The plot of this book is not a unique one. Schoolgirl accuses man of sexual abuse. He claims innocence. But who is telling the truth? What the author does differently, however, is a deep dive into both central characters at their very core. There was no real twist per se in this story but I enjoyed the exploration of the characters as the plot progressed. I did guess what the main 'surprise' of the story was but Lisa writes so incredibly well that it was an enjoyable read anyway (despite the subject matter!) and I'll be interested to see what she comes up with next.

I’m slightly disappointed by how predictable the book was. Nothing surprised me; it was pretty obvious “who did it and who did not”. :(
Plus the reaction of one of the main characters when the truth came out.... The words of explanation... Their excuse... I would have given this book 3 stars, but because of that one “reaction” I can’t give more than 2.

I didn't like the beginning of the book. Somehow it didn't make me excited. I think both of the family is very cliche.

A strong story- difficult subject matter to read and I can imagine for write too- but a powerful impactful story that will stay with me for a long time.

Thrilling from start to finish. It showes you how lies can spiral out of control and effect more than one person. The ending was a complete surpirse for me which was nice. I read it in 3 days it was that good.

This is a well written novel but it was not easy to get into because the majority of characters were so unlikeable. Two families are scarred by lies and secrets and a damaged 12 year old is at the centre. I was not rooting for any of the adu.lts and do not want to add any spoilers but I could see who the main perpetrator was almost from the start. Good writing but a depressing read.

This was a gripping but harrowing rollercoaster ride. Based on a statement by a thirteen year old girl, two families lives are turned upside down. The author writes from several different characters point of view, revealing the ricochet effect one truth or lie can have on so many lives. The truth comes out eventually of course, but we are left twisting and turning not knowing who to believe. A book I kept wanting to return to!
Recommended.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy.

#littleliar #lisaballantyne #netgalley

Lisa Ballantyne
Oh my gosh, what a rollercoaster of feelings and emotions.
I wanted to stop and start this book time and time again.
I felt every emotions from each character.
The story line about a drama teacher that has been accused of sexuality assaulted one of his pupils goes out off hand, even his wife and family goes to doubt him.
I was completed hooked.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, highly recommend, a tough subject to write sbout, but well written and very compelling storyline. Intriguing and made me want to read more to find out about who was telling the truth.

I read this book feeling quite unsettled. Can we be innocent yet guilty at the same time? If we fantasize about a crime, does that make us capable of even criminals? The story (no spoilers) was thought-provoking, challenging and a compulsive read. I wasn't sure I liked some of the characters and understood how this can cloud out judgement of others.

Little Liar makes for tough reading, telling, as it does, the story of a twelve-year-old girl who has accused her drama tutor of sexually assaulting her. I was a little uncomfortable with the idea of a novel focusing on a man wrongly accused of this type of crime, given that so few rapes/sexual assaults are convicted and I believe that false accusations are a fairly minor issue in comparison. However, without giving away the plot, I feel that the author handled this issue well, and I was satisfied with the ending.

I enjoyed the different perspectives offered - that of the young girl, Angela, both of her parents, the accused, Nick, and his wife. The novel offers an interesting take on the ripple effects of an accusation like this, and I feel that the author delved deeply into the knock-on effects of all the people connected to both the accused and the accuser.

This is the first thing I have read by Lisa Ballantyne but I don't think it will be the last.

This novels deals with a difficult subject, namely accusations of sexual assault on a 13 year old girl by a grown man. It is tough and harrowing subject and I will say that when Nick was arrested near the beginning of the book I nearly didn't carry on. Not because it wasn't good writing but because it inspired such conflicted feelings in me that I really had to think about whether I wanted to know tackle this subject or not. In the end the truly great writing kept me going and I finished the book in just 4 days.

This book really highlights I think how the system is pretty broken. Both the accused and the accuser are thoroughly let down by it and despite believing that we should always believe women I do actually think that both parties should be given anonymity until such time as formal charges are made.

The only part of the book that I didn't like was the way it dealt with the viewing of porn. It portrayed it as something only men do, which is absolutely not true, and also equated rape fantasies with pedophilia for which there is absolutely no evidence. I felt like the author missed the opportunity to deal with that subject in a much more enlightened way. After all rape fantasies are actually something that women report as being their fantasy as much as men do.

In summery, this is excellent writing, that tackled a really tough subject overall very well indeed but that I think for some people, especially those who have maybe experienced the reporting of sexual assault or family centred assault this book maybe just too much for them.

This is the first novel I have read by this author and I found the plot and writing to be excellent. I was intrigued from the beginning and throughout the story there were twists and turns with some difficult subjects faced head on.

Nick, married to Marina, with two small children has his life torn apart when he is accused of sexual assault of a girl, Angela, who is not yet a teenager. Angela is a troubled girl, full of anger and hatred, and the insights given by the narrative show there are many issues going on behind the scenes with her.

Nick also has ghosts and troubles in his background and behaviour, which are highlighted but do these mean that he is a child molester. The impact is huge as his family, including his wife’s employment, are all affected.

It is not until towards the end that the reader finds out the truth. Lisa Ballantyne was unafraid to look at the depths of the situation from the viewpoint of the accused and the accuser.

There were parts where I flinched and cringed as the story unfolded but this in no way detracts from the read.

Recommended.

Amazing. I was kept guessing and questioning the whole way. There is such a thing to the story.
Nicks life is ripped apart as a pupil makes an allegation of abuse against him. Did he, didn't he?
The pupil Angela is troubled. Fed up with everything
Mud sticks, we all know that.
No woman should endure abuse or but no man should have his life torn apart when there was no intention or action to hurt a woman either.

This book really gripped me and will stay with me for a while to come. Highly recommended!!!
#NetGalley #LittleLiar

I really liked this book. I haven't read any of Lisa Ballantyne before but this has whetted my appetite! This story was so very sad and situations like this are, sadly so true to life. I really cared for the characters early on in the story which is always a good sign that it is going to be a good read. The ending was not really unexpected and not a happy ending for anyone, but quite a hopeful ending.

I would definitely recommend this to others. Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy.

Little Liar, by Lisa Ballantyne, was a very dark book. You are never quite sure what is going on in her character’s lives, and this book will keep you thinking. This is the first book by Lisa which I have read and it was a good, thought provoking read.

I had all sorts of questions running around inside my head as I was reading, why was Angela doing this? Was what she was accusing her teacher of true? What were the police going to find?

It does make for an emotional and quite a heavy read at times, and the author, Lisa Ballantyne isn’t afraid to take the reader to some dark places.

This book is very harrowing, and it tackles some hard-hitting subjects, but Lisa isn’t over gratuitous at all in her writing, and she handles the subject line with care. It is a novel that will leave plenty of room for thought, which is what I found as I tried to work out just what was really going on in Angela’s world, and if she really was telling the truth.

Angela is the character at the centre of the novel, a thirteen-year-old girl who accuses her drama teacher, Nick, of raping her, but the details about the case are very sketchy. His world is torn apart when the police turn up on his doorstep one evening and make the accusation.

Angela is a child who is so full of anger and frustration, and Lisa explores the tensions in her family very well. I couldn’t believe some of the things Angela was saying to her mother, and I couldn’t be sure if to feel horrified, or sorry for this young girl who appears to have had a really rough start to life.

What this book does do well at is that it shows how much of an impact Angela’s allegation had on Nick’s family. This isn’t something that can easily be forgotten about, and it does have consequences for them for the rest of their lives. Nick can’t simply lie low for a couple of weeks while the police continue with their enquiries and hope for a swift resolution. This has put the whole of his career in jeopardy.

If you’re looking for a fast paced read I don’t think you will quite find it here (although the pace does pick up in the latter half of the book), but if you’re looking for a read that offers a deep psychological insight, then I would recommend giving this book a go. Lisa is a talented writer, and I will definitely keep an eye on what she writes next. Overall it was a fairly good read; it won’t be the last book I read by this author.

Hooked. Was kept guessing the whole way. What a twist! Did not see that coming.
Nicks life is ripped apart as a pupil makes an allegation of abuse against him. Did he, didn't he?
The pupil Angela is troubled. Fed up with everything.
Follow both families as they are put to the test.

I really really enjoyed this book it had my mind spinning trying to figure out the truth I did guess early on then discarded that idea and changed my mind. The story had me gripped from start to finish. I love the kind of book where I can't wait to race through it but then dread finishing it because I know good books aren't always easy to find. I've already recommended it to family and friends and it's a book I'd be happy to read again

I really enjoyed this book. I found it compelling from the start and felt sympathy and compassion for both main characters for their own situation. The subject matter was interesting. I felt the book ended more abruptly that I would have liked. Would recommend.
Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Extremely well written with a powerful subject matter. It was difficult to read sometimes due to the emotional storyline but I enjoyed it none the less. It ended very suddenly though unfortunately.