If you love dark academia and secret societies, you’re going to NEED to read this book.

Society of Lies delves into the dark side of the secret societies (and secret societies IN those secret societies) in prestigious colleges and what they are able to get away with. We follow sisters Maya and Naomi in the past and present leading up to Naomi’s death. The story works to unravel two mysteries that have been heavily covered up.

It took me a bit to get used to the POVS since Maya has a past and present POV and her experiences are very similar to Naomi’s. But once I got that figured out, I was absolutely HOOKED. The dark academia vibes in this book are everything you want them to be.

I thought the end got to be a little rushed and hard to believe and Naomi’s POV felt very immature at times but it was still SO good. The journey the sisters go on separately to unravel the secrets within their secret society made the book impossible to put down. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book went from slow to tell-me-everything-now so fast. Society of Lies shows us two perspectives: Naomi and Maya. They’re sisters who are ten years apart in age. Both went to Princeton, and both became members of the same secret society.

I am shocked that this is the author’s first book because the writing was amazing. Characters were flawed but relatable. And the plot was mostly realistic, as far as I can tell since I’ve never been in a secret society.

The dark academia trope is one I can always get sucked into. And this is no different. The book starts with Naomi’s death, so you’re all ready wondering what happened. And then we see split timelines: current day, 2011-12 when Maya was in college, and then Naomi 8 months before her death up until her death.

The split timelines got really confusing for me. There was no real organization to it. Both points of view sound exactly the same, and Maya hadn’t changed at all in the 12 or so years between her timeline. I wanted to see some individuality and maturity growth with both.

I’ll be on the look out for more books from this author. Not only do I recommend this, I’d buy it for gifts for friends. It’s worth a read. I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Lauren Ling Brown’s debut novel, Society of Lies, tells the story of two sisters, Maya and Naomi. Maya, a Princeton grad, comes back to campus after ten years to reconnect with some friends and celebrate Naomi’s graduation. Shortly after arriving though, Maya is told that Naomi’s lifeless body was just found.

This was a fast-paced, interesting read, that I found I did not want to put down! Great, multi-faceted characters. Suspenseful and thrilling. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

We witness how Naomi's actions may resolve with her death as she attempts to uncover the mystery of a student's death under suspicious circumstances that was swept under the rug. When she discovers her straight, cold, career-oriented sister may be one of the last persons who has seen the dead girl alive, and the possibility that the girl has been silenced for knowing too much about the secret society connections, Naomi teams up with her roommate, an intern at the New York Times, to unravel the dirty secrets! Could her attempts to face the past be the reason for her demise? Or is she the victim of a love triangle that has gotten out of hand?

Great book, really enjoyed the twists and turns that this took me on and I would definitely recommend to a friend.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

Society of Lies has a really good premise but I didn’t love the execution. It started off ok, but most of the book was slow going and filled with information that didn’t seem relevant to the two deaths. I found it to drag in places and the action didn’t really ramp up until the last 10% of the book so I lost interest. I also just don’t connect well with dark academia books, so I also struggled here.

I wouldn’t personally recommend this but I do think some people, mainly dark academia fans, would enjoy it.

Lauren Ling Brown Out Aug 13th
Desperate to find out what happened to her sister, Maya is plunged into a world she had no idea about. Mysterious and suspenseful, this was a very quick read.

While I do enjoy tales from dark academia, especially when they feature secret societies, this one fell a little flat for me. It was a bit of a slow read and the pacing took away any tension that could have been built around the characters. I also didn't find the secret organizations to be all that interesting. Overall, an interesting idea for a book, but I would have preferred a faster pace and more twists and turns throughout.

Lauren Ling Brown’s debut novel, Society of Lies, tells the story of two sisters, Maya and Naomi. Maya, a Princeton grad, comes back to campus after ten years to reconnect with some friends and celebrate Naomi’s graduation. Shortly after arriving though, Maya is told that Naomi’s lifeless body was just found.

Initially, this book started off very strong and had an interesting premise. I was intrigued and wanted to figure out the mystery surrounding Naomi’s death. However, as the story continued, I began losing interest. In my opinion, I felt like the book was a lot longer than necessary. I struggled with keeping the two timelines separate and trying to keep everything straight in my brain. With all of that being said, the ending moved more rapidly and held my interest.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine/ Bantam for this ARC. It will be available for purchase on August 13, 2024.

4.5/5

This book was amazing. I couldn’t put it down. It goes between two sisters points of view Maya and Naomi. Both in the past and present. The twists and turns don’t stop. The secret society at Princeton is such an interesting part of the book. How it operates keeps you on your toes. The ending you don’t see coming.

Definitely recommend!!!

Lauren Ling Brown's Society of Lies is a riveting and emotionally charged novel that explores the complexities of family, identity, and the search for truth in the face of deception. Set against the backdrop of Princeton University and spanning a decade, the story follows two sisters, Maya and Naomi, whose lives intersect in unexpected and tragic ways.

At the heart of the narrative is Maya, who returns to Princeton for her college reunion only to receive devastating news: her younger sister, Naomi, has died under mysterious circumstances. As Maya grapples with the shock of Naomi's death, she becomes determined to uncover the truth behind what happened to her sister, delving into the secrets and lies that have haunted her for years.

The author expertly captures the atmosphere of academia, from the ivy-covered buildings to the competitive social scene, while also exploring the darker underbelly of privilege, racism, and entitlement that lurks beneath the surface.

As Maya delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Naomi's death, she uncovers a web of lies and deception that threaten to unravel her own sense of identity and belonging. The novel raises thought-provoking questions about truth, memory, and the nature of reality, leaving readers questioning the reliability of their own perceptions.

Interspersed with Maya's present-day experiences are flashbacks to pivotal moments in the sisters' lives. Through these flashbacks, readers gain a deeper understanding of Maya and Naomi's complex bond, as well as the events that led up to Naomi's untimely death. From their childhood insecurities to their college experiences, the novel delves into the sisters' shared history and the secrets that have shaped their lives.

The plot twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. As the story unfolds, secrets are uncovered and mysteries deepen, but no character can be trusted. Just when readers think they have it all figured out, the narrative throws them for a loop with an unexpected and unpredictable ending.

I really enjoyed Society of Lies. The stories of Naomi and Maya were expertly woven together, and I couldn’t put it down.

Society of Lies is a dual narrative/dual timeline of sisters Maya and Naomi during their time at Princeton University and the present.

I really enjoyed both the dual narrative and dual timeline. Having different perspectives for a similar crime made the story more interesting.

Both sisters belong to the same secret society and each one is searching for answers to a crime they think the same person committed.

Things really picked up about a third of the way in and I read the last 50% in just a few hours..

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this arc.

First off, I would like to thank author Lauren Ling Brown, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and give it a review!

Maya is a Princeton graduate; she has a good job, loving husband, a 5-year old daughter, and great friends. When her parents died when she was 18, she was left to take care of her 8 year old sister Naomi. All she wanted was to be able to take care of her and support them both. When an elite secret society taps Maya to be included, she can't pass up the opportunity for the lifelong connections it will open up for her.

Naomi is getting ready to gradute from Princeton, she has followed in her sister's footsteps even when it seemed like Maya didn't want her to. Naomi was also tapped into the same society as Maya, but it always seemed like something was off. The day before graduation, Naomi turns up dead. It reminds Maya all too much of the death of a student while she was in school. Maya, unwilling to let her sister's death be brushed off as an accident, begins to uncover secrets that people would kill to stay buried.

I enjoyed this book. I liked reading for both Maya and Naomi's perspectives. Lauren Ling Brown did a great job of connecting the sisters' lives at Princeton even though they were 10 years apart. I really enjoyed how everything tied together in the end and the book was full of surprise turns. Definitely recommend.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Society of Lies is filled with endless secrets, twists, and turns while the characters are just trying to figure out how to survive the real world and secret societies. Between sisters Maya and Naomi, it's hard to figure out who you can or can't trust. Both timelines of them at school definitely tie them closer together in more than one way. It's just hard to follow the pieces when we float between different timelines.

And yet, I couldn't help but try to guess who was behind it all before we would get a new clue. Then I'd throw everything out the window and start guessing all over again. Towards the end of this, we got so many reveals. One of the big ones definitely shocked me because I never had this person down as a suspect. They were a little chaotic and got jealous quite easily, but I just never saw the betrayal coming until it was too late.

In the end, I'm happy with how the mystery played out and how a certain character met Karma. I definitely can't wait for this to get published and for everyone else to be able to dive into Princeton.

This is a great Ivy-League thriller about privilege, exploitation, and the way marginalized students have to navigate wealthy, predominantly-white, and sexist/coercive spaces. It's heart-breaking too, so do know that this isn't just a fun romp about rich folks getting what's coming to them, but it's a great addition to the summer thriller slate for this year.

This was my first dark academia book and wow! I loved the setting of this story as well as the characters. The idea of secret societies is so interesting and this story makes you want more. The whole time reading this book I was eager to keep revealing the secrets hidden in this story and who was lying and who was telling the truth! I also enjoyed the length of the chapters because it made it feel as if the book when faster.

Overall I really liked this book, I cared about the characters and wanted justice for Naomi and wanted exposure the people and institutions involved.. At times it felt a little long and there were some bits that could be left out and at times the triple timeline was confusing. Maya now, Maya 10 yrs ago and Naomi in the months before her murder and I lost track of who/when etc I did like it and would read others by this author

I've been wanting to dip into dark academia and this book was very good. The story line was interesting and it kept me wanting more. I will say that it did drag on at some points. With the dual POV between the two sisters, it was hard to know who was who with each chapter and I kept having to go back to make sure because much of the story for both deals with some of the same characters even though it is different time periods.

I do still recommend this book because if you are looking for a dark academia rec, I believe you will really enjoy this one. The plot twist - I did not see coming. just be prepared as the book is long. I don't know how many pages exactly because it was on my kindle but I know that my kindle percentage barely moved after reading 9 pages. I feel like we could have done without some of the fluff of the book to make it shorter and to help the story line go faster.

All in all, I would rate it a 3.75.

When I first saw the cover of Lauren Ling Brown’s Society of Lies, the vibrant design drew me in. The title tells you exactly what you will get: secret societies at an Ivy League university and a continuous trail of lies. Maya’s sister, Naomi is found dead and police rule it a suicide. Maya isn’t convinced. Naomi was attending a Princeton, just like her older sister did, and had joined Greystone, the secret society no one talked about but was as exclusive as it could get. Each sister becomes entangled in a web of deceit that gets well beyond their control. Who is responsible for Naomi’s death? Is it connected to the death of one of Maya’s friends from ten years ago? How does an elusive professor tie into the events that impacted both sisters? Told in a triple timeline (present, Maya’s time at Princeton, and Naomi’s time at Princeton), Society is Lies takes you step by step into each of their stories to the ultimate ending that answers the questions you had. The triple timeline is not going to be confusing or difficult to follow. It was almost a 4⭐️ for me but there was a bit of frantic wildness at the end that took a little bit away from the conclusion for me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on August 12, 2024.

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