Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (272 pgs)
Other: Mention of Rape
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by NymphaeaMy name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.
Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it’s the truth?
More twists and turns than a roller coaster is an understatement.
This isn’t my usual flavor in books, I’ll admit. I’m horrible with mystery and figuring out whodunit. But the premise intrigued me. A woman in a coma. Hmm…I wondered how this would work out.
The writing flows well enough. It’s like reading a conversation. I had to keep going. It didn’t take me long to read the book and I finished it in one afternoon. Initially, I enjoyed the book. I mean, things happen, she’s in a coma and it’s not all beer and skittles. I have to mention there is a mention of rape and could be a trigger for some readers. I’ll admit it gave me the creeps.
The thing about this book wasn’t so much the initial reading. It was the questions afterward and how I analyzed it. Amber admits from the beginning she lies. I wasn’t fond of how down in the dumps she seemed to be on a constant basis. The more I read, the more I didn’t root for Amber. I kept thinking, how can this much bad happen to one person? Now remember, she lies. So after a while I thought…how much of this is a lie and how much, if any, is the truth? See? It messed with my head. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. Doesn’t mean it was fantastic to me, either. Just…odd.
There were a few twists I wished might have been handled better, but that’s life. Things don’t always wrap up neatly.
If you want a book that will stick with you far after the last page, then this might be the book for you.
Nice review. I too was drawn in by the coma and the catchy I Lie slogan. The plot seemed to be one that takes a lot of effort to focus on and I didnt have the time to devote to reading it. Needless to say I didn’t finish reading it. I may give it a try at a later date.