The Truth and Other Lies
Author: Sascha Arango
Release Date: June 23rd, 2015
Publisher: Viking (Penguin)
Summary:
On the surface, Henry Hayden seems like someone you could like, or even admire. A famous bestselling author who appears a modest everyman. A loving, devoted husband even though he could have any woman he desires. A generous friend and coworker. But Henry Hayden is a construction, a mask. His past is a secret, his methods more so. No one besides him and his wife know that she is the actual writer of the novels that made him famous.
For most of Henry’s life, it hasn’t been a problem. But when his hidden-in-plain-sight mistress becomes pregnant and his carefully constructed facade is about to crumble, he tries to find a permanent solution, only to make a terrible mistake.
Now not only are the police after Henry, but his past—which he has painstakingly kept hidden—threatens to catch up with him as well. Henry is an ingenious man and he works out an ingenious plan. He weaves lies, truths, and half-truths into a story that might help him survive. But bit by bit the noose still tightens.
Smart, sardonic, and compulsively readable, here is the story of a man whose cunning allows him to evade the consequences of his every action, even when he’s standing on the edge of the abyss.(Goodreads)
First Lines:
No getting away from it. A quick glance at the image was enough to give shape to the dim suspicions of the past months.
Review:
*Thank you, NetGalley for a review copy of this book*
I’ll be totally honest, this wont be a long review. I congratulate myself on finishing this book. I don’t think it was really a bad book, I just didn’t like it. There were a few things structurally that I didn’t enjoy at all although I did like the story and the potential it had.
My biggest issue was with how much it jumped around. It felt like the narrator was constantly changing but there was no “sign” that it had changed. This meant that I’d be reading along and would all of a sudden just feel really confused. Things just stopped making sense until I caught on to the fact that the narrator had changed. Even after I’d caught on to this and was on the lookout for it, I didn’t always detect the change right away and it made the story feel really choppy. I couldn’t really get into the events being told because I felt like I was using so much effort just to try to stay in the loop.
The fact that it was mostly, from what I remember, told from Henry’s POV was a love/hate type of thing for me. I love seeing things as the MC thinks about them. It usually helps me get more invested in the story. That being said, I didn’t like Henry at all and being privy to his thoughts just creeped me out.
I thought the whole premise of the story was great. It had the potential to be really interesting and based on what I’ve seen on Goodreads, it’s really sucked people into the events.
FINAL VERDICT:
I only finished this book because I had to know how it ended. It really didn’t do it for me at all other than my “curiosity killed the cat” curse. I found that the MC made me increasingly uncomfortable. That being said, it was my first real adventure into this genre of book so it’s totally plausible that it’s just not my type of book. I can totally see how some people would love this book. There are a ton of unexpected twists and turns that will definitely keep you guessing!
If you’re unsure, I suggest borrowing it from the library and seeing how you feel first!
Brains, Books, and Brawns 