LIES YOU NEVER TOLD ME BY JENNIFER DONALDSON

Lies You Never Told Me is a thrilling read with a dramatic twist that shocked me completely! While the book wasn't really what I was expecting, I did enjoy the novel. 

Rating: ★★★★
​Release Date: May 21, 2019
Genre: Young Adult Drama and Thriller. 
Series: None. 
Pages: 335 pages
Format: Paperback. Purchased. 

Gabe and Elyse have never met. But they both have something to hide.

Quiet, shy Elyse can't believe it when she's cast as the lead in her Portland high school's production of Romeo and Juliet. Her best friend, Brynn, is usually the star, and Elyse isn't sure she's up to the task. But when someone at rehearsals starts to catch her eye--someone she knows she absolutely shouldn't be with--she can't help but be pulled into the spotlight.

Austin native Gabe is contemplating the unthinkable--breaking up with Sasha, his headstrong, popular girlfriend. She's not going to let him slip through her fingers, though, and when rumors start to circulate around school, he knows she has the power to change his life forever.

Gabe and Elyse both make the mistake of falling for the wrong 

​person, and falling hard. Told in parallel narratives, this twisty, shocking story shows how one bad choice can lead to a spiral of unforeseen consequences that not everyone will survive.

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READ MY BOOK REVIEW

​Young Adult Drama | Suspense | Social Issues

Lies You Never Told was much different than I imagined when I first bought the book. Reading the description and some of the reviews by other authors made this book seem like a twisted, young adult thriller. In reality though, it’s more of a high school drama novel that deals with social issues. There is certainly a big twist towards the end, and I enjoyed it immensely, but being so unexpectedly different than the description made me feel a little let down. It was like I kept WAITING for the thrills to show up and they never did.

Now, while I did feel let down in a sense this book does have some fantastic pieces to it. First and foremost, the “mashup” at the end BLINDSIDED me in the best of ways. It was unexpected, thrilling, and absolutely GENIUS. I won’t say WHAT happens but if you’re feeling let down yourself when reading I implore you to keep going. The ending truly makes this book. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a horrible novel, it’s just not what many readers thought it was going to be. There’s a lot going on in the story between the two characters; student/teacher relationships, drug abuse, stalking and other forms of abuse etc. but it’s not THRILLING like the description makes it seem. That’s honestly what gets me the most. I don’t like being deceived and in some sense, I felt like the description of this one did deceive me.

Anyway, this is a solid read despite some of the things that bothered me about it. I would recommend it to those who enjoy young adult novels, especially those on the dramatic side. It’s an easy read (I read it in 24 hours), fast paced, and the type of book that will keep you turning the pages at record speeds.

MY RATING: ★★★★

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