I was really intrigued by the premise and it started out strong but then the pace felt really slow and I struggled to keep reading. Also for some reason I kept getting confused on the timelines and if it was Naomi or Maya's POV (maybe because of the repeating characters).

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I thought I was going to like Society of Lies but I had a very difficult time getting through it,.

Its a book about sisters Maya and Naomi and there is a 10-year age difference. between them.

There were murders, affairs and some twists and turns but I found it hard to follow.

I had to put it down because it was confusing.

This book was very ambitious and the premise promising. However it tried to tackle a lot of different themes including race, identity privilege, power, but it might have bitten off more than it could chew. There were too many POVs (maybe because the setting was mostly the same they all blurred together?) and too many characters that didn't get developed very well. I didn't really care about Maya, and it seemed like her story was mostly in the past because she really didn't do much in the present POV. And I guess in general that was my grievance with her, she didn't do anything. Things just kind of happened to her. We were told a lot more than shown. Like there really wasn't much reason for her to be suspicious of Naomi's death but there we go. And Naomi's story wasn't super interesting either. You don't get attached to any of the characters and so you don't feel the impact of what happens.

The ending because of the lack of character development didn't really make sense. It was the twist for the sake of the twist but required a lot of suspended disbelief. 2.5 rounded up.

A dark academia full of secrets and betrayal. I was sucked right into this one, a tale of two sisters making their way through the prestigious Princeton and joining the elite eating clubs, hoping to pave their way to the future. Although I found myself losing interest about halfway through, this was still a brilliantly written novel. It brings to light many real-world issues, including racial injustices, prejudice, and organizations that, while they may be doing good for some, slowly become corrupted and let greed and power get in the way. Overall, this was a slow burn that I enjoyed, but it won't exactly stick out to me in the long run. Three and a half stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC.

Ms. Laura Ling Brown…I was thoroughly entertained! I couldn’t put this story down. The plot structure managed to read like a movie and I really appreciated the pace of when new pieces of the puzzle were revealed.

Some people are not going to like the writing style because the story goes back and forth between 2 POVs and 3 timelines. We get chapters from Naomi’s POV counting down from 7 months before her death to the day she dies and the past and present POV of her older sister Maya. I definitely had to make a conscious effort to remember whose POV I was reading and what timeline each chapter was in, but I was so intrigued by the plot that I didn’t mind.

The best murder mysteries are always the ones where you’re led to look at multiple characters as potential suspects. The revelation of who did it and why all made sense. While it wasn’t a shock, the journey getting there was exciting. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

I also loved the exploration of identity, belonging, and race. Especially while being a student at what’s considered a prestigious institution.

Please keep writing! I can’t wait to read more from you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the advanced eARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. This book failed to truly capture my attention. With a slog kind of journey to the end, the narrative felt jumbled, not quite fitting into the suspense genre. The 10-year age gap between the sisters added complexity, yet the overall experience lacked the complexity and thrill I was looking for.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. When requesting a book to review, I am usually pretty spot-on with my preferences. Society of Lies seemed like a book that would interest me but I had a very difficult time getting through it, even at the very end. Maya and Naomi are sisters with a 10-year age difference. There are a few murders, affairs and twists in the story but mostly it seemed jumbled to me. I would describe it as the suspense genre. Society of Lies didn't seem compelling enough for me to keep from wanting to put it down.

If you love any and everything
secret society and Ivy League then you will LOVE this book. This book has a great cast of characters, just the right amount of family drama and suspense and kept me guessing right until the end. If you need a quick psychological thriller to read then you have to read this book!

This dark academia story about two sisters that find themselves entrenched in a sinister scheme bigger than themselves, was a fast-paced thriller and a solid debut from writer Lauren Ling Brown. Told from the viewpoints of the eldest sister Maya and her younger sister Naomi, the reader jumps back and forth through time while discovering more details about crimes committed in the shadows of their prestigious school- Princeton University.

I love that the main characters are POC and they share their experiences and thoughts while navigating a world that caters to the rich and powerfully connected. One such compelling scene is unfortunately too close to reality to be fiction, revolving around a racist officer. It was a sobering reminder of what many minorities face every day and an example of how remaining silent is being complicit.

I really enjoyed Maya's point of view since it is apparent that she is hyperaware of the role she must play to make sure there is a ladder for her sister to climb and be successful. As a result, her decisions are clouded by the weight of her role in Naomi's life and the guilt she feels for not being around more.

The morally grey decisions, mystery of Ivy league societies and their members, and a thrilling crime to solve made this novel an exciting read! It kept me guessing until the end with so many twists.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group!!

Writing in dual POVs and incorporating three different timelines is challenging. There were moments when I found myself double-checking whose perspective I was reading, aiming to avoid confusion with times and characters.

Despite the plot not being entirely groundbreaking, it remained intriguing and kept me guessing. The author adeptly created the atmosphere, immersing the reader in a dark academic setting with its secret societies, which I loved.

The pacing of the book was well-balanced, but I can see that some might think it was a bit slow. However, for me, each element was appropriately timed.

I also loved the author's exploration of challenging topics such as privilege, elitism, and racism. These are difficult subjects to address, and the book handled them well.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book, especially if you appreciate academic settings and secret society tropes.

Conceptually, this is fine, no better than fine, but still. Unfortunately at around 80% in the narrative becomes super jumpy and disconnected. Even if I thought this was intentional, which I don't, it's a terrible effect.

This revealed the antics and realities of multicultural societies. The characters seemed vindictive and evocative of other romance books by Bailey. That this should be read with suspicion.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group!

Two sisters, one secret society.

Maya has desperately tried to stop her younger sister from following in her own footsteps and has done what she can to dissuade her sister from attending Princeton. Despite her best efforts not only has Naomi become a student she is now a part of the same secret society she once was a part of.

Despite the sisters attending at two separate times, they have found themselves intertwined in the same scandal.... murder.

Society of Lies is a dark academia tale told in dual timelines. Lauren Ling Brown does a fantastic job at keeping you guessing and wanting to turn the page. This story will have you guessing down to the final page and just when you think you've got it, you will find out you certainly do not.

This debut novel is to be published August 13, 2024.

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.

Princeton University, a top ten school known for it’s rigorous academic programs and notorious societal organizations called “eating clubs”. These clubs comprise of only the most elite members, with extensive investigations into its candidates ensuring the best of the best. Could they also be housing and protecting a murderer though. Maya, a Princeton alumni and past Sterling Club member has returned to her alma mater to watch her younger sister Naomi graduate. Instead of caps and gowns though Maya is now dealing with funeral arrangements when Naomi is found dead that same weekend. Naomi’s death is being deemed an accident but Maya knows better, her younger sister isn’t the first Sterling club member to wind up dead. The police may not know all the buried secrets of the upper class echelons of these societal clubs but Maya does and she’s determined to find out the truth.

Society of Lies is a thrilling debut murder mystery with an atmospheric academic setting. Prior to reading this book I had no previous knowledge of Princeton’s eating clubs and upon reading I found myself incredibly intrigued, I had to keep turning pages to find out more! Lauren Ling Brown does an absolutely fantastic job of transporting the reader to these historic buildings and younger college days. The plot is told thru multiple POVs and different time frames. Flashbacks from Naomi made me heartbroken knowing that no matter what she did her ending would be soon approaching. Not only do we get to see the months leading up to Naomi’s death but we are also given a POV flashback from Maya’s Sterling club days and Maya’s present day investigations into the truth. I was fully invested in Maya hunting down Naomi’s killer, as an older sister myself I resonated with Maya’s need to protect her younger sister and the guilt she felt of not being able to do so. I also have to note that I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book had so much more than just your typical twists as the author touches on subjects of sisterhood, societal class, identity, corrupt hierarchical systems, and also friendship. I enjoyed every minute of this read and cannot wait to pick up future works from this great new author!

Society of Lies comes out August 13, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing, Bantam for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you’re looking for a dark academia setting book, that puts you on edge and going down a rabbit hole trying to decide what actually happened… that is a book for you!

I liked the main characters, and I was really invested in the why’s of their motives throughout the story. I was praying for a miracle and that there would be another plot twist that she was actually alive just because I felt so connected to Naomi’. Maya was such a great character, her flaws made her so relatable and I found myself empathizing more and more with her with each of her chapters. The plot twists and betrayal in this were top tier, did NOT see those coming but had that “ahhhh” moment where you look back at something with a different set of eyes. Lauren’s writing style really brings you into the setting, I was there at Princeton, I was taken back to my college break up with Naomi and Liam, I felt the isolation that both sisters did at varying points.

Gosh I can’t say enough with how well Lauren addressed racial inequality. Overall this was a suspenseful and impactful story that shined some much needed light on the disparities in our education system. Yes there was overt racism, but it spoke volumes with the small things that you wouldn’t necessarily take note of if you or someone you loved hadn’t had a shared experience that opens your eyes to it.

Pacing was good, I really enjoyed the back and fourth perspectives and differing timelines that really tied into the previous chapter. At different points throughout my reading I was dying for the other sister’s perspective to come back. Lauren Ling Brown did an exceptional job of making both so intriguing but not outshining the other. It really played a role for me in the pacing. One sisters chapter would have me on edge and anxious with the switching to the other sisters POV at the next chapter but it kept the story on track. My only complaint is that you could forget whose chapter you were on because of the similar storylines and setting in both POVs.

This is a 3.75 star that rounds up to 4 for me. I can’t wait to recommend this come August. It’s a perfect spooky fall read!!

I love a book that contains a lot, and Society of Lies certainly does! It's an engrossing, hard-to-predict mystery, an exploration of the bonds of between sisters, and a look at class, race, and gender in privileged Ivy-League spaces. It was a delight to sit down to read it, and I was sad when it was over.

Society of Lies is a fresh take on the secret society and dark academia sub-genres. The multiracial character POV was portrayed with depth and authenticity. This is a great read if you like Lucy Foley but want a younger, more diverse cast of characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Bantsm for allowing me to read this ARC. This was a phenomenal book. The story detail and the writing made it easy to read. I didn’t want to put the book down. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you actually don’t. It was easy to go back and forth between Maya and Naomi once you had the characters set.

This story started out really strong. I was all in and completely invested in binging the book in one sitting. However, very early, around 20% with all of the back and forth between Maya in the present timeline, Naomi in the past and Maya in the past- it all just started to bleed together for me.

I constantly had to work to hard to remember who's POV I was reading - I don't want to work hard- I just want to enjoy a book.

Also, not a fan of any of these characters.

DNF @20%

Really, really slow! The dual pov of maya and Naomi made it feel as though I was reading the same thing over and over and over. The ending didn’t match the pace of the book. It was rushed to sum everything up. I think the author is a great writer and the idea of the book was good.