Lies Like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher

Release: November 10th, 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: The Book Terminal
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Indiebound,

Poppy, Lily, and Belladonna would do anything to protect their best friend, Raven. So when they discovered he was suffering abuse at the hands of his stepmother, they came up with a lethal plan: petals of poppy, belladonna, and lily in her evening tea, so she’d never been able to hurt Raven again. But someone got cold feet, the plot faded to a secret of the past, and the group fell apart.

Three years later, on the eve of Raven’s seventeenth birthday, his stepmother turns up dead. But it’s only belladonna found in her tea, and it’s only Belladonna who’s carted off to jail. Desperate for help, Belle reaches out to her estranged friends to prove her innocence. They answer the call, but no one is prepared for what comes next.

Now, everyone has something to lose, and something equally dangerous to hide. And when the tangled web of secrets and betrayal is finally unwound, what lies at its heart will change the group forever.

About the Author:

Chelsea Pitcher is a karaoke-singing, ocean-worshipping Oregonian with a penchant for twisty mysteries. She began gobbling up stories as soon as she could read and especially enjoys delving into the darker places to see if she can draw out some light. She is the author of THE S-WORD, THE LAST CHANGELING & THE LAST FAERIE QUEEN. THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU,
Watch for her new YA thriller LIES LIKE POISON coming November 10, 2020, from Simon & Schuster.

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Lies Like Poison Review:

What a creative YA mystery this turned out to be!

Firstly, I enjoyed the four main characters. While Jack steals the show, I also liked Belle, Raven, and Lily. Each of them is unique in their manner. The author wonderfully highlighted the LGBT theme with queer and transgender people. It was interesting to see the characters develop over the mystery plot. Initially, it took a while for me to learn the gender role because of their names and relationships. However, once I got the hang of them, the story was so good!

It was also interesting to see who killed Raven’s mom, Evelyn. The story also alternates between different perspectives and makes it fresh and fascinating. I also loved the flashbacks that set the relationships between the characters. Some of my favorite moments were when Raven and Belle meet, and she is scared of telling Edwin, or when Jack and Belle talk about Jack’s abusive childhood. Similarly, all the characters have broken childhoods that connect them somehow.

I also loved the hints of the fairy tales that the author embeds in the storyline. From Jack and the Beanstalk to Snow White, the author seamlessly adds some of the classics to the storyline. Moreover, throughout the book, the author maintains a mystery level when you feel like you are slowly unraveling the truth behind all the secrets.

Surprisingly, the story took a turn that I did not expect. The climax threw me and was pretty good. Overall, “Lies like Poison” is very intriguing with a dynamic cast.