Reviews tagging 'Death'

Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering

24 reviews

stephrand's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a roller coaster this book is. A bit different from the show but very hard to put down in the same way. Lucy and Stephen’s toxic romance is a wild ride full of lust and emotion. Also enjoyed all of the family dynamics/drama each of them also dealt with. Definitely recommend for a quick and somewhat spicy read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death and Eating disorder

Minor: Addiction, Animal death, and Vomit

syreetam's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

emilyyyhillsss's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

"Stephen is just another guy who needs to shave and lose the beer belly, another corporate lawyer who gets his kicks on payday. Maybe he was magic to me once, but he isn't anymore"

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

readwithdrb's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This book was toxic AF! Lucy Albright and Stephen DeMarco meet in college. Stephen is the modern-day equivalent of a f***boy, who cheats on every girl he's ever dated. He's also hiding a huge secret! Lucy is absolutely head-over-heels in love with Stephen and kept coming back to him despite all the lies. 

There were also some trigger warnings the reader should be aware, such as eating disorders, mental health diagnoses (depression), and significant drug use.

Overall, the writing read very much like a YA book to me and the characters were NOT loveable or even likeable at all. I just wanted this book to be over...

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Minor: Death

mosreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Toxic relationship

Minor: Pedophilia

feralandbookish's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

I'll start by saying, definitely look at trigger warnings for this book before reading. I should have. 

Aside from that, when I started this book, I wasn't sure what direction it was going to go in. It was giving me tale of caution vibes, and I was correct. 

I loved the ending to this book. It was very healing. The author is correct in that we all have a Stephen in our lives at some point or another. I know who mine is and I can't wait for the day I have the epiphany Lucy does at the end of this book. 🧡

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Car accident

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

oliviamcclay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

this book was a whirlwind. and by that i mostly mean emotionally exhausting and fairly infuriating. the author quickly grabs the interest of the reader, and maintaining it. i read the book rather quickly; though, i never felt i was fully prepared for what was coming next. 

the book was a lot more sexual and a lot heavier than i thought i would be. so much so i wish there was a warning. the incessant sexual writing was not my favorite and felt like overkill. but also essential for the purpose of the story that i believe the author was trying to share. the mental health issues were numerous but the ones that were most prominent weren’t only the common ones, like depression and anxiety. in a way, i felt more educated about certain illnesses after reading the book. 

the hardest part of this book was hating one of the main characters for almost the entirety of the book. though, at times, you hate both of the main characters. 

what i did appreciate was the reconciliation, the realizations, and overall result of the book. i felt i got the closure i was seeking and the peace i was needing. 

i wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone though. only get into it if you want to read about sex every chapter, feel the weight and frustration of mental illness, and eventually get satisfying closure. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Sexual content

elderwoodreads's review

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I wasn't sure how I felt about this book for most of it. I feel like I enjoy this as extended character study but the story was weird and disjointed. As others have said the ending is incredibly abrupt and out of nowhere. Ultimately I really enjoyed Stephen's chapters and inner world even if I vehemently disagree with it. I think if you like the show it's worth a shot.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Blood, and Vomit

jennabeck13's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering

⭐️ (1/5)

Genre: Romance

About 370 pages

Lucy is searching for who she wants to be when she arrives at Baird’s campus in California. She is young and naive which is how she falls into Stephen’s trap. The two start an on-again, off-again romance as they can’t resist each other despite knowing they aren’t good for one another. Tell Me Lies tells the story of their relationship during college, their transition to the professional world, and beyond. 

Keeping this brief… I did not like this book. It felt like it was promoting toxic relationships and in my opinion, there were no “positive” moments in Lucy and Stephen’s relationship. GoodReads promotes this as a “coming of age” story and a romance, but I think it was the opposite. While I think addressing themes like those in this book is important, I don’t think it was done properly here.

Favorite Quote: “Love—real love—isn’t something you construct or hope or imagine or plan for the future. Love is something you live and feel in real-time, in every single moment, big or small. It’s reciprocal and often unglamorous. But we bank on it because it’s what gives life meaning.”

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Gaslighting

mandarrr's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content