Through the first few pages of this novel, I expected it to be a four-star. Expensive private Virginia girls' school...not my area of expertise. Then with the next section as protagonist Ash's Oxford home life is exposed, my interest quickened. It wasn't long before I found myself totally absorbed in the mysteries and machinations, the puzzles and questions, the lies and concealment. Soon I was puzzling over the novel when away from it. Such an unreliable narrator! Such masquerading and facades throughout! For a School with an unutterably strict Honor Code: such deceit throughout! A solidly five-star psychological puzzler--not soon to be forgotten.

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Actual rating of 2.5

Ash Carlisle has had a rough go of it, her parents have both passed away leaving her with no one in the world but herself. Continuing on with their wishes, she heads to the Goode School in Marchburg, Virginia. Goode is a prestigious prep school for the rich and important, a girls only school which totes that it's students will be go on to be accepted by the Ivy League schools some only dream about. Being in a new country, as Ash has travelled all the way from Oxford, England, still dealing with the death of her parents, and feeling more outcast than ever, she must be careful as the girls here are all too good at uncovering secrets that one might want to keep hidden, and Ash Carlisle has a lot. A psychological thriller/mystery set in a high school setting about the power of secrets, lies and money. What is it that Ash is hiding?

I discovered this year that I have a major soft spot for psychological thrillers. I had never ventured into the genre before, but when I did on a whim due to a synopsis sounding amazing, I realised that I quite enjoy them. So when I read the synopsis for this one, I jumped straight on board. Thought to be honest, it didn't live up to everything that it could have been. I found the premise of the story to be absolutely fantastic, as well as some of the reveals and twists, however, I found the execution of all of these to be severely lacking. I feel that some of them weren't given the reveal that they deserved which left me wanting more from the story.

Ash has been accepted to Goode on a scholarship due to the fact that her parents have both just passed away. She's nervous, of course, because she's leaving England and moving to America, and she's not too sure how she's going to handle it. In the opening of the story we are introduced to a nameless character which shows us that there are secrets and lies abound though I found this first chapter a little odd, and I can't put my finger on why. I think it's because it was written in second person, addressing the reader, which I always find a bit jarring. Once we meet Ash, she mentions how she's taking a vow to tell no more lies and how this is a fresh start for her and so on and so forth. So it's blatantly obvious that there's going to be a lot of lies haha, which is fine, it makes for a good thriller. This intrigued me because obviously I wanted to know what the go was with Ash and all her secrets.

As the story progresses we get fed tidbits that keep us speculating, I had a few ideas, which I'll admit, a couple I had wrong. One of the biggest problems that I had with this story though, was that the twists, the biggest twist of the story I'd say, was basically given away as soon as a certain character had noticed something. Instantly you could tell that it wasn't a red herring and that this in fact was going to be the truth of the matter. I originally thought that this would bump my rating up when the big reveal came, but it didn't. When the reveal did happen, I was severely let down by the execution of it. The conversation felt very convoluted and messy, and I just feel that this reveal in particular deserved so much more.

The ending of the story also felt incredibly rushed, after a big event happens at Goode, we suddenly skip to 11 years later, I did enjoy that we got a bit of a look into the future with certain characters, but I still feel like it let me with more questions than answers. Was what I believed to be true, actually true? Or was it actually the other way around all together? I just feel like this story line wasn't quite as clear cut and crisp as it could have been, and it left me a bit disappointed.

The dialogue was quite stilted at times, and I felt that it was too robotic, there didn't seem to be much personality in the dialogue and it was very polished, if that makes sense, instead of using contractions like "I'm. You're" etc. a lot of the dialogue was "I am. You are." I'm not sure if this was a way to make Ash's character sound more British? Or if it was just a stylistic choice for Ellison. For teenage girls though, it did sound a little bit too polished. I understand that they're attending a prestigious boarding school, but still, they're teenage girls.

The pacing fell short for pretty much the whole story, while there were things happening, it felt like for the most part there wasn't really a whole lot going on at all. The story just didn't feel like it was moving forward, even when things started to happen and the mystery really set in. I have to admit, I felt like it was a bit of a hard slog for the vast majority of the book. I considered DNFing a couple of times, but I really hate DNFing eARCs.

The characters were okay, but I didn't really like or connect with any of them at all. I thought the inclusion of the 'romance' was cute, but it didn't really add anything to the story, this was on account of both the romances we experience. Even when we're learning about Ash's past, it didn't move me as I felt that it should have. I can't quite pinpoint why this is either.

All in all, this was a fantastic idea that I feel fell short of what it could have been. A few more rounds of editing may have helped polish it a little more, but I still don't know it the choices the author made on how to reveal certain things would have worked. I am definitely interested in checking out more by this author as a few of the reviews I've read have openly stated that this isn't Ellison's best work. So I look forward to reading more and seeing what this author can really do. If you like a gritty YA psychological thriller set in a boarding school that is full of secrets, lies and twists, give it a go, you may enjoy it :)

Excellent story line & the characters are so intriguing!! A great page turner from the very first page ! So many twist and turns to the very end!! Loved it !!

Good Girls Lie is a classic boarding school drama and thriller with a twist. It centers around the Goode School, a famous boarding school for girls of the elite. Filled with long-held traditions, secret societies, and an infamous honor code, the Goode School prides itself on preparing exceptional girls for bright futures at Ivy League colleges. When Ash Carr arrives in Marchburg, Virginia from the U.K. in the wake of her parent's death, she brings trouble with her that will upset the status quo at the Goode School.

Dark and twisty, Good Girls Lie has all the best elements of a teen drama and a thriller. It is told from multiple perspectives, in the first-person from Ash’s perspective, multiple other characters in the third-person, and through flashbacks to Ash’s life in the U.K. If you’ve ever read and loved the Private book series, this has similar vibes, albeit with a more grown-up feel.

I’ve never read anything by J.T. Ellison before Good Girls Lie, but this will certainly not be my last. I highly recommend this to other thriller fans!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin MIRA for the review copy!

There is a lot that happens on a prestigious all girls boarding school; some of which is long standing tradition and some are secrets no one wants unveiled. The plot went back and forth over a few months time with chapters recounting the past happenings in England which gave you a little more of the backstory to what was happening at the Goode School. There were parts that felt a little long and drawn out, but overall this was an entertaining read with one convoluted story that unfolded.

I've been a fan of Ellison's books for years now - first discovering her with her mystery series for adults, and then moving along with her from series to standalone thrillers. This one is a standalone foray into a boarding school thriller for young adults. While I wouldn't say that this is my favorite of hers, it's still a fast, engaging and entertaining read. It captured my attention from start to finish!

Ash is a new sophomore from England at an an exclusive, all-girls boarding school in Virginia. It's obvious that she has secrets when she arrives and the book hooks you in with a dead body in its very first pages. The plot unfolds to tell not only Ash's story, but also the history of the school, its current and past dramas and plenty of secrets and lies along the way.

While the premise and setting are not exactly fresh, it's still a fast-paced and interesting read. Some of the plot's twists are easier to see coming over others, but there are some real surprises, too. The ending feels a bit rushed and almost convoluted in the way the truth is finally revealed, but overall it's an exciting read that I think will appeal to adults and young adults aline. I am looking forward, as always, in seeing what she will write next!

J.T. Ellison delivers another psychological thriller. I enjoyed the all-girl boarding school setting. I felt like Ellison captured the teenage drama magnificently. The story is fast-paced which kept me anxiously awaiting the next turn.

This book disappointed me.
It started off so strong - an all girls boarding school with secret societies and a tainted past set in the mountains... what else could I want? But once the new girl gained popularity (a montage I could totally see playing out in my head like a movie scene) it slowed way down and got kind of boring.
The writing style was beautiful, though, with a lot of incredibly detailed scenes that sucked me right into the energy of the Goode School, but I felt like the twists were predictable, pretty anti-climactic, and overall unbelievable. The book just seemed to drag on once the murder/suicide/accident finally happened. And I didn’t really care for any of the characters - spoiled, rich girls, creepy handymen, and overindulgent adults... hard to sympathize with.
I also felt like it flipped between narrators far too often and I found myself confused as to who was talking and what they were talking about with all the overly-vague suspense.
As far as thrillers go, it’s got the right setting and the right feel to be an enjoyable read, but it just didn’t do it for me.
Also: major trigger warnings for teen suicide.

Good Girls Lie wasted no time to get into the thick of things. A girl is dead, hanging gruesomely from the gates of her prestigious school. What follows is the backstory of a new school year at an all girls boarding school. Secret societies seem to run under the radar at the Goode School, and some of their antics step boarder levels of hazing and even what is legal. For Ash, the new girl, this school provides a prospect to get away from her past and open doors for an Ivy League education as long as she can focus and keep to herself. But at Goode, secrets are kept anything but secret.

Once you start this book, you’ll be hooked. The audacity of events become more devilish and shocking as each new development emerges. There were some moments that dropped my jaw, which always makes me love a book all the more. I especially appreciated how the pieces fit together in a way that I could not predict what was going to happen next.

I’ll admit, I was hesitant to read a book about teen girls at an elite high school, but don’t let the setting fool you. This was anything but an angsty teen drama. While there was a lot of drama, it read like a fast paced thriller. Take a chance, J.T. Ellison has done it again, providing a quick suspense worth a read.

Thank you to @NetGalley, @thrillerchick, and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Got me hooked from the beginning. A very well written thriller about a boarding school with a happy ending. The security in the campus is questionable, but of course it is the author‘s freedom of writing. The alcohol and drug distribution was too easy for a school in rural area surrounded by hills. Apart from that the story, writing, climax everything was good.

Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison is just another example of what an amazing author J.T. Ellison is! I first read the synopsis and thought - oh no another elite boarding school book - hasn't that been done so many times - yes but what makes this one so special is J.T. Ellison's magic touch to it. The book starts out with the discovery of a student found hanging from the gates of the school. This book kept me hooked from the first page as we meet Ash who is arriving at the Goode school. Throw in some secrets, lies, murder, mean girls, hazing and a stunning ending and what do you have? Another 5 star book from J.T. Ellison!

I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley. This book is set in rural Va (near my hometown!) at an all girls boarding school and opens with a dead student. It then rewinds to introduce a new student with a mysterious past named Ash. Ash quickly makes friends and enemies as an unexpected death occurs at the school. Everyone here has secrets including the townie whose father murdered a student many years ago as well as the headmaster.
I very much enjoyed this book and will absolutely recommend it to my books clubs and friends. Thanks again to NetGalley!

Rich girls all huddled together at boarding school with dark secrets.  What could go wrong?

These girls are the elite of the elite.  Daughters of senators and other high profile families.  When a girl shows up from across the pond that nobody has ever heard of it peaks the wrong kind of curiosity.

Ash is trying to keep a secret, but you don't know what it is.  Which is why I thought it was interesting when the chapters alternated between her life at school, and her life before school.  While she is your typical rich girl, her life was anything but a fairytale.

Here come the secret societies.  One night Ash is tapped for one of them that only upperclassman are said to be allowed.  She is now a Swallow of Ivy Bound, and her first enemy at school is her Mistress/Falconer.  The night Ash was tapped, another person dies.  Was it murder or suicide?  All eyes are on Ash now now that the body count is up to two since she arrived.  Only the people she is in close contact with are dying, but it's not over yet.

This started out as a slow burn to me. I shouldn't have been surprised that this read like the other all female boarding school books I've read.  The twist is pretty easy to see coming, but it's the end that blew me away.  That made my rating of this book move up a glass.

This was my first J.T. Ellison book, and while I was not wowed by it, it's still an author on my watchlist now.

This is a suspense/mystery story about a young girl who worms her way into a posh boarding school for girls in Virginia.

Goode is a school for the daughters of the rich and famous. Here they get primed for success. Ash Carr flees from the tragic dead of her parents from England to Goode. Dean Westerhaven sees something in Ash and offers her all the help she needs. But something is off with Ash. She wants to lay low but soon she is in the center of all the attention. Soon she finds herself in the tangled web of the devious Becca and her secret society.

I love stories which are settled in schools or universities so this book was right up my alley. And I was drawn into the tangled story from page one. Although the book is not a page-turner it kept me interested and guessing. I loved the gothic atmosphere. Secrets, murder, unreliable narrators, secret societies, bad ass girls and a hint of sex – the book has all the necessary ingredients for a mesmerizing mystery story.

This was a cracking book set in a girl’s boarding school in America. Lots of twists and turns combined with a mystery made for a great read. Will be looking forward to reading other books by J T Ellison.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

What a twisty foray into an exclusive private school. The girls are all filthy rich, highly intelligent, and great at telling lies.

This was my first JT Ellison book, but I know it won't be my last. The story started twisty and just kept getting twistier. I didn't know who was who. I didn't know who to trust. There were so many variables and things to consider. And the ending!! I audibly gasped. I could not believe it but I loved it!! I did guess the big plot twist, but I wasn't sure I was right. This was just a rare time my hunch turned out to be correct!

I recommend this to any thriller lover. This has been the best YA thriller I have read. And as a bonus, I got to chat with JT with my book club and she was so nice and interesting! I love supporting super nice authors!

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publishing house. Thanks! All opinions are my own.




Author: J.T. Ellison




Book Series: Standalone




Rating: 4/5




Publication Date: December 31, 2019




Genre: YA Thriller




Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, some mature content, and murderrrrr)




Publisher: MIRA




Pages: 384




Amazon Link




Synopsis: Goode girls don’t lie…

Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond. But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.

In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder. But when a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.

But look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.




Review: I liked the book pretty good. I used to enjoy reading boarding school books and this was right up the alley of them. The book had the annoying gossip that we all secretly crave and the characters were fairly well developed. The story was intriguing enough to keep my interesting and the pacing was spot on.




However, I did feel like there were too many tangents and not enough of a cohesive story. The book also focused a lot on the gossip and I think for a boarding school book you gotta show the balance of school and backstabbing equally.




Verdict: It was a decent thriller!

Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison—This one was right up my alley. Ash Carr has led a highly privileged yet lonely life that has been filled with tragedy. When both of her parents die suddenly, starting her education at the exclusive Goode school half-way around the world seems like a good idea to start fresh. Her plan is to lie low, finish her education, and head off to college to start a new life. Unfortunately, the other girls at Goode have different plans. Bullying becomes rampant and the next thing you know, Ash’s roommate commits suicide, or did she? As the investigation continues, one thing is clear, despite the Honor Code, Goode girls definitely lie. This one has lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. I truly enjoyed reading it. #GoodGirlsLie #NetGalley

Fantastic book, riveting story will grab you from the beginning and won't let go until the climatic ending.

A private school for girls, the privileged.. Ash Carr newly arrived from England after the tragic deaths of her parents. Ash is her new name a new identity forged: formerly Ashyln Carlisle.

Aa new identity to hide secrets.

She immediately runs afoul of the head girl, senior Becca Curtis who has taken seems to have it out for her..

Dean Ford Westhaven had been appointed dean after a scandal (the murder of a student) brought her mother's "reign"' to an end.

The girls who attend Goode school are personally chosen by the dean, there is an honor code all girls must strictly adhere to..

According to the terms of her father's estate Ash must attend Goode school then go on to college until age 25 before she can obtain her inheritance.

The discovery of a half sister is something Ash wants to keep hidden,, her half sister can get her half of the inheritance right away..

Ash's roommate Camille falls from the bell tower: either she fell or was pushed. After her death its discovered she was pregnant.

The dean' lover works at the town's coffee shop and procurs drugs and alcohol for the students. His father was the one who murdered the girl during Dean Ford's mother's tenure.. Photos surface of him and Camille but he is not the father of her baby her stepbrother is.

Becca is killed .and Ash discloses that her sister is the killer and that she killed her own parents and is blackmailing Ash.

A climactic ending you can't see coming , lies deceit blackmail murder hazing secret affairs abound in the book.

Lots of intrigue.

This book is the best book I've read by this author..

BOOK REVIEW⠀
BOOK: Good Girls Lie
AUTHOR: J.T. Ellison
@thrillerchick

I previously read another book this year, taking place at boarding school. The two don’t compare but still both are in my top 10 list for 2019. Although I was coming back to work on vacation with long hours, I pressed on to finish it. The characters were deep and complex.

I adored this book. Straight up from beginning to end, it kept me guessing, but still gave enough clues that the reveal didn’t come from nowhere. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond. But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.


I received this book for review purposes from NetGalley. ⠀