"The Lies They Tell"

“The Lies They Tell”

Written by Gillian French

Review written by Diana Iozzia of Bookworm Banter

            “The Lies They Tell” follows our main protagonist, Pearl Haskins, as she discovers the mystery of why the house of one of the richest families in town has burned to the ground. Nearly all of the Garrison family perished, except their eighteen-year-old son, Tristan.

            Pearl is stuck in a love triangle, or square, I guess, as she tries to help her father and his alcoholism. Pearl works as a waitress at a country club during the summer, still planning her way out of the town to college in the fall. Pearl befriends a group of rich kids from the club, soon starting to fall for Bridges and Tristan, while still sort of pining for her co-worker, Reese.

            This book reminds me of 90210 meets “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote. Who killed the Garrisons? Was it their surviving son? Was it Pearl’s father, who was there working as the caretaker that night? Could it have been someone else entirely?

            I enjoyed some of this book, but not much. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I was younger. As a twenty-two-year-old, sometimes it can be difficult for me to get into the mindset of a teen to read young adult fiction. Most of the characters, barring Bridges, were a little too unrealistic for me. I really enjoyed the dialogue, it is very realistic and representative of teens. Often in young adult fiction, we’re “treated” to talk of Facebook and Snapchat and Instagram and Kim Kardashian, so it was nice to have a break from “teens”.

            There’s a bit of uncomfortable sexual harassment in this book, but the characters did call out the harassment which I appreciated. As for the alcoholic father premise, this pops up in too many teen fiction novels. I’m tired of the teens having to be responsible and fix their parents. The names are very glamorous and of course make sense for the novel. Bridges, Tristan, Hadley, Quinn. They all sound a bit like the author researched wealthy teen names.

            There were scenes that I enjoyed. I enjoyed the boat sailing scenes, because it offered a new location / setting that’s not often incorporated into teen fiction. I felt a little “Talented Mr. Ripley” in some parts, which I liked. The climax and the reveal behind the murders was good, but I don’t think it was a shocking enough plot twist that made the book feel worthwhile. The book is slowly paced, and I don’t mind a slow paced book if it eventually builds to a fantastic reveal, with great little tidbits in the middle. I recommend it for teens, but if you’re above the age of 20, perhaps this book may be a little too young for you.

I received an advanced review copy for my honest reviewing purposes.