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A review by reneedecoskey
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was a fun psychological thriller, and definitely a bit creepy at times. When Emma Davis was 13 years old, she went to Camp Nightingale, and because she arrived so late, she was placed in a cabin with three other girls -- Vivian, Natalie, and Allison -- who are all older than her by a few years. Still, Vivian takes Emma under her wing and says she's going to be her "big sister."
But two weeks later, Emma wakes up and the girls are gone. Vanished without a trace. The only thing that's ever found is one of Vivian's sweatshirts -- one that she wasn't even wearing when she left -- neatly folded on a rock. Camp closes and Emma finds herself in a psychiatric hospital not long after because she can't stop seeing the girls and she feels like it's her fault that they disappeared.
Fifteen years later, Emma is an artist. The only way she can stop having visions of Vivian is to paint the girls and then paint over them. Hiding them in her paintings as she paints dense forest around them. At her gallery opening, a familiar face shows up: Franny Harris-White. Franny was the proprietor of Camp Nightingale and she's come to invite Emma to a lunch at her penthouse. When Emma goes, intrigued because she thinks wealthy Franny may be about to commission some work, she finds out instead that, after 15 years of dormancy, Franny is planning to reopen Camp Nightingale that summer, and she'd like Emma to come teach painting.
Emma is confused, but ultimately agrees to go. She sees this as an opportunity to search for clues and try to find out what happened to the girls all those years ago.
From there, things begin to mirror her original trip to camp very closely. There are faces that she recognizes (albeit older than before). There's even an issue with the staff lodging that means that she has to bunk in a cabin with three of the campers. She ends up in Dogwood -- her old cabin -- back in her old bed, even. She has the same hickory trunk with all the names carved into it. And her roommates -- campers Miranda, Sasha, and Krystal -- remind her a lot of Vivian, Allison, and Natalie, respectively.
As she continues her search for clues, Emma begins to learn things about Camp Nightingale's past and about Franny herself. But it's not just her who is involved, and eventually things end up being a little bit TOO similar to her last trip there. But will she be able to unlock the mystery before it's too late?
There were lots of twists and turns in this book that kept me guessing right until the end what happened. As soon as you think you know, you realize you don't know because you're only given the necessary information a little at a time. That's my favorite kind of thriller to read because it keeps me from figuring it out too early.
But two weeks later, Emma wakes up and the girls are gone. Vanished without a trace. The only thing that's ever found is one of Vivian's sweatshirts -- one that she wasn't even wearing when she left -- neatly folded on a rock. Camp closes and Emma finds herself in a psychiatric hospital not long after because she can't stop seeing the girls and she feels like it's her fault that they disappeared.
Fifteen years later, Emma is an artist. The only way she can stop having visions of Vivian is to paint the girls and then paint over them. Hiding them in her paintings as she paints dense forest around them. At her gallery opening, a familiar face shows up: Franny Harris-White. Franny was the proprietor of Camp Nightingale and she's come to invite Emma to a lunch at her penthouse. When Emma goes, intrigued because she thinks wealthy Franny may be about to commission some work, she finds out instead that, after 15 years of dormancy, Franny is planning to reopen Camp Nightingale that summer, and she'd like Emma to come teach painting.
Emma is confused, but ultimately agrees to go. She sees this as an opportunity to search for clues and try to find out what happened to the girls all those years ago.
From there, things begin to mirror her original trip to camp very closely. There are faces that she recognizes (albeit older than before). There's even an issue with the staff lodging that means that she has to bunk in a cabin with three of the campers. She ends up in Dogwood -- her old cabin -- back in her old bed, even. She has the same hickory trunk with all the names carved into it. And her roommates -- campers Miranda, Sasha, and Krystal -- remind her a lot of Vivian, Allison, and Natalie, respectively.
As she continues her search for clues, Emma begins to learn things about Camp Nightingale's past and about Franny herself. But it's not just her who is involved, and eventually things end up being a little bit TOO similar to her last trip there. But will she be able to unlock the mystery before it's too late?
There were lots of twists and turns in this book that kept me guessing right until the end what happened. As soon as you think you know, you realize you don't know because you're only given the necessary information a little at a time. That's my favorite kind of thriller to read because it keeps me from figuring it out too early.