BOOK REVIEW: This Lie Will Kill You by Chelsea Pitcher

This Lie Will Kill You

Author: Chelsea Pitcher

Genre: YA Thriller / Crime / Mystery
Publication Date: 11 December 2018

Book Description:

“Will keep readers on edge from start to finish.” —Kirkus Reviews

Tell the truth. Or face the consequences.

Clue meets Riverdale in this page-turning thriller that exposes the lies five teens tell about a deadly night one year ago.

One year ago, there was a party.
At the party, someone died.
Five teens each played a part and up until now, no one has told the truth.

But tonight, the five survivors arrive at an isolated mansion in the hills, expecting to compete in a contest with a $50,000 grand prize. Of course…some things are too good to be true.

Now, they realize they’ve been lured together by a person bent on revenge, a person who will stop at nothing to uncover what actually happened on that deadly night, one year ago.

Five arrived, but not all can leave. Will the truth set them free?

Or will their lies destroy them all? 

Buy Links:

Amazon US ¦ UK

MY REVIEW

I had never heard of this book prior to it being brought to my attention by Riveted by Simon Teen as one of the free reads for the month. After reading the blurb and seeing the Riverdale reference, I was tempted to give it a miss, but it sounded intriguing enough that I was convinced to give it a try.

Five teenagers who attend the same school receive an invitation to compete in a contest in a bid to win a $50,000 Burning Embers Scholarship. Although skeptical about the event, they attend and it's not long before they realise they've been set up by someone hell bent on finding out the truth about the death of fellow student, Shane Ferrick, who died at a party a year ago. To survive, all they have to do is tell the truth: Who killed Shane?

The book started off well with a lot of mystery and intrigue. The characters all had different personalities and their dynamic was interesting. They're close enough to care what happens to each other but not close enough to call themselves friends. At least, that's the situation between Juniper and Ruby, who were best friends until Juniper reported Ruby's dad to the police for physically assaulting his daughter, after which point, Ruby's dad up and left. Juniper's relationship with Ruby hasn't been the same since then. Juniper's and Ruby's friendship isn't the only dysfunctional relationship among the group as it appears everyone in one way or other is hiding their true feelings for another person among the group. Not being able to see these characters in their natural habitat made it a little hard to establish a deep connection with them or establish whether or not the communication or relationship between them is based on affection or deception. They just didn't feel fully developed in order for me to make an evaluation on their character, so it was hard to connect with them or care enough about their motives.

You get a real "I Know What You Did Last Summer" vibe from the get-go, and if I recall correctly, the film was referenced in the book, so it seemed the teen slasher, mystery atmosphere is what the author was aiming for. However, there wasn't much in the way of terror, as it appeared a lot of the focus was on the sexual tension between the characters and the emotional connection they had for one another. Considering the theme and the topic, I wanted to feel the element of threat that was promised. There was a menacing presence in the opening chapters, but it quickly fizzled out, so I never felt as if the characters' lives were actually in danger, which is what I was expecting to feel. Honestly, I wasn't very fond of the characters or their connection to Shane. I was more interested in discovering more about the incident that took place surrounding Ruby and her dad than I was with finding out what actually happened with Shane.

It was just an okay read for me.

VERDICT:

Rating: 2 Star

Source: Riveted by Simon Teen