I always find it hard to review memoirs like this - how can I pass judgement on someone’s experience of sexual assault?

Instead I will say that if you can handle the trigger warning - then read this. It’s harrowing, & will tear your heart out.

A powerful and at times harrowing read. You may need to take several breaks but it is whole heartedly worth reading nonetheless.

📖My Thoughts📖

First off, I would like to commend the author for having the strength and courage to write about something so personal. I cannot for a second imagine how hard this must have been, but I also believe (and hope) that maybe after writing this story, it was followed by a sense of relief to finally get it out in the open. This was one of the most difficult, heart wrenching and insightful books I’ve ever read. Thought it was difficult at times to read something with so many triggers, I am so glad that I did. It’s awful to think that someone can go through the traumatic event of being raped, being brushed off, made to feel as if it were their fault, being given fake support followed by no support at, and being called a liar. The unfortunate reality is that this is something that seems to be common. This was such a powerful book to read, seeing the inside view of one persons journey while pushing through such a horrific incident and how they got through everything. I think this is definitely a book that needs to be read to help raise awareness about rape and how it slides under the radar. This book is available now and I highly encourage you to read it. Please be aware that there are triggers throughout the entire book.
Thank you Netgalley, Laurie Katz and Trigger Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I personally find stories around the trauma of sexual assault incredibly powerful and incredibly important and Laurie's story is no different.

I found the story to be a little disjointed and confusing in its non-linear narrative style but I don't think this would be an issue for a lot of readers.

I truly hope that writing this story and publishing it provided Laurie with some catharsis and healing.

This is a very well written, powerful, but absolutely heartbreaking story. It was very difficult to hear Laurie Katz story, from the assault itself to the assault by everyone after, who didn’t believe her and would not listen. This book will definitely have you in emotional turmoil, it’s a difficult read, and may not be one all can even read, as it could be quite triggering. I think that Laurie Katz was telling the truth, but it is quite difficult to read about someone going through what she did, then the enduring those who wouldn’t listen or believe her. I do think this book is quite powerful, but prepare yourself as it’s a very hard, difficult, and soul shattering read! I highly recommend to those that are able to read books on sexual assault and the aftermath, especially when you’re not believed. Make sure you do not have triggers, as this is one that will definitely be triggering if you do.

Will buzz it around platforms!

In her powerful memoir, Laurie shares the story of sexual assault and coming out of it. When Laurie was just 18 years old, she moved away to Chicago for school, and within her first month there, she was raped. She had her life taken away from her at an age when she was meant to be figuring life out. Her honest account also sheds light on what survivors go through: friends not believing her, victim-blaming by schools and authorities, and law enforcement not taking it seriously. Laurie opens a window to us and lets us in her process of navigating through the trauma on the way to healing herself. It can be a really heavy read but Laurie’s courage is truly commendable.

cw: sexual assault, rape, eating disorders

Have you ever heard of the red zone? No - not in football. THIS red zone represents the months in which college sexual assaults are most likely to happen, and occurs between August and October (aka the first few months of university) every year. Liar Liar is Laurie Katz's story - an autobiographical telling of her college experience, centered around the sexual assault that she experienced in her first term and sprinkled with advice for readers who may have overcome similar trauma.

Thank you so much to @triggerpub and @netgalley for allowing me an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This novel hit close to home for me. I have to say that I wasn't completely sold for the first half of the book, but the book took a turn for the (much) better around the 60% mark. I loved Laurie's explanation of her recovery journey through the months and years following her assault, even touching on the therapeutic nature of writing and sharing this novel itself. This novel highlights the many roadblocks Laurie has overcome - academic, social, physical and personal - since her assault, but ends with a message of hope and resilience.

All in all, I would give this novel four stars. I found the beginning a tad bit slow and I felt as though I was almost invading Laurie's privacy by reading the details, though I thoroughly appreciate her work and the narrative that it promotes. I would recommend this book to any individual who is interested in social causes and areas that need to be addressed by academic entities. With that being said - this novel was REAL, and is not for the faint of heart. Please - consider your mental state and personal wellbeing before diving into this one. If you are not up to it, put it back on the shelf for another day.

This was a good book but a very hard one to read. I respect what the author had to go through, having had similar experiences of my own, but it's still hard to digest, and my heart hurts for her. I think more people should read stories like hers, especially before they start to ask the question "if she was a victim, why didn't she report it".

Also, every adult that failed that poor girl SHOULD be ashamed of themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of Liar Liar.
This survivor story absolutely comes with a trigger warning, which I feel is so important that they included that right at the beginning.

Wow. I have so many things to say, but.. just wow.
Laurie is such a brave, inspiring woman. I'm sure writing her story must have been tough, not as tough as facing all the pain that the trauma caused to her. I really appreciate that she shared everything, including the parts that some might perceive as making her "look bad". This book is raw. Reading this book made me feel so powerless, so angry by the way the university handled this case, but I've heard about things like that happening over and over again, so it wasn't a shock, but at the same time it was. Because it doesn't matter how many time something wrong happen, we must not feel like "oh well it always happens" because it's not right and it has to stop at some point. The victim blaming has got to stop

Laurie is such a brave woman bringing her story to the public eye in Liar, Liar. Whilst this is short read, it’s extremely emotional and heartbreaking. This is a book for women with the message that you are not alone

Wow, just wow.

I sit here writing this review surrounded by crumpled and used tissues, cried eyes and no words.

I am so incredibly thankful that I requested this book on NetGalley and that Trigger sent it to me. My heart was shattered and pieced back together.. then shattered again.. then pieced back together again.

I review mainly fiction work, but I truly cannot love this book more than any I do now. I love this piece in a different way I like and review fiction. The rawness and clear cathartic nature of the entire novel makes me want to hug Laurie Katz (Pronounced Kates NOT Cats, as we are all well aware) and just never let go. My E-Arc copy is filled to the electronic brim with highlights, bookmarks, annotations and notes because so much of it resonated with me, broke me and healed me. I had never heard of Trigger publishing until this book but I will now be promoting it to everyone everywhere and I truly think they are a fantastic company that I will now promote constantly. SOOO I would like to give some thanks.

Thank you for giving these experiences and people a voice.
Thank you for helping so many in feeling like they are valid and their pain was valid and that everything we did and are doing wasn't just a mess and that surviving mental illness, surviving trauma is hard.

And Laurie Katz, if you ever read this review (which I totally doubt you will because I'm just some nobody reviewer)

Thank you. I am so sorry beyond words and sentiments that your choices were taken from you. You deserve every choice and every good thing. Thank you for making me feel like my Sarah isn't my responsibility and that my Kelly actually didn't save me, I saved me. By putting your experience and story out there, or even just telling one person, you have inspired others to come forward and that is the strongest thing I have ever seen. You have inspired, because of you I just know people won't feel alone, I wish I had a physical copy of the book to clutch to my heart as I say this.


I truly cannot wait to see what else lands in store for this publishing company and I will definitely be lining up front row for anything and everything Katz creates.

This book was free and sent to me as an ARC on NetGalley. However, all reviews are of my own opinion.

I have so much to say about this book. First, I just want to say how refreshing it is to read a book and relate to every single word. Laurie wrote her story in such detail that it feels real for the person reading it - as I was reading the book, I was able to understand other peoples views and opinions. Sometimes it’s hard and you feel alone but after reading this I felt a close connection with the book.

This book is upsetting to read, however it offers both advice and guidance to another person who potentially wants to share their story. Laurie openly speak about being sexually assaulted and her mental health issues that she had to due to this. The story it’s just one in many stories that need to be told. I think even as Laurie was writing the book it came across as though she was still trying to process her trauma and it’s okay to feel that it takes a long time, there was no pressure to forgive or forget. There was many sentences in the book which were very relatable but also looks at you as a person and shows how strong a person really is after going through trauma. It’s easy to blame yourself and take it out on yourself of things that happened to you but in reality you are much stronger because you have been able to get through that situation and you’re still going. I will personally buy this book so that I can highlight sections it has also prompted me to write a diary. Liar liar is definitely a book that needs to be read by a lot of people, especially young girls. As scary as it might seem to read I think sometimes people hide behind the harsh reality of things that are happening.

Laurie is extremely brave for sharing her story - it’s poignant, it’s relevant, it’s sad, it’s funny, it’s heartbreaking but most of all it shows how strong she was. Laurie may have been a victim of sexual assault but she is a survivor and she is thriving and she has so much of her life to live - this book has given me a reason to live.

A story of the processing and the events of trauma, this book is a clarion call to universities around the world to actually do something when their students get affected by rape and sexual assault. There's so much in the system that is designed to let people down, and yet the author manages to make it through- certainly not unscathed, but it is a testament to her strength in the face of extreme adversity.

I thought that while this book was a little disjointed, it was an important testament to the ways in which the world needs to change. It was clear that this book was written as a catharsis, but it still holds up a beacon for those who have faced this in their lives and shows that there can be a life after, even if it may not seem so at the time.

Every time there is a sexual assault, victim blaming springs up, especially when the victim is a female. From asking questions that indirectly and directly make the victim feel it all happened because of them, to making them guilty about ruining the life of the perpetrator(?) and so on, to keep bullying them for the strength they garnered to come out with the accusation in public, people don't stop making life unbearable.

The matter of consent is so much an assumption and does not exist for most people who are too quick to judge, and opine the dress, body language, and even silence of the victim as consent. On the one hand the assault. the trauma, and to top it all living a life full of cat calling, blames and what not. Laurie's account of her assault and the aftermath, the humiliations she was subjected to, and everything she had to go through for standing by her side, her courage and resilience make up for a great reading. More powers to her!

This book was received as an ARC from Independent Publishers Group - Trigger Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

My heart was broken for Laurie when I read this book. What seemed to be a simple college party turned into a case of sexual assault. But what really made me angry was the fact that the university without even hearing her side of the story not only dismissed her case but threatened to have her expelled if she persists further with this. Feeling helpless and violated, Laurie did not know what to do and to make matters worse, her attacker filed his own case against her and they pressed on with it. Laurie has every right to share her story and shout it on the top of her lungs thanks to the #metoo movement and now women have so much empowerment thanks to stories similar to Laurie's. This book should be read in every classroom to increase the awareness of sexual assault and the #metoo movement and speak out for their freedom and justice.

We will consider adding this title to our Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of Liar Liar. First off I will say that this survivor story absolutely comes with a trigger warning and I applaud Laurie and the publishers to including that right at the beginning.
While I have not been a victim of rape, I am aware that so many are and Laurie’s story (like others I’m sure) is absolutely heartbreaking.
Her freshman year at a university in Chicago should be one full of excitement, and yet it came crashing down her third Saturday in the new city. I highly recommend this book, Laurie shares what it was like to live this moment, the lack of support from friends, from the school, from the police. The fear, the trauma, and eventually the slow healing. She’s brave, she’s smart, she’s inspiring.

Thankyou Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of a honest review.

First of all ,I would like to say I am very vocal about this issue and my opinions might hurt the male community.

Why the fuck does it always happen that the victim is portrayed as wrong and system sides with the culprit?

I thought this is the case of Indian society but this is everywhere.


"I could have been wearing a
burlap sack and I still would have been raped. This is just a part
of the story and it’s my story, so I can include whatever I want.
Also, think of all the countries where women wear saris or
burkas and rape is still prevalent. What someone was wearing
is just a ridiculous excuse."

What is this bullshit?Don't tell me a girl to not wear clothes of her choice but lower your eyes when she walks .The world would be a better place .

"If you are in position
of power, you always have an opportunity to be a helper and
not a hurter and you can always change the way you conduct
yourself. Maybe he really did realize that protecting a school at
all costs was not how he wanted to live his life. If he has changed,
maybe this shows that deans and schools can change. Things
don’t have to continue the way they are"

This is a story about Laurie who is sexually assaulted and is denied justice. Guess what? She was portrayed as wrong and was shown as culprit here .

This is our mentality .When a girl says we won't regard it and then we are the only ones who show double standards .

“nice guy” is the guy
who you study with, and when you won’t have sex with him he
gets angry and complains that, “girls never want the nice guy.”
Their niceness means the world owes them, and to “friendzone”
at all. “Nice guys” have a similar mentality to rapists. It’s not
about the phone number or the kiss or sex, it’s about needing
power over another person.

The concept of nice guy has become an illusion. I am not denying there might be still some decent guys but some incidents degrade the whole male community.

Rape culture or the normalization of rape is disturbingly
widespread, and so much of what we do to “prevent” rapes
is born from this mindset that rape is inevitable. So much of
the rhetoric about campus rape or rape in general is “don’t
drink, and if you do, watch your drink. Always walk home with
a friend, and carry pepper spray.” Yes, always be as careful as
simple. Stop putting the burden of preventing sexual assault
and the blame on the victim. And maybe when we start taking
these crimes seriously, having genuine conversations about
consent, and holding the perpetrators accountable these
crimes will stop.


"Why is it that an assault is okay to talk about, but when you add
Victim blaming does not just apply to sexual crimes. I think
it makes us feel some control over our lives"

This is the biggest question .People will click pictures and take videos but no one will help .Atleast in name of the humanity help .

Stop normalizing that rape is inevitable. Stop normalizing that
perpetrators will not be held accountable. Stop normalizing
suicide after rape. Normalize therapy and medication. Normalize
that schools and judges and the public believe victims. Most of
all, we need to normalize the idea that you can live a normal life
after being raped.

First of all, props to Lauri Katz for being candid and vunerable. This could not have been an easy book to write. She shared pretty much everything, including the parts that some might perceive as making her look bad. I was enraged during the good majority of this book about the way the university handled this case, but sadly I wasn't shocked. We have seen it time and again in the news, even still in 2020, where the victims of these assaults at colleges all over the country get blamed and the actual assaultors get off either scott free or with maybe a slap on the wrist. Laurie's school took it to a new extreme, opening a case against her and finding her guilty of making it all up. It is evident that the school was attempting to bury that this happened to save face and not make the school look bad and some of the things the adults in charge at the university said to her were absolutely atrotious. This account of Ms. Katz's case really resonates with me because she was in college at the same time as my little sister and this could have easily been her story. Or any college woman's story. And it is definitely time to change that. The victim blaming has got to stop. The holding the guilty party accountable needs to be the new normal- which it always should have been.

If you have a similar story and need to talk to someone, there is help. Please reach out to National Sexual Assault Hotline or call them at 1-800-656-4673

Liar Liar brings a new, and necessary, addition to the ongoing dialogue about sexual assault. Too often, the discussion centers on unnuanced perpetrator/victim narratives without consideration of the ways that survivors are retraumatized by institutional responses. The brief read enhances our understanding of the mental health toll that sexual assault leaves and ultimately shows the way in which understanding and compassion can shift the detrimental impact of such an experience on a young woman’s life. Brava

What a powerful story of a survivor telling her story and calling out the powers that be who wronged her on so many levels. This should be required reading for people entering college and I will definitely have my future children read this before going to college so they know about consent from every angle and how things should be properly handled because this situation was horrible.