LIE TO ME

Amelia tries to go back to being a normal teenager after nearly dying from a fall, but when other local girls start turning up dead, she thinks what happened to her was no accident.

But who would want to hurt her? Her creepy neighbor? A jealous girl from school? Her best friend, who’s harboring a secret? Her new boyfriend is willing to help her figure it out. Her relationship with Liam started after her fall, and it’s intense—not only because of how she feels when she’s with him, but also because of the yearslong feud between Liam and Amelia’s brother, Hunter. Adding to the confusion is Amelia’s blooming attraction for her friend Grace, which doesn’t dissipate even after Amelia starts dating Liam. In a novel that struggles to maintain the tension, Ward (Where She Fell, 2018, etc.) explores what it’s like to suspect the people closest to you of wanting to cause you harm. This is a worthy premise, but the plot feels obvious and predictable while the dialogue often feels trite and forced, causing the book to lag in energy and suspense. Most characters are white; Grace has brown skin and is a lesbian.

A mystery romance that works too hard on both fronts.