Genres
Publication
Harvill Secker
Description
Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, AND LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER! "So many questions...Until the very last page! Needless to say, I could not put this book down!" �??Reese Witherspoon "Once again the author of The Woman in Cabin 10 delivers mega-chills." �??People "Missing Big Little Lies? Dig into this psychological thriller about whether you can really trust your nearest and dearest." �??Cosmopolitan From the instant New York Times bestselling author of blockbuster thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10 comes a chilling new novel of friendship, secrets, and the dangerous games teenaged girls play. On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten, along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister. The next morning, three women in and around London�??Fatima, Thea, and Isa�??receive the text they had always hoped would never come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, "I need you." The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second-rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty. But their little game had consequences, and as the four converge in present-day Salten, they realize their shared past was not as safely buried as they had once hoped. Atmospheric, twisty, and with just the right amount of chill to keep you wrong-footed, The Lying Game is told in Ruth Ware's signature suspenseful style, lending itself to becoming another unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christ… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member AmalieTurner
3.25 -3.5. I found this book very gripping in places, it starts out with a great pace but later on it drags a little. This book is typical for what I have come to expect from Ruth Ware, which is nothing spectacular but a decent thriller with somewhat predictable plots but typically worth the read.
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I find Ruth Ware has a hard time wrapping up her novels. After the twist is revealed it’s like she doesn’t know how to finish the story so it kinda winds down in odd ways. For the most part I enjoyed it. Show Less
LibraryThing member MissBrangwen
Unfortunately, this novel was a disappointment to me. The premise sounds interesting: Four women, who were best friends at boarding school, gather years later because one of them sends a particular text message. Apparently they were an unpopular and even feared group back then, because they were
What I liked about this story was the setting. It is similar to the setting of the Ruth Galloway novels: A lonely, wooden house on a wide, tidal beach. I loved the descriptions of this. I also enjoyed the writing style, and yes, I did find it gripping and kept guessing until the end.
Apart from that, though, there was not much that I liked. I only warmed to one of the four main characters - Fatima, a Muslim doctor who has become more religious in recent years and constantly receives comments regarding her hijab and her choice not to drink alcohol. To me, she is the only character in the novel who sees clearly and who suggests sensible and constructive ideas on how to deal with the situation.
The worst character to me is the narrator, who is unsufferable, because of her stupid actions, her inconsistencies, and how terrible she treats her boyfriend. The addition of her baby to the novel is not a win and just made it more repetitive (because of course the baby cries, needs attention and is another stake in dangerous situations - every time).
While I liked the plot in the beginning, I did not enjoy how it developed. Maybe I am also getting a little tired of thrillers about dark secrets and events from someone's childhood.
I will still seek out other novels by Ruth Ware because as said above, I like her style, but this one is not her best.
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lying and spinning elaborate stories, trying to convince other people that they were true and doing harm in the process. Of course, there is a very dark secret that is about to come out now and putting them in danger.What I liked about this story was the setting. It is similar to the setting of the Ruth Galloway novels: A lonely, wooden house on a wide, tidal beach. I loved the descriptions of this. I also enjoyed the writing style, and yes, I did find it gripping and kept guessing until the end.
Apart from that, though, there was not much that I liked. I only warmed to one of the four main characters - Fatima, a Muslim doctor who has become more religious in recent years and constantly receives comments regarding her hijab and her choice not to drink alcohol. To me, she is the only character in the novel who sees clearly and who suggests sensible and constructive ideas on how to deal with the situation.
The worst character to me is the narrator, who is unsufferable, because of her stupid actions, her inconsistencies, and how terrible she treats her boyfriend. The addition of her baby to the novel is not a win and just made it more repetitive (because of course the baby cries, needs attention and is another stake in dangerous situations - every time).
While I liked the plot in the beginning, I did not enjoy how it developed. Maybe I am also getting a little tired of thrillers about dark secrets and events from someone's childhood.
I will still seek out other novels by Ruth Ware because as said above, I like her style, but this one is not her best.
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LibraryThing member thelibraryladies
As you guys have seen on this blog previously, one of my favorite suspense writers out there today is Ruth Ware. I read and reviewed both “In A Dark, Dark Wood” for this blog, as well as “The Woman in Cabin 10”, so of course I was going to pick up Ware’s most recent novel, “The Lying
Our protagonist is Isa, a relatively new mother of a baby named Freya and partner to a kind man named Owen. She’s made a new life for herself away from her teenage years, where she had a tight knit group of friends named Kate, Thea, and Fatima, with whom she shares a deep secret. They haven’t seen each other in years, trying to suppress their past in various ways. But when a body is found in the town of their boarding school, one that may reveal too much, they are flung back together. The bonds of a secret are hardly a new theme in books like this, but the strengths are in the characters here. While Isa is our protagonist, she actually felt like the least interesting of the foursome, falling back on pretty well explored tropes. Shy and meek, but fiery when it comes to her child, and in a relationship with a well meaning but somewhat clueless man, I was more frustrated with Isa than I wanted to be. I was far more interested in Fatima, the most centered of the group who has become a surgeon and has recently become more faithful in her practice of Islam. We so rarely get ‘with it’ women at the forefront of these stories, and I think that Fatima had some serious potential and more to explore than Isa. Isa was just a woman who is falling apart because of the lies she’s told, and it’s not only a frustrating scenario to watch play out, it’s also been done before and didn’t really give me much to chew on.
But the atmosphere in this book is exceptionally spot on. If you want to guarantee a moody atmosphere for a novel, you really can’t go wrong with a house in a tidal estuary that is right on the water. It worked for “The Woman in Black”, and it works here as well. Kate, the woman who has stayed behind after the disappearance of her father and the secret shared between them, is living in her childhood home… which is slowly sinking into the water. The idea of a house that at certain tidal times is close to being enveloped by water is creepy and suffocating, and it really added to the general unease of this novel. While all of these women are still somewhat trapped at The Reach, Kate is trapped there physically as well as emotionally. The secrets that the Reach and these women hold are always just beneath the surface, and as they start to rise up the tension builds so slowly you don’t realize it’s there until you’re already drowning in it. You add that into the fact that this is a small town with a prestigious boarding school, and you know that the scandal and secrets are going to be oozing off the page. Boarding schools and sinking houses in an isolated setting? Hell yes I’m going to love that.
In terms of the mysteries and secrets of this book, it was kind of a mixed bag. There were some things that I definitely was caught off guard about, or at least didn’t figure it out until Ware wanted me to. But there were other things that I figured out pretty early on, and when it came to the ultimate climax and the ultimate solution, I was left kind of underwhelmed. While I don’t necessarily want to have twist after twist after twist, I also kind of want to have a little bit of a ‘gasp!’ moment when it comes to the solution to a book like this. I didn’t really get that anywhere in this book. If the characters had been a little bit stronger on all ends, I could have given it a bit of a pass, but as it was, I think that of Ware’s three books “The Lying Game” is the weakest for me.
That isn’t to say it’s a bad read at all. “The Lying Game” was a quick and tense read, and I tore through it pretty quickly. Fans of this genre really should give it a go, because it’s a solid mystery with some good suspense in it.
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Game”. These women centric whodunits are the perfect reads for travel and leisure, as they go down very easily and keep you entertained. When I finally got to “The Lying Game”, I settled in, ready for a page turner with twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat.Our protagonist is Isa, a relatively new mother of a baby named Freya and partner to a kind man named Owen. She’s made a new life for herself away from her teenage years, where she had a tight knit group of friends named Kate, Thea, and Fatima, with whom she shares a deep secret. They haven’t seen each other in years, trying to suppress their past in various ways. But when a body is found in the town of their boarding school, one that may reveal too much, they are flung back together. The bonds of a secret are hardly a new theme in books like this, but the strengths are in the characters here. While Isa is our protagonist, she actually felt like the least interesting of the foursome, falling back on pretty well explored tropes. Shy and meek, but fiery when it comes to her child, and in a relationship with a well meaning but somewhat clueless man, I was more frustrated with Isa than I wanted to be. I was far more interested in Fatima, the most centered of the group who has become a surgeon and has recently become more faithful in her practice of Islam. We so rarely get ‘with it’ women at the forefront of these stories, and I think that Fatima had some serious potential and more to explore than Isa. Isa was just a woman who is falling apart because of the lies she’s told, and it’s not only a frustrating scenario to watch play out, it’s also been done before and didn’t really give me much to chew on.
But the atmosphere in this book is exceptionally spot on. If you want to guarantee a moody atmosphere for a novel, you really can’t go wrong with a house in a tidal estuary that is right on the water. It worked for “The Woman in Black”, and it works here as well. Kate, the woman who has stayed behind after the disappearance of her father and the secret shared between them, is living in her childhood home… which is slowly sinking into the water. The idea of a house that at certain tidal times is close to being enveloped by water is creepy and suffocating, and it really added to the general unease of this novel. While all of these women are still somewhat trapped at The Reach, Kate is trapped there physically as well as emotionally. The secrets that the Reach and these women hold are always just beneath the surface, and as they start to rise up the tension builds so slowly you don’t realize it’s there until you’re already drowning in it. You add that into the fact that this is a small town with a prestigious boarding school, and you know that the scandal and secrets are going to be oozing off the page. Boarding schools and sinking houses in an isolated setting? Hell yes I’m going to love that.
In terms of the mysteries and secrets of this book, it was kind of a mixed bag. There were some things that I definitely was caught off guard about, or at least didn’t figure it out until Ware wanted me to. But there were other things that I figured out pretty early on, and when it came to the ultimate climax and the ultimate solution, I was left kind of underwhelmed. While I don’t necessarily want to have twist after twist after twist, I also kind of want to have a little bit of a ‘gasp!’ moment when it comes to the solution to a book like this. I didn’t really get that anywhere in this book. If the characters had been a little bit stronger on all ends, I could have given it a bit of a pass, but as it was, I think that of Ware’s three books “The Lying Game” is the weakest for me.
That isn’t to say it’s a bad read at all. “The Lying Game” was a quick and tense read, and I tore through it pretty quickly. Fans of this genre really should give it a go, because it’s a solid mystery with some good suspense in it.
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LibraryThing member kamoorephoto
Warning: this is LONG!
Books about boarding school have sucked me in before, so much so that they led me to attend one (I actually asked); we were living in Hong Kong at the time and I went to school in Sussex, just as in Ruth Ware's 'The Lying Game'.
I couldn't resist making this one of my picks
I was immediately transported back to England and my boarding school days. I felt all the nervousness and anxiety emanating off the pages right away, and you can feel it all the way through. The anxiety of trying to make peace with the past is what gave me short nights of sleep (I was staying up late reading), and it's what keeps the characters up late too, their pasts coming back to haunt them. I have always envied friendships that last for decades, like the ones in this story but there are many secrets that are hidden within these tight bonds. These bonds may seem unrealistic to some readers, but when you spend your time literally LIVING with each other through your formative years, you form unbreakable bonds, much like family. Okay, maybe not to the point where you help cover up crimes (right?), but I'm talking about my school mates. I can see where this may not strike a chord with some readers though.
I really enjoyed Ware's writing and never felt confused when she pulled the reader back to look at the girls' past. I was also fully imagining the Sussex coast, the train going back and forth from London, even the windy staircases to the dormitories, the long walks when you just don't have a car...frighteningly close to my own experience (a bit spooky, Ruth!). I kept coming back to the book for more.
I can possibly see how an American reader would maybe struggle with a imagining a long walk pushing a pram across marshy land at night. Being a Brit who walked a long way home from a train station every day, I didn't. The old Mill was also a force to be reckoned with, within the story, and a character of its own, and I could 'see' it falling into the water gradually. And the fever dreams of a body being discovered? Who hasn't had that nightmare, that dread? (Tell me have...right?) I felt it intensely.
Also an aside: since I had to leave my own boarding school in a hurry, not because of bad behavior (I promise) - my parents split - I never got to say goodbye to friends at my school either. I STILL haven't been back for a Founder's Day. Ware writing in a Salten School dinner was a clever touch to bring the past and present together. These sorts of reunions either have people filled with dread (like in this case, and for special reason), and then some 'old girls' can't wait for them.
I loved this story so much, I really did, and while it won't be sitting alongside jovial boarding school stories by Enid Blyton, being transported to the Sussex countryside for this mystery was all-absorbing. Having the past come back to bite you is something we ALL dread and this is a classic tale of that. I feel a little unsure of how I feel about the ending; sad, maybe it's too convenient, but somehow so appropriate, but I liked the imagery - maybe I just didn't want it to end, and for the mystery to be solved.
Books about boarding school have sucked me in before, so much so that they led me to attend one (I actually asked); we were living in Hong Kong at the time and I went to school in Sussex, just as in Ruth Ware's 'The Lying Game'.
I couldn't resist making this one of my picks
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for the month in a book subscription box, and although it waited on my shelf for a few weeks ( I have massive TBR list, thanks to my recent rash of book-buying), as soon as I started Ware's 'Game', I couldn't put it down. I was immediately transported back to England and my boarding school days. I felt all the nervousness and anxiety emanating off the pages right away, and you can feel it all the way through. The anxiety of trying to make peace with the past is what gave me short nights of sleep (I was staying up late reading), and it's what keeps the characters up late too, their pasts coming back to haunt them. I have always envied friendships that last for decades, like the ones in this story but there are many secrets that are hidden within these tight bonds. These bonds may seem unrealistic to some readers, but when you spend your time literally LIVING with each other through your formative years, you form unbreakable bonds, much like family. Okay, maybe not to the point where you help cover up crimes (right?), but I'm talking about my school mates. I can see where this may not strike a chord with some readers though.
I really enjoyed Ware's writing and never felt confused when she pulled the reader back to look at the girls' past. I was also fully imagining the Sussex coast, the train going back and forth from London, even the windy staircases to the dormitories, the long walks when you just don't have a car...frighteningly close to my own experience (a bit spooky, Ruth!). I kept coming back to the book for more.
I can possibly see how an American reader would maybe struggle with a imagining a long walk pushing a pram across marshy land at night. Being a Brit who walked a long way home from a train station every day, I didn't. The old Mill was also a force to be reckoned with, within the story, and a character of its own, and I could 'see' it falling into the water gradually. And the fever dreams of a body being discovered? Who hasn't had that nightmare, that dread? (Tell me have...right?) I felt it intensely.
Also an aside: since I had to leave my own boarding school in a hurry, not because of bad behavior (I promise) - my parents split - I never got to say goodbye to friends at my school either. I STILL haven't been back for a Founder's Day. Ware writing in a Salten School dinner was a clever touch to bring the past and present together. These sorts of reunions either have people filled with dread (like in this case, and for special reason), and then some 'old girls' can't wait for them.
I loved this story so much, I really did, and while it won't be sitting alongside jovial boarding school stories by Enid Blyton, being transported to the Sussex countryside for this mystery was all-absorbing. Having the past come back to bite you is something we ALL dread and this is a classic tale of that. I feel a little unsure of how I feel about the ending; sad, maybe it's too convenient, but somehow so appropriate, but I liked the imagery - maybe I just didn't want it to end, and for the mystery to be solved.
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LibraryThing member Twink
If you love psychological suspense, you're going to love Ruth Ware's novels. Her third book, The Lying Game has just released and yes, I loved it!
Isa, Kate, Thea and Fatima all attended the same seaside boarding school. While there, they played what they called The Lying Game. They lied to everyone
I am a huge fan of 'unreliable narrator' tales - I love trying to suss out what is actually the truth. This time we have multiples - four self proclaimed liars. Isa is our lead character. We see both the present and the past through her eyes and memories. More of what I love - that back and forth only heightens the tension of a book. We know something has happened in the past - unclear references hint at something terrible, but it is never completely spelled out. (And is only finally revealed in the last few chapters.) I need to know what the secret is! The book then switches back to the present - another sure fire technique for keeping me up late reading.
The Lying Game has a mystery at its core, but it is also an exploration of female friendship and familial relationships. These four wouldn't seem to be drawn together as friends - they're all very different in personality and temperament. Ware does a wonderful job portraying and exploring the bonds of friendship, loyalty and time. The same goes for the family piece - what defines a family and where does loyalty lie?
The setting is perfect - a remote coastal town, an isolated school, a ruin of a building that has housed family, friends and secrets for many years, as well as a surrounding village filled with distinctly contentious inhabitants. All of this just adds a great atmospheric backdrop for the all the possibilities, scenarios and questions I came up with.
The Lying Game is a character driven novel with a secret at the heart of it. A secret that changes the course of many lives. It's an addictive read - one I didn't want to put down - and one I finished far too fast again. This reader will be waiting for book number four.
Isa, Kate, Thea and Fatima all attended the same seaside boarding school. While there, they played what they called The Lying Game. They lied to everyone
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but adhered to the one rule they laid down - never lie to each other. But their game and their time together abruptly comes to an end when something tragic occurs. Expelled and split up, they go their own ways, except Kate, who stays in Salten. Now grown with careers and families, they only sporadically stay in touch. But, when Kate sends a text with the words 'I need you' to the other three, they immediately come back to Salten. You see, the past can only stay buried so long - and an omission is as good as a lie....I am a huge fan of 'unreliable narrator' tales - I love trying to suss out what is actually the truth. This time we have multiples - four self proclaimed liars. Isa is our lead character. We see both the present and the past through her eyes and memories. More of what I love - that back and forth only heightens the tension of a book. We know something has happened in the past - unclear references hint at something terrible, but it is never completely spelled out. (And is only finally revealed in the last few chapters.) I need to know what the secret is! The book then switches back to the present - another sure fire technique for keeping me up late reading.
The Lying Game has a mystery at its core, but it is also an exploration of female friendship and familial relationships. These four wouldn't seem to be drawn together as friends - they're all very different in personality and temperament. Ware does a wonderful job portraying and exploring the bonds of friendship, loyalty and time. The same goes for the family piece - what defines a family and where does loyalty lie?
The setting is perfect - a remote coastal town, an isolated school, a ruin of a building that has housed family, friends and secrets for many years, as well as a surrounding village filled with distinctly contentious inhabitants. All of this just adds a great atmospheric backdrop for the all the possibilities, scenarios and questions I came up with.
The Lying Game is a character driven novel with a secret at the heart of it. A secret that changes the course of many lives. It's an addictive read - one I didn't want to put down - and one I finished far too fast again. This reader will be waiting for book number four.
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
This author has gotten a lot of hype as thriller author with good twists (The Woman in Cabin 10) so I thought I would check her newest book out. While I wasn't head over in heels about it, the premise was good, the plot solid, and there were some good twists. While in boarding school Isa befriends
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three girls and they immediately become inseparable. Weekends are spent together, drinking, laughing, and playing the lying game. The goal is to say outrageous lies to people (strangers, peers, professors, etc.) and get them to believe you. Points are awarded on if they believe you, how tall the tale was, and if you could get one of the girls to crack and start laughing. The only rules are: stick to your story, never get caught, never lie to each other, and know when to stop lying. Their time at boarding school was cut short by a tragic accident (of which the reader won't find out until much later) and the girls haven't seen each other in well over a decade. However a chilling text from Kate (I need you) brings the four girls back together again. What they don't realize is that their biggest lie of all is going to come back and haunt them. For fans of suspense and plot twists. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The Lying Game, Ruth Ware, author; Imogen Church, narrator
Author Ruth Ware knows how to keep her readers totally involved in the narrative, guessing until the end at what the outcome will be. In Salten, England, four teenage girls, Kate Atagon, Thea West, Fatima Chaudhry (nee Qureshy), and Isa
Without regard for how their tales will eventually affect other people’s lives, they are united in the effort to willfully tell stories, competing for points earned from telling the most convincing lies. Soon, they also earn the not too stellar reputations of troublemakers who can’t be trusted. Young and unaware of the consequences they may face in the future, they are simply engaged in having fun pushing the envelope. In the end, will they still think that their lying game is fun or will it become an albatross around their necks?
Eventually, their behavior seems to get them expelled from school, and they go their separate ways, all four rarely coming together again, until after 15 years pass. Suddenly, Kate Atagon, who has remained in Salten, sends each of them a plea for help with a text message on their phones that simply states, “I need you”. They all drop everything and leave their lives in the midst of whatever they are doing, to answer the call. They all text back, “I’m coming”.
In the present day, 17 years after they have left school in ignominy, Isa is a lawyer, Fatima is a doctor, Thea has a gaming license, and Kate is an artist who lives pretty much, hand to mouth. Each woman is now in her early thirties, but she picks up and risks everything to return to help a friend, knowing she would never have sent the text if it wasn’t absolutely urgent.
When they were in school, Kate lived in the Mill House with her father Ambrose, the art teacher, and her step-brother Luc. It was their hangout. It was then, and is now, a home that is in disrepair, and it is slowly being reclaimed by the sea as it sinks into the sand. Still, ignoring the danger, when they arrive back in Salten, they return to Kate’s home. After only a short time, she reveals why she has called them all back to a place they never wished to return, and they discover that their former lying game may have very dangerous consequences for their current lives. Apparently, while strolling along the beach, a dog walker’s dog found a human bone in the Reach near Kate’s home. This discovery could have monumental consequences on all of their lives. A lie that they told 17 years ago is now coming back to haunt them.
What can they do? Should they continue to lie? Do they tell the truth? Can they trust each other? Are they in danger? What exactly are they afraid of? What did they do in their past that is so upsetting to them? The author will keep you guessing until the last pages as to the nature of all the secrets that must be revealed.
What I particularly liked about the book was the fact that the story isn't hackneyed. It is original and creative. The reader will not feel that they have read the same thing dozens of times before with a different title. The author has also chosen the narrator very well, for she portrays each character with such clarity that you can visualize them in every scene from their appearances and personalities to the tone of their voices. This is a good, fast read that will keep the reader involved and on edge waiting for the ultimate conclusion.
Author Ruth Ware knows how to keep her readers totally involved in the narrative, guessing until the end at what the outcome will be. In Salten, England, four teenage girls, Kate Atagon, Thea West, Fatima Chaudhry (nee Qureshy), and Isa
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Wilde, become the closest of friends at their boarding school. Whatever mischief they engage in, they do it together. Their favorite game is “the lying game”. They get points for fooling unsuspecting dupes by convincing them with their stories, of things that are untrue, often humiliating those victims when the lie they told is discovered.Without regard for how their tales will eventually affect other people’s lives, they are united in the effort to willfully tell stories, competing for points earned from telling the most convincing lies. Soon, they also earn the not too stellar reputations of troublemakers who can’t be trusted. Young and unaware of the consequences they may face in the future, they are simply engaged in having fun pushing the envelope. In the end, will they still think that their lying game is fun or will it become an albatross around their necks?
Eventually, their behavior seems to get them expelled from school, and they go their separate ways, all four rarely coming together again, until after 15 years pass. Suddenly, Kate Atagon, who has remained in Salten, sends each of them a plea for help with a text message on their phones that simply states, “I need you”. They all drop everything and leave their lives in the midst of whatever they are doing, to answer the call. They all text back, “I’m coming”.
In the present day, 17 years after they have left school in ignominy, Isa is a lawyer, Fatima is a doctor, Thea has a gaming license, and Kate is an artist who lives pretty much, hand to mouth. Each woman is now in her early thirties, but she picks up and risks everything to return to help a friend, knowing she would never have sent the text if it wasn’t absolutely urgent.
When they were in school, Kate lived in the Mill House with her father Ambrose, the art teacher, and her step-brother Luc. It was their hangout. It was then, and is now, a home that is in disrepair, and it is slowly being reclaimed by the sea as it sinks into the sand. Still, ignoring the danger, when they arrive back in Salten, they return to Kate’s home. After only a short time, she reveals why she has called them all back to a place they never wished to return, and they discover that their former lying game may have very dangerous consequences for their current lives. Apparently, while strolling along the beach, a dog walker’s dog found a human bone in the Reach near Kate’s home. This discovery could have monumental consequences on all of their lives. A lie that they told 17 years ago is now coming back to haunt them.
What can they do? Should they continue to lie? Do they tell the truth? Can they trust each other? Are they in danger? What exactly are they afraid of? What did they do in their past that is so upsetting to them? The author will keep you guessing until the last pages as to the nature of all the secrets that must be revealed.
What I particularly liked about the book was the fact that the story isn't hackneyed. It is original and creative. The reader will not feel that they have read the same thing dozens of times before with a different title. The author has also chosen the narrator very well, for she portrays each character with such clarity that you can visualize them in every scene from their appearances and personalities to the tone of their voices. This is a good, fast read that will keep the reader involved and on edge waiting for the ultimate conclusion.
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LibraryThing member ethel55
I missed reading Ware's big book of last summer, The Woman in Cabin 10, so when this was staring at me at the library, I nabbed it. The flyleaf would have you believe this is like any "four old friends/boarding school/secrets" book, but in reality, it both was and wasn't. Most of the story is told
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via Isa's eyes, after their old friend Kate texts that she needs Isa, Fatima and Thea to meet in Salten, site of their shared boarding school, which they were asked to leave 17 years ago. The girls were a close knit clique once upon a time, constantly playing their 'lying game' to see what they could get away with among the other students and teachers. Interestingly, they haven't kept in close touch, and it turns out their game is following them into adulthood, with ever changing rules. Ware sprinkled enough hints throughout the story, especially as it was reaching the end, that I figured out parts of it correctly. Show Less
LibraryThing member ChrisWay
I found this a bit ho-hum and not especially engaging. I think I was expecting something more along the lines of The Secret History which sort of doomed me for a certain level of disappointment. This is by no means a bad book, but it didn't captivate me. I liked the Woman in Cabin 10 better.
LibraryThing member ouroborosangel
I really wanted to like this book. The story revolves around four girls at a private boarding school who bond around a game of telling lies to and about everyone. The author switches between the past at the boarding school and the present, where a body has been found near the home of Kate, the only
What terrible thing did these four girls do that still haunts them as adults? What does the school’s art teacher have to do with it? Why does finding a body in the marshes surrounding the school cause them to panic 15 years later? Why can’t Kate leave her falling-down home, where the girls spent so much time as teenagers? What happened to Luc, Kate’s foster brother of sorts?
I finished the book to find the answers to these questions. Ruth Ware can write, no doubt about it. BUT, I hated all of the characters in the book. The main viewpoint character, Isa, is a whining, lying, overprotective mother whose baby was used as a prop so much I just wanted to lift it from her hands and give it to a babysitter for most of the book. The other three girls - just as bad. Not a redeeming quality amongst the lot of them. The few characters that interact with the girls are really unlikeable as well.
When the secret the women are keeping is revealed - eh.
Yes, what they did as 15-year-old girls was terrible. But, I feel like 30-year-old women would have gotten some perspective on the situation, especially as one works in law as an adult. Of course, the secret they kept turns out to be another lie. The truth about what happened to the body in the marshes is much darker. This is what kept me reading to the end, despite hating all the characters.
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one who has stayed in the town near the boarding school.What terrible thing did these four girls do that still haunts them as adults? What does the school’s art teacher have to do with it? Why does finding a body in the marshes surrounding the school cause them to panic 15 years later? Why can’t Kate leave her falling-down home, where the girls spent so much time as teenagers? What happened to Luc, Kate’s foster brother of sorts?
I finished the book to find the answers to these questions. Ruth Ware can write, no doubt about it. BUT, I hated all of the characters in the book. The main viewpoint character, Isa, is a whining, lying, overprotective mother whose baby was used as a prop so much I just wanted to lift it from her hands and give it to a babysitter for most of the book. The other three girls - just as bad. Not a redeeming quality amongst the lot of them. The few characters that interact with the girls are really unlikeable as well.
When the secret the women are keeping is revealed - eh.
Yes, what they did as 15-year-old girls was terrible. But, I feel like 30-year-old women would have gotten some perspective on the situation, especially as one works in law as an adult. Of course, the secret they kept turns out to be another lie. The truth about what happened to the body in the marshes is much darker. This is what kept me reading to the end, despite hating all the characters.
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LibraryThing member Susan.Macura
This book received some hype as being the new thriller from a New York Times bestselling author. The premise was very intriguing - four friends at a private school play a game that goes too far. However, the book never lived up to its promise. The characters were only mildly interesting and the
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action lagged. I kept reading, hoping it would become this amazing book. Sadly, it did not. Show Less
LibraryThing member oldbookswine
Excellent mystery with many twists and turns. Four girls attend private boarding school and become lifelong friends. Something occurred 17 years ago and has now surfaced to change their lives.
Each one holds secrets to the event . As they come together each must face their own weaknesses. Ruth
Each one holds secrets to the event . As they come together each must face their own weaknesses. Ruth
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Ware's 3rd book will give the reader an adventure as well as something to think about. Do the events of our young make us who we are are adults? Show Less
LibraryThing member seasonsoflove
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.
When Isa gets a text from Kate, simply saying I need you, it takes her right back to her painful past. Isa and Kate, along with Fatima and Thea, were a
This was such a suspenseful book! I couldn't put it down once I picked it up.
Ware is the master of the slow build. You know something is coming, as you watch the characters try to pretend everything will be fine--but there is always something (or someone) lurking around the corner, another shoe just waiting to drop. She plays that skill up once again in this book. You can't help but keep turning pages.
The reveals in this book almost entirely caught me completely by surprise. A few times I had inklings of what could be coming, but I was never able to figure out the full picture.
Ware also does a great job of examining what friendships are like between teenage girls. She perfectly captures the intensity of those bonds that can make you do anything for each other, that can linger even into adult lives.
It's really hard to find anything not to like about Ware's books. I don't think either this book or the previous one are as strong as her first book, but that doesn't mean I don't still really enjoy them.
I would absolutely recommend this book for anyone who loves a great book full of suspense and lots of twists and turns.
When Isa gets a text from Kate, simply saying I need you, it takes her right back to her painful past. Isa and Kate, along with Fatima and Thea, were a
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clique of four at a boarding school, playing a game that seemed to be all for fun. But the Lying Game had consequences, consequences that are still reverberating in the present, threatening to blow apart their lives.This was such a suspenseful book! I couldn't put it down once I picked it up.
Ware is the master of the slow build. You know something is coming, as you watch the characters try to pretend everything will be fine--but there is always something (or someone) lurking around the corner, another shoe just waiting to drop. She plays that skill up once again in this book. You can't help but keep turning pages.
The reveals in this book almost entirely caught me completely by surprise. A few times I had inklings of what could be coming, but I was never able to figure out the full picture.
Ware also does a great job of examining what friendships are like between teenage girls. She perfectly captures the intensity of those bonds that can make you do anything for each other, that can linger even into adult lives.
It's really hard to find anything not to like about Ware's books. I don't think either this book or the previous one are as strong as her first book, but that doesn't mean I don't still really enjoy them.
I would absolutely recommend this book for anyone who loves a great book full of suspense and lots of twists and turns.
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LibraryThing member maggie1961
I loved "in a dark dark wood" and "woman in cabin 10" but this one did not work for me. The first two I flew through in a day or so; this one seemed to drag on forever.
I found it a weaker story line. While it was called "the lying game" there wasn't a whole lot of emphasis or concentration on that
I did not like the main character Isa at all. I found her careless and selfish and her dragging her baby everywhere regardless of the danger made me dislike her even more. I have an extreme aversion to liars; she continued the "game" and lying seemed to become her way of life. The rest of the girls and Owen and Luc; none were very likeable.
Even Ambrose, those sketches? How ha that okay. Sometimes when I can't connect to the main character or characters, I can still enjoy the book but not this one. I'd give it a 2 1/2.
There were some interesting twists but by the time I got there, I was over it. I will definitely still read Ruth Ware's as I really like the other two but unfortunately this one is not one I would recommend.
I found it a weaker story line. While it was called "the lying game" there wasn't a whole lot of emphasis or concentration on that
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part of it or what happened as a result of the game, they just touched on it. It was more like cover up lies than the game itself. I spent half the book wondering what the big deal was especially since they were juveniles at the time. While there would be consequences, I got a bit tired of why could happen. I did not like the main character Isa at all. I found her careless and selfish and her dragging her baby everywhere regardless of the danger made me dislike her even more. I have an extreme aversion to liars; she continued the "game" and lying seemed to become her way of life. The rest of the girls and Owen and Luc; none were very likeable.
Even Ambrose, those sketches? How ha that okay. Sometimes when I can't connect to the main character or characters, I can still enjoy the book but not this one. I'd give it a 2 1/2.
There were some interesting twists but by the time I got there, I was over it. I will definitely still read Ruth Ware's as I really like the other two but unfortunately this one is not one I would recommend.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
I really enjoy Ware's style and her books suck me in quickly. This one had a great atmosphere even if some plot points were a bit of a stretch. I wasn't a huge fan of The Woman in Cabin 10, but I loved her first book, In a Dark, Dark Wood. That one remains my favorite of hers so far.
This one relied
Four girls, Isa, Fatima, Thea, and Kate have a shared secret from their past that has come back to haunt their lives. I really loved the character of Fatima. Even when some of the other's would grate on my nerves, I always enjoyed her. At the same time, she always seemed a little above the struggles of her friends and didn't quite fit with the group. Kate's father Ambrose was also a complex character that never felt like a cliche to me. The little town of Salten felt like a character as well. From the small houses covered in fishing nets to the nosy neighbors, it was alive in every way.
I also just left the stage of having an infant and so I love her descriptions of the the struggles and joys of new motherhood. The main character, Isa, has a six-month-old baby and the book talks about nursing, losing yourself in motherhood, the strain on a relationship, etc. It all felt so accurate and recent to me.
BOTTOM LINE: A quick read that's hard to put down. It doesn't quite measure up to her other's, but she has an undeniable talent for portraying characters and creating tense situations.
This one relied
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a little heavily on the gimmick of "the lying game" which felt like the weakest point of the plot to me. It's part boarding school friendship story and part mystery. It takes place in a secluded spot on the coast of England in a dilapidated house that's only reachable at certain times of the tides, similar to The Woman in Black (which I loved). Four girls, Isa, Fatima, Thea, and Kate have a shared secret from their past that has come back to haunt their lives. I really loved the character of Fatima. Even when some of the other's would grate on my nerves, I always enjoyed her. At the same time, she always seemed a little above the struggles of her friends and didn't quite fit with the group. Kate's father Ambrose was also a complex character that never felt like a cliche to me. The little town of Salten felt like a character as well. From the small houses covered in fishing nets to the nosy neighbors, it was alive in every way.
I also just left the stage of having an infant and so I love her descriptions of the the struggles and joys of new motherhood. The main character, Isa, has a six-month-old baby and the book talks about nursing, losing yourself in motherhood, the strain on a relationship, etc. It all felt so accurate and recent to me.
BOTTOM LINE: A quick read that's hard to put down. It doesn't quite measure up to her other's, but she has an undeniable talent for portraying characters and creating tense situations.
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LibraryThing member cwhisenant11
Ruth Ware is one of my auto-buy authors. There is something about the way she tells a story that sucks me in completely. I also really enjoy Imogen Church's narration. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!
LibraryThing member voracious
Kate, Isa, Fatima, and Thea were best friends in boarding school, where they competed to tell the most outlandish lies and spent their days evading school rules. Glamorous and popular, the girls were envied and loathed by their peers until the day they colluded to cover up a great secret, which
While I enjoyed the premise of this thriller, it was a little slow-moving. A lot of time was spent on traveling and Isa's mothering of her infant, which seemed to detract from the storyline. Nonetheless, I enjoyed trying to figure out what happened many years ago and who was responsible, as there were many possible suspects.
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lead to their expulsion. Many years later, the girls had moved on with families and successful careers. When a local dog pulls a human bone out of a sand dune, however, the girls reunite to protect themselves from their biggest lie of all.While I enjoyed the premise of this thriller, it was a little slow-moving. A lot of time was spent on traveling and Isa's mothering of her infant, which seemed to detract from the storyline. Nonetheless, I enjoyed trying to figure out what happened many years ago and who was responsible, as there were many possible suspects.
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LibraryThing member nyiper
Although little ol' Freya seemed a little too accomplished for a baby her size, this was quite a story and I did NOT figure it out until very close to the ending. Admittedly, supplying the details of what was going on along the way was a struggle---Isa was just NOT letting us know what was behind
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different events --- almost as if the story was being squeezed out of a toothpaste tube with a much too small opening---in that sense the book was a little tiring to read---I needed all the detail but somehow I wanted it to go a little faster? Show Less
LibraryThing member BingeReader87
When I first came across this book, I assumed it was about lying, like most people, but I was intrigued when I found it was an actual game played the by four friends. The Lying Game is a game where you must, obviously, tell a lie to an unsuspecting person (usually an authority figure or a popular
This book has a lot of mystery and intrigue in it and I found myself wanting to read it more and more until it was finished. I noticed a lot of people had issues with Isa, but I honestly really enjoyed that character and the rest for that matter. This is definitely a good read and I highly recommend getting it.
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girl) and get them to believe every word. This story is so much more than that game though, it's more about the chain reaction that takes place after things get out of hand one night during a distress call from one of the girls. Fast forward a few decades later and each of the girls is living their lives. Isa Wilde is the first to get the text from Kate, then Thea, then Fatima. Another problem and they all go running back home to deal with it. This book has a lot of mystery and intrigue in it and I found myself wanting to read it more and more until it was finished. I noticed a lot of people had issues with Isa, but I honestly really enjoyed that character and the rest for that matter. This is definitely a good read and I highly recommend getting it.
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LibraryThing member Gingermama
I listened to the audio book, which was beautifully read. While the story got off to a bit of a slow start, the suspense built steadily. The resolution was surprising, but the end, though sad, was satisfying.
LibraryThing member olegalCA
Not as good as her other ones.
LibraryThing member ChelleBearss
I didn't love this one. I was determined to finish it though as I felt it was one that I should have liked. It had great reviews and had all the elements of a great tale, but it fell flat for me. I think that was partially because I disliked the main character and found her weak.
LibraryThing member catzkc
I definitely have a new favorite author to add to my list!
LibraryThing member SBoren
I purchased this book from @halfpricebooks to buddy read with my book bestie @mycornerforbooksand. All opinions are my own. 🌊 The Lying Game by Ruth Ware. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 I liked this read, it was very entertaining, I just didn't love it the way I wanted too. I had figured out most of what was
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going on early on and while some of it turned different, I still was not shocked. Four girls who have been friends since boarding school meet after 17 years of being apart under very suspicious circumstances. Each one willing to sacrifice the life they have lived to save the other to hold up a game they have played for years. The Lying Game. Once established with 5 rules amongst themselves, they discover one of their group broke rule 4 and they now have to pull together and salvage what they have left of the messes they have made. Review also posted on Instagram @borenbooks, Library Thing, Go Read, Goodreads/StacieBoren, Twitter @jason_stacie and my blog at readsbystacie.com Show Less
LibraryThing member gail616
Excellent read! Can’t wait for the next one.
Awards
Reese's Book Club (2017-08 — 2017)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2017)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2017-06-15
ISBN
1911215027 / 9781911215028
Other editions
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware (Ebook)
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware (Ebook)