Cover Image: All My Lies Are True

All My Lies Are True

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I did not get around to reading this book prior to it’s publication date and it has since been archived therefore I cannot leave a review at this time.

Was this review helpful?

I did not realise this was part of a series when I requested, but I will now go back and read the first one.

Was this review helpful?

I sadly could not finish this one, not entirely sure how far I got but the storyline was just boring. It started out with a good premise but i sadly found it lacking any sort of mystery, I think thats because at the end of the 'first' book had that epilogue was the finale that told us what happened, so there didn't seem much at stake in this one.

Was this review helpful?

A great sequel which I enjoyed almost as much as the first book. I loved the different perspectives and how they interlinked with one another and literally showed different sides of the same story.

Was this review helpful?

I am so disappointed with this book. I absolutely loved the Ice Cream Girls both the tv series and the book. This is the sequel and it took me forever to get round to it as it was one of those books that I wanted to read, but didn’t want the ice cream girls journey to come to an end. The book was very dragged out and could have been dealt with over half of the pages. There was a lot of repetition from the previous book. I failed to warm to any of the characters and did not feel the shock factor when the twist was delivered. I am a huge fan of this author and felt nothing but disappointment for this book. However, it has not put me off any of her other work.

Was this review helpful?

All my lies are true is another Dorothy Koomson literary classic! A Koomson book never disappoints. All my lies are true is actually a follow up to another of Koomsons' books The Ice Cream Girls but I read it a stand alone and can say it's not necessary to read the other first to enjoy it. All my lies are true kept me captivated throughout, I was absolutely invested in the characters and the storyline and the suspense, oh the suspense! I would definitely recommend giving this one a go!

Was this review helpful?

I quite enjoyed the continuation of the Ice Cream girls story, although I did feel this sequel ventured into some far-fetched territory at times with Verity’s story.
It was however addictive listening and well narrated!

Was this review helpful?

I wasn’t expecting too much with this one, but it turned out to be a brilliant and compelling read. I’d wholly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for an audiobook version in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this audiobook and even though i had read the first books from this series years ago, I will still able to enjoy this without relying on my memory of the previous story. Definitely a page-turner. I loved how each character was able to tell his or her own story and how that illuminated the premise of the title. A great read!

Was this review helpful?

There is a lot of victim blaming in this book and I hate it and the hate the characters who do it. It was my biggest issues with the last book, Verity is so unlikable during the start and flashbacks of the books. I never love Verity in the last book but she was a teenager, now she a twenty-something so not much of an excuse. Especially, for a case which is clearly self-defence in the year 2020. I was really tempted to not continue with the book at the 15% mark in but it was a book I got for review. I think if it had been a library book I wouldn't have continued after that.

Koomson does address changing attitudes towards cases. I can buy the male-dominated court case being dicks to supposed lesbians, but it's just the family being so mean to them for no god damn reason that really got to me in the last book and still it's in this one. There's effort for redeeming moments but it's doesn't track fully for me.

The voice actors are good, except that voice actor for Verity makes a lot of mouth noises, which are distracting. It might just be that the wrong mic was used for a part because she not like that throughout the story. This audiobook has a complete cast for the POV characters, the voice actors from the last book return so there is that consistency. There all very good, just not the best book for earphones.

This book is very long and feels it. It covers a lot of characters so makes sense at the end, but at the start, it was hard to get into it. I ended up going from 2x speed to 3x speed which is the highest speed on Netgalley app. There were parts I definitely would have skimmed read if this was a physical book.

This book will have discussions of past sexual assault integrated into sex scenes. I get that is meant to make the reader uncomfortable but for what? This book has more sex scenes than I want in a book. I know that's a me thing, but really made me stop listening for a second.

The ending was an ending. This book answers questions I had about the characters from the last book, leaves me new questions, but I care about them less, so somehow less satisfy.

Overall, I gave this book 3/5 stars for Late Schemes. Koomson's writing is very good and this series hasn't put me off reading more of her work, but definitely wouldn't read more of this series. The victim blaming really ruined me getting into the book and definitely soured the own thing. I'll read anything but I found myself getting annoyed by it.

Was this review helpful?

I’ve yet to read a book by this author that I didn’t love and this was no different. The storyline was brilliant and it was well written

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this return to the Ice Cream Girl story. It shows the long reaching effects the crime had on the 2 girls and their families.
The families want answers. You are left wondering whether all the questions you had from the first book will unravel over the course of this one. It really draws you in and you are desperate to find out what is going to happen.
Another wonderful book by Dorothy Koomson

Was this review helpful?

I was so lucky to receive the audiobook to review. My dog loved it as her walks were extended. I almost had to buy the kindle edition to keep going with story but decided to continue to have something to look forward to on gloomy, early lockdown walks. A follow-on to the Ice Cream Girls but can definitely be standalone as my memory of the first book was hazy. The narrators were excellent and the story tense. Family sagas including the children and siblings of the Ice Cream girls. Both have had very different experiences from those days. Secret relationships, love, deceit, revenge and loyalty are at the heart of this story. Great twists and turns.

Was this review helpful?

Dorothy Koomson is a master of storytelling but this one fell flat for me.

Although she can craft fully-formed characters and complex, real family units the pacing was too slow, nothing really happened and I DNF'd it past the 50% mark.

Was this review helpful?

I have read the original book that prequels this, but I wouldn't necessarily say that it is essential to do so, although there is an important element to that book that you would then not know for this one. However, this book captures the long term impact of abuse and trauma, and the subtleties of grooming very well. If I had to pick a side I would say though I am team Poppy all the way, and I sometimes find Serena less empathic! Overall, good sequel... that ending though!

Was this review helpful?

This is an excellent listen, multiple narrators really bring the story to life. This is the long awaited sequel to The Ice cream girls and I would recommend reading that first to understand the motivation and characters of this book, I read it years ago and watched the TV adaptation but could still remember enough to get me back in that mindset. This is 10 years on and it’s only negative is that it was obviously written before February as a lot of it set in 2020 and life in that universe is normal ! No pandemic in sight,.
Multiple narratives, points of view and jumping timelines keep you on your toes.
Highly recommend, thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio book.

Was this review helpful?

First Netgalley audiobook and really enjoyed. A ver cleverly constructed tale, with some great characters, and importantly for an audio the narrator did it justice too and really brought it all to life.

Was this review helpful?

Having read and loved The Ice Cream Girls I was really looking forward to reading this sequel.
It didn't disappoint and it was nice to find out how the girls, Poppy and Serena’s lives had progressed into Audulthood
I swung between sympathy for both girls after all they had been groomed from a very young age.
How both girls lives had changed forever in an instance

It kept up with a good pace and I did enjoy it but it did get very dark in places.
I will add you don't need to have read The Icecream Girls to follow this but you do understand the issues of trust, power, and abuse better is you have.

Was this review helpful?

All my lies are true by Dorothy Koomson.
Poppy and Serena #2.
Narrated by Maria Gbeleyi, Adjoa Andoh, Julie Maisey, Nicky Diss and Lake Thompson.
Verity is telling lies....
And that's why she's about to be arrested for attempted murder.
Serena has been lying for years....
And that may have driven her daughter, Verity, to do something unthinkable....
Poppy's lies have come back to haunt her....
So will her quest for the truth hurt everyone she loves?
Everyone lies.
But whose lies are going to end in tragedy?
this is the follow up from the ice cream girls I did enjoy this book and was able to get into it straight away. I liked the story and characters. This was an intense one to listen to. I didn't expect that. 5*.

Was this review helpful?

First, let me say that I love Dorothy Koomson as an author and think she’s incredible, and I REALLY hate DNFing arcs and so I’m gutted that I just won’t be able to finish this book. In the first quarter, there are court transcripts in which the defendant is forced to describe her sexual assault, and the perspective changes to the present day in which a couple is having on-page sex. It then switches back to the account of rape. I personally cannot read something like that. Sex and rape should not be on the same page. I love a dark thriller, I love horror, but this made my stomach turn and I can’t continue.

I’m aware that my lone two star rating does not speak for everyone and so I recognise that this is a personal issue for me that is not a problem for others. However I just cannot continue.

The audiobook narrators are mostly really wonderful, however one of them was difficult to listen to with headphones in as I could hear the saliva in her mouth which is not particularly enjoyable? This wasn’t a problem when I listened from my phone speakers however. Otherwise, this was brilliantly performed by all actors and the audio worked really well switching between scenes and perspectives.

Thank you so much to netgalley, hachette audio and the author for the ALC of All My Lies Are True in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Was this review helpful?