This was a fun one! I love a campus novel, especially a thriller. This book centers on sisters Maya and Naomi. Both Maya and Naomi attended Princeton and were/are members of the prestigious Sterling Eating Club. Within the club is the mysterious secret Greystone Society. Maya returns to Princeton to attend Naomi's graduation. However, Naomi is missing, and soon after her body is found. Maya is determined to learn the truth about her sister's death. Her investigation forces her to confront her own history and experiences with Greystone and secrets she was determined to leave behind. A suspenseful read, great for fans of thrillers and campus novels!

I will rate this book about 3.75 - 4. This was a good mystery/thriller. It follows Maya on a trip back to college for a reunion union and to see her Sister graduate. Only when she arrives she found out her sister is dead. With many suspicions, Maya tries to uncover what really happened and how a local social society might have been the problem.

I have some students who loved Rebecca Makkai’s I Have Some Questions for You, and I felt like Society of Lies would be a comparable title for them. The dual timelines and POVs helped move the plot forward and gave depth to the characters.

I could also see pairing this with the Criminal podcast and doing some comparisons with mixed media. Overall, though, I would definitely recommend this to some my juniors and seniors for independent reading.

Society of Lies had me intrigued just from brief parts of the synopsis: a college reunion, a murder, secrets from the past and a secret society. The combination of all of these sounded right up my alley and I was super into it.
Cut to reading it: the premise was there, the characters were all intriguing, and the development of the story kept me turning pages. Alas then the pacing just felt extremely slow to me, and while I did keep reading, something just felt off for the last third of the story. I would overall recommend this story, but it ended up being a bit underwhelming to me as I had high hopes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was your run-of-the-mill popcorn thriller and it was ok. I liked the dual timelines and how everything came together in the end. I thought some of the red herrings were fairly obvious and would have been better if there had been more setup to make them more believable. The plot was page-turning and kept me interested. Even though this one was just ok, I know this was a debut so I will try this author again!

3.5!! A fun ride for me but it might not be for everyone!

Plot - Two sisters become entangled with the same Princeton secret society, 13 years apart. The difference? One of them ends up dead. Now Maya must revisit her unpleasant past and dig into her sister Naomi’s mysterious behavior in the weeks before she died in order to uncover what really happened.

Yays- Wonderful writing. Unpredictable!! (That is a massive plus for me.) Loved the parallels between the sisters’ stories. Fun BIPOC centered thriller that explores race and wealth and privilege but the villain isn’t racism (to be clear, those are also great thrillers but they can be very heavy and sometimes you just want to read about biracial girls just being biracial girls while also trying to uncover a mystery yk).

Nays - Multiple POV starts off great, but becomes a bit confusing. Some might consider this ‘slow paced’ (I personally liked it). You know the Pride and Prejudice scene where Elizabeth is like, “I might have prevented this if only I had been open with my sisters.” Yeah.. that kinda sums it up.

College social eating clubs, rich donor parents, and a history tying them to more than one murdered girl.

To start, this one was interesting. I liked getting the big sister Maya's POV both as an adult and in the past when she was a college student in the same campus her little sister is in. Her sister, Naomi, is always in the past as the book opens with her death.

Maya's drive to discover what happened and reveal secrets long buried was compelling. The suspense was well distributed, mixed between nice memories of college and between sisters while keeping the mystery going. But I really started to struggle with the timeframes - sometimes missing that I was in a different time since Maya has a few. I kept having to flip back and remind myself who was my narrator because the same people would appear in each one. I think that held me back from fully feeling immersed, even though I did enjoy it.

It's twisty and fun, I enjoyed this dark academia story.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

it took me a while, but i finally got to it. thank you to netgalley as always for gifting me an arc to review!

while i love a slow book, everyone knows i love a slow book, this one just wasn't the kind of slow that i like to devour, but that, i think, is the worst of it. i enjoyed the writing and the characters, and the entire thing felt very atmospheric, it just wasn't what i think i was expecting and that's not anyone's fault but my own! i would still recommend this, it just wasn't my favorite.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

3.5 stars.

*How far would you go to belong?*

Maya heads back to Princeton for her 10-year reunion, anticipating a weekend full of nostalgia, familiar faces, and celebrating her younger sister Naomi’s graduation. But the weekend quickly turns tragic when Maya receives the devastating news that Naomi has died. The police are calling it an accident, but Maya’s instincts tell her there’s more to the story. As she digs into Naomi’s life, Maya discovers her sister's involvement in the exclusive and secretive Society of Lies—the same society Maya had once been a part of. The more Maya uncovers, the more she fears that Naomi’s desire to fit in may have led her to a deadly end.

The concept of *Society of Lies* immediately intrigued me, and the book starts off strong. The first half was gripping—full of suspense and mystery. Maya's investigation into Naomi’s death, combined with the dual narrative of the present and Naomi’s past at Princeton, kept me engaged and eager to learn more. The alternating timelines helped build tension and mystery, and the exploration of the dark side of university life and secret societies was an intriguing backdrop for the plot.

What I enjoyed most was the atmosphere. The sense of unease that permeated throughout the first part of the book was well-done, and I found myself immersed in the world of elite colleges and the dangerous allure of belonging to something so exclusive. Maya and Naomi were interesting characters, and the secrets Maya began to uncover kept me turning pages. I was particularly drawn to how the past and present intertwined as Maya’s search for the truth unraveled the layers of Naomi’s life.

However, as the story progressed into the second half, I began to lose interest. The pacing slowed considerably, and while the mystery was still there, it became bogged down by excessive detail and a growing sense of disorganization. The plot, which had been engaging and carefully constructed, started to feel more muddled, and I struggled to maintain the same level of investment. By the time I reached the final chapters, I found myself skimming through some sections to finish the book.

The character development, particularly for Naomi and Maya, also faltered in the second half. While I was initially intrigued by both characters, the emotional connection I had with them began to fade as the story became more convoluted. The back-and-forth dynamics between the characters and the shifting settings, while initially intriguing, eventually felt like they were hindering the narrative rather than enhancing it.

Despite its shortcomings, *Society of Lies* still had its moments. The first half was strong, with a gripping mystery and a dark atmosphere that I appreciated. The second half, however, felt like a letdown, with a story that lost its focus and became harder to follow. It wasn’t a bad book, but it didn’t fully live up to its potential, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that the execution could have been much better.

In conclusion, *Society of Lies* offers a compelling premise, but it didn’t quite deliver on the promise. The first half was enjoyable and kept me hooked, but the second half lost momentum and became a bit messy. While it wasn’t a complete miss for me, I found myself wishing for a tighter narrative and a more satisfying resolution. I’m still open to reading more from this author, though, as I believe her storytelling has great potential.

I'm a sucker for dark academia, and this one didn't disappoint!

There are always buried secrets when it comes to secret societies at Ivy League schools. We know legacy admissions not only into the school, but into the societies, is something that drives our dark academia stories (and I'm here for it!)

This dual-timeline helps us understand how power can be abused, and heads can turn to cover anything up if you're powerful enough.

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Bantam for my honest review.*

Maya went to Princeton and was in a secret social club. While she encouraged her sister to go to any other college, Naomi goes to Princeton and also joins a secret social club - the same one as Maya. Maya has gone back to Princeton for Naomi's graduation, but Naomi is conspicuously absent from the festivities the night before. And then is found dead. Maya can't help but see the similarities between her experiences and what her sister went through.

Told in multiple timelines and POVs, we learn about how Maya and then Naomi join the Sterling Club and then the super super secret off set of the Sterling Club. And Naomi begins to investigate the death of a student from Maya's time at Princeton.

Well paced and a few twists and this novel is sure to keep your head spinning!

Maya returns to Princeton for her reunion and her sister Naomi’s graduation, only to learn Naomi has died in an apparent accident. Suspecting foul play, Maya uncovers dark secrets about the exclusive Sterling Club, which both she and Naomi were involved in. As she digs deeper, Maya fears her past at Princeton may hold the key to Naomi’s death. I enjoyed the dark academia vibe and the thrilling elements of the story, especially with the dual POVs, which likely added depth and intrigue as the mystery unfolded from multiple perspectives. Those aspects—secret societies, hidden pasts, and a tense investigation—can really heighten the tension and make for a compelling read.

This book was okay for me. I found myself forcing me to read it to finish it but didn’t think about it in between reads.

Society of Lies is an addictive dark academia. This debut novel tells the tale of murder and deceit in dual timelines. Maya must work to put together the pieces of her sister Naomi's life in the months that lead up to her death. Set at Princeton, Naomi follows her sisters footsteps by joining the exclusive Sterling Club and Greystone Society. After learning of Naomi's death and the possible involvement of the most exclusive social club on campus, Maya is forced to revisit her past and the coverup of the death of a fellow student possibly linked to a professor. This slow burn mystery will have you questioning who you can trust.

I really enjoy books that keep me guessing to the very end and this book was no exception. I also enjoy books that are told from alternating points of view. If you feel the same way this book should not be missed. I am looking forward to the next book by Lauren Ling Brown!

I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely very twisty and had me guessing.

I really like dark academia aspects in books and I think the author did well with this aspect. It kept me interested and entertained.

I look forward to more from this author.

What a great read to start 2025! Full of mystery and suspense, this novel leaves you guessing until the very end!

Maya graduated from Princeton ten years ago and now her baby sister, Naomi is graduating. But returning makes her full of emotions and bad memories because there was a death before she graduated. Unfortunately another death rocks Maya’s world and that is her sister. Determined to find out what happened, it may cost Maya her life but, she will not let her sister’s death go unsolved.

This story was well written, told from alternating points of view’s with dates – it keeps the reader in suspense. I loved the thrills and descriptions, it kept me engaged and wanting more. I truly didn’t see the end and that’s why it’s a 4️⃣⭐️ read❗️Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for the arc – these opinions are my own.

I tried multiple times to read this one and could not get into this book. Maybe it’s me. But I have to officially call it and label this a DNF.

This book has a really good idea behind it. I love the fact that its two sisters and the POV is going from present to both their times at the college. The only issue was that it took FOREVER adding in details that sent the reader on a goose chase when it wasnt even an aid to the story.

I feel like if it was cleaned up a bit, far as what information we consumed, I wouldve loved it a lot more. The ending did totally blow me away. Once I got to part four I didnt put the book down, I had to finish it!