Two Truths and a Lie Review

Title: Two Truths and a Lie (Book 3 in the Lying Game Series)

Author: Sara Shepard

Release date: 29^th May 2012

Publisher: Harper

MY KILLER IS STILL OUT THERE.

AND MY SISTER MIGHT BE NEXT.

Two months before I died, my best friend’s brother disappeared. I have no idea where Thayer went or why he left, but I know that it is my fault. I did a lot of horrible things while I was alive, things that made people hate me, maybe even enough to kill me.

Desperate to solve my murder, my long-lost twin, Emma, is pretending to be me and unravelling the many mysteries I left behind – my cryptic journal, my tangled love life, the dangerous Lying Game pranks I played. She’s uncovered my friends’ darkest secrets, but she’s never had the chance to dig into Thayer’s past – until now.

Thayer’s back and Emma has to move fast to figure out if he’s after revenge… or if he’s already taken it.

SECRETS, LIES AND KILLER CONSEQUENCES.

Still pretending to be her twin sister after Sutton was mysteriously murdered, Emma is no closer to finding out the truth. Emma has heard the rumours about Sutton and the mysterious Thayer Vega but up until now, Thayer has been missing. When he arrives with no warning in Sutton’s bedroom, Emma becomes convinced that he is Sutton’s killer. Can she discover the truth before she ends up like her twin?

I’ll be honest, I’ve been really neglectful with this book. After writing my review for ‘Never Have I Ever’ (Book 2 in the Lying Game series), I had ‘Two Truths and a Lie’ waiting on my bookshelf, put to the bottom of the ‘to read’ pile… that was in 2013! That is no reflection of the series – just my own disorganisation! So I was a bit apprehensive about jumping straight back into the series without rereading the previous two novels. I didn’t have to worry. Despite a little bit of struggling in the earlier books to get to grips with who the characters are and how they fit in to Sutton’s life (just like Emma has to), I found that I didn’t really have this problem this time round. Emma is becoming more familiar with the characters and so am I as a reader.  Not only this but for the first time in the series, we get to see Emma publically being Emma whilst also pretending to be Sutton. What I mean is that Emma’s kind nature and also love interest, Ethan, play a big part of Sutton’s life whereas in the first two novels, Emma has been scared of merging her personality with Sutton’s character for fear that she would be found out.  

What was also different about this book was the increase in insight from Sutton, who narrates the story from beyond the grave, attached to her sister’s life presumably until the killer is found. Sutton has more flashbacks that actually lead somewhere, meaning the reader has more (quite important) knowledge than Emma about what has happened leading up to Sutton’s death, though this isn’t for long as Emma’s detective skills are becoming more honed.

As always, with Sara Shepard’s novels, the reader is offered romance, family, friends and a huge handful of danger thrown in to engage us and keep us hooked. Once again, we end up asking more questions than we get answers for but this is part of the charm of the series as we are learning about Sutton’s past alongside Emma’s investigating and Sutton’s remembering.

I think this novel could stand on it’s own as Sara Shepard is really good at reminding us what has happened, through a brilliant blurb and killer prologue. However, for me, it has to be read as a series (you definitely couldn’t not read book 4 after this!) and I would have missed out on so much of the mystery if I hadn’t read the previous 2 novels. I enjoyed this book and it is another great addition to the series.

4.5/5 If you haven’t started reading the Lying Game series already then you should!!!!

Never Have I Ever Review

Title: Never Have I Ever

Author: Sara Shepard

Release Date: 29^th Sept 2011

Publisher: Harper

Not long ago I had everything a girl could wish for: amazing friends, an adorable boyfriend, a loving family. But none of them know that I’m gone – that I’m dead. To solve my murder, my long-lost twin sister, Emma, has taken my place. And now my killer is watching her every move.

I remember little from my life, so all I can do is follow along as Emma tries to solve the mystery of my disappearance. But the deeper she digs, the more suspects she uncovers. It turns out my friends and I played a lot of games – games that ruined people’s lives.

Anyone could want revenge... anyone could want me –and now Emma – dead.

As Emma takes on her dead twin sister’s life to try and find out who killed her, she struggles to keep her lives separate. Falling for Ethan only makes her life more difficult as she tries to maintain Sutton’s status as Queen Bee. Can Emma eliminate all the suspects before she herself becomes a victim?

I really enjoyed this book and although it took me a while to read it, it was definitely worth it. Emma is still struggling to find her sister’s killer but by the end of the book there are more suspects than ever! An unexpected character appears at the end and definitely adds more excitement and anticipation to the next book (which I have already ordered from the library and can’t wait to read!)

The comments made by Sutton throughout the book remind us of the girl’s unusual relationship and allow us a slight insight into her personal life which isn’t tinged by others jealousy or admiration.

As Emma begins to get closer to Sutton’s dad and Sutton’s sister, both twins realise how good Sutton’s life was before she died and just how much she has lost. However, as Emma delves deeper into Sutton’s life, it is clear that she had many enemies, but Sara Shepard keeps the reader on edge, not revealing which of these characters are capable of murder and blackmail and who Emma can actually trust.

Once again, Sara Shepard’s writing style still reminded me of the book ‘The Time of the Ghost’ by Diana Wynne Jones (as mentioned in my review for book one in this series ‘The Lying Game’) as she captures the mystery surrounding each character and how they relate to the girls’ lives wonderfully. It can take a while for the characters to form themselves as individuals as Emma knows very little about them and so the reader is placed in the same situation as Emma, getting to know the characters gradually, at face value. Sutton struggles just as much as Emma to work out the circumstances of her death. It is frustrating that Sutton can’t communicate with her twin, not to help her unravel the mystery but to offer her support. Although Emma has the love of many characters who think she is Sutton, there is only Ethan who truly understands her situation. However, even their relationship suffers when Emma is concerned that things may become too complicated if they get too close. Everyone thinks that Emma is Sutton and Sutton would never have dated someone like Ethan!

I would recommend this book and I just hope that the plot doesn’t become too complicated within the next book, ‘Two Truths and a Lie’.  While I still feel like Emma isn’t much closer to finding Sutton’s killer, I don’t feel like Sara Shepard is dragging out the story, in fact, the tale just becomes more intriguing. I haven’t read any of Sara Shepard’s other series but I have heard that they are really brilliant and I look forward to giving them a go after this series!

4.5/5 The story just gets more interesting!

The Lying Game Review

Title: The Lying Game

Author: Sara Shepard

Release Date: 31^st March 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins

I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does – an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me – to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

Let the Lying Game begin.

The first time Emma finds out she has a long lost twin sister is seeing a weird online video. After tracking down her sister, Sutton, on Facebook, they arrange to meet.

However, Sutton never shows and then her friends appear and Emma is swept up in a case of mistaken identity. Where exactly is Sutton and how long can Emma pretend to be her?

Written from the point of view of the deceased Sutton, with a style that reminds me slightly of The Time of The Ghost by Diana Wynne Jones (a really amazing book and author), The Lying Game is really interestingly written.

Emma has to take over Sutton’s life in an attempt to track down the killer and the novel includes the ingredients every great teen novel should. Sutton’s boyfriend, Garrett provides the love interest however, there is also chemistry between Emma and Ethan. Although this is complicated by the fact that Ethan thinks Emma is Sutton and something has clearly jeopardised their relationship! Despite the confusion here, the novel is really clear cut (just remember everyone thinks Emma is Sutton!). Family relationships also play a part, comparing Emma’s dysfunctional one with Sutton’s loving parents. In fact, the novel explores a lot of polar opposites as shy Emma takes on her new life as confident and popular Sutton.

There are a lot of secrets in this novel and not much is revealed by the ever-present ghost of Sutton who doesn’t seem to remember much of what has happened in her life. As a reader we are placed in the position of Emma, slowly introduced to each character and their relationship with Sutton, which makes it difficult to discover who might have a motive for murder. Similarly, the ending does not reveal the killer, making Never Have I Ever, the next book in the series, a must read! 

Overall, a really compelling read and one that I would definitely recommend. The story is not as complicated as I have suggested and it is actually a really easy read with a nicely structured plot. I look forward to the next one!

5/5 Unexpected, unusual and really brilliant!