There’s something about this book, right from the beginning, that’s really hard to capture. The author did such a great job bringing to life the angst and vibe of an art college in the late ’90s and early 2000s.

When I first started it, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it—but with each chapter, I got more and more sucked in. The story follows Willow and Anna, two art students, and right away their friendship is totally toxic, but also so fascinating. There are so many themes throughout—power, feminism, friendship—that really stood out. I also loved the cutthroat art world, and as an art history major, that part especially hooked me.

The book takes place in 2001, around the time of 9/11 (Willow goes missing after the attack), and shifts between the past—starting in college—and the present. I do wish there were multiple POVs to understand the characters’ motives more. The past is written in third person, which isn’t really my favorite.

Still, the mix of 90s turmoil, 9/11, and the intense art world made this book work for me. I love complex, secretive characters, and the author kept an ominous vibe going the whole time. I just wish it had started a little faster—but once you get through the first third, you’ll fly through it.

Ann’s friend Willow disappears on 9-11 in New York City, but the past may shape her disappearance.

If you love toxic female relationships, this is definitely one for you. There’s a lot added to it, like a me-too plot and some evil men. Part also takes place during 9-11 which adds extra complexity. The characters were annoying but they were young adult students, so kind of expected!

“We have what they want. And we can let them think they are using us, when we are really using them”.

This was such a tense read, it kept me on edge as it blurred the lines between truth and manipulation. Which made every twist feel even more unsettling to me.

This book takes an interesting—and often uncomfortable—dive into the trope of the "muse," especially how women are frequently positioned as mere stepping stones for the genius and fame of the men who "discover" or exploit them. That angle alone had a lot of potential, and I appreciated how the story didn’t shy away from showing the emotional toll and complexity of those relationships.

That said, I struggled to stay engaged. The pacing dragged for me, and while the story hints at a central mystery, it slowly unravels into more of a background noise as the flashbacks start catching up with the present timeline. What made that even more frustrating is that the protagonist clearly knows something is up, but spends an infuriating amount of time acting oblivious. It made her feel more frustrating than sympathetic.

I also found it difficult to connect with any of the characters. None of them felt particularly likable or even compelling in their flaws, which made it hard to care much about how things ended. By the time I turned the last page, I felt more relieved than satisfied. 3.5 stars

3.5
A dark and twisty dive into toxic friendship and artistic ambition, Tell Them You Lied follows Anna, an artist haunted by a staged mugging gone wrong and the disappearance of her best friend Willow on 9/11. The dual timelines keep the tension high, and the messy, complex characters feel strikingly real.

While the pacing stumbles at times and the plot can get a bit tangled, Leffler's exploration of manipulation, guilt, and the pressures women face in creative spaces is compelling. It’s not flawless, but it sticks with you.

Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers with emotional depth and a gritty edge.

Great read.
Highly recommended.

Too much alternating timelines and not enough happening. The characters didn’t have enough depth to sell me. It read like a parody of toxicity in women to me. Bumping up the rating because I did find it well written.

When Anna meets Willow in art school, she finally feels like she’s made a friend that understands her, that inspires her, and that helps her grow out of her shy self. After school when they become roommates, their friendship becomes more tense. So Anna plans a fake mugging, a prank to get back on Willow. Then on that morning of September 11, 2001, Willow doesn’t come home.

Tell Them You Lied covers two time periods, the present starting on the morning of 9/11. These sections are written almost like a letter to Willow, in first person with Anna talking to her. The second time period begins years earlier when they both meet at school, and how their friendship grew over the years. These sections are written in a third-person perspective. I enjoyed the time period changes, to be able to see the present of what’s currently happening, and that we got to see why they were friends because the present day sections very much don’t paint Willow in a friendly way. But the first and third person writing wasn’t my favourite. I wish the author has stuck to one throughout the book.

My biggest issue with this book was the predictability. It feels like a book that’s been done several times before. Art student is shy, but knows her art is powerful and that people will notice her art and appreciate her skill. Art student meets cool, rebel student who is extremely talented and outgoing and takes shy student under her wing. Cool student lies a lot to create their friendship, making them relatable to problems shy student has. Both art students like the same boy, but cool student has him. Cool student has more money and opportunities than shy student, who gets jealous. Still they become roommates after school, fight more, and shy student decides to get her revenge. Shy student realizes she may have been set up, and nothing was what she planned or expected.
Making the time period of the events that Anna plans for Willow fall on 9/11 gives you an idea of what to expect. But when you’ve read a book similar before, you know that you have to expect a twist. The date really doesn’t matter because Willow was always a step ahead of Anna.

Tell Them You Lied was still a page-turner, and I was still interested. I just wasn’t surprised by anything that happened in the book. I think people who like dark academia style thrillers will also enjoy reading this, and find it fun enough, but they won’t get anything new out of it. The twists are something we’ve seen before. The characters are predictable to these types of book, and don’t change from their expected tropes of mean girl, shy girl, cool art boy, jock, etc. If you’re a fan of books like this, you won’t even mind that’s it’s predictable because you’ll get a formula you like. But don’t go into Tell Them You Lied expecting something different.

Friendship and obsession are one of my favorite tropes, throw in the fact this was a debut, and I was sold!

The friendship between Anna and Willow was a common one that we can probably all relate to. There is always a dominant person in a relationship and the way Leffler wrote it was pretty close to perfect. Willows manipulation was intense, and I really did not see how the twists were going to come into play until the end.

I thought throwing in some of the 90s clothing, music and phrases fun. I also thought adding in the element of 9/11 added to the overall angst and eerie feeling the friendship provided. Super surprised it was a debut and part of the book took place in Chicago where I lived when young!

Thank you @netgalley for my copy!***

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel by Leffler. A glimpse into the art world, privileged debauchery, and woven tight insecurities that breed desperation and reckless abandonment. By all accounts, Anna seems to be a fabulous artist, gorgeous, and on a path to success, but she might be the only one who cannot see it. Tortured from past mistakes, Anna is insecure, riddled with shame, and saddled with a desire to be somebody. Enter Willow, the epicentre of Anna's affliction- someone who is something truly special, depending on who is looking. Throughout the novel, Anna is torn between wanting Willow's affections, wanting to knock Willow down a peg, or straight up just wanting to be Willow. I love the jealousy, desperation and awe we can hear in Anna's voice. It really makes you wonder about the people we put on a pedastal; ignoring fault and callousness. When someone's light shines bright enough, we all want to bask in it. This is a very well written novel. Parts of the book take place during the events of 9/11, which pulls the reader back to that time, evoking emotions of loss and turmoil alongside the characters. Thank you to #NetGalley and #HyperionAvenue

First off, let me start by saying that this book was so very good and I think you that you allow me an early copy of this book. It was amazing. Awesome a Page Turner. I will recommend to anyone that is looking for this type of book.

I found this to be a well put together and engaging read. The pacing was solid, and the twists kept me turning the pages. I especially appreciated that I didn’t see the ending coming—it genuinely surprised me, which I always enjoy in a thriller.

That said, I found myself wanting to yell at Anna more than once. She was a little too trusting at times, and I kept wishing she’d stop and actually take in what was happening around her. Willow, on the other hand—I was completely over her. She came across as mean and manipulative, and it was hard to feel any sympathy for her. She felt like a classic bully all the way through. One thing that threw me off was the 9/11 timeline reference. It seemed out of place and didn’t feel like it had any real impact on the story. Honestly, any date could have been used there.

Overall, though, I enjoyed the ride!

3.5 Stars--This book made me so angry at the main characters. I wanted to yell at Anna to open her eyes & I wanted to yell at Willow for being such a brat or the other B word. The story, told in 2 timelines, was a little drawn out, but very intense. The ending did have a twist that I didn’t guess and it was an overall satisfying ending. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy.

If you’re looking for a thrilling read to begin your summer reading list, Tell Them You Lied by Laura Leffler is it. Set in New York City in 2001, both pre- and post- 9/11, Tell Them You Lied follows the story of a young artist’s disappearance and her best friend who may or may not be responsible for it.

Written in alternating timelines, Tell Them You Lied weaves the complicated story of young artists who are desperate to make it in the cut-throat art world of New York City. Readers are thrown into the novel on the morning of September 11, 2001, which is a jarring start for anyone who lived through that moment in time. The intensity of the beginning maintains itself well throughout the novel. Readers are taken back and forth between the past (pre-9/11) and “present day” NYC in the days following 9/11. Framing the novel in this way allows readers to unravel bits and pieces of the story as needed, rather than learning all of the past at once and then plunging into the present day. This stylistic choice serves the world Leffler has written incredibly well as it helps build suspense and allows the reader to feel like they are discovering things in real time along with the book’s characters.

Not only does Tell Them You Lied take a deep dive into the complicated world of friendship and competition, but it also provides a commentary on the misogyny of the fine arts world. Readers are shown a brutal world where women are so often made to be a male artist’s muse, while their own talent goes unrecognized. We are shown how female artists often have to work harder at their craft to receive any recognition at all, and even then, they are often more frequently recognized for their beauty and what they have to offer men sexually. We’re shown a predatory world where men use women as inspiration and puppets, only then to discard them and leave their worlds completely shaken and even at times, destroyed. An underlying message of Tell Them You Lied is that women should never feel like their beauty and sexuality are all they have to offer the world. Their talent is just as important as men’s. They deserve to be seen for who they are and what they can do, rather than how much money a portrait of their face could make someone.

Anyone who has attended art school will recognize all of the character types in this book and will be able to relate to many of the situations that are written about. For anyone who reads and isn’t a former art student, they will be introduced to the ugly side of a world that is often only celebrated for its beauty. As a former art school student, I remember the condescension of one of my male professors and how terrible he made me feel about myself and my work. I remember the painful critiques where students' art would get torn apart, while others were glorified. I remember how every class felt like a constant need to prove myself worthy of being in the room. Leffler’s novel uncovers a dark world that is often not talked about enough.

Thrilling, eerie, and suspenseful —Tell Them You Lied is sure to be a summer reading list favorite this year.

Fun, thrilling read with two friends in a toxic friendship. Set against 9/11 and the underbelly of the art world. Perfect summer read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the eARC.

This book had such potential for me but once I started it I felt so overwhelmed by all that was going on, I did not enjoy my time with it.

I didn’t enjoy this and felt it was trying too hard. I can appreciate good writing but it felt out of place. I also feel like this is the kind of book that everyone will like that I didn’t. I’m not sharing my review publicly since it’s not out yet.

This book wasn’t for me. I tried multiple times to connect with the main characters but they just felt really one dimensional and under developed. I was so intrigued by the plot that I kept pushing onward hoping it would live up to my expectations but sadly it never did.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my review.

This was fun and will leave you guessing all the way up to the very end. The characters are absolutely awful, but that's what happens in a toxic frenemies relationship. I think this has the potential to go TT viral if BookTok gets ahold of it.

"Tell Them You Lied" by Laura Leffler has a fantastic premise. A young woman, fresh out of a prestigious fictional art school, moves to NYC with her college roommate, with whom she shares a complicated love-hate relationship. She ends up scheming with her roommate’s boyfriend to scare her—literally hiring someone to threaten her as payback for years of manipulation. Is it messy? Yes. Intriguing? Absolutely.

However, while reading, I struggled.

The synopsis completely captured my interest, but once I delved into the story, it felt like it was trying to do too much at once. There were numerous ideas layered throughout, but instead of weaving together smoothly, they kept looping in circles. To make matters more complicated, the story featured dual timelines and shifts in point of view, bouncing between first and third person. This added to the chaotic feeling, which seemed unintentional.

Additionally, the portrayal of toxic college friendships among early 20s women felt familiar. I’ve seen it before multiple times. While the characters were undeniably fascinatingly flawed (and I'm definitely here for that), none of their situations felt particularly new. The dynamic of wanting to possess someone while also being completely consumed by them was very evident—great for character motivation, but still felt repetitive.

Another element that threw me off was the use of 9/11 as a backdrop. I expected it to tie into the plot meaningfully, but it merely served as a timestamp. It felt odd and unnecessary—perhaps because I vividly remember September 11th.

That said, Sarah Naughton’s narration of the audiobook was outstanding. She made Anna feel real and relatable, even when the story itself felt a bit slippery.

Would I recommend it? Honestly, it's a strong maybe. If you’re into literary fiction, don’t mind characters who are total disasters, and are open to a story that's more about vibes than plot, this might work for you.

Thank you to Laura Leffler, Brilliance Publishing, Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Publication Date: May 27th, 2025