Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion for an advanced copy of Tell Them You Lied.

This is a gripping and fast pace story about friendship, tragedy and lies. I constantly thought I knew who or what was up but my jaw dropped at the last twisty turn.

This will make a good Apple TV show. I liked the exploration of toxic female relationships and the setting - NYC in the turn of the century. Really good quick read.

This book was a ride of the toxic but intoxicating relationship of Anna and Willow. It follows 2 timelines: Their time at art school and their time in New York City following school.

Anna has never had close friends and when she meets Willow at school, and she is instantly drawn to her. Willow is confident, smooth, and talented, everything Anna wants to be. But the longer Anna knows Willow, she realizes she might not know her at all. When all the secrets and lies have built up too much, Anna makes a plan to teach Willow a lesson by setting up a fake mugging. The plan is set for September 11, 2001. But once the planes hit the towers and Willow is missing, Anna is left reeling, not knowing if something went wrong with the mugging, if Willow could have been near the towers, or is this just another trick by Willow for attention?

This was a great read and kept me coming back for more. Both of the lead characters are people you love to hate. I found myself not wanting a good outcome for either of them and was totally hooked on their drama and toxicity.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Publication date is May 27, 2025.

A thrilling, suspenseful, disturbingly emotional story of toxic friendships.

Anna endures so much for validation of friendships and herself worth. Willow who goes to lengths, using secrets and lies to manipulate, but how far are they willing to go and T what cost.

I enjoyed how the author builds on the girls tragic past, how they met and brings the story forward to 2001, when Willow goes missing. The story is told with two timelines, 2001, Anna is searching for Willow and the past starting four years ago and works forward building the backstory. The past timeline was drawn out and the narration varied from first person to third person.
I enjoyed the plot around the 9/11 tragedy, as I have often wondered myself in the darkest corners of my brain, n how many used that tragedy to “vanish”, or to hide their secrets.

Thanks to Net Galley, author, and Hyperion Avenue publishing for the copy to review

Tell Them You Lied is a phenomenal exploration of friendship and self-discovery, told through the creative device of dual perspectives centered on the main character, Anna. Laura Leffler masterfully crafts a narrative that allows readers to experience Anna’s journey both subjectively and through an external lens, enriching our understanding of her character.

The story captures the complexities of friendships, particularly during pivotal moments like entering and graduating college, which mark the transition into adulthood. Leffler illustrates that maintaining these relationships requires effort from both sides, a theme that resonates deeply throughout the novel.

What struck me most was Anna’s authenticity. Despite her sometimes extreme efforts to fit in, her motivations remain genuine and relatable. As we uncover her hidden desires, it becomes painfully clear how her vulnerability makes her susceptible to manipulation by those who don’t have her best interests at heart.

Leffler hooks us into Anna’s world, allowing us to empathize with her struggles while also critiquing the dynamics of her friendships. This duality enriches the reading experience and invites reflection on the nature of trust and authenticity in relationships. Overall, Tell Them You Lied is a compelling read that leaves a lasting impact, highlighting the intricate dance of human connection.

Thank you Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Tell Them You Lied” by Laura Leffler is a dark, psychological exploration of toxic friendship, manipulation, and obsession, set against the haunting backdrop of September 11, 2001. The book dives deep into the complicated and often destructive relationship between two art school friends, Anna and Willow, as the line between reality and deception blurs. This is a book where you won’t really like any of the characters, but you will become absolutely enraptured by their relationships, especially with the twisted friendship that is the focal point of the plot.

The story alternates between two timelines—Anna and Willow’s early years in art school, where their friendship begins, and the present day, when Willow mysteriously disappears in the chaos following the 9/11 attacks. This dual structure reveals the slow unraveling of their relationship: Anna’s intense admiration for Willow, a seemingly cool and magnetic figure, morphs into envy and resentment. As Anna grows tired of Willow’s selfishness and cruelty, she decides to stage a fake mugging in a twisted attempt to knock her down a peg. But the prank, planned for the morning of September 11th, turns tragic when Willow never comes home. Did Willow fall victim to the attack, or is she still playing a sinister game with Anna?

Leffler skillfully creates an unsettling atmosphere, where the chaos of 9/11 is not just a tragic historical event but a catalyst for Anna’s internal disintegration. As Anna grapples with Willow’s disappearance, you are then drawn into her paranoia and guilt. Is Willow alive, hiding in the shadows to torment her? Or did she meet a more tragic fate? The mystery is heightened by Anna’s unreliable perspective, as she simultaneously idolizes and despises her friend. This is an extremely unique plot; I have never read a book like this before, and that made me want to read more and more. I could never predict what exactly was happening behind the scenes in both the past and the present timelines.

The toxic dynamics between Anna and Willow are the heart of the story. Leffler paints a vivid picture of their dysfunctional friendship, where Anna’s obsession with Willow’s approval leads her down a path of manipulation and revenge. Through flashbacks, we see Anna’s almost worshipful admiration for Willow slowly devolve into bitterness. Willow, on the other hand, is portrayed as an enigmatic, selfish figure who uses the people around her, treating them like puppets in her own game. This push-and-pull between the two makes for a psychologically charged story, one that is both captivating and disturbing.

While the premise is intriguing, the book’s pacing can feel uneven at times. The first half is slower, weighed down by excessive details that occasionally detract from the main plot. However, once the story picks up, it becomes a tense and unsettling ride. The characters are deeply flawed—both Anna and Willow are difficult to sympathize with, yet they are fascinating in their complexity. Leffler doesn’t shy away from creating characters you love to dislike, and she immerses the reader in their twisted world of manipulation and jealousy.

Overall, “Tell Them You Lied: is a wild, dark, and thought-provoking read. It offers a compelling examination of toxic friendship and the blurred lines between admiration and obsession, truth and lies. This debut novel from Laura Leffler is unsettling, intense, and unforgettable—a haunting exploration of what happens when art, obsession, and ambition collide.

Toxic friendships are at the center of this debut novel by Laura Leffler.

Anna and Willow met in art school, where the worldly Willow took the naïve Anna under her wing. Over the years of their friendship, they have fought, loved, and hated like sisters in a dysfunctional family. Frustrated by Willow’s current behavior, Anna decides to stage a horrifically misguided prank to knock her down a few pegs, but her timing couldn’t be worse. It is September 11th, 2001, and now Willow is missing. Is she really gone, or is Anna again her pawn in a game she didn’t know she was playing?

Told on two timelines between their time in school and 9/11, this is a compelling read. The writing feels reminiscent of Chip Kidd’s The Cheese Monkeys, especially given they are a group of artists in college trying to differentiate themselves. The timeline set during 9/11 heightens the plot's tension, and Leffler effectively conveys the panic experienced on that tragic day. This story is intriguing and would be excellent for an art-loving book group.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

WOW!!! What a great book!! This one had me hooked from page 1! This was a first for me from this author and I will not be my last! This one was a win for me!

I absolutely devoured Tell Them You Lied! It’s one of those books that you just can’t put down. The author’s writing is so captivating, and the characters are so complex and intriguing. The author did a stellar job building the story and I felt like everything was fit so perfectly. I kept telling myself one. more chapter and then I'll go to bed but then just kept on reading LOL. I do appreciate the jump ahead in the timeline which wrapped up the story perfectly.

Anna and Willow’s friendship is a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s both fascinating and terrifying to watch their dynamic unfold. I found myself cringing at Willow’s behavior, but also feeling a deep sense of empathy for Anna. It was a trainwreck toxic friendship and I couldn't put it down. As their friendship evolves, the lines between inspiration and manipulation blur, and I was immediately drawn into a fun world of artistic aspirations and personal destruction.

The dual timeline was a great choice. It added depth to the story and really helped me understand the characters' motivations.

If you’re a fan of thrillers, this book is definitely for you. It’s a twisted, addictive read. Pick it up and give it a go.

I absolutely DEVOURED this book. I was hooked from the first paragraph. This was a very fast paced mystery/YA book that I found absolutely thrilling. I needed to keep reading because I needed to know what happened. I loved the changes in time going back to things that happened in college vs today. This book had mean girls vibes. Anna has lived a friendless life in high school and finally thought she found a group of friends that accepted her. Willow, the ringleader, used this to her advantage and used Anna as a pawn in her life. Anna would do anything to be accepted and willow used that to betray her over and over again. There are so many small details that interconnect throughout the book it’s really a masterpiece and the ending is not predictable at all which made the finish of this book that much better.

Tell Them You Lied presents a dark exploration of toxic friendships, obsession, and regret, set against the backdrop of art school life and the events surrounding 9/11. While the dual timelines and messy characters offer intrigue, the narrative can feel bloated and directionless at times. The focus on art-world references and the relentless toxicity between characters may alienate some readers, making it hard to connect emotionally. Though part two introduces a satisfying twist, the characters' lack of growth and the convoluted relationships can be frustrating. A compelling but uneven read that’s more about emotional turmoil than plot resolution.

I found Tell Them You Lied to be a very strange book which didn't quite hit its stride until the final third. The plot is generally compelling though and it centers around Anna, a shy, socially isolated girl with a large amount of family trauma, who befriends a charismatic and somewhat dangerous girl named Willow, who is very wealthy, and very unpredictable.

This is a 9/11 story that isn't really a 9/11 story, 9/11 just serves as an event that blows the trajectory of a nasty plan that Anna has for Willow off track and then Anna is left to pick up the pieces with their group of friends. The book shifts between third person and first person narratives to detail the past art school experiences of Anna and her friends and the present day conflict.

I felt that this book was trying too hard to be some kind of Dark Academia story along the lines of The Secret History and When We Were Villains. The narrative of their experiences at art school seemed more like whiny, entitled, manipulative teens rather than anything truly sinister aside from one major event which was explained poorly and did not make a whole lot of sense. The girls have an obsession with their primary art instructor, Professor Kape, however it's unclear what makes him such a magnetic character to them aside from the fact that they state he's very influential in the art world. The character of Anna was very two dimensional as well. She comes from a poor home life and has a dark secret about her disabled brother, however it is depicted in a manner that came across as clichéd.

The present day narrative (set in 2001) also felt hollow because there is zero growth in these characters as they go through all four years, graduate from college, and begin their adult lives in New York City. They stick with the exact same friend group and are caught up in the same petty dramas and obsession with Willow that carried them through college (in addition to Anna, there is a boy named Milo also obsessed with her). This is where 9/11 comes into play. Anna and Milo decide to play a horrific prank on Willow to "get her back" for her behavior and then 9/11 happens, the city is thrown into chaos, and they don't know what to do next because Willow is now missing.

Much of the present day narrative drags on because it's endless panicking amongst the group, calling each other, calling the police, etc. It's also very confusing because the friends are apparently all lying to each other about various things and it's hard to understand entirely why or how this was even possible. From all the lies and changing narratives I was expecting this to end up as Anna being the delusional one or some similar kind of twist, but that's not what happened.

The last third of the book (Part 2) was the most interesting as that takes place largely post 9/11 and deals with what happens to all of them next. It did have a dramatic plot twist that I was not anticipating however I still had trouble understanding Anna's logic in parts of it, in terms of how she was still planning some kind of revenge on Willow. The ending was neatly wrapped up and finally demonstrated character growth.

This was an interesting book to examine toxic friendships, co-dependency, and the cutthroat nature of the art industry, however for anyone expecting this to be like similar dark academia books, this does not quite hit the mark.

Many thanks to Hyperion Avenue and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an early copy of this book to review!

This is a gritty tale centered around art and complicated friendships—messy and toxic ones at that. From the first page, the author pulls you in, and with the split timeline, you can feel the tension rising in the past as it converges with the present. I loved watching the two main characters spiral into the deadly sins “assigned” to them early on, and witnessing their already dysfunctional personalities unravel further.

I’m also a fan of books where every character is both unbearable and unreliable—and this one absolutely delivered!

The only reason I’m not giving it five stars is because of part two. While I appreciated the meaning and depth of the ending, the middle of the final section dragged a bit for me.

Holy Moly, I absolutely enjoyed this book!
If there was ever a picture of what defined toxic relationships, then these characters would be it!
The main story takes place during 9/11 in NYC and you the reader go back and forth a couple years, from the main characters being in college to present day 9/11 in NYC. The dynamics between all of them, can only make you the reader sit back and watch carefully how everything plays out.
You one main character though is Anna, and I felt for her because, she is lonely and has some self esteem issues which play a big role in the story. Anna though meets Willow, and they end up becoming best friends. Willow is the opposite from Anna and ends up helping Anna break out of her shy and self-conscious shell.
The plot was great, and I don’t want to spoil the twist but, oh my gosh it was great!!! Also, while some of the characters are horrible, it makes the book that much more interesting.

Thank you for NetGalley for the copy to read and review!

Tell Them You Lied by Laura Leffler has absolutely blown me away! I am floored! This is, dare I say, a masterpiece— a work of art! Where do I begin? Let’s get into it!
Firstly, if you adore, appreciate, or study art, this is an interesting book for you. I never considered the dark underbelly of the art world until reading Tell Them You Lied. It’s realistic fiction, meets thriller, meets who done it? I happily lapped up every single page and couldn’t get enough!
If you’re a fan of true characterization, this book is for you! Laura Leffler truly explores the complexity of individuals, their decisions, their desires, their jealousy, and their possible inner evils. She hones in on that fact that realistically, no one is perfect, but everyone will do what it takes to succeed.
Without giving too much away, I recommended this incredible book! It is beautifully and honestly written, and I couldn’t guess the ending! If I could give Tell Them You Lied more than five stars, I certainly would!

I enjoyed the story and the twist at the end! I had difficulty empathizing with the MC, her motives from the get-go were slightly off.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I had fun reading it until it got near the end. It seemed like everyone was jealous of one another and hated their so called “friends.” This ultimately made every character unlikeable by the end of the book. This read more like a drama than a thriller.

I did really like the two different timeframes used. I felt like it worked well going between the “before” and “after.” I also thought it was a unique plot having it take place during 9/11.

I’m not mad I read it, it just wasn’t my favorite. 3.5 ⭐️s rounded down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for an ARC of this novel.

Each chapter of Laura Leffler's debut novel is told alternating between the past and the present. How things started and how they ended up. In the present, Willow is missing. The chaos of September 11th being used as the background, Anna's decision to have Willow "mugged", and the ultimate mystery - "Where is Willow?" - converge to create a compelling narrative that propelled my curiosity through this cast of dislikable characters.

Anna and Willow meet freshman year of college. They are both determined to be artists and make their mark on this world. Anna is desperate for attention and gullible, this makes her easily manipulated by her supposed best friend. Throughout flashbacks, we see Anna's almost Godlike worship of Willow, the formation of their friend group, and the different ways Willow used the people around her - puppets on strings. The unraveling of how Anna came to envy Willow so much that she concocted a fake mugging to "soften her up". It's bizarre, it's twisted, but so are both Anna and Willow's psyches.

In present day, Anna doesn't know who or what to believe. The same day she planned to hatch her scheme, NYC was attacked. The Twin Towers fell. But no one has seen or heard from Willow. Was she close enough to be killed when the buildings collapsed? When things start coming up missing from their shared apartment, Anna is convinced Willow is just up to another one of her larks. But she hasn't made contact with anyone in their friend group. She hasn't made contact with her dad.

Police believe that Willow may have been having breakfast on top of the World Trade Center with a coworker and artist friend on the day she disappeared. Is Willow dead? Anna uses this as an opportunity. She curates an exhibit of Willow's photographs with an acquaintance from college. Willow's family co-opts the piece and calls it Vanishing Act. Is this a performance piece? Is Anna crazy and the whole art world in on it? Or is there something even more sinister afoot?

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC of Tell Them You Lied for my honest review. Looking forward to seeing more of Leffler's work.

Having the privilege to read this before its publication was an honor! The book is thrilling and filled with amazing twists at every turn. Despite the challenge of following the shifting timelines, it was a rewarding experience to keep pace with the narrative. This book delivers a journey of friendships, hardships, and much more right to our doorsteps!

I really liked the way this one started. It's entirely possible that 9/11 is still too difficult a topic for me to read about, given personal experiences. The idea of someone using the tragedy as an excuse to seek revenge did not sit well with me. I thought I would find it to be an interesting coincidence, but instead it felt manipulative.

I also think I'm over reading about toxic friendships and personalities. I found myself worn down by all of the passive aggression and manipulation and really struggled to keep reading. The characters were pretty much odious to a man, and I just had a rock in the pit of my stomach the entire time I was reading... I suspect that all of my negative feelings were, more or less, what the author was going for here in capturing difficult personalities . So in that sense it is successful, but it was not at all a good fit for me.