Lying About Last Summer has been high up on my must read now list for a few months.... basically ever since I heard more about it I knew I would love it. It sounded like my kind of book, a thriller, a mystery and with a comparison to We Were Liars meets Thirteen Reasons Why I couldn’t wait to jump straight into the book as soon as it arrived on my door step! And, at first, the camp's not the bad. Yes, there are some people there that Skye dislikes and some of the activities remind Skye too much of her sister. But then the text messages start. The texts that can't be possible. As they sent on an messaging app, in a private group. And only two people know the passcode for the app. One is Skye and the other is her sister...

This YA thriller really kept me going to the bitter end, and I found the second half to be fast-paced and simply impossible to put down where Skye becomes more paranoid of everyone around her at the activity camp, and comes to wonder if they're responsible in some way. What really made this book amazing is where I was having trouble trying to work it all out, and the outcome came so unexpected and for me that's what a thriller is all about! Summary: Impressive characterisation, powerful writing and a thrilling plot. If you love plot-based fiction, you will love this book. If you prefer character-driven stories, you'll equally want to read this. I'd give it 6 stars if I could. Skye makes friends with Faye, Joe and Brandon who she builds a close relationship with and gave this story a hopeful outlook which was lovely. However upon reading this, I was so let down, I was really close to not finishing this. The only reason I continued was because I wanted to know who it was. It was pretty predictable as well.We follow Skye's journey of grieving for her sister, the guilt she feels and the secrets that surround her from the past and in the present. I warmed to Skye straight away and really liked her and her voice. I really felt what she was feeling in every moment whether that be dealing with her feelings of guilt, grief or trying to move on with her life. Many of these themes are reasonably hard-hitting, but they are handled in an accessible way that is ideal for a young adult audience. It is a mixture of harsh reality and poignancy, and I found this aspect of the book to be very believable and well-written, tying in smartly with the concept as a whole. I don't want to go to much into the characters through fear of spoilers, but I as well as Skye suspected everyone throughout the book! It kept me guessing! Sue Wallman is a journalist who lives in London with her husband and three teenage daughters. In 2013 she won the Bailey’s Women’s Prize first chapter award judged by Rachel Joyce and Kate Mosse. LYING ABOUT LAST SUMMER is her first novel . Sue Wallman is a former magazine journalist who grew up on the south coast of England and now lives near Kingston-upon-Thames.

I loved the (subtle) thrill that was woven in with every detail. The word picture was lively and amazing, and the characters were quite well-established. The story was satisfying too. A bit different from what I've been reading lately. At the heart of this novel is a heartbreaking event and Skye's journey throughout, and her coming to terms which what happened, was portrayed in a haunting and realistic way. Sky's story was incredibly interesting and very well written. And, on a side note, the cover for this book is so lush you guys! Not only is it super gorgeous (and as author Sue Wallman said the reddish glow on the cover could be sunshine in the water or blood, dun dun dun) but it has a super awesome finish which makes it feel all special and I couldn't stop stroking the cover while reading. Please tell me I'm not the only one?! Skye is looking for an escape from the reality of last summer when her sister died in a tragic accident. Her parents think that a camp for troubled teenagers might help her process her grief. A huge thank you to Faye Rogers and Scholastic for having me on this wonderful tour and for sending me the book to read and review!Skye is at battle with depression since her sister died. Her mother forces her to join a summer camp for 'bereaved' kids with thrilling adventures and positivity and lessons on blithe. Nightmares about her sister's murder haunt her every night. But is her sister really dead? Skye starts receiving messages from her supposedly dead sister and she must find out where her sister is. But if Skye had the opportunity to save someone from the same fate as her sister, would she? Will that free her from the terror of those events that haunt her? Lying About Last Summer is the debut YA psychological thriller by former journalist Sue Wallman and was selected for the Zoella Book Club in autumn 2016. Pitched perfectly at a YA audience of 12-16, the synopsis does this novel a disservice by misrepresenting it as throwaway horror novel for the teen market, when in actual fact this is a multi-layered and astute novel of a teenage girls bereavement. In a narrative which doesn’t ever get close to being preachy the teenager cast speak in the believable lazy text-speak of today and the novel can be read and throughly enjoyed as a simple thriller without any of the deeper concepts getting in the way of a character driven story. Vast in scope, Wallman successfully manages to overlay the witty narrative of shrewd sixteen-year-old Skye Colton with a cast of nuanced characters and place them in the potentially cringe-inducing confines of a bereavement camp.

Another thing I was a bit disappointed about was the main setting of Morley Hill. The idea behind it was very good, but given that it plays such a big role in the book, it is a shame that it did not feel especially well realised. There were some good descriptions here and there, but generally I found it hard to visualise as one central location. Sometimes you need a story that's nothing stressfull or complicated or demanding; something light, relaxing and interesting and engrossing. Now any one who knows me knows I am a huge fan of the old Point Horror books from the 90’s and initially upon reading the blurb I was excited as it had that feel of a Point Horror title, but in a modern day setting. This in itself intrigued me from the offset. We follow Skye’s journey of grieving for her sister, the guilt she feels and the secrets that surround her from the past and in the present. I warmed to Skye straight away and really liked her and her voice. I really felt what she was feeling in every moment whether that be dealing with her feelings of guilt, grief or trying to move on with her life.The plot at times felt somewhat insubstantial, but as it developed, it became clear that this would be a coming of age story, of how Skye uses her inner bravery to overcome her trauma. The book's central mystery was resolved much earlier than I was expecting, and instead giving way to an ending that was more dramatic and tense. What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Young Adult book was set in a mental ward that the main character's dad owned, and she lived there with her parents. I remember that the main character collected fountain pens and the book had a purple cover. There was a gay couple. Spoilers. [s] Lying About Last Summer has been high up on my must read now list for a few months…. basically ever since I heard more about it I knew I would love it. It sounded like my kind of book, a thriller, a mystery and with a comparison to We Were Liars meets Thirteen Reasons Why I couldn’t wait to jump straight into the book as soon as it arrived on my door step!