A review by oliviamcclay
Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering

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. 
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