Such a Good Liar

by Sue Wallman

Overview

She's faking her way into the most exclusive social circles for revenge. But how long can her lies hold up?

Seventeen-year-old Lydia Cornwallis has arrived on an exclusive Caribbean island populated only by the ultra-rich and their staff. The Harrington sisters rule the island, throwing lavish parties and treating everyone around them like toys for their amusement, and Lydia simply can't wait to meet them. 

Because she's not Lydia Cornwallis.

And the Harringtons have hell to pay for what they've done.

When a storm hits the island and all routes to the mainland are cut off, Lydia is given the perfect opportunity to exact her murderous revenge. With time running out and her identity about to be exposed, Lydia will need to draw on epic nerve, quicksilver adaptability, and sly cunning to carry out her deadly plans.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728283470
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	11/07/2023
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	496,336
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	HL800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Sue Wallman is a former magazine journalist who now works in a secondary school library. She grew up on the south coast of England, and graduated from Oxford Brookes with a degree in Publishing and English, and now lives in London.

Editorial Reviews

2023-08-31
In order to get even, a teen from a modest background infiltrates an exclusive, ultrarich social circle.

Shannon Jones has just landed on the Italian island of Fengari as Lydia Cornwallis, a socialite teen who’s ready to mingle. This isn’t something Shannon is doing for the fun of getting to be around some wealthy elites; she left London ready to pull off her carefully plotted revenge. Last summer, Shannon’s mother was a seasonal domestic helper at Clifftop House, home of the Harrington family. There, her mum witnessed sisters Annabel and Emily Harrington continually persecute Bobby, a young gardener. Later, his body mysteriously washed up in a cove. Shortly after that, Shannon’s mum died. Now Shannon is impersonating Lydia, the daughter of the Harringtons’ family friends. With help from the real Lydia, who thinks it’s all just a fun prank, she’s ready to fake her way into Annabel and Emily’s orbit. Not even the threat of a hurricane can ruin her plan. While the middle picks up after a slow start, the resolution feels rushed. These pacing issues are compounded by the fact that the teen characters largely feel interchangeable, and the romance storyline seems disconnected from the rest of the plot. Evil characters whom readers will love to hate are the most attractive element, but the ending, in which they should get their comeuppance, is unsatisfying. Most characters read white.

An enticing setup that doesn’t deliver on its promises. (Thriller. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews