Book Review: The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
Published June 2017
Vintage Digital
One-sentence summary:
After years apart, four longtime friends come back together after they each get a text from Kate, “I need you.”
Isa was no angel as a young teenager.
She and her three friends made up the lying game, in which they would tell increasingly outlandish lies to get out of trouble, or just to have fun.
But while the rest of the world was open for ridicule, they were steadfastly loyal to each other. Even after years apart, there is no hesitation about coming together with a single, three- word summons.
“I need you.”
Danger, old hurts, townspeople’s scorn; Isa endures it all while toting around her baby.
Real life, after all, doesn’t take time off for your personal drama.
Ruth Ware makes an interesting (and correct) choice in bringing a baby into The Lying Game. One who’s still nursing, at that.
It brings an extra dimension to the story and a layer of suspense and potential consequences. Could this innocent creature be hurt? Could Isa spend her life in jail?
Suspense takes on a new level when you’re personally responsible for someone. In thrillers, the main character is by necessity usually embroiled in self-preservation. Here, it has to take a back seat.
There are three things to know about Ruth Ware’s books:
- She writes beautifully and sometimes frustratingly flawed protagonists.
- She kills her darlings. While there isn’t a Game of Thrones level of carnage, don’t expect your favorite character to survive past the final page.
- She doesn’t go for the happy ending. Resolved? Yes. Happy? No.
And that’s why I love Ruth Ware’s writing. They’re wistful, heartbreaking, and leave the reader with a palpable longing for what could have been.
