Unputdownable! Fast paced action thriller revolving around a group of teens ‘playing’ Lie or Die for a reality tv show. Or are they? Loved every second of it. Genuinely heartbreaking moments and I hope there’s a sequel!!

Thriller/Crime and Mystery genre is always really popular with our students and they will definitely enjoy this one. Working out whodunnit and also wondering which of the characters will make it to the end!.

If you are as obsessed as I am about the series The Traitors then I can't recommend this highly enough!! Really interested study on archetypes and unlikable characters.

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review it if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Firefly Press for the digital ARC of this book! Lie or Die by AJ Clack was an absolute treat to read, and a really strong debut from an emerging YA author. BBC’s The Traitors took the country by storm, quickly becoming one of the most-watched reality TV shows, so it’s not wildly surprising to see books start to be published that borrow from the premise. This book is basically YA Traitors gone wrong - and by wrong I mean murderous. In Lie or Die, the Traitors are Agents, the Faithfuls are Players, and there’s one secret Detective who can reveal the status of one person per night. There’s also a courtroom, where the accused are tried in an electric chair. This is definitely on the older side of YA, and is likely the most violent, gruesome YA book I’ve read.


Subscribed

Kass and Thea are best friends, and best friends do everything together, right? When headstrong Thea makes introverted Kass sign up for a new television show with her, Kass doesn’t believe that she ever has a chance of really getting selected when there’s bound to be thousands of shiny, TV-ready personalities desperate for their chance in the limelight. So, imagine everyone’s surprise when both Kass and Thea are selected to take part in a brand new game: Lie or Die. The idea is, find out who the murderers are before they find you. When contestants start showing up dead in their beds (yes, actually dead) and their AI Host goes off-script, Kass realises that the game they’re playing just got very real indeed.

This is definitely one of my favourite YA novels. I think that Kass was a great main character, very real and relatable. This is often how YA main characters are framed, but there is a tendency to over-do the ‘awkward, relatable’ trope so that it ends up feeling like an unrealistic caricature. In Kass’s case, she reads like a proper teenager. She’s not free of fault (the book opens with the fact that Kass has kissed Thea’s crush/boyfriend), but she turns out to be one of the most likeable characters in the book. I’ve read reviews that critique the other characters as being generic or surface level. Whilst I agree that each character represents a ‘trope’, I think that this is quite literally the point. They even mention it in the book. They tease Kass, calling her their “girl-next-door-type”, and are all acutely aware that the only reason they were selected for the game is their somewhat basic attributes. As the book progresses, we learn more about the key characters. For a book that is mostly about murder, it is unavoidable that we lose a few characters before they have had a chance to be properly developed, although this is not to the detriment of the book. Like Kass, all of the characters are believable teenagers. They still experience their fair share of teenager-y worries, but not overwhelmingly so, for example, the romantic sub-plot between Rodrhi and Kass. This is quite a refreshing change from a lot of YA, where the characters don’t seem to be able to focus on the problem at hand due to rampant hormones. Given that this book literally had the characters in a life-or-death scenario, I was glad to not read too much romance (Kass was more interested in survival than shacking up with a Welshman she’d just met). It wasn’t used at all to propel the story, so could be entirely ignored if you so desire.

I thought the book was well-paced throughout. Having the narrative centred around the game actually gave it a really good structure. I also really liked that the reader wasn’t privy to the status of players (except for Kass), as there’s an element of playing the game with the characters and learning the information in real-time.

Now, clearly I liked this book, but a strong book needs a strong ending and I’m just not sure how I felt about this one. Overall, I think it was a good ending, but I’m just not sure that Henry’s character was quite right. He was introduced near the end (I understand that he had to be secret from the players in the game, but perhaps his introduction could have been built up for the reader a little more), and quickly became an almost cartoonish manifestation of an evil villain character. I half expected him to throw his head back with a spine-tingling cackle, swish his cape, or tell the contestants that he’d been expecting them. As I said earlier, lots of characters fit into this cookie cutter character mould, but Henry’s was one that felt particularly out of place. The final chapter also alludes to a sequel – this could be interesting if done well, but it would almost certainly need an entirely different storyline, because I think that after the first life-threatening-TV-show-scam, the characters might start to be a little cautious of casting calls.

Thanks for reading The Prose and Cons! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

For any adult who’s unsure if they can read YA, this is a great place to start. It doesn’t feel too young, it’s definitely got some adult themes, but it’s ‘clean’. For any young adults or children, I would advise caution for themes of violence. Given that it is quite graphic intense in places, I found the fact that Clack has previously worked as a scriptwriter for Friends and Teletubbies quite amusing. I hope you’ve enjoyed this review! Thanks again to Netgalley and Firefly Press.

A tv reality show goes wrong in this shocking thriller for young adults.

This is described as a cross between tv's 'Traitors' and the film and bestselling series 'The Hunger Games'. Though I've not followed either, I know enough to be able to appreciate this thriller, aimed at young adults. And it is full of tension, jeopardy, suspense and twists and turns.

Ten strangers are taking part in a reality tv programme, but it's soon clear this is not a game.

A new tv show, Lie or Die, has been launched, described as 'Big Brother' meets Mafia. Contestants have to discover who is a murderer and who Is an innocent.

The casting call is coming to an end but Kass has been persuaded by her best friend to put her name forward and she's accepted at the last minute. She understands it to be a game about truth and lies, winning or elimination but very soon realises there's something much more sinister at play. This is about survival. Contestants are dying - for real.

Though this is a quite terrifying murder mystery, it is also a challenging exploration of the whole reality tv concept and society's expectations today. It also makes you think about truth, and what happens when we start skewing reality for our own purposes. There are powerful themes for discussion here and it's a great page turner.

This was a fantastic read! It was a slower start but when the story picked up, the pace followed! I flew through the story once it got going, and I had high hopes and was not disappointed. When described along the lines of ‘Knives out’, I knew I’d enjoy it, and the mystery mixed with the tv elements made for a gripping and compelling read! The character were a good mix, some likeable, some not so, which is a balance that seems crucial for a book and its dynamics, and the romance aspects were present, but it was nice to see that platonic bonds were just as important and strengthened. Overall a good balance between character and plot, all the action you’d expect was in there as well some betrayal and gore, but as I’ve said it was nice to balance this with the character aspect, particularly with how everything affects them too!

Really enjoyed this advance copy. It was easy to read and I read it quite quickly. Quite light if you can call murder that! I didn’t guess who did it. Either time!

There seem to be a huge amount of books like 'Lie or Die' around at the moment: ones exploring how reality TV and social media can be a deadly combination in today's society. That doesn't make A J Clack's novel any less appealing, however. Its mix of high school drama plots with a high stakes fight to survive makes for a brilliant, fast-paced read and the prose is perfectly suited to the genre.

A plot twist at the end of the novel, which, whilst not massively surprising, is pleasantly received and accepted, left me tempted to reread the text with my fresh insight. And that's always a winner in my book! (Pardon the pun) It resulted in my opinion of certain characters changing, as well as had me second-guessing a lot of what I'd accepted quite readily upon my first reading. This did come as a shock to me considering I hadn't picked up this particular novel expecting to want to revisit it so quickly!

I enjoyed how the subtle romance plots in this story were exactly that: subtle. They were enjoyable and felt as if they fit, but didn't take up valuable page space from the more interesting aspects. I also loved how real the Big Brother-esque TV house felt! At times I felt as anxious and monitored as the characters were, and I never once doubted that the unfolding events could happen in a particularly twisted part of our country. Considering I think this is a crowded market at the moment, Lie or Die felt original, interesting and fun throughout!

14. Lie or Die by A J Clack

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a disturbing YA thriller that will keep you gripped!

🔪 ‘Traitors’ vibes
🔪 Characters to love and loathe
🔪 Twists and turns
🔪 Murder mystery vs reality tv

REALLY enjoyed this. Once I had started reading, I was hooked. The whole premise is interesting, the characters are likeable and hate-able in equal measures. I don’t think I’d wanna live in a world like this! It’s not for me… but this story absolutely was!

What would you do to win ! Lie or Die.

10 contestants enter a big brother style With a Mafia twist competition. Contestants are against each other to find out who are the killer agents and who are just innocent players. Kass who only ends up in the game by accident is soon worrried the lines between reality and fiction have been crossed and this game might actually be a real fight to the death but who can she trust and who is playing a game.

I have a great time reading this a perfect quick read YA thriller I could not put this book down and was invested in every single character! This book literally had me on the edge of my seat throughout!

I will definitely be looking for more from this author and I hope this book gets much more recognition! Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, Firefly Press and A J Clack for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

A thriller reality tv show set within a Big Brother style house where 10 contestants are filmed 24/7 while playing a game of Lie or Die.
Are they a murderous agent or an innocent player - remind you of another reality TV show ?
There’s only one rule TRUST NO ONE as they try to figure out the murderous agents
But the live streamed reality tv show becomes all too real when contestants are killed off for real and not just fake deaths.
It’s literally a fight for survival.
A fast paced contemporary YA debut novel.
Addictive and mysterious it was quite a creepy read - you felt you were watching the show from inside, perfectly capturing the darker side of reality TV.
I didn’t trust any of the characters, not even Kass, as you felt you didn’t get to know them as they were not being their true selves.
But obviously there were characters you can’t help but love or loathe.
Loved that you didn’t know who the agents and players were apart from Kass, as it added to the paranoia.
There were lots of twists, some you didn’t see coming and the ending left you with the possibility of a second book in the series, as there was unfinished business and more to be explored.
Are you ready to play?
Thanks @alisonclack1 @fireflypress & @netgalley for letting me join the game

Painful to read, glaringly obvious and VERY YA fiction!

I had high hopes for this book and at the beginning, although it was written fairly, simply, I was intrigued and excited to find out how it would pan out.

But it became very obvious to me from the beginning that there was no mystery to the novel. All the clues were laid out for you under a major spotlight, so it’s very hard to be surprised or shocked when you find that what you’ve read is exactly what is going to happen.

Also the way that the characters played the game I felt was a bit too formulaic and none of them had really considered the predicament that they were in. For example, if you want to take control of a situation where you’re being seen and heard 24 seven then take away the ability to be seen and heard 24 seven. That would’ve been my first plan of attack once I realised that I have no control.

Anyway, I ended up skimming to the end in hope that there might be a good ending or maybe a little surprise for me. Turns out it was just flat

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Big Brother meets Mafia game concept, reality show Lie or Die makes contestants compete against each other as they try to unveil who is a killer. When Kass finds herself cast as one of the contestants and people start to die (for real!), her priorities shift from not being eliminated from the game to just staying alive! Kass and her friends are no longer playing but fighting against what feels more and more like a death sentence. 'Reality' just got very real.

Lie or Die was full of twists and tension, with a claustrophobic atmosphere that makes the reader rush to turn the pages as surely as the breakneck pace. A thrilling read.

Kass is currently fighting with BFF Thea about a misunderstanding over an ex-boyfriend. She desperately wants to make things up with Thea so agrees to try out for a new reality show called Lie or Die, based on a party game called 'Mafia' (or Werewolves'). Ten contestants will compete to win a cash prize by unmasking the two 'agents' amongst them before the 'agents' can 'kill' the rest of players. The two girls are eventually accepted onto the set & things seem normal at first, but when the AI host 'Cohin' goes off-script & the eliminated contestants start turning up literally dead, Kass realises that they are trapped inside the contained set with a killer.

This is the second book I've read recently about a murderer stalking a group filming a new reality TV show. This one started off quite slow & I wasn't really getting into it, but around a third of the way in, the story line & pace took off & didn't look back. Kass was a great main character as she was probably the one the reader would naturally feel most empathy for. I also thought the idea of basing around the party game worked really well as it gave the narrative a solid structure. It did look as if things may veer out of control towards the conclusion, but thankfully the ending was intriguing with maybe a possible chance of sequel. I ended up really enjoying this one & recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA thrillers.

TWs: murder, death, mention of suicide.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Firefly Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

What a rush! Ten people locked into a Big Brother style house, meant to figure out who the Agents are and who the Players are, find their game going horribly wrong. With no one sure who's on what side, they'll have to find a way to work together if they want to survive.

This is fast paced and exciting. Because it's all narrated by one character, there was never a doubt that she'd get into the show, even when she's initially rejected, and there were a couple of really obvious bits of foreshadowing - for instance, the moment Kass looks up at a high gantry and thinks about how she'd never willingly get up there, I knew that at some point she'd have to get up there. There's also a really obvious drugging scene that no one catches on to, but then they were exhausted, terrified and half starved by then. (Warning, the next one's a bit gruesome, keep reading only if you're sure you're ok with that: at one point they open a secret door and find a body inside. The body has been there for three or four days by that stage. Wouldn't they be able to smell it?)

Those little points aside - and again, from outside the story it's always easier to see what's going on - this is a really good read. The characters don't give much away, I hadn't guessed a couple of the twists, and the thought of being trapped somewhere like that is really claustrophobic. The whole set up is very clever.

There's what might be a sequel hook at the end, or might be just meant to leave us unsettled. Either way works and I'll be watching out for more by the author. Great read.

This was such a fun, binge-worthy story! This book was riddled with twists and turns. It heavily reminded me of all of my favourite things, like, The Traitors, Knives Out and Pretty Little Liars (if you know, you know). Lie or Die was such an unpredictable story that had me racing through the pages to find answers. This was definitely the most enthralling thriller/mystery i’ve read in a LONG time. I loved the whole gameshow aspect and grew to love each of the characters for their individuality. It was an added joy to discover the author is from South Wales. My only slight criticisms is that the story felt quite colloquial at times. I understand the story was mainly surrounded with teenager dialogue, but I felt some of the written descriptions outside of dialogue could’ve been a bit more formal.

Brilliant reality TV YA thriller which is very much in keeping with the success of shows like The Traitors and The Trust. I loved the guy from
Porthcawl!

Well written with an exciting pace and thrilling conclusion.

A totally unputdownable book! I couldn’t get enough of this story. It really was addictive. I loved the ending and am hoping that there is another book coming. I will certainly be following this author to keep an eye out for future books