later; the horrible thing resurfaces, the truth is uncovered.
What this book lacks, though, that the first one did so well, is characters with individual voices and a sense of humour. With those qualities lacking, this turns into a generic melodrama that lacks credibility. This supposedly tight-knit group turn out to have known each other for less than a year they're 15 when they meet, haven't turned 16 when the horrible thing happens and they're separated, and despite not having seen each other for 17 years, when one of them texts the others they instantly drop London jobs, family, life to meet up - heck, my friends can't even co-ordinate drinks in the pub without military-style planning!
Add to that a boring narrator obsessed with how many times a day she has to breast-feed her screaming baby surely important in real life, duller than dull to read about , characters who are thin stereotypes the artistic one, the Muslim one, the anorexic one , a plot involving sinister locals and a desperate last-minute 'twist'.
It's a shame as Ware writes more fluently than many commercial authors in this genre but it seems that here she's just re-writing her first success without the elements which made it work: 2.
View all 19 comments. Oh, and ten points. Isa, Kate, Fatima and Thea were inseparable as teenagers. All enrolled in the Salten boarding school for girls.
The more ridiculous the better. One of the main rules though, they never lie to each other. But when Kate sends them all a text from Salten - she is the only one who stayed. A body has been found, the police have started asking questions and they all need to get their story straight. The story was gripping, the girls were all pretty messed up tbh. Pretty mental but there we are. View 2 comments. Dec 03, Susanne rated it liked it Shelves: traveling-sister-read.
She must lie to him. And so it begins. Thea and Fatima, old friends from school, also received the same text from Kate and all three go to her.
Kate, Thea, Fatima and Isa become fa 3. They excluded everyone else from their clique. Kate, Thea, Fatima and Isa had a game that they liked to play. They were despised, thought to be liars. The rules of the game? Rule 2: Stick to your story Rule 3. Don't get caught. Rule 4. Never lie to each other. Rule 5. Know when to stop lying. After a while, somehow, things end up going awry. And then the girls get separated, life goes on.
Yet they never forgot each other and always knew that their past, their secrets and their lies bound them together. This was a Traveling Sister Read with Brenda and Kaceey and all three of us had lots to say about this one. I loved reading this novel with my Traveling Sisters: Brenda and Kaceey. Thanks for making this read so much fun sisters! Published on Goodreads, Amazon, Twitter and Instagram on Jul 16, Justin Tate rated it liked it. Unfortunately the characters are so disagreeable that the stakes never feel high.
That horrible person is actually more horrible? Will the stalker kill them all? I hope so! In the end it wasn't all bad, but I'm sure this is Ruth Ware's least impressive effort. Maybe try one of her other books instead? The Lying Game was a mixed bag for me, but on balance I quite liked it. It's told from Isa's perspective. Isa is now in her early thirties with a young baby. She and two others get a text from high school friend Kate -- "I need you" -- and this sends Isa and her three friends into a tailspin back to the village where they went to boarding school when they were 15 years old.
The less said the better because in large part the point of this story is how it unfolds. As a narrator, Isa is 3. As a narrator, Isa is slow to let the reader know about what happened at school when she was 15 that has left such an emotional scar, and then Isa comes to find out that she doesn't have all the pieces of the puzzle.
There's something dark, breathless and melodramatic -- almost gothic -- about how Isa tells her story that pervades the whole book. I wavered between finding the tone immature and just going along with it. At the end of the day, what I liked was that for this kind of quasi thriller, the story seemed original. I didn't know where it was going, and it was relatively morally complex. I cringed at many of the decisions Isa and her friends made at 15 and that Isa makes in her early 30s, but I couldn't stop looking because she had me hooked and I wanted to see what happens next.
You wouldn't want to read The Lying Game looking for characters to like or side with. But you might want to read it if you're looking for an entertaining read that doesn't follow what have become some of the usual storylines. But definitely don't read it if you're not into dark melodrama.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy. View all 29 comments. Mar 31, Phrynne rated it really liked it. I really enjoyed this one. The author captured me on page one and held my interest right to the end. Funnily enough I did not like any of the characters much, except Freya who was a champion. Not many babies put up with what she went through so cheerfully.
The idea of The Lying Game itself also left me cold. It seemed a rather cruel game to play on other unsuspecting people. But hey, this is fiction, so I ignored my ethical feelings and just read the I really enjoyed this one. But hey, this is fiction, so I ignored my ethical feelings and just read the book. So why did I give it four stars? Because the story was so intriguing, fast paced, and twisted.
Because Isa had many redeeming features and her narrative was interesting. Because of the red herrings which led me to get the identity of the murderer totally wrong. I always like it when I cannot guess the ending! Because Ruth Ware writes well and makes reading her books enjoyable. Definitely worth a read if you enjoy a good psychological thriller. Oct 06, Sheri rated it did not like it Shelves: fiction , After about pages, I gave up on this boring, slow, seemingly going nowhere story.
Too many other books to give a chance. The premise sounded good. Four friends bound together by lies and loyalty. An intense secret sure to be revealed. Unfortunately, the suspense wasn't there for me. There was very little action, but lots of description of the landscape.
Not having grown up near the water, I couldn't get a vision of the area. It all seemed so bleak and desolate. Was that what the author DNF. Was that what the author was going for? I was never really sure. Between that and the slowness of the story, there just wasn't any motivation to keep on going.
I enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10 but this one was a definite miss for me. View all 18 comments. They quickly became best friend. One day something bad happened and they had to make a decision, even though they knew it was a wrong decision.
Now after seventeen years they reunited just because of one text: "I need you. They think they know everything about that day but yo 3.
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