There seem to be a huge amount of books like 'Lie or Die' around at the moment: ones exploring how reality TV and social media can be a deadly combination in today's society. That doesn't make A J Clack's novel any less appealing, however. Its mix of high school drama plots with a high stakes fight to survive makes for a brilliant, fast-paced read and the prose is perfectly suited to the genre.

A plot twist at the end of the novel, which, whilst not massively surprising, is pleasantly received and accepted, left me tempted to reread the text with my fresh insight. And that's always a winner in my book! (Pardon the pun) It resulted in my opinion of certain characters changing, as well as had me second-guessing a lot of what I'd accepted quite readily upon my first reading. This did come as a shock to me considering I hadn't picked up this particular novel expecting to want to revisit it so quickly!

I enjoyed how the subtle romance plots in this story were exactly that: subtle. They were enjoyable and felt as if they fit, but didn't take up valuable page space from the more interesting aspects. I also loved how real the Big Brother-esque TV house felt! At times I felt as anxious and monitored as the characters were, and I never once doubted that the unfolding events could happen in a particularly twisted part of our country. Considering I think this is a crowded market at the moment, Lie or Die felt original, interesting and fun throughout!

14. Lie or Die by A J Clack

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a disturbing YA thriller that will keep you gripped!

🔪 ‘Traitors’ vibes
🔪 Characters to love and loathe
🔪 Twists and turns
🔪 Murder mystery vs reality tv

REALLY enjoyed this. Once I had started reading, I was hooked. The whole premise is interesting, the characters are likeable and hate-able in equal measures. I don’t think I’d wanna live in a world like this! It’s not for me… but this story absolutely was!

What would you do to win ! Lie or Die.

10 contestants enter a big brother style With a Mafia twist competition. Contestants are against each other to find out who are the killer agents and who are just innocent players. Kass who only ends up in the game by accident is soon worrried the lines between reality and fiction have been crossed and this game might actually be a real fight to the death but who can she trust and who is playing a game.

I have a great time reading this a perfect quick read YA thriller I could not put this book down and was invested in every single character! This book literally had me on the edge of my seat throughout!

I will definitely be looking for more from this author and I hope this book gets much more recognition! Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley, Firefly Press and A J Clack for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

A thriller reality tv show set within a Big Brother style house where 10 contestants are filmed 24/7 while playing a game of Lie or Die.
Are they a murderous agent or an innocent player - remind you of another reality TV show ?
There’s only one rule TRUST NO ONE as they try to figure out the murderous agents
But the live streamed reality tv show becomes all too real when contestants are killed off for real and not just fake deaths.
It’s literally a fight for survival.
A fast paced contemporary YA debut novel.
Addictive and mysterious it was quite a creepy read - you felt you were watching the show from inside, perfectly capturing the darker side of reality TV.
I didn’t trust any of the characters, not even Kass, as you felt you didn’t get to know them as they were not being their true selves.
But obviously there were characters you can’t help but love or loathe.
Loved that you didn’t know who the agents and players were apart from Kass, as it added to the paranoia.
There were lots of twists, some you didn’t see coming and the ending left you with the possibility of a second book in the series, as there was unfinished business and more to be explored.
Are you ready to play?
Thanks @alisonclack1 @fireflypress & @netgalley for letting me join the game

Painful to read, glaringly obvious and VERY YA fiction!

I had high hopes for this book and at the beginning, although it was written fairly, simply, I was intrigued and excited to find out how it would pan out.

But it became very obvious to me from the beginning that there was no mystery to the novel. All the clues were laid out for you under a major spotlight, so it’s very hard to be surprised or shocked when you find that what you’ve read is exactly what is going to happen.

Also the way that the characters played the game I felt was a bit too formulaic and none of them had really considered the predicament that they were in. For example, if you want to take control of a situation where you’re being seen and heard 24 seven then take away the ability to be seen and heard 24 seven. That would’ve been my first plan of attack once I realised that I have no control.

Anyway, I ended up skimming to the end in hope that there might be a good ending or maybe a little surprise for me. Turns out it was just flat

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Big Brother meets Mafia game concept, reality show Lie or Die makes contestants compete against each other as they try to unveil who is a killer. When Kass finds herself cast as one of the contestants and people start to die (for real!), her priorities shift from not being eliminated from the game to just staying alive! Kass and her friends are no longer playing but fighting against what feels more and more like a death sentence. 'Reality' just got very real.

Lie or Die was full of twists and tension, with a claustrophobic atmosphere that makes the reader rush to turn the pages as surely as the breakneck pace. A thrilling read.

Kass is currently fighting with BFF Thea about a misunderstanding over an ex-boyfriend. She desperately wants to make things up with Thea so agrees to try out for a new reality show called Lie or Die, based on a party game called 'Mafia' (or Werewolves'). Ten contestants will compete to win a cash prize by unmasking the two 'agents' amongst them before the 'agents' can 'kill' the rest of players. The two girls are eventually accepted onto the set & things seem normal at first, but when the AI host 'Cohin' goes off-script & the eliminated contestants start turning up literally dead, Kass realises that they are trapped inside the contained set with a killer.

This is the second book I've read recently about a murderer stalking a group filming a new reality TV show. This one started off quite slow & I wasn't really getting into it, but around a third of the way in, the story line & pace took off & didn't look back. Kass was a great main character as she was probably the one the reader would naturally feel most empathy for. I also thought the idea of basing around the party game worked really well as it gave the narrative a solid structure. It did look as if things may veer out of control towards the conclusion, but thankfully the ending was intriguing with maybe a possible chance of sequel. I ended up really enjoying this one & recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA thrillers.

TWs: murder, death, mention of suicide.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Firefly Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

What a rush! Ten people locked into a Big Brother style house, meant to figure out who the Agents are and who the Players are, find their game going horribly wrong. With no one sure who's on what side, they'll have to find a way to work together if they want to survive.

This is fast paced and exciting. Because it's all narrated by one character, there was never a doubt that she'd get into the show, even when she's initially rejected, and there were a couple of really obvious bits of foreshadowing - for instance, the moment Kass looks up at a high gantry and thinks about how she'd never willingly get up there, I knew that at some point she'd have to get up there. There's also a really obvious drugging scene that no one catches on to, but then they were exhausted, terrified and half starved by then. (Warning, the next one's a bit gruesome, keep reading only if you're sure you're ok with that: at one point they open a secret door and find a body inside. The body has been there for three or four days by that stage. Wouldn't they be able to smell it?)

Those little points aside - and again, from outside the story it's always easier to see what's going on - this is a really good read. The characters don't give much away, I hadn't guessed a couple of the twists, and the thought of being trapped somewhere like that is really claustrophobic. The whole set up is very clever.

There's what might be a sequel hook at the end, or might be just meant to leave us unsettled. Either way works and I'll be watching out for more by the author. Great read.

This was such a fun, binge-worthy story! This book was riddled with twists and turns. It heavily reminded me of all of my favourite things, like, The Traitors, Knives Out and Pretty Little Liars (if you know, you know). Lie or Die was such an unpredictable story that had me racing through the pages to find answers. This was definitely the most enthralling thriller/mystery i’ve read in a LONG time. I loved the whole gameshow aspect and grew to love each of the characters for their individuality. It was an added joy to discover the author is from South Wales. My only slight criticisms is that the story felt quite colloquial at times. I understand the story was mainly surrounded with teenager dialogue, but I felt some of the written descriptions outside of dialogue could’ve been a bit more formal.

Brilliant reality TV YA thriller which is very much in keeping with the success of shows like The Traitors and The Trust. I loved the guy from
Porthcawl!

Well written with an exciting pace and thrilling conclusion.

A totally unputdownable book! I couldn’t get enough of this story. It really was addictive. I loved the ending and am hoping that there is another book coming. I will certainly be following this author to keep an eye out for future books

I loved this!! It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, so much so that I devoured almost half of this in one night. (I would've devoured the whole thing if I hadn't already been saying 'one more chapter' for an hour and a half.) The only thing was it was a little slow at the beginning because there were a lot of names and rules to remember but once I did I couldn't put it down and I fell in love with almost all of the characters and friendships. This book made me doubt everything, laugh at times and cry at others but overall it had my heart racing. I loved it. Here's to hoping a second one is on the way🤞

Love Island + Big Brother + Hunger Games + Escape Room = Lie or Die!
This had me hooked right from the beginning all the way to the end.
I loved all the twists and turns, some of which I predicted, whilst others totally shocked me!
The ending left me a bit puzzled as well... does it mean there is going to be a sequel?!
I totally recommend it if you are a fan of Reality Shows and murder mystery.

Hunger Games meets the Traitors. I really did not want to put this down at all. Kept me gripped all the way through

This book had me hooked from the start. It's a Big Brother murder mystery and. there were twists and turns I never expected. I knew there would be a twist at the end so was trying to work it out but I didn't get close! Full of suspense and tension I struggled to put it down.

This is like a twisted version of the Traitors and Big Brother played by young adults rather than a mixed age group .and it is a trilling and unpredictable read .I honestly didn't have a clue what was going to happen next, and I loved it. Really good book, and a great read.

Really enjoyed this book, lots of twists and turns and keeps you guessing throughout. Lots of relatable characters and the story’s really well thought out and easy to follow. Would definitely recommend and would read another by this author!

Absolutely raced through this YA thriller, got nothing else done until I’d finished it. Such an adrenaline filled, scary ride of a book, with much to say about the evils of reality tv and a great portrayal of teen friendships with all their typical importance and intensity for young people. Really kept me guessing too, the plot had so many twists and turns I felt dizzy!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I found the premise very exciting and I think it will appeal to readers who are invested in Reality TV (in particular challenge shows) along with the card game Mafia. It's a premise I've never seen before and it works very well in a thriller/horror setting.

The only reason I am rating it as a three rather than a five is that I felt that some characters were lacking personality and I often found it difficult to sympathise with them. That being said, the plot was good and the pacing was just right so that you could get through the novel without feeling it was dragging.

And the ending - did not see it coming!