Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Bantam for gifting me a digital ARC of this debut book by Lauren Ling Brown, this month's Reese's Book Club Selection. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Maya has returned to Princeton for her college reunion and the graduation of her sister, Naomi. But then Maya gets word that Naomi is dead, and she suspects that it's not an accident. She begins investigating and learns that Naomi hid so much from her, especially that Naomi joined Sterling Club, the most exclusive social club on campus, and probably the secret society within it, just as Maya did in her college days. Every clue leads Maya back to the past and the secret she's kept for years.

Told from both Naomi's and Maya's viewpoints, in the present and the past, you need to pay close attention, but it's well worth the effort! I'm a fan of dark academic thrillers and this one has all that plus secret societies, mysteries and deaths in both timelines, and plenty of secrets and lies. This book was so atmospheric and covered so many topics, from sisterhood, to friendship, to loyalty, abuse, and just how important communication is. If you're like me, you'll be questioning the motives of so many different characters and the ending was a big surprise. Great read, especially in the fall!

💕📚ARC Review📚💕 Thank you @netgalley, @randomhouse, and @laurenlingbrown for an ARC of Society of Lies! This was such a great thriller with dark academia vibes.

This is a debut novel from the author and I already can’t wait to see what else she writes! This was also made the book club pick for @reesesbookclub this month so it has her stamp of approval for good reason.

This is the story of two sisters, Maya and her younger sister, Naomi. Maya has returned to Princeton for her reunion, where she graduated 10 years prior, and she is also attending Naomi’s graduation the same weekend. Tragedy strikes when Naomi is found dead in what is considered an “accidental” death, but Maya believes there is more going on. Naomi was a member of Sterling Club, the most exclusive social club on campus that Maya was also a member of, and Maya suspects that Naomi was also tapped for a secret society within the Sterling Club, Greystone. In a past timeline, we get Naomi’s POV as she uncovers details about a death of another Sterling student 10 years ago and some of the dark practices in both Sterling and Greystone. In present day, knowing the dark inner workings of Sterling and Greystone, Maya seeks out the truth of what happened to her sister, but who can she actually trust?

I loved this one! I’m a fan of dark academia in a gothic setting and a secret society at an Ivy League university fits the bill. I always enjoy a thriller with multiple POVs and alternating timelines and I found myself hooked to the story and wanting to read it quickly. It is also more than a thriller and a look at the sisters’ biracial identities (Black father and Chinese mother) and how they intersected with the privilege that existed at not only Princeton, but a secret society and spaces that are primarily occupied by affluent white students. Highly recommend!

Wow what a thriller! This book felt like watching a tv series, if that makes sense. This story follows the lives of sisters Maya and Naomi. The book counts down to Naomi's inevitable murder and also goes back in time to Maya's Princeton life and ahead following Naomi's murder while Maya is trying frantically to find out who killed her sister. I love the setting of this thriller - Princeton, NYC, and Greenwich, CT (love to read about places I've lived). This book not only discusses Ivy life but "dinner clubs" as well as secret societies. I really loved this book and was engrossed right away. I will say there were so many side stories and scenes that it really felt like it was "filling in time" for a tv series or movie. That being said, I still enjoyed them, but just kind of felt like they were slightly unnecessary. I really enjoyed this read though! Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this eARC.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i think this may have been overhyped because of reese's bookclub but i still enjoyed it. i usually like campus thrillers and this was definitely well done.

Two sisters, ten years apart, are both involved in Princeton's "eating clubs" aka secret societies. Death seems to follow.

Maya is with family and friends gathered for Naomi's graduation when news arrives that Naomi's body was found dead in the lake. Maya starts her own investigation because she knows her sister would not have killed herself. This takes her back to her time at Greystone and a death when she was there. What happened in both cases? Maya makes it her mission to find out. Lots of twists and betrayals ensue.

At times, it moved a little too slow for me but the climax and ending were worth the wait. I really didn't see it coming.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for a copy for review.

impressively dramatic thriller wtih lots of twists, some of which were more logical than others, but stilll good

Thank you to NetGalley, PRH Audio and Ballantine Books
for providing me with an advanced copy of this book and audiobook for free in exchange for my review! @prhaudio #PRHAudio #PRHAudioInfluencer
All opinions are my own.

I will admit when I first tried this book, I couldn't get into it. However, a little while later I was able to listen to the audiobook from PRH Audio and I found the story to pull me in more. I should also clarify that because of the heavy subject matter, this book is a bit hard to read. Therefore I encourage you to check the trigger warnings before reading this book. I will also say that the book seems a bit similar to the new book by Amber and Danielle Brown, Zetas Till We Die, so I find it pretty cool that these books were released a few weeks apart from one another. I think Reese Witherspoon did a pretty good job in chosing this book for her October 2024 book, and once I got ahold of the audiobook, I enjoyed the story. So my advice is that if you are struggling reading this book check out the audiobook. The audiobook is narrated by Brie Carter and Chandler Gregoire, both of which I listened to for the first time narrating a book.

Overall I would rate this book 4/5.



Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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The blurb drew me in, as did the first half of the book. Then something seemed to change with the pace of the story. I didn't like the second half of the book as much. While I don't mind multiple POV's being used to tell the story, this book seemed to have some repetition with using that feature. The story was told from the POV of Maya and Naomi. It also jumped back and forth between past and present. At times it made it a little more difficult to put all the pieces together. The characters were fairly well developed, although none were overly likable for me. A little predictable with an ending that wrapped up all the parts to the story. It was a decent story but not one that kept me on the edge of my seat or determined to finish quickly.

At the outset, I'll say that if I got nothing else out of this book, it was confirmation of my decades-ago decision when I started college that "going Greek" just wasn't for me. Whew!

Maya Banks, though, didn't get the memo. In fact, when she was a student at Princeton a decade or so ago, she jumped into the social club thing with both feet - participating in all of what I'd have called "Rush Week" activities at her desired Sterling Club and hoping for acceptance into the ultra-secret Greystone Society imbedded in the club as well. She was, she said, trying to pave the way for her younger sister, Naomi, who would (hopefully) follow in her footsteps. And for the most part, all that went as planned; now, Maya is back for her 10-year college reunion - when she also expects to see Naomi's graduation.

Alas, that's not to be; before the big event, Maya - now married with a 5-year-old daughter Dani - gets word that Naomi won't be graduating; no, she didn't fail her last class - she's dead. And while it's initially ruled accidental, some things just don't add up - like the drugs in her system and no logical reason for her to be found covered in snow far from the lodge at which she was staying. Maya, understandably, is frantic; but very soon she begins to wonder if some things that happened and people she knew back when she was a student had some impact on the reason for Naomi's death.

Chapters, which flip back and forth among time frames and the perspectives of Maya and Naomi almost fast enough to give me whiplash, provide readers with a look at what went on in the worlds of both young women - all coming together, of course, to make a complete and attention-holding story. Definitely worth a read, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

This was a great read. It was suspenseful and intriguing. The characters were well fleshed out and interesting. I liked the way the story was told through the lens of Maya & Naomi and goes back & forth between present and past. Highly recommend reading this one if you enjoy a good suspense thriller!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

Thank you to Random House and PRH Audio for the copies to review!

Dark academia is a favorite sub-genre of mine and this one is excellent, what with weaving in two generations and all into a fantastically dark and twisty story (set at Princeton!) that had some turns I did not see coming. It is a slow build in the beginning, flashing back to the past when Maya attended and who is now returning current day for her reunion and to see the graduation of her little sister, Naomi. Except shortly after she arrives, Maya receives the devastating news that Naomi is dead. Police say accident, Maya says, let’s try again, and begins to dig into what really happened.

This has it all - secret societies, privileged people, lies, coverups, sketchy deaths, rampant inappropriate behavior, you name it. I loved the audio for this, it was incremental to the suspense building that occurred in here, and I enjoyed the dual POVs of Maya and Naomi along with the dual timelines. It took a minute to keep all straight via audio so the book was helpful to have as a companion, but I didn’t need it after a while. I figured out loosely how this would end but in no way predicted the execution, and it was better than I thought it would be. I highly recommend this one, it was very well done and kept my attention from beginning to end. I cannot wait to see what Lauren Ling Brown writes next!

I loved this book, definitely kept me on my toes with lots of twist and turns. I love Reese picks and this one was a top favorite!

I usually enjoy a dark academia mystery/thriller but this one just did not stand out for me. It was intriguing at the beginning but with the constant switching of POVs, the story didn't flow well. The ending, although tied up nicely, was just okay.

Palpable suspense!
When I read the synopsis I was intrigued! Secret societies, rich people behaving badly, murder, and a dual narrative/timeline. What’s not to love?

When Maya returns to Princeton to celebrate her sister, Naomi’s, graduation, she’s excited to reminisce and catch up with old friends. Instead, she’s met with the shocking news of her sister’s death, and the possible link to a secret society.

This story had me on the edge of my seat! I love a dual narrative and timeline so I was pulled in right away, rooting for Maya to uncover the truth, while following Naomi as she navigated her way around the social dynamics at Princeton. I always enjoy a story about sisters and definitely felt a connection with these two characters. The author’s description of the setting was vivid and it felt very unsettling at times. She also did a great job at weaving in twists and I had no idea who the killer was until the last few chapters. At times I felt there were a few too many characters to keep track of and that had an effect on the overall pace for me, slowing it down.

3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️
For readers who enjoy dark academia, compelling female protagonists, and dual narratives/timelines.

Maya returns to Princeton for her college reunion and her sister, Naomi's, graduation. The night before graduation Naomi is found dead and Maya will do anything to find out what happened. The secret society that both sisters were involved in may hold all the secrets to uncovering what happened to Naomi. But to figure out that truth, all the secrets from Maya's past will need to be brought to light.

This is such a quick thriller. I couldn't put it down. The back and forth between Naomi and Maya's stories was very well done. I definitely recommend this if secret societies and the bonds of sisterhood are intriguing to you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the ARC of Society of Lies.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

A decade after her graduation, Maya is back at Princeton for her sister, Naomi’s, graduation. But when Naomi is found dead Maya refuses to accept it was an accident. As she pieces together Naomi’s last few months, she is also brought back to an uncomfortably similar death that occurred during her own years in college, all potentially connected to the same exclusive social club. The more Maya uncovers, the more she fears for her own safety, and the more she worries about her own secrets being revealed.

This is a gripping thriller told in multiple timelines that demonstrates how desperation for belonging can lead to regrettable behavior. Maya and Naomi are not the typical Princeton students (not from a wealthy upbringing, and not white) and they each struggle for acceptance, but with a decade in between their college years it is also fascinating to see the differences in their experiences and social surroundings. I loved the various characters, and had so much fun guessing the conclusion of this story! It feels particularly exhilarating to find a debut like this, and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

This started off so strong, that first chapter had me so intrigued, unfortunately the back and forth between the POVs and the pacing didn’t keep me hooked for long. I do think this book will be widely loved, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I thought the premise was intriguing, secret societies at an Ivy League school, but I struggled with the main characters. I didn’t understand the complete disconnect between the sisters. It seems like the 2nd death could have been avoided if they had actually talked to each other. The family dynamic was weird.

There were some plot elements that were introduced but not really expanded. Race and ethnicity are mentioned, then glossed over. Other plot points were mentioned briefly, then no further information was provided. I felt the book was fine.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam, and Lauren Ling Brown for the eARC.

All I can say is that I had such a nice college experience. No bullies. No cliques. No time! This is yet another book about someone going to school and dying. Then a relative somehow goes to solve the mystery of their death. Don’t get me wrong. These can be some really good books. But there was nothing here to make this one stand out.

I really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining and I’d liked how the chapters rotated from maya and naiomi’s point of views. I liked the concept. Secret societies always intrigue me. I also enjoyed the many twists and turns I did not see coming.