I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the title couldn't be more perfect. This is the story of the "monsters," arson, and murder. One trip to the lake has altered the course of their lives forever. The friends start a fire of lies (and a literal) fire and find it more and more difficult to put out. Hannah's father is the sheriff of the town, she wants to be an FBI agent, but she finds herself using her knowledge of the law to evade the truth of her crimes.

This book is for people who enjoy suspenseful novels, twists, and turns and being kept on the edge of their seats. I devoured this book in one sitting. I 10/10 recommend. In fact, I will be purchasing an additional copy for my school's library.

Daughter of the town sheriff and aspiring criminologist Hannah Winters knows better than anyone not to mess around with fire during the California fire season. When she and her lifelong friends accidentally spark a deadly forest fire, it turns into a web of lies that no one can keep up with. Who will crack first and more importantly, who's to blame for their unraveling lives?

Jennifer Lynn Alvarez's LIES LIKE WILDFIRE is a twisty thriller will keep readers turning the pages. Underneath the lightning quick plot, there is a lot to be left thinking about when it comes to what the truth really is and who is to blame for tragedies like manmade wildfires.

I thought this book was really good. It was definitely a page turner, and had quite the ending. The book did not disappoint. While many books are good books, not every book would fit in a classroom. I think it would serve as a really good classroom read with a lot of lessons weaved through it.

Five teens who grew up together in small-town Gap Mountain, California, and who playfully call themselves the monsters, are enjoying their last summer together after graduating high school. Hannah Warner, the sheriff’s daughter, is heading off to college to study criminology. She and her friends well know the dangers of wildfires and how vital it is to be careful with anything that could spark a fire. But then one day at the lake, a careless move leads to an enormous, catastrophic wildfire that causes millions of dollars of damage, destroys beautiful natural areas and wildlife habitats, and kills people and animals.

One immediate lie about their involvement turns into hundreds more, even as investigators find clues and question members of their group. But they can’t face the jail time and life-altering consequences — and they’ve vowed for years that the monsters always protect each other.

Then one of their number shows signs of wanting to tell, and they find themselves in an even worse situation. Hannah is determined not to let their secret get out, to ensure that her lifelong friends don’t suffer any more. She always thought she was one of the good ones; she’s going into law enforcement, after all. But sometimes good people do bad things. Is it right for them to pay a heavy price?

Lies Like Wildfire is a gripping book about accidents with devastating consequences. It explores the gamut of emotions and reactions a group of teenagers go through after unintentionally causing destruction and death, including rationalizations and justifications, guilt, and fear. It’s compelling and timely, with far too many people being familiar with the effects of wildfires in California. The author drew upon her own experiences living in a fire-prone area of the state, and the reality shows.

Lies Like Wildfire is a young adult suspense novel about a group of high school graduates that are hiding a horrible secret and how keeping it drives them further and further apart.

Hannah is the sheriff’s daughter and dreams of a career in law enforcement and having her platonic friendship with Drummer turn into something romantic. But instead she and her four best friends (nicknamed “The Monsters”) are the origin of a devastating wildfire that roars through California and Hannah finds out where Drummer’s true affection lies. Over the next few weeks The Monsters will lie, have their loyalties tested and one of them will go missing. Hannah will try everything to keep her friends together only to have them slip further and further away.

Lies Like Wildfire has lots of unexpected twists, dark turns and characters that can be truly unlikable at times. Hannah’s toxic relationship with Drummer is frustrating and obviously one sided. And as the book unfolds the reader finds that Hannah’s choices that come out of that misplaced affection are almost as devastating as the wildfire.

This is a tense and well written mystery and suspense novel for readers that want a young adult book with characters no longer in high school. The details and research about wildfires and their devastating potential is well done and paints an accurate portrayal. Each of the characters are well fleshed out and realistic even if I did not find them very likable.

I recommend this one for upper YA mystery fans

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Man y’all, I’ve been reading some really good books lately and Lies Like Wildfire is definitely no different! Thank you so much to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of this book. Lies Like Wildfire came out on September 7, so make sure y’all go and grab it as soon as possible (after reading my review, of course)!

Lies Like Wildfire 4.5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

An intense high-stakes story about five friends and the deadly secret that could send their lives up in flames, perfect for fans of Karen McManus and E. Lockhart.

In Gap Mountain, California, everyone knows about fire season. And no one is more vigilant than 18-year-old Hannah Warner, the sheriff’s daughter and aspiring FBI agent. That is until this summer. When Hannah and her best friends accidentally spark an enormous and deadly wildfire, their instinct is to lie to the police and the fire investigators.

But as the blaze roars through their rural town and towards Yosemite National Park, Hannah’s friends begin to crack and she finds herself going to extreme lengths to protect their secret. Because sometimes good people do bad things. And if there’s one thing people hate, it’s liars.

Oh I loved so, so much about this book. I loved how it started out at one point, moved to the past, told you part of the story, came to the point you started with, and then moved forward from there. That timeline was so great in this book because it hooked you so well without giving away too much of the book- like at the very beginning, I thought that this was just a murder/missing person mystery, but it was so much more than that- heck the murder/missing person part of this book didn’t even happen until like halfway through! Most of the first half of the book was about the wildfire, and y’all, as someone who lives on the East Coast, wildfires are never a thing I really think about. Like we get hurricanes, tornados, snowstorms, thunderstorms- all of that kind of stuff- but wildfires? A wall of fire that you have to evacuate for? Being so careful and having certain days where you do things because they’re a fire risk? That’s so scary to me! I can’t even imagine what it would be like to accidentally set a fire that burns acres upon acres, burning down houses, killing people and animals, but man, I saw what it did to Hannah, Drummer, Violet, Mo, and Luke, and that’s rough. So much pressure! Overall, I really liked the plot of the book and I liked the execution- pacing was great, the action level was great- I wasn’t always a huge fan of the characters, but I think that made the book more enjoyable. These characters were flawed 17 and 18 year olds who had screwed up really badly- of course they were going to be annoying at times. Of course they were going to make bad decisions and feed off of each other (negatively). I definitely think closer to the end you realize just how unhealthy this friendship/the pacts they made were (especially Hannah’s insistence on following them), but man, it made for a great book. Make sure you go out and grab Lies Like Wildfire today!

This was a page turner! It's well paced, with well fleshed, sympathetic characters, a topic (the growing destruction of wildfires in today's world) that's very relevant and timely, and an unrequited/potential romance + love triangle that helps to drive the tension and suspense. I read it very quickly, as I was eager to see how the story unfolded. Very enjoyable read!

LIES LIKE WILDFIRE by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is one of those mystery stories which is filled with so many twists and cliffhangers that readers feel compelled to finish it in a day or two. Alvarez, who lives in California and has experienced devastation from wildfires, explores what happens when five good friends accidentally spark a major blaze. The "monsters" as they are called include Mo (hoping to be a nurse), Luke (with a history of anger and run-ins with the police), Hannah (narrator and sheriff's daughter who lost her Mom due to a drunk driver), Drummer (Hannah's crush, although he dates someone else) and Violet (super rich summer visitor). They all hang out in Gap Mountain, California – near the Nevada state line – and decide to lie and pretend innocence about the fire's origin. Obviously, this leads to tensions within the group and the disappearance of one of the members increases suspense even further. LIES LIKE WILDFIRE is Alvarez's debut young adult novel which she dedicates to "good people who do bad things." School Library Journal calls it "a must-have thriller" for grades 9 and up. I did find it difficult at times to believe that these teens would not own up to their actions, but Alvarez does an excellent job of building edginess and keeping readers guessing. Even reluctant readers will be pulled in and intrigued by the efforts to evade consequences for the reckless choices these friends make. Book talk with other teen mysteries by McManus and Lockhart. 4.5 Stars

The lifelong friendships of five teenagers begin to fracture as they try to cover up their involvement in the start of a deadly forest fire.

This novel is divided into two halves, the first a disaster story, the second a straightforward thriller. The theme of loyalty vs. honesty unites both parts of the novel, but the thematic threads really serve the fast-paced plot which is the main drive, appeal, and strength of the novel. Pick this one up for a teen who loves heart-pounding thrillers with well-intentioned characters making abysmal choices.

This is a story about little fires everywhere.

This was an intense read, but not in the ways I anticipated. There is a devastating fire- but it’s more a story about how rapidly relationships can combust. The narrator felt unreliable in the way people in unbalanced relationships often are- inadvertently because of the desperate desire to believe they are in mutually beneficial dynamics. This was uncomfortable at points, but kept me invested and guessing until the last page.

Thank you so much PRHA , Netgalley, Randomhouse Children’s & Delacorte press for the eArc & Alc!

Lies Like Wildfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez was two thrillers in one, and it was just brilliantly done. Hannah and her friends are just having a good time. That is until they spark (literally) a fire - a wildfire that quickly gets out of hand. Hannah is keenly aware of the dangers and impacts of fire as her father is a sheriff. With the fire raging, Hannah and her friends decide to keep the secret between them about what they know happened. However, keeping this secret isn't as easy as it seems, and the guilt and lies start to affect each of them. Then, something else goes down to create even more suspicion. This is also where the second round of thrills begin. This one was some kind of ride y'all. I LOVED how twisty it was and how the lies (and truth) pervaded the whole story. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this September 2021 release!

Lies Like Wildfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez captured my interest as a thriller about a group of teenagers who accidentally start a deadly wildfire and then proceed to lie about it. I love thrillers and moral dilemmas, and this book delivered on both.

The plot moved quickly with some clever twists along the way. The short chapters ended with cliffhangers encouraging me to keep reading. I found a few plot points to be puzzling or at least out of character, but they were not enough to detract from this well written teen novel.

I liked the unlikable characters, as they were all flawed, and our protagonist was an unreliable narrator at best. I could understand their actions, as teenagers do not always make the best decisions, since they don't always look for long term consequences.

I will recommend this book widely to teen and adult readers who like thrillers. It should appeal to readers who like Karen McManus, E. Lockhart and Diana Urban.

Many thanks to the publisher Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing access to the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

An exciting mystery told with the consequences of a horrible California wildfire as the setting. The action is fast paced and tension high as you follow the story to its shocking end.

Very suspenseful with lots of twists & turns. The characters are well developed & believable. I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to Delacorte Press, Jennifer Lynn Alvarez and Netgalley for the gifted eARC of Lies Like Wildfire in exchange for an honest review!

SYNOPSIS
Hannah and her four best friends are looking forward to one last summer together before they part ways for college and work. During a lazy lakeside hang, they accidentally start a wildfire that rapidly gets out of control. These teens know the dangers of wildfires and the high consequences (ie: prison, murder charges and multi-million dollar fines) that comes with being responsible for one. So they do the only thing they can think of… they lie. And proceed to do whatever it takes to cover up that lie. No matter what or who gets in the way.

This book stressed me out. Living on the West coast has made me hyper aware of the dangers of wildfires. It almost feels like a season that we live through here. Some of you may remember the photos I shared of the dangerous smoke and air quality that Seattle suffered for weeks last summer, trapping us all indoors while the southern and eastern parts of Washington State, Oregon, Idaho and California burned.

Reading about the warpath that the Gap Fire takes in this book was intense. I couldn’t help but think about the wildfires currently raging in Oregon and British Columbia that are so intense they have their own weather systems. That coupled with the anxiety and stress of Hannah and her friends as they attempt to cover their tracks made this one almost impossible to put down.

If you enjoy YA thrillers like Karen McManus, E. Lockhart or Holly Jackson, then definitely check this one out!

Lies Like Wildfire is out on September 7!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4072773382?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTAKD2ClLNm/

This book was absolute ride, and I did NOT expect it to be as good as it was. The description while interesting did not even set me up for this thriller and all the twists and turns it would take. Super fast paced, and good characters - although in a lot of ways they feel less like hero’s the more I read (but I won’t spoil anything). It also kept me captivated the entire time, which usually for me there’s some lulls even to thrillers. Super well done!! Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an early copy!

What is it with stupid characters doing extremely stupid things right now???

This is The Book of stupid decisions. I mean, honestly, if one of them had had a serious brain cell, this book would have been one chapter long.
Now, I get that this is the point, and that the characters were written for the readers to hate them and judge them.
But still.
Stupid.

Stupidity apart, this thriller has a plot that's quite original. Everything starts when the (stupid... sorry.) characters accidentally start a wildfire when they have the brilliant idea to smoke in an extremely dry forest. What could go wrong, right?
Well, everything, that's the answer. Everything can and does go wrong. The wildfire spreads very quickly and causes a few deaths.
And all the time, the characters don't say a thing about who or what started it, because they're too afraid of the repercussions.
But things take an unexpected turn when the one friend who wants to be honest and tell the police that they're the guilty ones disappears...

I honestly have a hard time truly enjoying books where the characters aren't likeable. There's literally always a point where you'll hate every single one of them, and that just doesn't work for me. I like having at least one character I can root for, and this was not the case here.

However, I know that it's a very personal point of view, and if I forget about it, I can say that it's a well-written and original thriller. It's just not the one for me!

This book is filled with unexpected twists, turns, and surprises. It was a quick and engaging read because I could not put it down until I found out what was going on and I had finished it! I definitely recommend this as it is not predictable and it is sure to keep you guessing.

Five friends, an accidental fire, and lies. Summer will never be the same. hannah’s father is the towns sheriff and in the past he arrested her mom for drunk driving. What will friends do to protect each other. How far will they continue to lie.how many lives are destroyed

Clear your schedule. This book will keep readers turning pages and you will not want to stop reading until you reach the end. I was especially interested in the author's storytelling techniques, which were just really cool. I want to give it another read.