A review by astoriareader
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

SYNOPSIS:
  • Fifteen years ago, Emma Davis went to summer camp, and her three cabin mates snuck out in the middle of the night & they vanished without a trace.
  • In the present day, Emma is an artist & living in NYC. The owner of the summer camp is reopening the camp, and she asks if Emma wants to return as an art instructor. Emma decides to go for it, as a way to get closure.
  • At camp, Emma is paired in a cabin with three teenagers, and history begins to repeat itself. 

MY THOUGHTS
  • Atmospheric thriller. I enjoyed the summer camp setting.
  • Interesting premise.

SPOILERS

  • Ugh, okay, spoilers ahead as to why I went 3 stars on this one.
  • I don’t really feel like Riley Sager, aka Todd Ritter, should be writing so many characters from women’s POV, particularly about a teenage girl getting her first period.
  • If y’all play two truths & a lie one more time, I am going to lose it.
  • Every character is accused at some point.
  • What was even the point of the whole asylum backstory?! 
  • The first clue that she finds is in a trunk?! What? Has it been there 15 years? Why does she need the map anyway?
  • Emma’s “secrets" were not very interesting. She was 13, and they were totally understandable, given her age, maturity, and the situation.
  • Okay, so where did Vivian go? She was a teenager. Where had she been living? How did she have money? A statewide manhunt was underway for the girls. Make it make sense.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ehhh, not my favorite.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings