Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel! 3/5 stars.

The cover is beautiful I love a good murder mystery, but this really just feels like I was reading all of the murder mystery YA books again. There wasn't really anything super original about this. I liked the inclusion of the interview transcripts and the different plot points leading to the "whodunnit" but I think the overall execution was just meh. I struggled to want to keep reading this. There was an unnecessary romance. and I just didn't really like any of the characters.

The title also deals heavily with the concept of lying and the secrets that ultimately create the fiasco of the novel.

It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. It definitely follows the trend of YA Murder Mysteries appearing.

Overall this book was enjoyable to read. It was quick, twisty, and interesting. I felt the ending was rather predictable and some of the story felt cliche, but it was still good to get to the end to check if I was right.

I am not the most versed in mystery books—but This Is Why We Lie is perfect for me. It had the right amount of everything. The first chapter alone was enough for me to keep going. It has One of Us is Lying feels but it definitely should stand on its own. Jenna and Adam feel like real people. The setting and backdrop of the story makes the events that occur from start to finish all that much more real. I could not put it down. I read in one and a half sitting. I want more from Gabriella Lepore. I urge anyone to give this book a chance. I can only imagine what the audiobook sounds like.

"This is Why We Lie" was an excellent YA mystery/thriller with constant twists and turns! The book is told through the eyes of two protagonists from very different walks of life -- Jenna and Adam. As different as their lives may seem from the onset, their paths cross at the start of the novel on the beach in the early hours of the morning. A police investigation begins and no one is safe from questioning or accusation in the small town of Gardiner's Bay. A web of lies spun by the students of Rookwood and Preston Prep leaves the reader wondering what is even true in this small town.....and what actually happened on the beach that morning.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot more than I thought I would’ve.

The beginning starts pretty abruptly with the death of Colleen (not a spoiler it literally happens in the first page) and from the on it keeps a pretty good pace.

I enjoyed the dual pov’s, but I feel like I enjoyed Adam’s just a little more than Jenna’s. I feel like his flashback and his descriptions of this classmates and all of the parties that he attended were much more interesting.

The mystery aspect was pretty fun, even tho I somehow managed to figure out who it was halfway through the book.

The reason why I’m giving this 3 stars it’s because I feel like I couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I would’ve like to.

Other than that, it was a pretty fun generic YA murder mystery that everyone can enjoy.

Definitely a page turn, you will read this book in one sitting. This book is very well paced and absolutely captivating. Really makes you consider what you would do if your best friend became the prime suspect for a murder.

Everyone in Gardiner’s Bay has a secret.
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In this town there are two schools: Preston Prep School for Girls, where the elite send their daughters and Rookwood, where troubled young men are sent for reform and education. Jenna, a Preston girl, and Adam, a Rookwood delinquent, find Jenna’s friend, Colleen, dead one early morning on the beach. Jenna’s best friend becomes the prime suspect so it’s up to her to help clear her name, but when Jenna goes looking for answers, she’s shocked by what she finds hiding at both schools. Everyone has a secret…some even have deadly ones.
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This Is Why We Lie is a YA mystery with many twists and turns. It reminded me of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder because Jenna does a lot of the investigative work for the murder. The ending surprised me for sure and I loved the dual POV throughout. This book releases 9.21!

CW: death, drug use, underage drinking, overdose

3.5 ⭐️ bc the ending seemed rushed

I just did not respond well to this book. It was both too fast-paced (minimal worldbuilding for the school environments and the town dynamics) and too slow (Jenna and Adam's storyline just dragged on and on). Both the jumps back and forth in time, and the present-day setting, were so unclear as to be confusing. Were they in school? Was there a holiday break going on? I liked the use of other media like texts and interview transcripts throughout the story, but I didn't think they were used as effectively as they could have been. And I'll admit I didn't see the killer coming, but I wasn't really invested in the characters because their backstories were pretty light. We get Jenna and Adam's--and in Jenna's case, to what end? Did we make her mom a social media influencer just to give Jenna an interest in photography?--but bare outlines for everyone else, so I didn't connect with them.

I did not hate this book, and there are some really good concepts, but I just don't think it came together.

This one might be a bit hard to review without giving away too much, so I'll keep it short. The story is told by both Jenna and Adam. They both found the body of one of Jenna's classmates that was murdered. Jenna's best friend, Hollie, is one of the top suspects after her fight with the victim. Jenna knows it can't be Hollie and starts investigating. Adam's best friend is dating another of Jenna's friends, Serena. Adam goes to a school for troubled boys and everyone there has secrets. Jenna lives with her aunt, one of the cops investigating the murder. As Jenna looks into things, she finds that everyone has secrets. Max wasn't a good boyfriend, but who becomes the biggest suspect because of that? Then another body is found and everything gets even more complicated. Adam helps Jenna a little, but he's also worried about who committed the murders and why. Adam always lies to protect his friends and they lie for him. Lots of secrets come out and we finally find out the who and the why at the end.

I liked how fast paced this book was. I could see someone easily reading it all at once. I had my suspects early on, but I was definitely wrong about a lot of what actually happened. The writing wasn't my favorite at first, but the story started to pull me in and it then it was all good.

I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

Warnings for death of a parent, parental abandonment, mentions of abuse, drugs/addiction, teenage drinking, blood, mention of suicide, death.

**3.5 STARS**
Likes:
This one starts off right away with a dead body and throughout the rest of the book we try to figure out how Colleen died – was it suicide? Was it murder? We uncover secrets with Jenna and Adam who are the narrators of this story. Jenna went to school with Colleen and hung out in the same circle. Adam is from Rookwood reform school where the Preston Prep girls liked to party. Both Jenna and Adam are trying to protect someone they care about, but what really happened the night Colleen died?

The story is told in the present but with past flashbacks, in that way we get to know how these girls meet this Rook boys and how much time Colleen was spending with them.

Jenna is the girl who stayed out of the drama between the girls and not much of a partier. Her best friend Hollie is implicated in the murder of Colleen but she knows her friend couldn’t have done something like that so she tries to find out what happened the night of the murder. Jenna is also friends with Serena, who is the queen bee of Preston Prep School, but they aren’t as close as before so Jenna wasn’t always at these Rook parties. Jenna tries to piece together information and gathers things she’s missing so she can help Hollie.

Adam’s friend Max, who seems to be the leader of their little clique is dating Serena. But at the parties, Max seems a little flirty with Colleen. Adam doesn’t know what really happened to Colleen that night she died but he is going to do his best to protect himself and his friends – he is already on his “second” chance by attending this reform school and he can’t afford to get into deeper trouble.

The other players in this story all have a roll to play and I did figure out who the murderer was halfway through the story, but I did enjoy trying to piece things together.

Random Notes:
Triggers: drinking, drug use, death

This is a quick read and I did sort of get confused when the story jumped to the past and showed how Adam and Jenna met before but when they meet again it doesn’t seem like she knows him at all. I guess in a way it adds more suspicion to the story but it made me pause a bit.

I kind of wished there was more to the ending, it was a little rushed.

Final Thoughts:
Why you should read it:

*prep school girl/reform school boy trope
*quick read
*entertaining trying to figure out what really happened

Why you might not want to read it:

*lacking character development
*rushed ending
*past/present timeline

My Thoughts:

This was a very quick read and I enjoyed trying to find out what was going on. I do wish there was more character development and the ending wasn’t so rushed but I think if you just take this story as is, it’s quick, entertaining and if you like the rich girl/bad boy tropes you will enjoy this one.

This is Why We Lie is the kind of book that would appeal to the reluctant readers in my high school library. The novel has a fast paced plot with lots of red herrings and secrets (and it is short). Unfortunately I found the writing style to be choppy and confusing in a way that would frustrate reluctant readers. I also thought that Adam's big secret and guilt was not of a nature that would put him in a reform school that held guys with much more serious issues. So his secret as a possible motive to kill someone really didn't make sense and diminished the story for me. Overall it was a quick read that kept my attention, but was just average in quality.

The Quick Cut: A teen girl and guy find their lives intersect when a mutual acquaintance is murdered. Drama ensues as the truth behind her death comes with many unexpected twists.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Inkyard Press for providing the ARC for an honest review.

It's common for friends to go above and beyond for one another. The closer they are, the more they are willing to do to help each other out. So if you suspected that a friend of yours was involved in a murder, how far would you go to help them out? This is the decision on the minds of Adam and Jenna.

When Jenna and Adam both end up at the scene of a body washed ashore, they find that their lives continue to intersect. Jenna finds out it's her friend Colleen who showed up dead and she had been spending increasing amounts of time with Adam's friends at a local boys reform school called Rookwood. Is it a coincidence that these two teens keep running into each other trying to find the truth? Or did one of their friends really commit a murder?

Once I picked up this ARC and started reading, I really couldn't stop. It has such a driving pace to it that fits the plotline so well, it made me want it to never end. From the moment the book starts, the action starts quickly and continues right until the end. I wish more mystery books were this addictive.

The book has dual narrators in Jenna and Adam. With many books, multiple narrators are unnecessary. Here though, the story truly requires it to be so enjoyable. You get to know both characters so deeply and at certain moments, they have opposing interests. Seeing how they attempt to find the truth while protecting their friends and stay on good terms with one another is hard to do. The author here did a wonderful job at balancing all those elements into a strong story.

Jenna goes to a prep school and has a specific set of friends. Even before the murder, there was drama to be found in the friend group. Having this happen just escalated that tension. Seeing her attempt to navigate the present to determine what happened in the past is a significant portion of her character development. Jenna wants to do what's right by her friends, but has to choose between them when it becomes clear not everyone wants the same thing. Seeing her struggle to figure out who is a real friend and who is an enemy in disguise was more fun than it should be.

Adam has a dark past that he hasn't gotten past yet and after this murder, it only seems to continue to haunt him. He may be going to reform school, but the funny thing is that he's actually a good guy... albeit with terrible friends. Seeing him try to protect his friends while trying to avoid suspicion himself only gets him in more trouble. I wanted him to find peace by the end of the story here. Adam was dealt a rough hand early in life and he needs someone to remind him of how good he is badly.

An addictive mystery that will have you drawn to the characters all the way to the end.

My rating: 5 out of 5

This was a super quick easy and enjoyable read. Right away I found both Jenna and Adam very likable and enjoyed following them on their journey. I became very invested in the storyline and finished the book in two days since I needed to know who killed Colleen.

The author did a great job pacing this story, and despite all the different things happening like past memories, text messages, e-mails, interviews, or news articles it was easy to follow along. Even more, it made the book that much better. I will say that the ending felt a bit rushed, but for the most part, this was a solid young adult mystery

Book: This Is Why We Lie
Author: Gabrielle Lepore
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with an ARC.

This book gave me Pretty Little Liar and One of Us Is Lying vibes. The idea of having a small town with secrets is usually a win for me. I love it whenever we have a group of people with secrets who will do anything to make sure certain things stay hidden. Add in the fact that this book features an elite all girls school and a reform school for boys this is bound to be a hit. We also feature a cast of characters who aren’t being completely honest with us. I don’t see a lot of the unreliable narrator in YA and it was rather nice to see it here. I think it really added to the book and allowed it to take the shape that it did.

This one is told from two points of view. We follow Jenna, who goes the Preston, and Adam, who goes to Rookwood. Right from the start, we get a senses that both of these characters are hiding something. The book opens with a body being found by Adam in the water. Right from their first meeting, these two start hiding information from each other. While they don’t lie, they just don’t tell everything that they know. This sets us up for not being able to trust either one of our main characters. Then, the side characters are thrown in and give us these whispers about our two main characters, which makes us doubt what they are telling us even more. This sense of doubt and not knowing just who we should be trusting or even believing for that matter carries throughout the book. It will make you want to keep reading to make sense of just what exactly is happening and what got us to the point of murder.

Now, with all of that being said. If you are looking for character development, this may not be the book for you. While I did find the characters will done and compelling, they really don’t change throughout the course of the book. This isn’t about the characters finding themselves or a coming of age story. It’s about them trying to figure out who the murderer is. I mean we do get a good bit of the back stories of the characters and we do get a full sense of just who we are dealing with.

Like with the characters, the plot is pretty compelling. We have a great hook. Like I said earlier, we open with Adam screaming and he has a body. Now, who wouldn’t keep reading with that opening? These hooks will keep you going throughout the whole book. This is one of those books that you have to keep reading, you have to reading. Plus, again, I know I keep mentioning this, there really isn’t anyone in this book who you can actually trust. Everyone has a reason for wanting the girl dead. As you keep reading, you can learn why everyone had that desire to kill someone. I can’t say enough about that.

I know I’ve done nothing but praise this book so far and you probably have noticed the four star rating. I’m going to be honest: It was the ending that broke this book for me. We have all of this build up to what is going to be an epic finale and it fell short. It was rushed and just left me with more questions than answers. I’m just going to go ahead and stay it: The ending didn’t make sense to me. I really can’t say much more about it, but just know that this would have been a five star read for me had it not been for the ending.

Overall, I would say that this is a pretty solid YA mystery book. Again, I was just really disappointed by the end.

This book comes out on September 21, 2021.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/63diqzQmP8w

I got this book off of Netgalley and these opinions are my own. I consumed this book so quickly! It was really good and I didn’t see the ending coming! Gabriella Lepore did such a good job or creating this mystery! One of my favorite things with mysteries is when there are so many possible suspects that who really don’t have a clue of what happened! Adam and Jenna are both interesting protagonists! And I enjoy how there were all these side mysteries that complicate the reader from being able to narrow down on a suspect! It was so good, can’t wait to have the actual book!

This book was fine. I enjoyed it, though I did think that some friendships/relationships could have been developed a bit more. This will be a strictly additional purchase for my library.

This book did what it set out to do, it kept me guessing until the end but I didn't find the final reveal very compelling. It seemed a little out of left field. The relationships and group dynamics were messy and didn't make a lot of sense to me but maybe that helped propel the mystery forward. While it had its faults, this was still an entertaining read that mystery fans will enjoy.

Jenna is on the beach on morning when she hears a call for help from Adam who is coming out of the water with a girl in his arms. When the girl is pronounced dead and police suspect it was not an accident, Jenna becomes involved in this murder mystery. Both Jenna and Adam have secrets they hold from people and as those secrets begin to reveal themselves, both of their world's are rocked (and possibly ruined?). Friends are questioned, doubts are raised, and hearts will break. Is anyone safe in this story?

I loved this book. Set for publication in late September, it's another one we have to wait for. But, put it on your "to-read" pile. You won't be disappointed. Since this is a middle school blog, I will caution that there is some mature content, but nothing too extreme. 7th and 8th graders can definitely enjoy this one!

Solid read. I could feel the angsty grey melodrama mood (ala Twilight and Riverdale) seeping through this story and I loved it! A murder mystery involving a prestigious girls school and a reformatory school for bad boys. It sounds cheesy, but it works and is definitely moody and broody and everything a teen murder mystery needs to be, with some romance thrown in. I enjoyed this!

This Is Why We Lie was a fun fast paced thrill ride. Jenna is at the beach one morning when she sees Adam carrying a body out the water. They try to help the girl, who Jenna knows as a former friend. It's too late Colleen is dead. Jenna and Adam become suspects in a murder investigation. They quickly realize everyone around them is lying. Who's the killer? It gets more intense when another student is murdered. I really enjoyed this book. It would have been 5 stars but I felt like the ending was rushed. I had to re-read the last two chapter a few times because I thought I missed something. It ended very abruptly. Overall, I did enjoy this story!