I was able to read this book early thanks to NetGalley and the author! I can honestly say I’ve read a book quite like it. I enjoyed the Princeton Eating club aspect and the storyline with Maya and Naomi.

Naomi and Maya are sisters that each went to Princeton. However, they went 10+ years apart. Naomi starts looking into a murder than happened when her sister, Maya, was there when things take a turn.

I thought this was a solid read. Would recommend.

Wow!! What did I just read?! I couldn’t put this book down!! The whodunnit factor was well thought out and executed! The characters were well developed and I found myself staying up way past my bedtime to finish it. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this incredible book! I will definitely be sharing it with all of my fellow book lovers!

I enjoyed the book, Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown. I liked that each chapter was dedicated to one sister. However, to be honest it was confusing to figure out if the author was telling the story about Maya the older sister or Naomi her little sister. I constantly needed to go back and verify which sister it was. Their lives were so similar except they were about 10 years apart. The story was about Maya trying to solve the mystery of her sister's death. It's all played out on the campus of Princeton. Great debut book by Lauren Ling Brown. I look forward to reading more by here.
Thank you #Netgalley and the #Random House Group for this ARC.

A decent mystery thriller that kept my interest. That being said, I agree with some of the previous reviewers. Two sisters with past and present timelines involving similar college experiences got to be a bit confusing, if not redundant. Not a bad read, but probably won’t stay long in my memory.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It kept me on my toes the entire way and I didn’t see the ending coming which I love. Definitely a book that surprises you.

The reason for -1 star is mainly due to the main characters. Like others have said I found it sometimes hard to tell one character's voice from the other and made it slightly hard to follow at times.

A dark academia thriller that explores themes like sisterhood, race, class and privilege. I equally enjoyed both Naomi and Maya as narrators. Also, the novel had a great pace and plenty of plot twists — I didn’t see the ending coming.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A great read. I loved the characters and how they developed throughout the book Did see the ending coming! Wow! I thought the killer was someone completely different. Overall, story line was a strong one filled with different plot twits continuously throughout the book. Characters were likable except for maybe Maya. I liked her, but thought she could have treated her sister a little better. This would be a great book for a book club to discuss.

first of all, for a debut book, WOW! Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown was such a thrilling read for me. I think having it take place at Princeton made me fall in love with the book as I spent my college years around Princeton (town not college - not smart enough for that lol). And of course, a story all about rich people drama which was another aspect of the book I just absolutely ate up. I thought the story was so enthralling & it was hard to put the book down (even though it was kinda predictable unfortunately). I hope to read more by this author in the future!

many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballantine/ Bantam for sharing this advanced reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest review!

This book gives a glimpse into the dark side of one of America's most prestigious ivy League schools.
The story switches between two characters who story is so similar it was sometimes hard to remember which character I was with.
However, this thriller kept adding new layers to the mystery that had me hooked.

This is an amazing debut. I loved the setting and different POV. I hope to read more from this author.

I was stoked to read this thriller! This book was faced paced and unraveling. I did not see the ending coming and I love that. Definitely recommend picking this up to read for an exciting thriller.

Lauren Ling Brown's Society of Lies follows two sisters in their own respective college timelines, navigating Princeton's elite "eating club" network. Overall this was a fan read, with a really compelling and interesting story. The setting was fascinating and really brought to life this world I was completely unfamiliar with. I found it a bit difficult to follow the dual timelines, particularly with so many characters to keep track of in each. I found myself getting mixed up, particularly since many characters crossed timelines. It was a bit slow to pick up, but really picked up about halfway through. Overall I would recommend this to anyone who likes campus mysteries/thrillers,

The concept of Society of Lies hooked me instantly. I'm a fan of dark academia, and Ivy League + Secret Society + a body was compelling for me. The novel itself was an engaging read, especially the sister angle, but I would've preferred more *secret society* suspense throughout and less *Bachelor-esque* drama. That said, I suspect I may have aged out of the target reader demographic.

Thank you, Net Galley and Bantam, for the ARC.

2.5 stars.

Read if you like: dark academia, secret societies, rich people behaving badly, multiple POVs

I have such mixed thoughts on this book. It has all the makings to be a great thriller, but with all the similar POVs and timelines I found it a little hard to follow at times.

I appreciated the diversity of the characters in this book and the way it discussed privilege but the pacing was too slow for me and I found it hard to keep reading. I feel like this could also be categorized as more of a YA thriller which isn’t my preference as I’m older.

This is a debut novel so I think I would try this author again in the future. It has a lot going for it but just elements were a bit off for it to be an enjoyable read.

I enjoy a good YA/New Adult thriller about secret societies and privileged people behaving badly, and Lauren Ling Brown nailed it pretty well! I often quibble about pacing, and I will say this one had some pacing issues: Maya Banks (née Mason) and her younger sister Naomi are Princeton coeds, ten years apart in age. Ten years ago, Lila Jones, one of Maya's classmates and acquaintances, was found dead in the woods after a ski trip. Now, in a sick version of deja vu, Maya learns that Naomi has been mysteriously murdered the day before her Princeton graduation. And Maya strongly (and rightfully) suspects the incidents are linked. While it was cool that Maya and Naomi followed parallel paths in the novel — it alternates between their POVs, ten years apart — that also made a lot of the information and discoveries redundant. I also think Ling included a lot of superfluous details, especially because then the big reveal wrapped up quickly in the last 10% of the book. Still, I appreciate that Ling incorporated a lot of her own experience as a multiracial Princeton student (she's part Asian, part Black) into the novel and that she used the book to lightly explore the underbelly of privilege. Overall, I'd say this was solid but not necessarily treading new ground — and it needed to pick up the pace a little more!

I found the transitions between sisters and timelines got a bit muddied at times, but several twists and an enjoyable book.

I really liked this book and then also really didn’t. I absolutely love the premise while giving us an underground society in college that also isn’t a frat house and typical setting we are used to. But it also got incredibly boring to me and really lost a lot of the thriller aspects that these books rely on to continue their story telling. I’m not sure if it would’ve been better slice of life mixed with true crime aspects cause it didn’t really give me thriller like I expected.

This was such a good book! I loved the characters, and their story. The dialogue was realistic and enjoyable. I was very surprised by the ending!

I loved this book. I inhaled it. I haven't read anything like it, plot was very original and interesting. I find it to be the mash up between college admissions scandal and murder mystery.
I am huge fan of non-linear timeline and multiple points of view - the author executes it perfectly. You never stop guessing "who did it" and the moment you think you have it figured out it flips, and you find yourself guessing again.
Chapters were straight to the point and concise. Characters were very well developed. Great book. One of the best I have read in a while.

i absolutely love this ! i love murder mysteries, secret societies, prestigious troupes! i enjoyed the multi pov and time jumps backward to see both FMC's days before their tragic accidents. i love love love! i have recommended to many already