Blog Tour: Lies Like Love by Louisa Reid

LIES

'There were a few problems . . . bullying . . . a fire . . .'

LIKE'

I think she's verging on psychosis . . . now she's lashing out.

' LOVE'

She's got no one else to fight for her.'

Sixteen year-old Audrey just wants to be normal.She's trying to fit in.But what happens when the person closest to you suffocates you with their love?What happens then?

I had no knowledge of this book before I accepted this blog tour. I read the synopsis, it sounded cool, that was that. I was sort of expecting something like Dangerous Girls but quickly realised it wasn't. And for that, I was glad; this book is absolutely incredible!

Told in dual perspective, we see Audrey and her family move to a new house, after something terrible has happened. Everything is kept close to the chest; very quickly, I got the impression that Audrey has issues but it wasn't that simple. The other side of the story is Leo, a sixth former living with his aunt down the road. Leo was adorable, he was kind and wanted to help but he was on the outside looking in, not wanting to cross a line. The whole situation, developing into something complicated and unsettling, with mental health was difficult to deal with and you could see the struggle with Leo and his aunt not understanding and feeling so helpless.

The big thing with this story was how uncomfortable it was to read. Don't get me wrong, it was amazing, but not being able to trust what you saw, and feeling powerless to help, was horrible. It was terrifying to see it unfold; the Thing, her mother (batcrap crazy, said so from the start), the mental health, the labels. Even once you knew what was happening, it takes a hell of a lot of bravery to remove yourself from that and to get over it. I feel hard for Audrey's story; it might have made my skin crawl but it was heartfelt and powerful. 

Published 5th June 2014 by Penguin. Thank you to the author for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

There is also a giveaway throughout the tour! Click on the rafflecopter link right here to win: one signed copy of Lies Like Love, one signed copy of Black Heart Blue and one bag of swag.