The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

4 0ut of 5 stars

(sent by Simon and Schuster Canada)

____________

 

Just when you think you know what’s going to happen and you think you have the story figured out … you don’t. And the deck is shuffled again. ~ Biblio Virgo

 

____________

 

Growing up, your parents teach you right from wrong. They attempt to steer you towards an appropriate path in life, only wishing you come across success and happiness. A redundant phrase to take you to this destination is: Never tell lies.

 

Throughout life, you come to realize that truth possesses great value, that once broken it can never be mended.

 

What happens when the lies go too far, reaching a point where truth no longer exists?

 

What happens when feelings are hurt, relationships lost and souls die?

 

In Ruth Ware’s The Lying Game, the reader is always standing on their toes, trying to peer over the upcoming pages to see what suspense the events will bring. In this work of mystery, serious matters are acknowledged and a group of girls face one of the most difficult parts of their lives, as their past is dug up, set on display and there is no longer a place to hide. Kate, Isa, Fatima and Thea have serious matters to consider.

 

Welcome to…

 

The lying game.

 

____________

 

This is the first book I have read by Ruth Ware and I really enjoyed her writing. I will most definitely need to add The Woman in Cabin 10 and In a Dark, Dark Wood to my to-be-read list.

 

Due to the fact that the book was set in Great Britain, it contained a lot of English jargon. This not only added humour, but also a sense of culture, as it was interesting to view different terms used in other areas of the world.

 

Another thing I liked and felt strengthened the book was its writing tense: first person. I admire the intimate feeling of reading a book from a character’s perspective rather than from the author’s. When it is told from the author I feel more detached, as though not everything is sinking in.

 

The novel consisted of four female characters and was told from Isa’s point of view. Isa is one of the four girls, a supporting character. This worked. Ware did a stunning job with the writing, but I would have loved to see the story from Kate’s perspective. I felt the story was more about Kate than any other person and I would have loved to experience her emotions and feelings on a deeper level throughout the novel.

 

____________

 

In this novel I did not have a least favourite character, but I did have a favourite, and that was Kate.

 

Right from the get go you can tell Kate is rough around the edges and for good reason. She comes from a difficult past that forced her to be anything but pliable.

 

When things start to build and become more difficult throughout the novel, Kate manages to keep this hard edifice, not breaking down into waves of emotion, though you can tell she wants to. In the group of friends you can tell Kate is the most cool and collected.

 

Just when you think difficulty has hit you at maximum capacity, the end of the book comes. Here is where I was blown away by beauty and emotion. Behind that hard facade, Kate has a heart of gold. Not only does she keep life-changing secrets for someone she loves but she also makes an enormous sacrifice, changing the entirety of the book.

 

____________

 

I really liked how Ware would transition from past to present throughout the novel. This made it easier for the reader to be their own detective and try to piece things together.

 

____________

 

Due to mature subject matter of sex, drugs and alcohol, I recommend this book for any mystery and thriller lover aged 16 and up.

 

And remember …

 

Don’t.

Tell.

Lies.

 

Next week I will review Love Her Wild by Atticus. Until next time, keep on reading.

 

• BV