Super twisty. Even when you are finished, it is a book you think about for a while. I can't wait for someone else to read it so that I can discuss it with them. #Sometimesilie #Spreadthelie

When I read the tagline for this book last year, I knew I HAD to read SOMETIMES I LIE! Check it out:
"My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know: 1. I'm in a coma. 2. My husband doesn't love me anymore. 3. Sometimes I lie."

This slow-building psychological thriller is led by the ever-popular unreliable narrator, leading the reader to question the veracity of her every thought. The mystery of what led Amber to her coma kept me reading but ultimately the abundance of unbelievable twists during the second half of the book made the plot feel convoluted and took me out of the story.

After a horrible accident she doesn't remember, Amber is trapped inside her own body. Left to her own thoughts and the voices of those around her, she tells the story of the week prior and her childhood. Lately, her husband has been unusually distant and secretive, causing Amber's fragile mental state to further deteriorate. Plus, her job as a radio personality is suddenly unstable after she finds out her boss wants to fire her unless she turns things around. Her sister, Claire, has been strangely flirty with her husband. And perhaps most troubling, her college boyfriend who she dumped without a goodbye, has returned and his intentions appear to be more sinister.

What I liked about the book was that there were several sources of tension in Amber's life. As she takes the reader through a journey through her childhood, we're left to wonder what connection this story could have to the present storyline. Who is responsible for Amber's accident? Or did she do this to herself? So many questions. I liked how the author peeled back the layers of her life, giving the reader the space to piece together the piece of the puzzle.

I've read some really clever psychological suspense thrillers over the last few years (see here, here and here). What Sometimes I Lie lacked was the kind of light hand and subtle touch that balances entertainment and shock value. Without giving too much away, there are a couple big twists in this one. For me, I figured the first big twist out pretty early on, but that's not my gripe. Once the first mind-bender was revealed, we were then given twist after turn after revelation throughout the remainder of the novel. It felt like I had psych thriller whiplash (and not the good kind). It was too much to the point of pushing my limit of believability. All of this just felt like the author was trying way to hard to shock the reader and create "gotcha" moments, instead of crafting a cunning and smart thriller.

The ending of Sometimes I Lie is somewhat confusing and open-ended, leaving room for an entirely unnecessary sequel. Lo and behold, it seems like we're getting a sequel (title here). I'm not the only reader who was left feeling frustrated and scratching their head. To me, the ending was yet another form of manipulation from the author that felt unnatural and heavy-handed. My frustration is complicated by the book’s potential to be great. It had a enticing hook and it had the bones to be fantastic. I just wish we would have been given far less junk in the last half.

Audiobook Comments:

I loved the audiobook production of this book. While I didn't love the book itself, I really enjoyed the narrator's performance. This is the first time listening to Stephanie Racine's narration and she's one who I wouldn't hesitate to listen to again. Very entertaining listen performance-wise!

* Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Flatiron books for providing me with early copies for review. Receiving this book for free did not affect my opinion or review.

Wow, just wow. This book takes you for a fantastic ride. I think it would be best to go into it blind just be ready to stay up for "just one more chapter"!

*Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Wow! I just finished this and am at a loss for words. It's good; really good. Still, I feel like I missed something and want to reread to piece it all together. This unreliable narrator may have just been a tad bit too unreliable for me! None the less, it was a thrilling ride with twists and turns all while the main character is in a coma. Obviously, it takes a great writer to make that entertaining.

That being said, I'm hoping that one day the author will reveal just what the ending meant or that I'll read an epic interpretation that satisfies me.

What a thrill ride! I am glad I read this book, it delivers such a story.

Bold, provocative thriller, a real page turner. I really enjoyed this book!

According to a University of Massachusetts study, 60% of adults admit that, in a ten-minute conversation, they’ll lie at least once.

Really, based on this actual fucking science, you should never believe anything anyone tells you. Ever.

And, now that you’ve learned that lesson, you’re ready to read Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney.

We meet the protagonist of this authentically perplexing thriller, Amber Reynolds, shortly after she has fallen into a coma.

What events lead to her current state of unconsciousness?

This is the question we will spend the entire novel seeking the answer to.

What we do know, right off the bat, is that Amber — who can hear everything that’s going on around here, albeit through a vortex of confusion and hallucinations — is pretty certain that her husband no longer loves her. She also strongly suspects that he had something to do with whatever mysterious incident landed her in this position.

Another thing she admits — rather candidly, I might add — is that she, unabashedly, lies.

Given these facts, readers are presented with quite the challenge as they try to pick out the truths from the untruths and piece together not only what happened but also with whom the culpability rests.

With a narrative that moves back and forth in time, readers are given insight into who Amber is and provided pieces to the puzzle of her current predicament.

Overall, this novel was both solid and satisfying.

Unlike some flash-in-the-pan, too-quick-to-market thrillers, Sometimes I Lie was authentically well-written.

As I read, Feeney’s words washed over me, submerging me in Amber’s world and increasing the degree to which figuring out the driving mystery seemed absolutely essential.

It also contained an element that I would argue — have argued — is requisite to all contemporary thrillers.

A whole-fucking-slew of plot twists that will leave you reeling.

If you’re a twist-loving reader, this book will absolutely provide you what you seek.

This novel containing confoundingly complex twists and turns — to the point where, as I was reading, I got authentically confused.

Granted, I was three glasses of wine into the evening, so would I have been confused stone-cold sober?

Unsolved mystery.

But, probably.

What I’m saying is, if you’re going to dive into this one, buckle your seatbelts.

The question remains, however, were these twists well-executed?

Well, that answer is a little more complicated.

In my opinion, the beauty of a really good twist rests in its believability and its simplicity.

And I’m not entirely sure that this twist was believable. Or simple.

Let me explain.

*SPOILER ALERT - DON’T READ THIS IF YOU PLAN ON READING THIS NOVEL*

As the novel progresses, we learn not just about Amber, but also about her sister Claire. At the start of the book, we are lead to believe that Claire is the good child. The one who followed the righteous path. Basically, the antithesis of Amber.

As we read, however, we discovered that some of the thoughts and experiences that were implied to be Amber’s actually belong to Claire.

Also, Claire isn’t actually Amber’s biological sister, but instead a girl that Amber met — maybe even, saved — when she was in elementary school.

So, basically, Claire is broken AF.

But, so is Amber.

Which raises the question:

Would these two profoundly broken people have found each other?

I mean, I guess if we consider that, apparently, six people in every group of ten are big fucking liars, I guess it’s a possibility.

*End Spoilers*

Even if we do believe that, because the universe works in mysterious ways, this twist is possible, we still have to consider its simplicity.

And it’s, inarguably, not simple.

However, oddly, despite these potential faults, I can’t say that it wasn’t satisfying. Nor can I say that I haven’t thought of the book multiple times since finishing it. Which really says something.

I think my mind has returned to this book post-reading for a number of reasons. But, most significantly, because of the inconclusivity of the conclusion.

The thing is, when you establish that your protagonist is a big fucking liar, it becomes almost impossible to truly close the book.

When I got to the end of the book, what I sought was a resolution.

What I got were more questions.

What parts of the things the narrator had said were true?

Could any of it be trusted?

Did the ending that was described even really happen?

Did any of it even happen, or is this some ending-of-St-Elsewhere level mind-fuck?

Honestly, I’m not even sure whether the continued existences of these unanswered questions is a strength or a weakness of the book — it’s just a truth.

And, because of these questions.

And because my mind keeps returning to this book.

And because I need someone to read it and talk about it with me.

I would absolutely have to recommend this book.

It gets 4 out of 5 cocktails.

3.5 stars - this was clever and entertaining. I look forward to future books from this author.

Amber Reynolds wakes up in a hospital bed. She's conscious but unable to move or speak. Even though she can't remember anything about the incident that caused her injuries, she's certain that her husband has something to do with it. As the professional and marital troubles that plague her present and the traumas that defined her past come to light, the circumstances leading to Amber's misfortune become clearer.

There are so many reasons why I shouldn’t like this book–it features the world's most unreliable narrator, amnesia, some tricky trickiness, and the very last page left me irritated AND confused–but I loved every second of the reading experience! The story grabbed my attention by tapping into both my fascination with creepy children and my fear of being trapped in my own body with no way to communicate. Personal story: In my worst recurring nightmare, a shadowy figure runs into my bedroom or stands over me. I feel awake, but I can't move or scream. It's the freakiest thing! Naturally, I'm drawn to stories about being "locked in"!

Novels featuring an amnesiac main character are usually so boring for me because the main character obsesses about their amnesia the entire time, so I'm just impatiently waiting for the inevitable rush of memories at the end (hopefully!). However, this story was well-executed. The perfect balance of chapters about the distant past, the recent past, and the present kept things moving along at a steady pace. Through entries from childhood diaries, we get insight into some character-defining events. The "Then" chapters reveal Amber's escalating professional and marital struggles in the days preceding her accident. The "Now" scenes in her hospital room are so tense! Amber is mentally alert, so through her thoughts we experience the frustration of a competent mind but an unresponsive body. As far as her visitors know, she is unaware that they're even there. Along with Amber, we hope to get clues of what happened that fateful night from the snippets of conversations we can catch. She doesn't trust many of her visitors for reasons she can't yet articulate, so I never felt like she was safe in her hospital bed. However, I didn't trust Amber either! She admits to telling lies from the very beginning, plus what she’s saying can sometimes feel oddly disconnected with what’s actually happening. Warning: There's one triggery scene that I thought was unnecessary and went on way too long based on other information.

Many of the quotes I've featured mention ghosts, mirrors, and distorted reflections. Amber has spent so much of her life pretending that she's lost all sense of self: "Some people are ghosts before they are dead." She describes her semi-emergence from the coma as being "returned to [her] factory settings as a human being, rather than a human doing." If Amber regains her memories of the days leading up to that fateful night, will she recognize the person she'd become? What version of her will emerge? This book also deals with the nature of lies and the narratives people instinctively create for self-preservation. Amber confesses to occasionally lying, but what does she lie about and why does she do it? Sometimes people consciously lie, but sometimes their "lies" are their honest perceptions. Two people can experience the same event in two different ways and both their versions feel true to them. You can never be sure who to trust in this book! Sometimes I Lie is an addictive read. I love a super twisty suspense novel that holds onto its dramatics and darkness from beginning to end! 

If you liked this book, you might also want to check out The Visitors (writing style, slow-build, weird sibling relationships, flashbacks to a bizarre family situation, ultra twisted) and White Bodies (strange sister relationship).

One of the rare books that captures my immediate attention, keeps it and then smashes everything I thought I knew with one sentence.

Oh My Word. This was one of the beat books I’ve read in a while. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and there wasn’t a dull moment. I kept reminding myself of the title and guessing whether Amber was telling the truth. You may still wonder at the end

Although I did stay engaged throughout the story and enjoyed it, I have to admit that it was very confusing to me. I get the whole unreliable narrator but parts of this story were all over the place. There were times where I just didn't know what was real and what was fake and then started getting confused on who was who. I think one of those ideas could have been fleshed out more than the other instead of both of them having so many confusing details and I would have liked it more. It was not a bad book by any means however it didn't give me the WOW factor that I like in my thrillers.

Lots of plot twists. Definitely a great thriller! Never could have guessed the ending. Very fast read.

It took me a while to get through this book, but I quite enjoyed it! However, I don't think it necessarily lived up to all of the hype. 

There are 3 different voices to the story: one is from the past, one is from the present, and the last is in the form of diary entries. The first two are from Amber's perspective, however the diary entries are of a little girl whose identity is unknown. I thought this was an interesting way to tell the tale, and it was done quite well in that it generated a lot of intrigue. 

I found the story moved a bit too slowly in the beginning for my taste, but the story started to pick up pace a little after the halfway point. It was around here that there were quite a few twists revealed. I quite liked the way they were introduced, as it brought a darker tone to the entire story and gave me that incentive to continue with the story.

The suspense continued all the way until the end, as more and more details were revealed. Even the ending has a little bit of a surprise to it.

I think the reason why this novel didn't blow me away, considering all of the twists that were in the story, is that I had figured out quite a few of them. It's not nearly as much fun to read a thriller when it pans out pretty much like you had imagined it would. Of course, if you hadn't figured it out, then this novel might be more interesting to you.

I also didn't love the writing style. I found it was a little ... underwhelming in its tone; I wanted something fast-paced and full of darkness, but this was a little mellow. This novel went with a more subtle effect, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it didn't work for me. 

Overall, I liked this thriller. I thought it had a good amount of twists and turns and was quite different from other books in this genre. However, it didn't blow me away. For those reasons, I'm giving it a solid 3/5 stars.

I wasn't as crazy about this one as most people seem to be. For me, it was slow going and hard to keep reading at spots. "Oh, but the twist!", they said. So I kept going. And honestly, it made me question everything I read. Is the husband good or bad? Are they having an affair? Is she going to get to keep her job? What is up with her family? And how do these diary entries tie in? Those questions were all answered, but it was hard work to keep going to find the answers.

Amber Reynolds is in a coma, not quite sure how she came to be there. Told in alternating perspectives - Anna from her hospital bed, Anna in the days before whatever landed her in the hospital, and a journal from Anna's childhood - the novel works to slowly unravel the mystery of how Amber ended up where she is. The plot twists and turns in several unexpected ways right up until the very last page....

I received access to this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Amber is in a coma. She can hear the people around her, but there is nothing she can do. The book travels back to the events leading up to the coma and the diary of a young girl with a lot of troubles. This book is full of shocking events. Is her husband to blame for the accident that put Amber in a coma? Will her sister be able to find out what is going on before Amber wakes up? Will Amber ever wake up? How will the events of her past shape her future if/when she does wake up?

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Book for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I must say that I'm just as confused now as when I was reading the book. Usually for me it is because the book travels back and forth through time, but this time, the story itself was confusing. You think you may know what is going on, but then a curve in thrown into the story and you have no idea what is going on. The story held my attention and I was able to finish it rather quickly, but even days after finishing it, it has left me with questions.

Is Amber really as bad as you think? What about her sister Claire? Who is the real culprit in all the disaster that has happened in their lives?

This is an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. Amber is an unreliable narrator who is in a coma in the hospital, but conscious underneath. The story veers back and forth between tracing the events that led to her coma, some further backstory, and her current, precarious situation in the hospital. There are many twists and turns to Amber's tale, many of which caught me completely by surprise. The big reveal was well plotted and satisfying. It was well paced and fun to read. One caveat - I wish the editor/author had simply eliminated the final chapter...it wasn't needed at all.

This was just manipulative and contrived. I wanted an absorbing brain-candy read, sure, but one always hopes that the story would have some meaning. I know The Girl on the Train and The Woman at the Window get a lot of flak for being dull or annoying (it's interesting how people seem to really hate alcoholic women narrators - what is up with that?) but those books have heart. They try to get to the root of women's pain and self-sabotage. This one started off well but then the first twist, then the untwist, then the retwist, and at its heart: a big old nothing.

The story initially had some potential and could have been worth it if focused on the characters. But at some point it became a game of "how much worse can a person get for absolutely no reason at all" with trigger scenes like rape thrown in and then forgotten/brushed over. I'm beginning to wonder what's behind the demand for MORE AND MORE TWISTS to the detriment of story, characterisation, themes. Books don't have to be a trapeze act, a fire-eating show and a slow waltz with lions in order to hold a reader's attention...

There is a sentence at the beginning that should have clued me in to how sexual trauma would be treated as an afterthought, or just another "bad thing" to fill out a plot; the author uses "raped" as a verb for something that is not rape: "Madeline will be in the office by now, the newspapers will have been read, raped of any good stories." Huge, glaring WTF.

Oh my goodness...this book was excellent. Got a little confused at one point but after re-reading a couple of pages, it was fine. Creepy good with lovely twists and turns.