Book Review: The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark

“You can prepare yourself for something, imagine it a hundred different ways, and still find yourself breathless when it actually happens.”

Julie Clark, The Lies I Tell

Review:

Julie Clark does not disappoint! She has a knack for writing flawed yet lovable characters. Together, Meg and Kat make an unlikely yet powerful duo.

When Meg comes back to town, Kat thinks this is her opportunity to seek revenge on her for an incident that occurred ten years prior. What she doesn’t realize is that Meg holds the reigns. A skilled and seasoned con artist, she cannot be easily conned herself. The two forge an unorthodox friendship, and Kat comes to see that maybe Meg’s cons aren’t as selfish as she once assumed. 

Both Meg and Kat’s stories are strong and well-developed, playing off each other flawlessly. My only quip is how only one man in the entire book is one of the ‘good guys’ and we only see him for a brief time. It wasn’t a major turn-off for me because the story was strong enough, but it was an obvious case of an ‘all men are bad’ situation. Nonetheless, I loved both of the main characters and I love how the story came full circle. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Strong, flawed, and likable characters all at once.
• Narrators that compliment each other.
• The mysterious air of the book.

What I didn’t like:

• The ‘all men are bad’ narrative.
• The flashbacks. Though I’m glad we got the whole story, they broke up the flow of the present timeline.

Afterthoughts:

I really enjoy Julie Clark’s writing. I read The Last Flight last year and adored it. It’s one of those books that I’m still thinking about. Though I think that one still takes the lead for me, I enjoyed The Lies I Tell immensely. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Where to buy the book: