Sometimes I Lie
- Alice Feeney
- May 8, 2017
- 2 min read
This is one of those books I'll be telling all my friends about. It is totally gripping, keeps you guessing and has an unexpected twist at the end.
I was initially drawn to this book by its tagline – I am in a coma, my husband doesn't love me any more, sometimes I lie. I love stories with lies and deceit, they always have strong psychological turmoil between the characters.
The story is written over three timelines – Now, whilst Amber is in a coma – Then, the days leading up to Amber's accident – and Before, written as diary entries from 1991. The diary entries give a deeper background of the lead characters, how their minds work and why they have become disturbed complex people. Amber writes as much as she can think about in her diary as a child but if she can't express herself she writes three facts for the day. In the present, while Amber is in a coma, she carries on with this three facts style in her mind and that's how we get the tagline on the book cover.
The story becomes very complex, not confusing or muddled but you do need to pay attention, and much of the scary part is while Amber is in her coma and she hears everything around her. She can't yet remember what happened to her but she suspects her husband has something to do with her accident, she doesn't trust him and feels frightened when he visits. She's not convinced Claire, her sister, has her best interests at heart and so desperately needs to remember what's happened to her. There are some sinister characters, her ex-boyfriend who has access to her as he works in the hospital, and a little girl who Amber doesn't think is real keeps paying her mind a visit. Who is Jo? Why is it so important to see Madeleine off the radio show that Amber works on? and what about the recognition of Madeleine's house? Such a lot keeps your mind flicking back and forth wondering what the relevance is of a new piece of the story.
As psychological thrillers go, this is one of the best I've read. Some of the phrases used are so very eloquent and really describe a situation well, paints a picture with words. This is one I will certainly recommend and look forward to more by Alice Feeney.
https://www.alicefeeney.com/