Thank you so much to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was absolutely hooked from page 1, actually the cover if I’m honest.

This book is centered around secret societies within Harvard. It touched on secret societies within secret societies. They call the regular secret society eat clubs, but that is only a small portion of what happens if you are in one.

Maya & her younger sister, Naomi both choose Harvard for their school of choice. Maya is able to graduate and continue her life, but Naomi doesn’t even make it to her graduation because she’s been asking questions about a future Harvard student, Lila, and what actually happened during her death.

It’s a page turner! I won’t go into the ending as you’ll quite enjoy reading it yourself, but it asks the question are all the societies and admissions sticking to their own policies? Or do they let their n anyone who could assist with donations?

Very interesting theme for a book! This is a debut author and I will definitely be adding her in my watched authors.

It is hard to believe that Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown is a debut a novel. The story and characters were very well developed and the style of writing grabbed my interest from the beginning and held it all the way to the end. Society of Lies reads like a third or fourth novel because it is that well written. I'm looking forward to reading the next book she writes.

Society of Lies focuses on two sisters who both went to Princeton and were part of the same secret society at the university, except one of them dies mysteriously right before her graduation. I'm slightly obsessed with the idea of secret societies, and I thought that the author did a great job interweaving that concept throughout the mystery

I really enjoyed reading this book! I think it’s very interesting that it was written by someone who attended an Ivy school. I enjoyed the characters, plot development, the mystery, and the writing! I look forward to reading more books by Lauren Ling Brown.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for allowing me to read this e-arc early.Society of Lies is a gripping story that grabs your attention immediately.The plot twists and turns while it captures the undertones of class disparities, racial tension and sibling relationships.

I really enjoyed the secret society aspect and the mystery surrounding it all. It came about in a way that felt new to me. I loved that the dual POV gives us a little from both sisters but also gives us two mysteries. It did feel like a lot was going on and I got a little lost which also led to it taking a while for me to finish. Overall enjoyed this one!

Wow! What a wild ride. This was a little difficult for me at first with the multiple timelines and POV but I found myself reading more and more unable to put the book down!

Society of Lies was a whirlwind of mystery filled with twists and turns. You’ll be on the edge of your seat as you dive deep within the story and soon you’ll realize everything is connected in a big web of lies, & secrets, but also surrounded by what we’re all looking for: belonging, love, friendships, & purpose while finding our place in the world.

If you enjoy secret societies, dual timelines and POV, found family, murder mystery - this is for you!

“How often in the world, is silence what allows horrible people to get away with their crimes?”

Thanks so much to Lauren Ling Brown, NetGalley and Publisher for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest feedback. ♥️

"Society of Lies" by Lauren Ling Brown is an enthralling debut that delves into a prestigious college campus's dark and mysterious underbelly through the intertwined lives of sisters Maya and Naomi. The narrative explores themes of sisterhood, secrecy, and the lengths one will go to uncover the truth, initially unfolds at a leisurely pace, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the complex world Brown creates. By the 40% mark, the story accelerates, pulling readers along a thrilling ride filled with unexpected twists and revelations. Just know if it starts slow on purpose to allow the reader to understand all the side characters in the book. Told through the alternating perspectives of Maya and Naomi, the story balances the past and present, though at times, distinguishing between the sisters' voices poses a slight challenge​​​​​​. For lovers of mystery and thrillers seeking a story that marries depth with suspense, "Society of Lies" provokes thought about the societal structures that shape our lives​.

Moods: dark, intense, mysterious and emotional.
Expected: August 2024!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Bantam for the ARC.

When Naomi ends up dead the day before her graduation from Princeton University, big sister Maya is devastated. Since their parents died when she was only 18 and Naomi 8, she has done everything in her power to insure that Naomi is taken care of. And now it looks like some of the decisions she made while at Princeton ten years earlier might have had a role in Naomi’s death. The story is told in alternating viewpoints covering two different time periods. It is the story of two multiracial sisters attending a mostly white college and the struggles and mistakes they make along the way as they try to fit in. Maya is convinced her sister’s death and that of another student ten years earlier are linked to that of a secret campus society. And she sets out to uncover the truth. Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Society of Lies is an intriguing story of a secret society nestled in Princeton's hallowed halls. The society entangles two sisters in its web of deceit and greed. Highly recommend this captivating tale of an elite secret society that everyone is dying to get into. Or dying to get out of it.

Being from NJ and having family in the Princeton area, this book peaked my interest from the beginning. You are taken into from the perspective of two sisters, Maya and Naomi, who have gone through very different experiences during childhood but somehow similar experiences during their college years at Princeton. Secret societies, collegiate scandals, and an insight on the living of the privileged. Being Asian, I also admired the subtle but powerful inclusions of racial discrimination and judgement and bystander effect. That being said, I did think that the story started out very strong but towards the last quarter of the book spiraled into many things at once. I felt that I had to keep track of characters, motives, etc. I personally felt there was a lot thrown together at the end and some loose ends still needed to be tied. Overall, I would give this book a 3.5/5 stars and am excited to read more from Lauren Ling Brown!

Thank you go NetGalley, the publisher, and author for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Being someone who has sisters, I was intrigued by this book. There were so many layers to this book and seeing the dark side of elite schools. I absolutely loved this book and there were tons of twists and turns. Many of them I didn't see coming either. the sister's relationship was very realistic, and the miscommunications were heartbreaking but also reminded me of times that happened with my own sisters. I would highly recommend this book. Thanks so much NetGalley.

I loved the premise of this book, but I found the different points of view and timelines too similar and therefore very hard to follow, and my confusion hampered my ability to fully enjoy the story.

I enjoy books with multiple points of view, but not when they still sound like the same person, which was the case here. Despite being different ages, there was really no distinction between Naomi and Maya, the latter of who came across as quite immature. As a result, it was often hard to keep the characters straight in the shifting timelines. I expected more action, but the pacing dragged, which lead to a boring read, and I found it difficult to stay engaged. I figured out whodunit early on, so that made it hard to care about the outcome.

I was able to read this book early thanks to NetGalley and the author! I can honestly say I’ve read a book quite like it. I enjoyed the Princeton Eating club aspect and the storyline with Maya and Naomi.

Naomi and Maya are sisters that each went to Princeton. However, they went 10+ years apart. Naomi starts looking into a murder than happened when her sister, Maya, was there when things take a turn.

I thought this was a solid read. Would recommend.

Wow!! What did I just read?! I couldn’t put this book down!! The whodunnit factor was well thought out and executed! The characters were well developed and I found myself staying up way past my bedtime to finish it. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this incredible book! I will definitely be sharing it with all of my fellow book lovers!

I enjoyed the book, Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown. I liked that each chapter was dedicated to one sister. However, to be honest it was confusing to figure out if the author was telling the story about Maya the older sister or Naomi her little sister. I constantly needed to go back and verify which sister it was. Their lives were so similar except they were about 10 years apart. The story was about Maya trying to solve the mystery of her sister's death. It's all played out on the campus of Princeton. Great debut book by Lauren Ling Brown. I look forward to reading more by here.
Thank you #Netgalley and the #Random House Group for this ARC.

A decent mystery thriller that kept my interest. That being said, I agree with some of the previous reviewers. Two sisters with past and present timelines involving similar college experiences got to be a bit confusing, if not redundant. Not a bad read, but probably won’t stay long in my memory.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It kept me on my toes the entire way and I didn’t see the ending coming which I love. Definitely a book that surprises you.

The reason for -1 star is mainly due to the main characters. Like others have said I found it sometimes hard to tell one character's voice from the other and made it slightly hard to follow at times.

A dark academia thriller that explores themes like sisterhood, race, class and privilege. I equally enjoyed both Naomi and Maya as narrators. Also, the novel had a great pace and plenty of plot twists — I didn’t see the ending coming.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!