What I usually like about young adult fiction is that it is so much better than television made for 'young adults'. Books tend to be allowed more freedom to explore real teen issues, while shiny, glossy (usually American) teen dramas have become more than a bit cliché. Everyone has to be beautiful, someone always dies (one of the main reasons I gave up on watching the O.C) not to mention the drama, the intense introspective monologues, the revenge and retribution.

Having said all that, I do like thrillers and intrigue, and most of all, books that give me serious chills. From the blurb, I was hoping that I would get more of that and less of the aforementioned banalities. Unfortunately not.

The story starts out really well and I was suitably hooked. It was definitely creepy enough and there was a lot of mystery and intrigue. So far so good.

But once the invited teens arrived at the 'party' it all started to go downhill from there. The internal monologues of the characters analyzing their every emotion and action around them got really tiring. There were a couple of sizable plot holes that just couldn't be ignored and the last third became farcical and loss the 'creepy credibility' it had worked hard to build to that point. The characters were described as being razor sharp smart, and then yet they did annoyingly stupid things that had me eye rolling several times.

 If you're a fan of a really cheesy horror film (think - 'I know what you did last summer') and enjoy the predictable nature and the quick, cheap thrills it gives you, then go ahead. You'll enjoy the heck out of this.

A book packed with nail-biting moments with unreliable characters which kept me guessing through the pages. I devoured this book, keen to find discover everyone's roles in the death of a classmate. Well-written, addictive and entertaining, this is perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and One of Us is Lying.

This was a good read. 

There are many flaws within the pages but I enjoyed the reading time and once I ignored what I didn't like it was a book that helped me through a night of no sleep

Clue meets Riverdale? I was sold right away. I definitely got the Clue vibes at the beginning, since they were all mysteriously invited to a murder mystery party at a mansion, given identities/clothes/weapons for the night, and had distinct, related backgrounds to each other. This book was a much less fun version of Clue and then quickly became something entirely different. It’s one of those situations where it sounds SO great but the execution was all wrong. I wish I could hand the synopsis of the book and the first few chapters to someone else and ask them to have their way with it to see what they could do with the idea.

I felt like there were too many reveals too early in the book? I think I had everything figured out practically halfway through and kept wondering what else was going to happen as the book chugged along. There were a lot of creepy elements that I (somehow) didn’t expect and there were some more horror-ish parts to it… which I usually avoid. I can barely read regular mysteries and thrillers without being nervous.

I should also mention there are some really sad scenes (flashbacks mostly) that essentially involve bullying, which is my Achilles heal. I really can’t and don’t read books where there’s heavily bullying because it makes me too upset. I didn’t like reading those parts AT ALL.

4-5 stars.  One of those vivious teenage revenge horror stories, that definitely keeps you on your toes.  It makes sure to give you a lot of the history, by making it go back in time and in different points of view.  Well worth a read if you enjoy the YA horror story that is similar to a slasher film.  
Will be using in a challenge and recommending to members of Chapter Chatter Pub.

The mystery and its set-up was ridiculous and more importantly, the book's use of its LGBTQ+ characters made me want to scream and cry and throw something at the wall. Following on from last year's One of Us is Lying, it just fuels more evidence to the fire that YA mystery-thriller authors should somehow be banned from including any references to queerness/mental health problems in their books... At least until they pass a test/present their book before a committee.

This Lie Will Kill You gripped me right from the first page. The secrets, the lies, the mysterious murder mystery dinner party that they're invited to, which they know and the reader knows that is definitely far more sinister than the invitation would suggest. 

It was just perfect. The emotions from each of the characters, the lies and secrets that are revealed throughout the book. It kept me wanting to know more and more without leaving me too long between each snippet of information that I got bored and frustrated. 

And the story when it came out was dark and full of conflict and passion and so many twists. No one is who they seem and everything was captivating. 

Looking for a good mystery? Look no further.

#ThisLieWillKillYou drew me in immediately. After being introduced to the rather large cast, they all attend a murder mystery night; the winner will receive a  $50k scholarship for the school of their choice.

This started off in a very promising way, with mobile phones being confiscated, finding out everyone’s weapon, and what they want more than anything in the world.  The mansion where the action takes place, is customised for each attendee, clearly by someone who has intimate knowledge of every participant. Fantastically creepy, setting you up for a Pretty Little Liars style night of scares and the revelation of their secrets, particularly how they were each involved in the death of a boy one year before.

Unfortunately, the story starts to get a bit messy towards the end, like the writer had to fit the book into a smaller word count than they would have liked.  Even so, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is kind of like I Know What You Did Last Summer (yes this reference ages me), meets And Then There Were None. I love anything set in a creepy house with secrets and atmosphere and creaky floorboards and that's exactly what this is. The plot didn't blow me away or anything but it was fun and fast paced and I know a lot of students who'll eat this one up. The characters are pretty stock, the jock, the good girl, the mean girl, the loner etc but I personally don't mind that. The book does what it says on the tin and I enjoyed it.

This is a great young adult horror and reminded me a bit of the old Scream/ I know what you did...films etc. Teenagers really should learn to trust their instincts when given a ticket to a mysterious house and the only other people invited are linked to the murder of a boy. Seriously! However if they did behave sensibly we wouldn't have a book :)

Twelve months ago Shane was killed and now the 5 people linked to him are invited to the aforesaid mysterious house on the pretense of winning a $50k university scholarship. Except they're actually there to relive the night of the murder and their roles within it to find out exactly what happened and who was the one ultimately responsible. All whilst dodging the murderous attempts of the boys traumatised twin sister. 

I love a bonkers plot line and this was one. It alludes a few times to film YA horrors and I could totally see this up there with them. It was really easy to imagine this cinematically. It's quite tense as you can imagine, taking place in one evening the pace is fast going and doesn't let up from the minute they all arrive at the mansion. Each character is easily identifiable and as each reveals their innermost secrets you learn to either like them or hate them more. 

I liked the fact that you pretty much know who did it from the halfway point even though the it's not confirmed until nearer the end. There's a sub-story around abuse both from a parent child point of view and that of romantic relationships. It's also a story of friendship and love. Oh and a bonus point for Gavin who demanded a bathroom break when fleeing a demented killer because no one does that in films and I completely would! 

Overall I loved this and as the last book I'm reviewing in 2018 it's great to end it with a 5 star book.

A murder ‘mystery’ in the vein of slasher movies where a group of teens are lured into a mansion as part of a revenge plot, This Lie Will Kill You doesn’t really keep us in suspense. It is pretty predictable in its set-up, as well as the identity of both the ‘bad guys’ – the one who caused the murder and the one who is taking revenge on behalf of the victim. It, however, has a well-written character-driven story that takes us through the relationships between the five teens, the circumstances leading up to the murder and how they were maneuvered by the ex-boyfriend from hell into going just that one step too far. Told through each of the teens in third person perspective, we get to see the pieces of terrible things, and how they are being covered up.

As a bad guy, Parker is extremely infuriating. To be honest, if Brianna wouldn’t have even waited till he entered the mansion to strangle him with the rope he brought in, that too would have been fine. He is manipulative, stalkery, and obsessed with Ruby, his ex who he is abusive towards. Ruby, for her part, is still not over the death of Shane, the boy who died and who she loved; she is also a survivor of abuse (from her father) and is trying to escape from Parker’s attempts to get her back. Juniper, Ruby’s ex best friend, is a smart character who senses how shady it is, but comes to protect Ruby. Brett, meanwhile, comes with a guilty conscience already and a troubled heart. As they get going with the game, the story spills out, and yes, it is pretty much what you expect it to be. What I didn’t expect it to be was so dramatic (now I see why it has been likened to Riverdale in its synopis – some of the characters are so extra). The writing is okay, but the characters do seem exaggerated at times; even the dialogue at times felt too cheesy and metaphorical for a bunch of teens to talk in. The ending is also stretched out to give more insight into the motives and backstory of a character.

In short, this is a mystery plot that is more driven by the characters, than the twists and motive.

A year ago, there was a party where somebody died and five teenagers lied about what happened. Now, they've been invited to a gothic mansion to compete to win $50,000 but nobody questions where the invitation came from. This book had been compared to Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars so I was definitely intrigued! I do read a lot of YA novels and I don't think the genre excludes adults but I definitely felt like this novel was too young for me. The idea is great but I thought the actual writing was poorly executed and it was a big disappointment. I found the ending predictable and the characters one dimensional and unrelatable.

Five teenagers receive an invitation to a contest with a difference - the winner receives a $50,000 scholarship, but they soon discover that they are playing for much higher stakes. 

I love good thriller stories especially ones which promise shades of I Know What You Did Last Summer, unfortunately this one didn't quite live up to my hopes. The story line itself was OK,if a bit muddled and all over the place at times, but the main issue was that I found that I really didn't care for any of the main characters.  This made it difficult to connect with them and become emotionally invested in what happens. It also didn't help that there was a big case of 'insta-love' in the story. All in all, it wasn't my cup of tea but plenty of other reviewers feel differently. 

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Simon & Schuster UK Children's, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

I liked the idea of this story but unfortunately it failed to hold my attention for very long and I ended up skimming it. It was a great premise for a story but I feel that if the "party last year" story was told first I might have enjoyed it more.

I was quite enthusiastic to read This Lie Will Kill You because I was hoping for a similar sort of thing to One Of Us Is Lying, another Young Adult mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed earlier this year. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. The basic premise intrigued me and the story started out quite promisingly but as the book went on things got a little bit bizarre in a way that just didn’t make sense. I don’t mind a bit of melodrama at all, but it has to be skilfully done for me to enjoy it. Some have likened This Lie Will Kill You to the TV show Riverdale and I kind of get where they are coming from. Riverdale is absolutely ludicrous in a whole range of ways but I always get the feeling that it is a self-aware ridiculousness, almost satirical. I did not get that feeling with this book, so rather that being amused by the melodrama, it got a bit tiresome.

That’s not to say This Lie Will Kill You doesn’t have some good points. The characters are pretty interesting and the author dives right into the action which was fun and kept things moving along at a good pace. However, for me at least, the book as a whole just didn’t work. I think there’s a good idea here but it got taken over by some strange, often cheesy dialogue and some silly melodrama.

In the blurb they said this would be like Clue meets Riverdale... Sounds great right? Color me intrigued! 
Well, unfortunately it ended up being a big fat no for me.

I really don’t know what to say about this. 
I can’t even properly put my finger on what exactly I disliked about this! The storyline was basically all over the place, I couldn’t care less about any of the characters, everything felt so unbelievably unrealistic, it was totally obvious who the bad guy was, the writing at the start was beautiful and lyrical but went downhill pretty fast...

I loved the concept and the idea behind the story but the execution was just awful. Some parts were pretty creepy but I feel like a lot more could’ve been done with the whole story. The constant switching between characters was a complete miss for me because I guessed who the culprit was very early on and that just ruined all the fun.

While being well past the age of being a young adult, I actually enjoy reading books aimed at this age group as I often find them intelligently written with positive messages, with John Green being one of my favourite authors.

Unfortunately this book is a massive letdown for the young adult genre in my opinion, although the premise is a good one.  Some more character development and a little less predictability would have taken this book a lot further.  It actually became tedious to read, which is disappointing as it sounded right up my street.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

There are few things that upset me more than a sound, if slightly unoriginal, premise being wasted through poor execution, and I'm afraid that's exactly what happened with This Lie Will Kill You. Don't get me wrong, the author has some glorious flashes of brilliance but they were quickly displaced in my memory by innumerable issues. The author does create a creepy atmosphere and at points, the writing is engaging, at others it's barely coherent. The suspense and thrills which usually come with the identification, search and capture of the antagonist are sorely lacking as the bad guy is clear and very obvious from the first chapter onwards. I was hoping for some shock or surprise, but sadly it didn't happen.

As time went on it descended into complete chaos and ended up being rambling and tough to get through. I never warmed to any of the characters as they felt one-dimensional and rather shallow and needed their personalities developing more in order to get the readers attention. This may be enjoyable to Teens and Young Adults and those looking for a light, quick read that is more a bit of fun than serious reading, but, unfortunately, it fell flat for me and was deeply disappointing. I am curious as to what the author will do next and wouldn't be averse to checking it out. Hoping it'll be more readable and exciting than this was.

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster UK Children's for an ARC.

DNF for me at 35%.

I think this is one of those it's not the book, it's more me kind of thing! What I did read was okay, but I have to be in the right mood to read something like this!

I loved this book!! I can almost imagine this as a serious in the vein of Riverdale.  The characters were well written and the story twisted and turned and kept me guessing from start to finish.  This is the first book I have had the pleasure to read by this author and I look forward to reading more of her work.  I have already recommended this book to my girlfriend who I am sure will absolutely love it.  Hoping that Ruby and Brett might have their stories continued in another book or even get a bit of a backstory into Shane and Brianna.  If Chelsea decided to expand on these characters there are a number of options available and all of them would be entertaining heres hoping for more Chelsea P novels or maybe a TV or Movie adaption.