This is a story going from the present to the past, connecting two sisters lives who are ten years apart in age. Both going to Princeton, both belonging to the same clubs, but how their lives took different courses. An incident that occurred during the older sisters time as a student, was it an accident or murder? You will learn how this "incident" effects their life in very different ways. Reveals the elite society, although probably partly fictional, and how money and power are influencing factors in their lives. How far will they go to achieve what they want in life? How one greedy, manipulative professor shaped the paths they lead. As both girls being multiracial, you will feel a feel gambit of emotions as they struggle to find their place in the world. Suspense keeps building as you read. The twists at the end will knock you off your seat. Was well written and excellent character development. Recommend. Received an ARC from Netgallery and this is my voluntary honest review.

A good mystery—keeps the reader guessing all the way through. I am not a real fan of stories that jump between characters and years, as I feel it slows down the reading. If you set the book down, sometimes you have to back up to see where you are in the calendar of the novel. It didn’t stop my reading to find out who done it!

Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown presents an intriguing premise, blending elements of mystery and dystopian fiction to create a thought-provoking narrative. Set in a world where truth is a commodity and deception reigns supreme, Brown crafts a society filled with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. While the concept is compelling, the execution at times feels a bit disjointed, with pacing that could be improved to maintain the tension throughout. Additionally, some character motivations may require further development to fully resonate with readers. Despite these minor shortcomings, Society of Lies offers an engaging exploration of the consequences of a society built on falsehoods, making it a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.

I would give this book more than five stars if possible! What fantastic writing and gripping storytelling!! Incredibly layered with suspense, family privilege, campus racism and showcasing that money can pretty much buy anything. I really loved the setting of the story, set within a secret society within Princeton, a well-known ivy league university. Just what will people do to keep their secrets silent, and who can you really trust?

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

This book is out August 13, 2024, DO NOT MISS IT!!!

I really enjoyed this academic thriller! Maya returns to Princeton, her alma mater, to reunite with her classmates and to see her little sister Naomi graduate. Tragically, Naomi is found dead--the authorities are calling it an accident, but Maya doesn't buy it. As she looks for answers, she discovers lots of nefarious goings on dating back to her own time on campus.

I really like that the story was told from the points of view of both Maya and Naomi, although as other reviewers have pointed out, that did get confusing at times because they were similar in many respects.

Overall, a great suspenseful read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am obsessed with books about secret societies on campus settings so o was excited to meet this. I thought the story was ok, but it did leave me with some unanswered questions. It centers on sisters Maya and Naomi, who both attend Princeton 10 years apart and get drawn into the dark underbelly of a corrupt eating club. When Naomi is found dead (which the reader finds out immediately), Maya is convinced there is more to the story and sets out to investigate what really happened.

The book alternates chapters between Naomi’s POV before her death and Maya’s POV in current time as well as from her own college days. Though the chapters were labeled clearly, I did sometimes have to reframe myself to remember which sister’s chapter it was, as they both took place in the same setting but with an entirely different cast of characters. I could empathize with both protagonists at times, though I didn’t necessarily agree with the decisions they made. The story itself was twisty, albeit somewhat predictable, and the author did a good job at tying up all the loose ends around how all the different pieces fit together. I did walk away with some lingering questions around how and why Maya even got involved with all of this to begin with, and around some pieces of the scandal.

Overall, it was an interesting read and a well written book, but left me wanting just a little more. I’d give it 3.5 stars, rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I love the idea of a dark academia thriller and Society of Lies sounded right up my alley! The mysterious beginning pulled me in quickly and I really enjoyed the alternating timelines and POVs. The setting on Princeton's campus and specifically the eating houses of Princeton was intriguing and spooky. I had never heard of eating houses there and found the whole concept fascinating as well as a little spooky. Unfortunately, the book overall fell a little flat for me as I felt the middle was too drawn out and dragged for a while. As well the ending felt a little too over the top for the tone of the rest of the book. A decent thriller, but not one that I will reflect back on later. Would pick up if looking for a low stakes dark academia thriller.

Y’all I know I’m teasing you with this one because it isn’t out until August but I can’t wait to shout about it.

This book needs to be on everyone’s TBR!! My dark academia loving heart just ate it up. A story about a secret society where I didn’t know who to trust and was full of twists and turns? What more could I possibly need? I was not bored for even a second and was finding myself not wanting to put it down. It was such a quick, fun, fast paced read.

The writing of this was also just outstanding, I’m truly shocked this is a debut novel for this author & I just know this is going to be an author to watch out for 👀

I cannot wait to read more by this author and for everyone to be able to get their hands on this one!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story from beginning to end. I read it in one sitting and breezed through it. The dark academia and secret societies were captivating. This story about sisters, friendship, and the outsider feelings of being different from the people you spend all your time around. Overall, while being a thoroughly entertaining book, there’s also an aspect of encouraging conversation about privilege and multiracial identity.

Great book you won’t want to put down!
The setting is on the very prestigious campus of Princeton University. This story is a mystery that uncovers the secrets of private social clubs for the elite. The main characters of the story are two sisters years apart who both attend Princeton and take part in these social clubs. Both sisters have many secrets that come to light. A tale of corruption, drugs, abuse, lies and murder !

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House publishing for this eArc !!

Dual POV with sisters Maya (present) and Naomi (past) sharing their stories separately since Naomi dies right at the start of the book. The pacing takes a minute to get going; there's a lot of background to establish for two separate characters with separate friends and experiences. Once it does starting moving, though, it's good.

I'd never heard of Princeton "eating clubs" but the explanation mixed with what I do know about college experiences, networking, etc all seems to align and add believability to a story that is highlighting dark academia. These elements were all well placed in the story and really kept things moving.

Maya's investigation of Naomi's death doesn't really lead to any jaw dropping twists. Instead, it's pretty easy to stay a step or two ahead of the story all throughout. That's not to say it's not entertaining; it is moreso a compliment to how Brown worked to avoid really glaring plot holes. Secondary characters were fitting for the story. None were particularly likeable or memorable, but they story wasn't as much about them as the themes they helped establish.

Overall: 4 stars (I really liked it)

I'll tell my students about: language, violence/gore/murder, alcohol, poison, suicide, trauma, LGBT+, racism

**Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

I love dark academia thrillers, and "Society of Lies" is a good debut. It is a slow burn of a thriller that gets more engaging as you continue to read. The twists and turns were unexpected and enjoyable. All in all, a good, if somewhat slow-paced read. Recommended for fans of suspense in school settings. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. #SocietyOfLies

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC..

Society of Lies is a well- crafted and interesting mystery. Princeton "eating clubs" as it isn't even remotely in my world (who knew?).

You will enjoy this very well- crafted mystery with more twists and turns than you can imagine, you will find it hard to put down.

Novel is about a woman who has seen what harm came from her time in a fictional Princeton exclusive "secret" club, and she attempts to prevent her sister's induction into the same, but is unable to prevent the ensuing tragedy that develops when her little sister follows her path.

Great subplots about the societal discomfort caused by other's reactions to you when you are bi-racial, as well as the strong bonds of family and friends.

Excellent read, that I couldn't put down.

This was captivating from the first page. The author takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Naomi and Maya are sisters who experience loss at an early age, which both bonds and alienates them from each other. They both attend the same Ivy League school. The school has secret societies and they both want in. This book is packed with secrets, drama, mystery, college fun, family dynamics, and more. I couldn’t put it down, and 100% recommend reading this book.

When I saw this ARC on NetGalley, the cover drew me in immediately. I’m a sucker for a dark academia thriller and this did not disappoint.

While I did enjoy this, I gave it 3 stars. It was just waaaayyyy tooooo long and could’ve benefitted if it was at least 100 pages shorter. It took me a month to finish.

There were some parts of the book that had no clear transitions between setting. On one line, the main character is speaking to a detective and the next line (same paragraph) she’s in her home talking to her friend? It was confusing.

There were also too many POVs and timelines, at some points it all bled together. I needed more clear distinctions of where we were.

I will admit though I did NOT expect the ending at all. Totally took me by surprise. The twist was very well done.

This author has really great potential, overall this was not a bad read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC 💕

4.5 stars for me. The pacing was a slow crawl in the first half, but I was surprised to find that I actually was eager to keep going despite the slower pace so I could find all the pieces to the puzzle. Once I realized how necessary the backstory was, the pacing made perfect sense.

Once I reached the second half, I started flying through. You finally have all the pieces and now it’s time to connect them and unravel the story. And I was determined and eager to see how it all came together.

I kept reminding myself this is a debut because with the level of twists and the story’s intricacy, you’d never expect it. I also loved being so confident in what I thought would happen and being surprised at every twist and turn. I will definitely be recommending this one to my followers!

WOW! What a great thriller. Kudos to the author. There was so much going on in this book I couldn't put it down. You are transported back 13 years back, where young Maya, biracial finds herself part of a secret society surrounded by privileged students. Maya does what she can to adjust, providing extra funds to send her sister to school, even if it involves her into the pyramid scheme of the institution. Maya's little sister, unfortunately following the same footsteps, estranged from her sister and part of a secret society, entangled in a love triangle that may be doomed with heartache. Never know what will happen next.

Wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat - I could not put it down.., read it in one day. I absolutely loved the characters that Lauren Ling Brown created. The relationship between Maya and Naomi was beautiful and heartbreaking, The way that she cleverly entwined the two generational stories into one mystery was masterful. I did not see the end coming at all - they have to make this into a series or film.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I really like the dual perspectives between Maya and Naomi. Usually I’m not a fan of dark academia but I feel like this was a little “lighter” on that.
Maya and Naomi are sisters 10 years apart and they both belong to Greystone, a secret society at Princeton. Something tragic that happened when Maya was a member resurfaces and causes Naomi to stir up old memories. Maya receives a phone call that Naomi was found dead and then it’s a race to find out what happened before anyone else dies.
I couldn’t put this book down for the first 60% but then I feel like it became very drawn out and boring. How many times can Naomi go back to Liam and ignore Ben? I feel like Naomi’s character really was shorted because she was amazing and so much better than Maya. Also the bad guy was obvious, I wish there had been some red herrrings added that would give doubt to the identities. I do look forward to reading more from this author.

3 Stars
Cover 4 Stars

This was fine. I normally pick up thrillers because I like to guess the end. In this case though it was hard for me to care why Naomi was dead. I tend not to like books from the dead person's perspective, so this is entirely my fault for not close reading the synopsis.

It's well written and plotted though.