I love mystery books so I was super excited to read The Truth Beneath the Lies! I was not disappointed. Well written and filled with exciting twists and turns! I don't normally like for books to have multiple point of views but it didn't bother me while reading the Truth Beneath the Lies. This book had plenty of suspense and full of mystery! If you love a good mystery then I suggest picking this one up!

I love thrillers. I haven’t actually read one in a while, so I was pretty pumped about reading this one. Until I joined the blog tour for this one, it kind of slipped under my radar, which is confusing because it was just so good. This book definitely deserves way more hype because it’s an amazing read with a great plot and characters who completely bring the book to life.

I had so much fun while reading this. I started it early one morning and kind of walked around with it glued to my face until I finished it, because I didn’t want to put it down. I cooked while reading. I sat on the couch and read. I snuggled in bed and read. No matter what, once I started reading this awesome book, I couldn’t put it down. There was so much to it that just grabbed me and pulled me in, and I really found myself just so excited to be reading it.

Betsy and Kayla were both such awesome characters – they were well rounded and written in such a great way that I couldn’t help but love them both from the very beginning. They added so much to the story and really brought the whole thing to life. The plot was full of twists and turns that I honestly never saw coming – my favorite kind! I was kept guessing several times in this book and was surprised every time.

The Truth Beneath the Lies is one of those books that will grab you from the very moment you start reading and not let you go, even long after you’ve turned the last page.

If you’re a fan of thrillers and are looking for something to keep you guessing and give you a fun and thrilling reading experience, I really recommend The Truth Beneath the Lies. While there wasn’t as much hype over this book as there were a lot of others with similar release dates, it definitely deserves it and will easily become a new favorite!

This. Book. Messed. Me. Up. Amanda Searcy, you have completely changed my views on FBI and police in serious situations, and especially when it comes to being in a terrible situation. I was not expecting what happened at the ending of this book (which I managed to read in less than 48 hours because of the fact that I have been behind on my reading schedule). Just a forewarning before you finish this review, I want you to know that there is a teen pregnancy in this book as well as a child’s death (the two were not connected). Because these topics can be very sensitive to some people, I am warning you now. If you are against these two ordeals, feel free to stop reading. I won’t be offended.

You all are probably sick and tired of me raving about this book when you haven’t even heard what it’s about, aren’t you? Don’t worry. I’m jumping into it now, starting with the two characters we are introduced to. First, we meet Betsy, who is new to a new town and school, filled with mostly Mexicans (I’m not being racist, I swear. It actually states in the book that she felt like a ghost next to them). Betsy has a strict policy with the man on the other end of the black phone, and that is to call him every twenty-four hours. Seems easy enough right? Wrong, especially when you hate the man on the other end.

Next, we meet Kayla who has grown up in foster care, as well as knowing that her mom was a drug addict. Now, she works at a grocery store and lives with her three-years-clean mother. She is also apart of her school dance team, though she feels like she is the charity case girl most of the time. She misses her foster mom and, from what I gathered, wishes she still lived with her.

Now, I’m going to be honest. I thought Kayla was going to turn out to be a drug addict. I was wrong. I thought Betsy was anorexic. I was wrong. I’m glad on both of those wrongful assumptions. This is where I tell you no more, for that would ruin the whole story. Amanda tricked me in ways that are unforgivable (I’m joking), and I am forever stunned by this story.

This story, by far, was one of my favorite books of the year. I enjoyed this book so much and could find little wrong with it, save for a few punctuation and grammar mistakes (but it’s an ARC so that’s okay). I cannot wait for this book to officially c e out, so that I can share ALL of my thoughts about it with the world. Because of my absolute love and adoration for this book, I give it a 5/5.

This book starts with a lot of questions. After reading the first few chapters I knew I would be reading right to end to get the answers. There is a very foreboding tone throughout the book and that coupled with all the things that I was questioning did make it a little difficult to get into at first but as I said the need to figure out what was going on kept me invested and I’m really glad it did, once I got past that I flew through this book.

The book is told through a dual POV from Kayla and Betsy, this helped with the suspense because as soon as you thought you were getting somewhere with one character it would switch to another. It really helped pull you into the story, getting drip fed bits from each story and wondering how it’s going to play out.

I won’t say much plot wise because this is one that you don’t want spoiled, it would ruin the tension of the story. What I will say is that I occasionally had an inkling of what was happening and a few things I got right but there was a lot of instances when I was convinced I knew how it was going to play out only to be taken completely by surprise at what actually happened.

Whilst for me this book had a difficult start once I got past that I really loved it, feeling as if I was on the edge of my seat desperate to find out what was going to happen next.

I think this book will appeal to lots of people, even if it’s not their usual read, the writing is sharp and it deals with some pretty intense things but it’s the kind of story that sticks with you days after you’ve read it.

DNF at 13%
I got this for a blog tour and I just couldn't get past the first 4 chapters. The two female POV's sounded way too smiliar that whenever I picked this back up, I had to remind myself of who I was reading from. A full review of why this book wasn't for me will be up on my blog on Wednesday December 13th. The link to the review will be provided once the review is live.

The Truth Beneath the Lies
Amanda Searcy
Delacorte Press, December 2017
ISBN 978-1-524-70089-8
Hardcover

From the publisher—

Flight.
All Kayla Asher wants to do is run. Run from the government housing complex she calls home. Run from her unstable mother. Run from a desperate job at No Limits Food. Run to a better, cleaner, safer life. Every day is one day closer to leaving.

Fight.
All Betsy Hopewell wants to do is survive. Survive the burner phone hidden under her bed. Survive her new rules. Survive a new school with new classmates. Survive being watched. Every minute grants her another moment of life.

When fate brings Kayla and Betsy together, only one girl will survive.

I have to say the publisher made a brilliant move in coming up with this synopsis. It’s vague enough that I really didn’t know what to expect yet enough of a teaser that I just had to find out who these two girls are and why one is doomed. Once I got into the story, I found it had a lot of facets including drugs, a serial killer, sex trafficking and, above all, massive deception.

The story is told from the points of view of both Kayla and Betsy and each girl has her own part to play in a complex and compelling thriller, in the best sense of the genre. At first glance, you’d think they have little in common and that’s true but fate is going to take them down a road neither would choose on her own. At the end of that road lies…what? Life, death, redemption, freedom, perhaps a future? I wish I could say more but nearly everything would be a big, fat spoiler.

The tension climbs inexorably from one page to the next until, nearing the end, my nerves were just about shot and then…a fairly mindblowing reveal that made it all worthwhile. As dark as it is, there is still a sense of hope; the thing that stands out to me is the author’s ability to craft a truly puzzling tale with twists and turns in every direction and no easy answers. I can’t wait for Ms. Searcy’s next book if it’s going to be as good as this one.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, December 2017.

***Actual rating: 4.5/5 Kayla-or-Betsy Stars***

”Carps swim upstream against the current. No matter how hard it gets, they keep going. In legends, they swim up waterfalls and become dragons. They’re strong. They never quit. This”—he points to his chest—“reminds me to keep going.”


First of all, can we all take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous this book cover is? Ever since I read Elle Cosimano’s Holding Smoke, I’ve come to appreciate mystery thriller more, so when I saw the cover read the synopsis of The Truth Beneath The Lies, I was hooked. Hence, I devoured the book in 2 days and man, didn’t I LOVE it. The story was told from both Kayla and Betsy’s POVs and I had to say that Amanda did a splendid job at this! She brilliantly wove both girls’ personal experiences as well as darkest secrets into the story without further confusing me. Although I admitted that I was so eager to distinguish the truths from the lies 89% of the story, it was actually a worthwhile reading experience.


Meet the Characters

Kayla and Betsy were two teenage girls living in two cities with their own families, friends and classmates. They had their own lives, comfort zones and personal demons. Kayla desperately wanted to live her life by moving to somewhere safe with someone who truly loved her for who she was while Betsy was taking her life one day at a time because she was constantly anxious about the impending death brought to her by that man behind the black monster with an unknown number from Washington.

Then there were a 19-year-old (as he claimed) cutie with a dazzling smile called Jordan as well as a 20-something (I guessed) Adrian, who always shot daggers at Betsy as if she was a plague. Aside from these protagonists, the supporting characters in this book served as a crucial element for the following plot twists and that was what I appreciated most in the book. Marie, Finn, Teddy, Elton, Happy, Drake and even Grace all played an important part of the book and I couldn’t admire the author more for building such a suspenseful yet highly addictive world.


Kayla’s Life

One day, Kayla met Jordan and though it was 100% love at first sight in my opinion, it was quite adorable.
The acorn and the stuff about potential were more than a pick-up line. It was like he saw a little piece of my soul in the oak leaf and responded in kind. That’s never happened to me before.

Jordan wasn’t the flirtatious, cheesy type of guy but I really loved how insistent and protective he was when being around Kayla. He was such a sweetheart that I fell hard for him on the spot as well.
He’s quiet for a long time. I want to ask, but I don’t. I understand some things are too hard to talk about. When anyone has asked me about the night I was five and got taken away for the second time, I shake my head and change the subject.

From the moment they talked, they simply clicked! and both realized that they’d found the one.
I feel like we’re equals now. In this world facing our demons together. It’s too late for me to let go of him now.



Betsy’s Life

As for Betsy, well, she wasn’t that lucky when it comes to love but I’d totally ship Adrian and her if they were a thing somehow. Adrian wasn’t exactly fond of her from the beginning of the story because he sort of suspected her to be someone she wasn’t and…vice versa. Betsy was convinced by Adrian’s odd behavior from time to time that he was someone she should stay away from. She thought he knew about her unspeakable past; thus, she was fully aware (and afraid) of the unescapable consequence if he let that piece of secret slip. What she didn’t expect was the fact that Adrian was someone with an even darker history which would make him pay if she spilt it to someone else. In order to keep both of them alive, they made a deal. And the story just got more and more interesting from that.
I smile. “So here’s the deal, Adrian. I’m going to do whatever I want, talk to whomever I want, and you won’t be able to do a thing about it. Because if you take me down, I’m taking you with me.” His face goes white.



Who would survive in the serial killing world?

Have I ever mentioned that there was also this psychotic pervert who enjoyed kidnapping, murdering little girls after taking photos of them in this story? Yeah, you just heard me, there was this serial killer who was hunting down young girls from the adjacent neighborhoods and these victims were labeled as Girl Number 1, Girl Number 2, Girl Number 3…you got the idea. Honestly, I personally thought this part of the story was merely a distraction to the readers because it was such a tiny detail compared to the ultimate truth beneath the lies.

Anyway, for fear that I might accidentally spoil you, I didn’t want to give too much away. All I could say about this book was that the synopsis was literally what this story was about. No kidding, I couldn’t describe the book better than the synopsis did. Either Kayla or Betsy could survive in this world and they both had to sacrifice something precious to save their lives.


Serious Issues

The main reason I loved this book was because Amanda tackled some serious problems such as drug dealing, human trafficking, teenager kidnapping/raping/murdering and even political corruption, all of which were quite commonly seen in our real world. Somehow this book reminded me of The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold since the suspense and unexpected twists in both books were equally intense and nerve-wrecking.

We got to see some dreadful yet realistic sides of the society in The Truth Beneath The Lies and I thought Amanda was trying to bring those issues to our attention in the meanwhile.
A teenage girl nursing a baby she doesn’t know what to do with, her teenage dropout boyfriend—who may or may not still be a drug dealer—and her wreck of a friend who could crumble into a million pieces at any moment.



The Ending

As a mystery thriller, the mystery part was what attracted readers most. Therefore, I spent approximately 90% of the story trying to sort out what truly happened and who was lying the entire time. Truth be told, it was exhausting having to use that much brainpower while reading but I’ve got to say that the ending was utterly perfect. I couldn’t think of a better ending than the original one because the final revelation of who these characters—whom I thought I was quite familiar with—really were BLEW ME AWAY! Never in a million years would I guess or think of or expect THAT ENDING. It was flawlessly beautiful, imperfectly perfect and heartbreakingly touching.


To sum up, The Truth Beneath The Lies will be a perfect read for those who enjoy reading mystery, thriller, suspense or crime stories and I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to everyone who’d like to try something totally new from what you’ve read because I’m pretty sure this story will blow your mind. The dual POV in the story will mess with your head at times but also give you a better look into what’s going on. In addition, criminal investigation of the serial killer adds spice to the already-heart-wrenching story and makes it even more compelling. So what are you waiting for? The Truth Beneath The Lies will surely be one of your most favorited books of all time!

***Thanks to the publisher and FFBC for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.***

This was a really crazy book full or twists that I can't give away. So my review will be a bit shorter than normal.

The chapters alternate between two girls, Betsy and Kayla.

Kayla lives with her mom that used to be a drug addict. Kayla was in foster care for awhile, but now they live in public housing on state aid. Kayla is 16 and works at a grocery store trying to get by. She still uses her old foster address to go to a better school. She's got rich friends and is on the dance team. But she's not happy at home and just wants to get to college and have a good life. Then she meets a boy, Jordan, and everything changes. Jordan seems different than any boy she's met before and she starts to fall in love with him. During this time, girls in Kayla's neighborhood have been getting attacked and killed. Kayla starts to believe that it's Jordan's friend that is behind it.

Betsy has recently moved to a small town in Texas by the border. She lives with her mom. Something bad happened to Betsy before and she is living there as someone else. She has a cell phone that she needs to answer to or else her life is threatened. We don't find out what happend for quite awhile, just that a child died because of her. Betsy is trying to be happy, but she's living terrified and paranoid. She does make one real friend, a pregnant teen named Happy. I adored her so much and she added a lot to the story. Betsy is really just trying to stay alive and not get anyone around her killed.

We start to understand the back stories a bit more as the book goes on. Things start getting a bit crazy, but I can't tell you anything more than that. I enjoyed this book and the pacing kept me reading and I didn't want to put it down.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Whew! That was a wild ride, and I loved every second of it. Searcy did an incredible job setting the tone for this gritty mystery-thriller from the very first page, and she kept me in a constant state of anticipation from that point forward.

The book followed two girls, Kayla and Betsy, who were separated by geography, but shared a common goal - survival.

Kayla was trying to adjust to life back with her finally clean and sober mom. She was working a dead-end job as she kept her eyes on the prize, which was escaping her downtrodden life for a life with possibilities. Her POVs sort of broke my heart, because she lost so much, when she was returned to her mom. I admired her keep-your-head-up attitude, but my heart ached for all she could have had.

Betsy was more of a mystery. Taunted by the burner phone, and the person on the other end, who held her life in their hands, she was in a constant state of distress, always looking over her shoulder. My curiosity was piqued, and I had to keep reading in order to get some answers. Betsy's chapters were the ones that really got my heart pumping. Her harried mental state was well written, and her emotions and fear jumped off the page. There were times that her stress was so palpable, I found myself actually biting my nails.

I really enjoyed searching for the clues and assembling the truth of this story. My first objective was to figure out the connection between Kayla and Betsy, which I did. Then I needed some answers regarding the serial killer, and I was also right there (but it was very close to the end of the book). However, there were several major reveals that left my mouth slightly agape, as I just didn't see that part coming.

I really loved the ending, because Searcy did so many things right. She gave me answers. I don't think there were any loose ends by the last page of the book. She also gave me hope. Hope for Kayla and Betsy, and that is my one requirement when I read a darker book. I can walk on the dark side, as long as I am given some hope for the future of the characters, and Searcy definitely left me in a positive state.

Overall: A fantastic thriller, where Searcy masterfully wove Kayla and Betsy's lives together seamlessly, and left us piece after piece of this complex puzzle.