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A review by megsbookishtwins
Lies Like Love by Louisa Reid
5.0
I received this free from the publisher via NetGalley
'She thought I would just sit there like Madison; she thought she could pull a sting in my back, make me say the words she'd decided a good girl would utter. She thought she could say Leo was a rapist. She thought lots of things and all of them were wrong'
Audrey's mother has moved her and her brother, Peter, to a new place down south. They call it the Grange. Across the road lives Leo. Both Audrey and Leo want to be normal. To be free. Audrey wants this to be a fresh start, but she is slowly being suffocated, and controlled, by the person closest to her.
Lies Like Love is a fantastically written, and complex and thought provoking novel. I did not really know what I was getting myself into when I started reading this. The synopsis doesn't really reveal much, as it is quite mysterious. But I found myself fully engrossed in this captivating novel about a girl and her mind. I do not read many books about mental illness, so this subject is quite new to me. I can't really say I enjoyed it in a sense, because it was not a happy book, not really. But I was captivated and I would be turning pages after pages. It sent my emotions into whack and I started to feel very protective and passionate about our female protagonist, Audrey. I wanted to scream from the rooftops for someone to help her, for everyone to stop being blind, and can't they see that she is getting worse at the Grange, not better? I feel really strong about this book, and the characters, both positively and negatively.
Audrey was by far a favourite character of mine. It must be very frightening to be in a constant battle with your own mind. She is a very strong character. She knows about her mother, (I am trying to not reveal too much here), yet she goes back to her for her brother. She needs to protect him and keep him safe. She is always thinking about others and not herself. She is a character that I strongly admire. I was very proud of her when she stood up to her mother. I do not sympathise with Lorraine, Audrey's mother, at all. She had an explanation for what she did, but that doesn't justify it. I feel a lot of anger towards Lorraine, for how she treated Audrey. It made me angry when people wanted her to go back, to make up with her mother, and how could they be so blind? How could no one ask how she was? Why they fought? Try to help? Mental illness is a tricky subject, but even her doctors and psychiatrist seemed blind to Lorraine's manipulations. Couldn't see how she was treating her? Controlling her. Talking for her, and not letting Audrey talk for herself. Lying about things, then dismissing them when Audrey denies them. Her fake smiles, her lies and manipulation. It got me so angry. But that is the point isn't it? Sometimes it is hard to see those things. Peter, Audrey's brother, was such a sweetheart. He always stuck by her side, tried to make her smile when she was upset, told her she was pretty when her mother said otherwise. Such a sweet boy, it was hard not to care for him. Leo was the other main protagonist. I didn't love him as much as Audrey, but I liked that he made Audrey happy.
Lies Like Love is an complex novel which will have your heart pounding from the very beginning, with characters you will adore and you will want to wrap in a blanket, give them a cuppa and listen to their story.
'She thought I would just sit there like Madison; she thought she could pull a sting in my back, make me say the words she'd decided a good girl would utter. She thought she could say Leo was a rapist. She thought lots of things and all of them were wrong'
Audrey's mother has moved her and her brother, Peter, to a new place down south. They call it the Grange. Across the road lives Leo. Both Audrey and Leo want to be normal. To be free. Audrey wants this to be a fresh start, but she is slowly being suffocated, and controlled, by the person closest to her.
Lies Like Love is a fantastically written, and complex and thought provoking novel. I did not really know what I was getting myself into when I started reading this. The synopsis doesn't really reveal much, as it is quite mysterious. But I found myself fully engrossed in this captivating novel about a girl and her mind. I do not read many books about mental illness, so this subject is quite new to me. I can't really say I enjoyed it in a sense, because it was not a happy book, not really. But I was captivated and I would be turning pages after pages. It sent my emotions into whack and I started to feel very protective and passionate about our female protagonist, Audrey. I wanted to scream from the rooftops for someone to help her, for everyone to stop being blind, and can't they see that she is getting worse at the Grange, not better? I feel really strong about this book, and the characters, both positively and negatively.
Audrey was by far a favourite character of mine. It must be very frightening to be in a constant battle with your own mind. She is a very strong character. She knows about her mother, (I am trying to not reveal too much here), yet she goes back to her for her brother. She needs to protect him and keep him safe. She is always thinking about others and not herself. She is a character that I strongly admire. I was very proud of her when she stood up to her mother. I do not sympathise with Lorraine, Audrey's mother, at all. She had an explanation for what she did, but that doesn't justify it. I feel a lot of anger towards Lorraine, for how she treated Audrey. It made me angry when people wanted her to go back, to make up with her mother, and how could they be so blind? How could no one ask how she was? Why they fought? Try to help? Mental illness is a tricky subject, but even her doctors and psychiatrist seemed blind to Lorraine's manipulations. Couldn't see how she was treating her? Controlling her. Talking for her, and not letting Audrey talk for herself. Lying about things, then dismissing them when Audrey denies them. Her fake smiles, her lies and manipulation. It got me so angry. But that is the point isn't it? Sometimes it is hard to see those things. Peter, Audrey's brother, was such a sweetheart. He always stuck by her side, tried to make her smile when she was upset, told her she was pretty when her mother said otherwise. Such a sweet boy, it was hard not to care for him. Leo was the other main protagonist. I didn't love him as much as Audrey, but I liked that he made Audrey happy.
Lies Like Love is an complex novel which will have your heart pounding from the very beginning, with characters you will adore and you will want to wrap in a blanket, give them a cuppa and listen to their story.