Oof.

As I start to review this book, I realize that almost everything I have to say is negative…yet it kept me reading and ended up with a very satisfying conclusion.

I’ll admit that I originally thought it would be a DNF.

The characters are…not my thing. Every last one of them is arrogant, precocious, self-centered, precious, and toxic. I didn’t like them and didn’t want to spend time with them. Yet, I was intrigued by our missing girl (also toxic) and what might have happened with her. And what did happen? It was definitely a surprise!

I’ve read some books about the 9/11 connection and, yeah, there really isn’t one. It’s backdrop and, unfortunately, unnecessary backdrop that. You could have dropped our pretentious, angsty art students in any big city in the world with the same result.

I did like the ending and the various truths that were eventually revealed. I still didn’t care about any of these people, but finished the book feeling mostly okay about it.

• ARC via Publisher

A dark and twisted tale from the first page. Set against the backdrop of the immediate aftermath of 9/11 in NYC, and alternating with a narrative leading up to the opening events, Tell Them You Lied is a gripping story of friendships that aren't at all what they seem. Anna's story that is an interweaving of past and present is something that all of us can identify with, especially those of us who have been the influenced rather than the influencer. It was hard to put this book down, and I would recommend it for those who love suspense.

I found this book very hard to get into. The writing was not overly engaging and I didn’t get into the story line at all.

I tried my best with this - but perhaps wasn’t in the right mindset? Either way, what I read was well written and I enjoyed the characters - I just got a bit side tracked and pulled out of it unfortunately.

.In Anna's first year at art school, she encounters Willow, a mysterious and captivating individual whose cool demeanor and elusive nature draw Anna in. As the narrative unfolds, the story shifts between various timelines, providing a rich tapestry of experiences that highlights the complexities of their unexpected friendship. The ups and downs they face together illuminate the depth of their connection and raise thought-provoking questions about the true intentions behind their interactions.

Throughout the book, the author skillfully weaves together moments of joy, creativity, and growth, as well as periods of conflict and uncertainty. However, I found it somewhat challenging to fully immerse myself in the story as I had hoped. There were instances where I felt the pacing was uneven, which made it difficult to maintain my engagement. Additionally, the book's connection to the events of 9/11 felt somewhat forced, as if it was shoehorned into the narrative rather than seamlessly integrated. While I appreciate the author's attempt to explore significant themes, this particular element detracted from my overall enjoyment of the story.

I really wanted to like this book but went in with little to no expectations and came out on the other side still not pleased with my experience.

I always hate giving a negative review but there was little here that I felt intrigued by or left in the end with any positive feelings toward having read it.

A lot of the negative reviews harped on the unlikeability of characters but that’s one of the few things I didn’t hate about this. I went in thinking this would almost be a mix of Anna Delvy smashed with the “older” movie The Roommate. I absolutely love heinous characters and they shouldn’t have to be likeable to be apart of an amazing book.

Mainly, I wish there was just more intention here. From the “unlikeable” characters to the writing and technique, to the 9/11 backdrop to overall plot devices. Everything was met with a caveat in a plot device that I just felt were strung together in a way that wasnt enjoyable for me to read.

I can see this book doing well on booktok and feel like maybe I’m just not the right target audience for it. I do enjoy a good thriller and a mindless read but I still require a depth I couldn’t find here.

This was my first time reading Laura Leffler, and I received Tell Them You Lied as an ARC from NetGalley. The book had a compelling premise with its focus on a toxic friendship set against the backdrop of the September 11 attacks. The dual timeline added depth to the narrative, allowing readers to see the evolution of Anna and Willow's relationship. However, I found the pacing to be inconsistent, with some parts dragging while others felt rushed. The characters, though intriguing, could have been more fully developed to enhance the emotional impact of their story. The use of 9/11 as a plot device felt somewhat forced and didn't always integrate smoothly with the rest of the narrative. Overall, Tell Them You Lied is a decent debut with an interesting storyline and a dark, atmospheric setting. While it had its shortcomings, it shows potential for Laura Leffler as a new voice in the thriller genre. I'm curious to see how her writing evolves in future works. #netgalley #tellthemyoulied

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Anna and Willow had a tumultuous friendship in art school. Despite a rocky friendship and a humiliating incident at graduation, the pair move to New York City together. Anna, desperate for her friend to realize her wrongs, decides to stage a mugging to scare Willow. That mugging is supposed to take place on September 11, 2001… and Willow never returns home.

What an interesting, gripping story! I really enjoyed the dual timelines between their days at art school and present day in NYC. Anna and Willow’s friendship is so toxic; it almost makes it hard to like either of them. The focus on how women are treated in the art world, especially in academia in the late 90’s, was so eye opening.

While the premise of everything taking place on 9/11 is interesting, it did sometimes feel like it was just randomly mentioned instead of being the backdrop of the story. I enjoyed the twists and turns, it was sometimes hard to follow along with what was happening.

Overall an enjoyable read that kept me entertained and guessing until the end!

Thank you to Net Galley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC. This is a hard one to pin down, but it was absolutely gripping! Part dark academia, part suspense, part thriller. An exploration of toxic friendships and more!

It is hard to classify the genre of this book. Academia. Domestic Thriller. Love triangle and angle and angle. Anna doesn't seem to believe anyone has any reason to actually like her. She begins Art School and there, she meets Willow. Willow has not a care in the world. She's cool without trying. She's mysterious and moody. She is ready to help Anna become. In the process, Willow manipulates and cajoles Anna into doing things she would otherwise never do.

This story alternates between those college years (late 1990's) and the year 2001 in New York City. Life in the Big Apple is expensive. While Anna is a talented artist, she has to work to survive. And through the years, Willow has kept Anna in her orbit while also sucking her dry emotionally. Anna is weary.

So Anna takes action by hiring a guy and staging Willow's mugging on a Tuesday morning, thinking Willow will have self reflection after the fact. Maybe Willow will see the terrible person that she is. The morning in question: September 11, 2001. Anna begins to panic as the days pass and Willow does not come home to their shared apartment. Anna is in a panic. Did the prank go terribly wrong? Or has the crafty Willow bested her once again. Does Anna even want to know at this point?

As a person who struggles with friendship, in that, I fall for the manipulative people and become a pet or place holder because I just want to be liked, I felt to strongly for Anna and her lot in life. She valued herself at times, only to be torn back down in some way, sometimes subtly, and a lot of the time by Willow. Anna is a good person, wants to be a good person, but at times struggles with it and roars out of being a doormat.

I literally heard a soundtrack in my head while reading this and I hope it is adapted for film.

Tell Them You Lied is a gripping exploration of art, friendship, and the lies we tell ourselves to feel in control. The story dives into the complicated dynamic between Anna and Willow—two artists bound by admiration, rivalry, and manipulation. The dual timelines, alternating between their art school days and the haunting events of 2001, create a rich and layered narrative.

The novel masterfully captures the New York art scene’s stark contrasts: boundless creativity vs. brutal survival. Anna’s evolving perspective on her relationship with Willow is as compelling as it is unsettling. Set against the backdrop of 9/11, the story’s intensity is heightened, blending the personal and the catastrophic into a narrative that’s as thought-provoking as it is chilling. It’s a fascinating character study that leaves you questioning morality, culpability, and the meaning of truth.

Thank you to Net Galley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC. This was a gripping read, I liked the concept and the toxic friendship between Anna and Willow. This book is told in dual timelines, but I feel like the past was a much stronger read compared to the stuff happening in the present. It is in the past that we get to see the toxic friendship, whereas in the present Anna is just running around, and things don't get interesting till the very end.

2.5 rated up

I absolutely ate this book up. I loved learning about the dynamic of the characters and the dual timeline which gave me the back story I needed as to why Anna and Willow’s relationship had gotten to the point it had. This story was so twisty it kept me turning pages quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will be back to read more!!!
Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This book was such a whirlwind to read. The book follows the tumultuous friendship of two artists who meet at art school and slowly descend into a constant battle of the upper hand.

There were many parts of the book I enjoyed but my favorite was the way the author told the story through nuances and word forms. The subtle differences between how the past and future is written (the easiest to explain being first person vs third person perspective) made the storylines feel like completely separate points in time despite them being mere months apart. It also allowed the reader see how Anna went from letting things happen to her (third person) to taking control of her life and circumstances (first person).

Getting to read Anna’s perspective as her mind descends into the madness of what ifs and anxiety was so thrilling and kept me absolutely riveted through the book.

My one and only qualm with this book is that the end made absolutely no sense for the most plausible ending. The end of the book is exactly how I feel like a real life situation like this would end, but came out of no where in the context of the book. It also felt very rushed and nonorganic to the story.

Wasn't really for me, but I appreciate the opportunity to read and review. Nothing wrong with the book itself, just not for me.

I really really tried to like this book. I read about 50% and had to give up. The characters are unlikable and insufferable. It’s not my cup of tea, but I’m sure it will be someone’s!

I will start off with the positives - this book was well written, though heavy on metaphors and dramatic writing. I also liked how the chapters alternate between the past and the present. We also got to explore the toxic friendship between Anna and Willow in a very in-depth way. The ending also picked up the pace and made it feel more like the thriller it was supposed to be.

Now, onto the negatives.

Anna and Willow are both extremely frustrating people to have as main characters. While I’d say every character is a victim of something, that doesn’t excuse how insufferable they were. I had also expected a more meaningful tie-in to 9/11 than having it as just a backdrop for the modern chapters (as well as a reason for why cell phones & the police weren’t really an option). I also felt like the art references made me feel as if I was missing out on valuable information, as I didn’t understand any of the references during the flashbacks to their art classes in college. I feel as though you can’t understand the full grasp of them as characters unless you are also an artist, or at least have an in-depth understanding of art history and different art styles. Of course, I don’t have this knowledge, so it felt alienating.

Again, I’m not an artist, so I may not be capable of understanding some of the themes of this story since it’s so art-heavy. About the 60% point up until the end partially made up for it for me, raising my rating up to a 3. I was invested enough to want to know what happened to Willow, but not out of care for the character, but just out of curiosity and not having the answer to a question that was being asked since page 1.

There was nothing I didn't love about this book! The setting, the unlikeable female characters, the author's voice - I just wanted to keep reading until I could find out what happened! Laura Leffler has a winner with this book!

very awesome exploration of toxic friendship and muses in the art world. i've recently read quite a few stories like this, and this one was definitely standing out. 3.5 stars rounded up. tysm for the arc.

At the beginning of Tell Them You Lied, Anna and Milo are waiting to hear from their friend, Willow. It seems that Anna, Willow's friend and roommate, and Milo, Willow's boyfriend, have decided to shake Willow's confidence by staging a "mugging," but it unfortunately is set to occur on the same morning as the World Trade Center is destroyed, Sept. 11, 2001. Now, none of her friends can locate Willow. The book then goes back to the time when Anna, Willow, Milo and the rest of their group first met as art students in college, four years earlier. The story continues to alternate back and forth, from the past to the present, exploring the complex relationship between Anna, Willow and their other friends, until finally the past collides with the present day.
I enjoyed how the two main characters, Anna and Willow, related to each other and the twists and turns of events and conversations between the duo. The story also illustrates the view held by the women of how hard it was for females to break into the art world and what they sometimes felt they had to do to pursue their dreams of "making it."