An okay horror story that will be enjoyed by fans of TV shows such as Pretty Little Liars and the like. Definitely one for teenagers or young adults but probably not enough substance for older readers.

Apparently this book is PLL meets Riverdale, which makes sense because they're both ridiculous, nonsensical TV shows with random, badly written plots.

Just like this. I DNFed at p.52 when I was already skimming over awful writing that made supposed 17/18yo characters seem like 12/13yo idiots. Unless this book is a piss-take satire of the genre, it is truly awful.

I struggled with this.
The idea of the story was interesting but the book itself felt very all over the place.
I found myself not caring for the characters or solving the murder.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster UK and the author, Chelsea Pitcher, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this Lie Will kill You in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
I was drawn to this book by the premise of the storyline. Unfortunately, though the book did offer creepy moments, it fell short of the story that was promised. Not a book fo me.

Trigger Warning: This book features child abuse: domestic violence; an abusive relationship: controlling, manipulating, gaslighting and stalking; bullying, violence, discussion of suicide, and suicide ideation.

This Lie Will Kill You by Chelsea Pitcher sounded like the perfect mystery. An exclusive murder mystery party that is a set up to uncover a murderer? It sounded so good! However, it just really didn't work for me.

But let's talk positives first. There are the five main characters, Juniper, Gavin, Ruby, Parker and Brett, and the book is told from each of their perspectives. Then there's Shane, the boy who was murdered, who makes an appearance in a number of flashbacks. And finally, there is the person who is behind the murder mystery party. All of the five main characters played a role in what led to Shane's death, but who murdered him? Was it all of them, some of them, or just one of them? And what actually happened? Because, mostly, there's just been rumours about each of them. So what is the truth? This story is well plotted. There were moments at the very beginning where I thought it was obvious who was behind the party and who the murderer was, but This Lie Will Kill You is scattered with red herrings and twists and turns. We're only given details about certain things in drips and drabs, so before I know everything, I thought, annoyed, "Oh, well, this person is obviously the killer!" only to find out later that the characters were thinking about something else entirely. So I never quite new what was happening; who did what and why. And despite my huge issues with the book, I had to know what happened, and had to keep reading. So in the case of the mystery, I was pretty hooked. Until I got to the end, where there were elements I was squinting at, but I'll get to that later.

This Lie Will Kill You is also pretty diverse. Juniper is Latina, and Gavin is East Asian - we're not told anything more specific. But I don't know that for sure. There is a girl who is in love with another girl, but there are hints that she may also be bisexual, and there's a boy who's in love with another boy.

Now the negatives. There is so much melodrama, and it was so unrealistic. In a flashback moment of how Parker and Ruby's relationship came about, after Parker has thrown a boy who was being insulting to Ruby into a trash can, she takes his hand, puts it on her chest, and says something alone the lines of, "Do you feel that? My heart is beating for you." During the present day, at the murder mystery party, Parker tells Ruby - who are no longer to together - "I would die a thousand deaths for you." There is talk of "the greatest love of my life," and "you are a goddess in a world of pyramids and sand." And it goes on and on and on. Ridiculous and over the top declarations, and thoughts that people just don't think unless they're deluded or in an old timey book or movie. At first it was embarrassing, and then it just got annoying. I may not be a teenager any more, but I was one, and no-one talks like that! And these guys are 17 or 18, in their senior year of high school. It may have been more believable if they were younger, but even then it would be a stretch. I just wanted to put the book down so many times, because it just felt like bad writing. Who would think this is how teenagers talk?

And along similar lines, I need to talk about Parker. Parker is terrifying. He is just so dark and twisted. At first, I thought he was just a pathetic guy who couldn't get over losing his girlfriend and wanted her back. But pretty quickly I realised that he was obsessed with Ruby. Nothing I mention here is a spoiler in regards to who killed Shane nor who is behind the party; everything I mention is who Parker was before Shane ever came on the scene. He is manipulative, and controlling. Before they split up, he would be wherever Ruby was. She had tried to split up with him a number of times, but he just wouldn't let her go; turning up at her house, playing with her sisters. And he would make Ruby doubt what she thought; "He's such a good guy, maybe I'm wrong to end it with him?" And at the murder mystery party, everything he does is in an attempt to get Ruby back. He is rich and entitled; he doesn't need the scholarship prize money, he's just doing it because Ruby will be there, and he wants to get her back. Every move is calculated - before and after everyone realises that the party is not just a party. He will do whatever it takes to get Ruby back, because she is his. She belongs to him. And it doesn't matter whatever it is he has to do, because the end result is what's right, is how things are meant to be, and he will be the hero, the white knight, and Ruby will realise how much she loves him. Mate, he is so sinister, and even more so because he doesn't seem to realise what he's doing. He knows the things he does to reach his goal aren't that great, but he doesn't seem to get that Ruby can make her own choices and she doesn't want to be with him. It's just so messed up. And to be honest, he's like that with his supposedly best mate, Brett, too, manipulating and controlling him. It's just awful.

But here's where the problem is; in some moments, I'm not entirely sure if he's meant to be as terrifying as he is - is this Parker being really dark and obsessive, or is this more melodrama, like with everyone else? That line is blurred, because no-one acts naturally. Don't get me wrong, Parker is absolutely meant to be someone we abhor, someone who should be in jail, but when other people are making ridiculous declarations, as well, I couldn't always tell is Parker was being obsessive or melodramatic, and how we were meant to see the reader in those moments. Did Parker genuinely love Ruby as well as being terrifying (melodrama), or was it all part of him wanting her to belong to him again (obsession)?

Then there's the story itself, which felt a little far-fetched in places. There were certain instances - in the lead up to Shane's death, and during the murder mystery party - that just felt really unrealistic. Things that I felt just wouldn't happen. While they were needed for the mystery element, they also made the mystery seem kind of ridiculous - so although I needed to know what happened, I was finding it less believable the more I read. I also thought there were a number of holes in the story in places - both in regard to after Shane's murder and the end of the story; police can look at forensics, and while I am absolutely no expert in such things, I'm pretty sure a murder mystery party wouldn't have actually been needed to figure out who killed Shane, and also, the story wouldn't end where the book ended, because, due to certain things I can't talk about, I'm pretty sure the police could work out what had happened. So it wouldn't have been over and finished. And then there are questions over the logistics to the murder mystery that I have certain questions over. It's a pretty epic, and would have taken a lot of planning, and there are just certain things I don't think could have been arranged as we're told they were. So with being far-fetched, there being plot holes, and logistical questions, even without all the melodrama, it would have been pretty hard to believe.

This Lie Will Kill You wasn't for me, sadly, but a quite a few other people have really enjoyed it, so do read some other reviews before deciding whether or not to read it.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Books via NetGalley for the eProof.

A book packed with nail-biting moments with unreliable characters which kept me guessing through the pages. I devoured this book, keen to find discover everyone's roles in the death of a classmate. Well-written, addictive and entertaining, this is perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and One of Us is Lying.

Clue meets Riverdale? I was sold right away. I definitely got the Clue vibes at the beginning, since they were all mysteriously invited to a murder mystery party at a mansion, given identities/clothes/weapons for the night, and had distinct, related backgrounds to each other. This book was a much less fun version of Clue and then quickly became something entirely different. It’s one of those situations where it sounds SO great but the execution was all wrong. I wish I could hand the synopsis of the book and the first few chapters to someone else and ask them to have their way with it to see what they could do with the idea.

I felt like there were too many reveals too early in the book? I think I had everything figured out practically halfway through and kept wondering what else was going to happen as the book chugged along. There were a lot of creepy elements that I (somehow) didn’t expect and there were some more horror-ish parts to it… which I usually avoid. I can barely read regular mysteries and thrillers without being nervous.

I should also mention there are some really sad scenes (flashbacks mostly) that essentially involve bullying, which is my Achilles heal. I really can’t and don’t read books where there’s heavily bullying because it makes me too upset. I didn’t like reading those parts AT ALL.

4-5 stars. One of those vivious teenage revenge horror stories, that definitely keeps you on your toes. It makes sure to give you a lot of the history, by making it go back in time and in different points of view. Well worth a read if you enjoy the YA horror story that is similar to a slasher film.
Will be using in a challenge and recommending to members of Chapter Chatter Pub.

The mystery and its set-up was ridiculous and more importantly, the book's use of its LGBTQ+ characters made me want to scream and cry and throw something at the wall. Following on from last year's One of Us is Lying, it just fuels more evidence to the fire that YA mystery-thriller authors should somehow be banned from including any references to queerness/mental health problems in their books... At least until they pass a test/present their book before a committee.

This Lie Will Kill You gripped me right from the first page. The secrets, the lies, the mysterious murder mystery dinner party that they're invited to, which they know and the reader knows that is definitely far more sinister than the invitation would suggest.

It was just perfect. The emotions from each of the characters, the lies and secrets that are revealed throughout the book. It kept me wanting to know more and more without leaving me too long between each snippet of information that I got bored and frustrated.

And the story when it came out was dark and full of conflict and passion and so many twists. No one is who they seem and everything was captivating.

Looking for a good mystery? Look no further.

#ThisLieWillKillYou drew me in immediately. After being introduced to the rather large cast, they all attend a murder mystery night; the winner will receive a $50k scholarship for the school of their choice.

This started off in a very promising way, with mobile phones being confiscated, finding out everyone’s weapon, and what they want more than anything in the world. The mansion where the action takes place, is customised for each attendee, clearly by someone who has intimate knowledge of every participant. Fantastically creepy, setting you up for a Pretty Little Liars style night of scares and the revelation of their secrets, particularly how they were each involved in the death of a boy one year before.

Unfortunately, the story starts to get a bit messy towards the end, like the writer had to fit the book into a smaller word count than they would have liked. Even so, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

A murder ‘mystery’ in the vein of slasher movies where a group of teens are lured into a mansion as part of a revenge plot, This Lie Will Kill You doesn’t really keep us in suspense. It is pretty predictable in its set-up, as well as the identity of both the ‘bad guys’ – the one who caused the murder and the one who is taking revenge on behalf of the victim. It, however, has a well-written character-driven story that takes us through the relationships between the five teens, the circumstances leading up to the murder and how they were maneuvered by the ex-boyfriend from hell into going just that one step too far. Told through each of the teens in third person perspective, we get to see the pieces of terrible things, and how they are being covered up.

As a bad guy, Parker is extremely infuriating. To be honest, if Brianna wouldn’t have even waited till he entered the mansion to strangle him with the rope he brought in, that too would have been fine. He is manipulative, stalkery, and obsessed with Ruby, his ex who he is abusive towards. Ruby, for her part, is still not over the death of Shane, the boy who died and who she loved; she is also a survivor of abuse (from her father) and is trying to escape from Parker’s attempts to get her back. Juniper, Ruby’s ex best friend, is a smart character who senses how shady it is, but comes to protect Ruby. Brett, meanwhile, comes with a guilty conscience already and a troubled heart. As they get going with the game, the story spills out, and yes, it is pretty much what you expect it to be. What I didn’t expect it to be was so dramatic (now I see why it has been likened to Riverdale in its synopis – some of the characters are so extra). The writing is okay, but the characters do seem exaggerated at times; even the dialogue at times felt too cheesy and metaphorical for a bunch of teens to talk in. The ending is also stretched out to give more insight into the motives and backstory of a character.

In short, this is a mystery plot that is more driven by the characters, than the twists and motive.

A year ago, there was a party where somebody died and five teenagers lied about what happened. Now, they've been invited to a gothic mansion to compete to win $50,000 but nobody questions where the invitation came from. This book had been compared to Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars so I was definitely intrigued! I do read a lot of YA novels and I don't think the genre excludes adults but I definitely felt like this novel was too young for me. The idea is great but I thought the actual writing was poorly executed and it was a big disappointment. I found the ending predictable and the characters one dimensional and unrelatable.

Five teenagers receive an invitation to a contest with a difference - the winner receives a $50,000 scholarship, but they soon discover that they are playing for much higher stakes.

I love good thriller stories especially ones which promise shades of I Know What You Did Last Summer, unfortunately this one didn't quite live up to my hopes. The story line itself was OK,if a bit muddled and all over the place at times, but the main issue was that I found that I really didn't care for any of the main characters. This made it difficult to connect with them and become emotionally invested in what happens. It also didn't help that there was a big case of 'insta-love' in the story. All in all, it wasn't my cup of tea but plenty of other reviewers feel differently.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Simon & Schuster UK Children's, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

I liked the idea of this story but unfortunately it failed to hold my attention for very long and I ended up skimming it. It was a great premise for a story but I feel that if the "party last year" story was told first I might have enjoyed it more.

I was quite enthusiastic to read This Lie Will Kill You because I was hoping for a similar sort of thing to One Of Us Is Lying, another Young Adult mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed earlier this year. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. The basic premise intrigued me and the story started out quite promisingly but as the book went on things got a little bit bizarre in a way that just didn’t make sense. I don’t mind a bit of melodrama at all, but it has to be skilfully done for me to enjoy it. Some have likened This Lie Will Kill You to the TV show Riverdale and I kind of get where they are coming from. Riverdale is absolutely ludicrous in a whole range of ways but I always get the feeling that it is a self-aware ridiculousness, almost satirical. I did not get that feeling with this book, so rather that being amused by the melodrama, it got a bit tiresome.

That’s not to say This Lie Will Kill You doesn’t have some good points. The characters are pretty interesting and the author dives right into the action which was fun and kept things moving along at a good pace. However, for me at least, the book as a whole just didn’t work. I think there’s a good idea here but it got taken over by some strange, often cheesy dialogue and some silly melodrama.

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.

While being well past the age of being a young adult, I actually enjoy reading books aimed at this age group as I often find them intelligently written with positive messages, with John Green being one of my favourite authors.

Unfortunately this book is a massive letdown for the young adult genre in my opinion, although the premise is a good one. Some more character development and a little less predictability would have taken this book a lot further. It actually became tedious to read, which is disappointing as it sounded right up my street.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

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.

DNF for me at 35%.

I think this is one of those it's not the book, it's more me kind of thing! What I did read was okay, but I have to be in the right mood to read something like this!