🔪☠️ The Lies We Told is a suspenseful, secrets & lies filled thriller! 🤐

Going back and forth between the past and the present we see the unfolding of two POVs. You know the stories will collide at some point but there is so much redirection and guessing that takes place along the way. I was riveted by both stories. The opening scene was chilling! First we meet Beth in 1986, a stay-at-home mother who is struggling with her daughter Hannah. Hannah was such a tantalizing character. There is something beyond frightening about a troubled child. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, waiting to see what would happen next with her. Then we meet Clara in 2017 who is the opposite of Hannah in every way. She personified trust, hope and goodness. Unfortunately, Clara wakes up one morning to discover that her boyfriend never made it home and is missing.

As I stated, you know these two stories converge. The questions are how and why. I'll be honest and say I was feeling pretty confident about having this one all figured out. The pieces began to fall into place and then I noticed there was still about 15% of the book left. What? How? Oh yes, plot twist!

This psychological thriller was filled with dark secrets, lies and satisfying twists!

Thank you to Camilla Way, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the arc.

5 Stars for The Hate U Give! (Note: I added a movie update below my review as I watched it & had to share a brief opinion on it as well!)

I was left with so many emotions after reading The Hate U Give. This book was powerful, charged, timely and just so raw & real. Tears streamed down my face numerous times as I read the book.

There are many reviews detailing the story so I won't do that. Instead, I'll focus on what stood out for me. Starr's voice was very real and I felt her emotions throughout the story. Her inner conflicts were relatable and poignant.

The dynamics between the characters was another one of my favorite aspects of the book. There was so much going on between Starr's family and friends and it all related and wove into the story beautifully. Each character was crucial and important. Honestly, Angie Thomas did a phenomenal job weaving in the entire community of Garden Heights to the story and bringing it to life.

I really enjoyed how Thomas chose to allow things to unfold bit by bit and we uncovered so much about Khalil right along with Starr. We saw so much development and change from all the characters. It is clear that the author wrote from the heart. Simply put, it's the kind of book that will remain with you long after you have turned the last page.

Update: Saw the movie - cried my eyes out and enjoyed every emotionally charged moment of it! That being said, like all book to movie adaptations much was lost in translation. There were some things that never made it into the movie and some things that were changed. It still had a powerful effect watching the story being told on screen BUT the book is definitely much better, filled with more detail especially those that stood to me about Starr's family and the community of Garden Heights. I was left with the thought that anyone that watches the movie should not miss out on reading this book if you want the full impact the way Angie Thomas intended.

5 Stars for this poignant, beautifully written debut YA novel inspired by real Holocaust events

One of the most touching aspects of this book for me was the strength, determination, loyalty and love each of the characters showed during such a bleak and desperate time. It isn’t easy to sustain positivity during such a horrifying time. Yet, family, friendship, hope, culture, devotion and religious beliefs paid a pivotal role in sustaining the Jewish people through the darkest of times when all else was lost.
In My Real Name is Hanna, Hanna Slivka is a young teen forced to leave her home and life as she knows it behind when the Germans cross the border into the Ukraine intent on making the land "Jew free". Along with members of her family and others from her village, she is forced into hiding in underground caves. There they live in the damp and cold darkness with meager amounts of food and little to no real comforts for over a year.

For a book focused on a time filled with such bleakness, cruelty and despair the story was beautiful, almost lyrical in its descriptions and emphasized compassion. It focused on the people that put their lives at risk to help others. The strong familial bonds and unyielding friendships depicted were a stark contrast to the prejudice, violence and hate of the time.

This is a powerful story that should be read and experienced by all.