The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
So I immediately started on the second Riley Sager book after finishing Final Girls. I was excited to see how he had expanded as a writer, and also just read another really good book. The Last Time I Lied did not disappoint, and I am super eager to dive into his newest book after finishing this review, and will probably end up impatiently waiting for his next book.
When Emma Davis was thirteen years old, she went to Camp Nightingale for the summer. Because of her late arrival, she ends up in a cabin with three older girls-Vivian, Natalie, and Allison. On the Fourth of July, Vivian, Natalie, and Allison sneak out of the cabin, telling Emma to stay behind; they girls are never seen again. Fifteen years later, Camp Nightingale is reopening, and Emma has been invited back as an art teacher. While hesitant about her return, Emma decides to go and hopefully find answers once and for all; maybe then she can move on with her life. But as she uncovers secrets about the family that owns the camp, she begins to wonder if the girls' disappearance is something more sinister than three girls getting lost in the woods.
Compared to Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied started a little slow for me. The initial beginning where the girls disappear gripped me, but then when it goes into present day, I had a hard time connecting with Emma. Like the title suggests, Emma has a lot of secrets to cover up a lot of lies. Because of that, I really felt like it was hard to get into Emma's head. She keeps secrets from everyone, and that includes the reader. But once she gets to the camp and is around people from the past, you begin to learn more about her, her relationship with the girls, and the past, and that is when the book really picks up.
The rest of the cast is very intriguing. Vivian is a captivating character. I wish that she had lived longer so her diary entries would have lasted longer so I could learn more about her. She seemed to have a really good head on her shoulders. The Harris-White family is a deck of wild cards. Franny is a woman full of spunk and determination, and is very protective of her family. Theo and Chet are very aware of their privilege and do their best to help others out. Mindy, Chet's fiancé, I never fully trusted. Honestly, I thought she was the person behind the disappearance that takes place in present day. And Lottie, while not part of the family directly, is sweet, but stern. Together, they form this tight bond and are willing to do anything for each other, even if that means hiding each others dirty little secrets.
The ending though blew my mind and turned this book from good to hands down amazing! In the eighteen hours since finishing it, I have suggested it to three people. I did not see Vivian being alive, let alone killing Allison and Natalie. But she had a motive. They basically killed her sister, or at the least did nothing when she was drowning. And they would have done the same to Vivian, which she learned when she faked drowning. Not that I condone killing people, but the motive was obvious when you know all the details. Hopefully now, Emma can find peace knowing the whole truth.
I really enjoyed this book and I am so glad I decided to read these books. Riley Sager is a truly brilliant author who deserves all the praise in the world. I really hope he continues to write so I can continue to devour his books.
Rating: 10/10
Author: Riley Sager
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Dates Read: August 29-31, 2019
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| (Source: Kelsey Darling) |
Compared to Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied started a little slow for me. The initial beginning where the girls disappear gripped me, but then when it goes into present day, I had a hard time connecting with Emma. Like the title suggests, Emma has a lot of secrets to cover up a lot of lies. Because of that, I really felt like it was hard to get into Emma's head. She keeps secrets from everyone, and that includes the reader. But once she gets to the camp and is around people from the past, you begin to learn more about her, her relationship with the girls, and the past, and that is when the book really picks up.
The rest of the cast is very intriguing. Vivian is a captivating character. I wish that she had lived longer so her diary entries would have lasted longer so I could learn more about her. She seemed to have a really good head on her shoulders. The Harris-White family is a deck of wild cards. Franny is a woman full of spunk and determination, and is very protective of her family. Theo and Chet are very aware of their privilege and do their best to help others out. Mindy, Chet's fiancé, I never fully trusted. Honestly, I thought she was the person behind the disappearance that takes place in present day. And Lottie, while not part of the family directly, is sweet, but stern. Together, they form this tight bond and are willing to do anything for each other, even if that means hiding each others dirty little secrets.
Major spoilers below!!! Read at your own risk!!!
When the new set of girls goes missing in present day, Miranda, Krystal, and Sasha, I really was not sure who did it. I did not think it could have been Theo, but he was the only person I was okay with ruling out. Even with Emma being drunk the night of the disappearance, I did not feel that I could count her out, given her fragile mental state. But as previously stated, I was putting all my money on Mindy. Finding out is was Chet was completely out of left field. But just as in Sager's previous book, he drops very subtle hints throughout the book letting you know that Chet does have some revenge motives.
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| (Source: Giphy) |
The ending though blew my mind and turned this book from good to hands down amazing! In the eighteen hours since finishing it, I have suggested it to three people. I did not see Vivian being alive, let alone killing Allison and Natalie. But she had a motive. They basically killed her sister, or at the least did nothing when she was drowning. And they would have done the same to Vivian, which she learned when she faked drowning. Not that I condone killing people, but the motive was obvious when you know all the details. Hopefully now, Emma can find peace knowing the whole truth.
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| (Source: Giphy) |
Rating: 10/10
Author: Riley Sager
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Dates Read: August 29-31, 2019
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