3.5 stars rounded up. I love the premise and atmosphere of this book, but it was kind of difficult to follow along at times because of confusion surrounding which main character's voice it was. I did also predict the ending. Overall, it was an enjoyable read after I got into it.

The ending felt totally predictable and I guessed it early on in the novel. I felt more attached to one story over the other, which always suggests to me that a dual timeline or perspective novel is not working. However, I do love campous novels and the setting was a hit for me. Was suspenseful while reading, but will not stick with me.

Society of Lies
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
0/🌶

What I loved:
🔪Secret societies. I love academic settings, and throw in secret societies? Immediate yes.
🔪Biracial FMCs. Representation is so important and I was pleased to see a mystery being told from this POV.
🔪The themes of privilege, racism, and money is power.

I went into this book expecting high tension, suspense and an intricately woven mystery. I will say the bones were there, but the tension dissipated as quickly as it showed up. The suspense was absent and the mystery was a little lackluster.

For example, there were a few scenes Naomi was being followed and the tension started building, but then she made it safely, if shaken, and nothing happened. These were perfect instances to keep that tension and suspense up, but the author let it drop.

This is the kind of novel that wants the reader guessing so the finger gets pointed at multiple characters. The problem is, the character development was nonexistent-poor so when the finger was pointed at certain characters, it didn't make sense. For example, Nate. I have no idea why Nate or Dani even needed to exist because they had no purpose and did nothing. Nate never consoled his wife over her sisters death. Didn't help her investigate. His sole purpose was to help Dani exit a scene. He was a flat, completely undeveloped character, so when the finger was pointed at him is was laughable. There needs to be development and questionable moments so when the finger is pointed, the reader believes it to be possible.

In the case of this book, all the characters were severely underdeveloped. I didn't care for Naomi or Maya. They were incredibly stupid. There were numerous times they were out walking alone at night. What woman actually walks alone at night, especially when involved in the danger these two dumb FMCs were? Naomi was followed on more than one occasion and literally never stopped walking alone! Not to mention Naomi running back to Liam. He loved her when it was convenient for him, dropped her when it wasn't, and she went back every time? Why? Why did Maya start investigating the murder when it was clear the police were? She works in finance and suddenly she's a PI? I think the book was leaning hard on the characters being Biracial so the police obviously won't take the investigation seriously, but this was never explained. I also wonder if Maya wanted to investigate due to guilt of her relationship with her sister being so bad, but again, Maya's reasoning was never clear. Plus, from the interactions Maya had with the police, it seemed they were doing their due diligence, so her investigating didn't really make sense. Maya also claimed in the end the police gave her "hints." Why the hell would police give her hints?? Come on, now. We can't trust the police to do their job so they're giving Maya, an accountant, hints to solve the investigation? Are we for real? Not to mention both Maya and Naomi blatantly walked into dangerous situations, alone, and didn't tell anyone where they were in case something happened? Morons!

The only believable character was Marta. Her motivations were crystal clear.

I will say I liked the end, but again, it lacked proper development for the real killer to be believable as the killer. I wish there was more of that character and mannerisms that showed them capable, or at least hinted. I also wish there was more of Margaret, especially with how important she became at the end. Again, her actions felt unrealistic because she was such a minor, undeveloped character.

The end also left me with a lot of questions. Why did Matthew lie about where he was the night of the wedding? Why was there a need for him to lie? The stalking scenes. Who was following Naomi? Who trashed the girls dorm room? Why was Whitney brought in as a character if he had no role? What happened to Bain? Was Sarah complicit?

Overall, the idea of secret societies pulled me in, but I was less than impressed with the rest. The book relied on academic corruption for the main conflict. As that has happened and is documented irl, there is nothing new in it, and that would be okay, but everything else was lacking. The FMCs were oblivious and dumb as hell. There were a lot of loose ends and plot holes. The author did weave much of the conflict together well, and I did really want to know what happened. I was intrigued by the setting and the secret society, so for that it earned a 3/5.

I tried reading this while I was sick and unfortunately I couldn't get into it enough to keep going. I hate not finishing books but I just didn't find it interesting enough.
I received an advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

This is gripping from the very first page. The two timelines create a lot of tension, and it's also interesting to watch the relationship between the two sisters become clearer. I actually wish I could've learned even more about the Princeton eating clubs, but this book has successful made me fear the powerful nature of elite institutions.

This was a great story spanning 3 separate timelines and several “who done it” murders. I was invested from the get go and constantly trying to weave together my own theories as the story progressed. I only removed a star because there’s one little tidbit at the end that wasn’t explained and I’ll forever wonder about it. … where did Nate go that night? If it was just a drive why not say that from the get go? Why get so pissed when Maya was asking. Then to just act like the fight never occurred when she was in the hospital? I NEED ANSWERS. Was he cheating? Did he help cover up Matthew’s murder? Where did he go?!!

Thank you so much to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was absolutely hooked from page 1, actually the cover if I’m honest.

This book is centered around secret societies within Harvard. It touched on secret societies within secret societies. They call the regular secret society eat clubs, but that is only a small portion of what happens if you are in one.

Maya & her younger sister, Naomi both choose Harvard for their school of choice. Maya is able to graduate and continue her life, but Naomi doesn’t even make it to her graduation because she’s been asking questions about a future Harvard student, Lila, and what actually happened during her death.

It’s a page turner! I won’t go into the ending as you’ll quite enjoy reading it yourself, but it asks the question are all the societies and admissions sticking to their own policies? Or do they let their n anyone who could assist with donations?

Very interesting theme for a book! This is a debut author and I will definitely be adding her in my watched authors.

It is hard to believe that Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown is a debut a novel. The story and characters were very well developed and the style of writing grabbed my interest from the beginning and held it all the way to the end. Society of Lies reads like a third or fourth novel because it is that well written. I'm looking forward to reading the next book she writes.

Society of Lies focuses on two sisters who both went to Princeton and were part of the same secret society at the university, except one of them dies mysteriously right before her graduation. I'm slightly obsessed with the idea of secret societies, and I thought that the author did a great job interweaving that concept throughout the mystery

I really enjoyed reading this book! I think it’s very interesting that it was written by someone who attended an Ivy school. I enjoyed the characters, plot development, the mystery, and the writing! I look forward to reading more books by Lauren Ling Brown.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for allowing me to read this e-arc early.Society of Lies is a gripping story that grabs your attention immediately.The plot twists and turns while it captures the undertones of class disparities, racial tension and sibling relationships.

I really enjoyed the secret society aspect and the mystery surrounding it all. It came about in a way that felt new to me. I loved that the dual POV gives us a little from both sisters but also gives us two mysteries. It did feel like a lot was going on and I got a little lost which also led to it taking a while for me to finish. Overall enjoyed this one!

Wow! What a wild ride. This was a little difficult for me at first with the multiple timelines and POV but I found myself reading more and more unable to put the book down!

Society of Lies was a whirlwind of mystery filled with twists and turns. You’ll be on the edge of your seat as you dive deep within the story and soon you’ll realize everything is connected in a big web of lies, & secrets, but also surrounded by what we’re all looking for: belonging, love, friendships, & purpose while finding our place in the world.

If you enjoy secret societies, dual timelines and POV, found family, murder mystery - this is for you!

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

Thanks so much to Lauren Ling Brown, NetGalley and Publisher for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest feedback. ♥️

"Society of Lies" by Lauren Ling Brown is an enthralling debut that delves into a prestigious college campus's dark and mysterious underbelly through the intertwined lives of sisters Maya and Naomi. The narrative explores themes of sisterhood, secrecy, and the lengths one will go to uncover the truth, initially unfolds at a leisurely pace, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the complex world Brown creates. By the 40% mark, the story accelerates, pulling readers along a thrilling ride filled with unexpected twists and revelations. Just know if it starts slow on purpose to allow the reader to understand all the side characters in the book. Told through the alternating perspectives of Maya and Naomi, the story balances the past and present, though at times, distinguishing between the sisters' voices poses a slight challenge​​​​​​. For lovers of mystery and thrillers seeking a story that marries depth with suspense, "Society of Lies" provokes thought about the societal structures that shape our lives​.

Moods: dark, intense, mysterious and emotional.
Expected: August 2024!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Bantam for the ARC.

When Naomi ends up dead the day before her graduation from Princeton University, big sister Maya is devastated. Since their parents died when she was only 18 and Naomi 8, she has done everything in her power to insure that Naomi is taken care of. And now it looks like some of the decisions she made while at Princeton ten years earlier might have had a role in Naomi’s death. The story is told in alternating viewpoints covering two different time periods. It is the story of two multiracial sisters attending a mostly white college and the struggles and mistakes they make along the way as they try to fit in. Maya is convinced her sister’s death and that of another student ten years earlier are linked to that of a secret campus society. And she sets out to uncover the truth. Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Society of Lies is an intriguing story of a secret society nestled in Princeton's hallowed halls. The society entangles two sisters in its web of deceit and greed. Highly recommend this captivating tale of an elite secret society that everyone is dying to get into. Or dying to get out of it.

Being from NJ and having family in the Princeton area, this book peaked my interest from the beginning. You are taken into from the perspective of two sisters, Maya and Naomi, who have gone through very different experiences during childhood but somehow similar experiences during their college years at Princeton. Secret societies, collegiate scandals, and an insight on the living of the privileged. Being Asian, I also admired the subtle but powerful inclusions of racial discrimination and judgement and bystander effect. That being said, I did think that the story started out very strong but towards the last quarter of the book spiraled into many things at once. I felt that I had to keep track of characters, motives, etc. I personally felt there was a lot thrown together at the end and some loose ends still needed to be tied. Overall, I would give this book a 3.5/5 stars and am excited to read more from Lauren Ling Brown!

Thank you go NetGalley, the publisher, and author for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Being someone who has sisters, I was intrigued by this book. There were so many layers to this book and seeing the dark side of elite schools. I absolutely loved this book and there were tons of twists and turns. Many of them I didn't see coming either. the sister's relationship was very realistic, and the miscommunications were heartbreaking but also reminded me of times that happened with my own sisters. I would highly recommend this book. Thanks so much NetGalley.

I loved the premise of this book, but I found the different points of view and timelines too similar and therefore very hard to follow, and my confusion hampered my ability to fully enjoy the story.

I enjoy books with multiple points of view, but not when they still sound like the same person, which was the case here. Despite being different ages, there was really no distinction between Naomi and Maya, the latter of who came across as quite immature. As a result, it was often hard to keep the characters straight in the shifting timelines. I expected more action, but the pacing dragged, which lead to a boring read, and I found it difficult to stay engaged. I figured out whodunit early on, so that made it hard to care about the outcome.