Saturday, July 22, 2017

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware


Title: The Lying Game
Author: Ruth Ware
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Release Date:  July 25, 2017




The text message is just three words: I need you.

Isa drops everything, takes her baby daughter and heads straight to Salten. She spent the most significant days of her life at boarding school on the marshes there, days which still cast their shadow over her now.

Something terrible has been found on the beach. Something which will force Isa to confront her past, together with the three best friends she hasn't seen for years, but has never forgotten. Theirs is no cosy reunion: Salten isn't a safe place for them, after what they did.

At school, the girls used to play the Lying Game. They competed to convince people of the most outrageous stories. But for some, did the boundary between fact and fantasy become too blurred?

And how much can you really trust your friends?








"Draw the person I see."

The Lying Game didn't woo me. 

I have not read the Woman in Cabin 10 or in a Dark, Dark Wood. However, my friends who have read them, have enjoyed them. So I thought I would give her a try. 

The Lying Game was painfully slow for me. I understand that the author had to build up the suspense in her narrative. I'm good with suspense, in fact, I love it, but in this case, I felt like nothing was really happening. I didn't feel like I learned a lot about their lying game or the other three girls for that matter. The twist was not difficult to guess and the end felt too convenient for my taste.

The Plot:

It tells the story of four women who as teenagers became best friends during their time together in a boarding school in Salten. Two decades later and they have all moved on but then one of them, Kate Atagon, sends a message with just three words saying: I need you. Isa, Fatima, and Thea leave everything behind and take the trip back to Salten and Kate.  

Through Isa's perspective, which goes from the past to present, we learn about their game at lying and the secret all four shared. Isa's friends have changed but in some ways, they have remained the same. Isa's an attorney. She's on maternity leave when Kate calls her. She takes her six-month-old baby to Salten with her, leaving her boyfriend Owen behind. Fatima has become a doctor and now she's following her Muslim roots. Thea seems lost. She's drinking too much and she's too thin. Lastly, Kate is the same. Beautiful but hiding secrets from everyone. 

Positive point:

I actually liked all four women. I liked the diversity of their characters. They were there for each other. Just three words were enough to bring them together. I had no problems connecting with them and liking them despite their past mistakes. 

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Gallery via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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