Maya's little sister Naomi is found dead at her campus at Princeton. Maya knows it wasn't an accident. She also suspects it has something to do with her own time at Princeton 10 years ago. Could Maya's past at Princeton be the reason her sister is dead?

Society of Lies was a fun twisty thriller with lots of secrets, new and old. I really loved that the voices of both sisters actually felt different from each other. Even past Maya's voice felt different than her current voice. There was also a lot of depth to the issues of class and race especially in the academic and professional spaces.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

I value the opportunity I was given to read this in advance, but I still haven't read this. With so many books ahead of me, I cannot return to this title.

I don’t have much to say! The concept was enough to lure me in, but overall it was just average for me. I liked the switch between the POVs, but it was hard for me to feel attached to the characters. Pacing was a little slow. The ending was exciting, but I ended up with a lot more questions than answers.

This book starts off strong, and doesn't stop until the last page! This is told through different perspectives, giving us as the reader a bunch of information and timelines. I would recommend to anyone looking for a page-turning thriller!

started off so strong, but then felt like it dragged on…. Not the biggest fan of lack of communication being an issue in the book. switched between two POVs but it would switch between time periods as well which made it confusing at times. It held promise but I couldn't connect as much as I would have liked to with the characters and storyline. Cultural pieces in play, but felt they were only touched on briefly. Overall an okay book, ending wasn’t my favorite.

Maya gets a call that her sister has been found dead. Reeling from her death, Maya goes to the scene of the crime to figure out what happened to her little sister Naomi. Not only is Naomi attending the same school that Maya graduated from, she also is in the same society, a society that holds many deadly secrets. What happened to Naomi? Can Maya piece it all together and without bias? Is her past coming back to haunt her? The answers are closer than she thinks!

I very enjoyable read that left me very surprised! I seriously did not guess the ending!

it was hard to put this book down.
The flashbacks. The plot twist. It had me wanting more while also screaming at the characters for their stupidity.
the writing was impeccable, it was a perfect pacing and I would enjoy reading more by Lauren Ling Brown.

Reese is always a good bet for a great book. Thank you to Netgalley for this copy I enjoyed this one.

What a wild ride! Rotating between Maya and Naomi’s points of view in different time periods, we experience Princeton from Maya’s perspective first. She’s biracial with a Chinese mom and a black father, recently orphaned along with her 8 year old sister, Naomi. She finds herself part of a secret society surrounded by wealthy and privileged students. Years later, Naomi unknowingly follows in Maya’s footsteps. Murder. Corruption. Lies, Who to trust?
You will be guessing until the last page!

I loved this book! It’s told in multiple POV and multiple timelines. Sisters Maya and Naomi both are part of an exclusive eating club at an Ivy League college. Maya returns to school for Naomi’s graduation and receives word that Naomi is dead. Maya has to go into her past to try to find what happened to Naomi. I liked the plot and how well the POVs and timelines worked with the story.

Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown was a good read, but not a definite page turner for me. It definitely had potential, but it just dragged on for me. I would still be willing to read more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Over all the story was pretty good, if a little slow.. I’m not a big fan of multiple POV’s, but that’s just me. Once everything started tying together, the ending felt a little rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this one was a little bit of a let down for me. I really like to read about secret societies and academia novels-this one just was too slow for me. I am usually a big fan of multiple characters, multiple POV, multiple timelines, but I was so lost and confused. It was choppy and just made it difficult for me to want to continue on. I did finish the book and it was worth trudging through some of the slow, disconnected parts, but I don't think this is a book I would go back and read for a second time. I did like the setting and the premise of the story, but I felt like something was lacking. Maybe it was just that I couldn't keep track of everything with the changes of POV. Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

*Thank You to NetGalley for providing me with an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*

“How often, in the world, is the silence what allows horrible people to get away with their crimes?”

I was veeeeery excited about this book! The premise was promising and I was hooked for about the first 30% of the book.

The big middle chunk had me lost and confused and it seemed like some of it was unnecessary and didn’t really keep me interested. I pushed through because I really wanted to know how it ended and the last 10% of the book was already very entertaining.

It touches on a lot of current social and political issues which kinda got me out of the story a bit as it was written a bit cringy or with an immature tone.

Sometimes it felt like a jump in tone or story line from one paragraph to the other which made it a bit hard to stay connected with the story and/or characters and understand how you are supposed to feel about the scenes.

I needed more in-depth development and a deep dive into the feelings of the scenes as it also felt like a character showing certain feelings and emotions and then the chapter ended, without checking back in on the previous scenes to fully connect.

Overall it was an interesting read but just needed more character development and more connections between timelines and chapters on paper.

This book was great read and I really enjoyed. This was my first time reading this author and I would read another book by them. The story really capture me after about 50 or so pages in but it was worth it. I would recommend this book.

Society of Lies was an excellent read. I loved the writing and it was propulsive. Great character study. I would read more from this author.

I really wanted to like this book but something about it was missing. Maybe because I didn't like Maya and found her to be incredibly boring. I liked the idea behind a secret society and it's secrets but it felt a little forced and underwhelming.

Wow, wow, wow.
The book captured my attention with its depth of deceit and betrayal. The characters were well developed and the storyline flowed nicely.

The description of this book drew me in so much. I felt like it was very thought out but it w as a little slow to read for a dark academia aspect. I really enjoyed the Princeton aspects since I grew up close to the school.

A Thrilling, Unputdownable Page-Turner ★★★★★

Lauren Ling Brown masterfully delivers a gripping and thought-provoking thriller in Society of Lies. From the very first chapter, the novel pulls you into a world of secrets, deception, and high-stakes intrigue, making it impossible to put down.

The writing is sharp and immersive, effortlessly blending suspense with emotional depth. The characters are complex and well-developed, each with their own secrets that unravel in ways you won’t see coming. The plot twists are perfectly timed, keeping the tension high and the reader second-guessing until the very last page.

What truly sets Society of Lies apart is its ability to balance thrilling suspense with deep, thought-provoking themes. It’s not just a story about deception—it’s a compelling look at power, manipulation, and the consequences of hidden truths.

If you love a fast-paced, intelligently crafted thriller with unforgettable characters and jaw-dropping twists, Society of Lies is an absolute must-read. Highly recommended!