Sometimes I Lie- Yawn!

 Too much of anything is bad. That sums it all up about the book, "Sometimes I Lie" by Alice Feeney. This book is rated highly on Goodreads and is now going to be a "major TV series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar"! So, it looks like I might have read too many of psychological thrillers that I didn't enjoy this one. The story has all kinds of stale cliches of this genre forced into one book.

(Image credit: https://www.amazon.in/Sometimes-Lie-Novel-Alice-Feeney/dp/1250144841)

On a Christmas day, Amber realizes she is in a hospital bed in coma because of an accident she doesn't remember much of. As the book and all the reviews don't forget to mention, 3 things you should know about the protagonist in her own words:

"1) I am in a coma

 2) My husband doesn't love me anymore

 3) Sometimes I lie"

There are 3 narratives in the book (A list of 3 is significant to the lead character btw):

1) While in coma, she can hear and process everything going on around her. Her close family includes her writer husband, Paul who she suspected earlier of having an affair and her sister Claire who has recently had a pair of twin babies with her husband, David. They come to visit her often. She frequently has deep nightmares about her accident and the past and constantly feels suffocated in her body due to her situation. She tries to put things together in her mind to remember what exactly happened to her. Analogies here and throughout the book are pretty smartly written. However, I did not enjoy reading the details of her nightmares, they made me uncomfortable.

2) Before her accident, Amber was an unhappy woman at her work in a radio station and in her marriage. She was hatching a devious plan with her friend Jo to get her senior, Madeline Frost fired from her own show.  One of these days, when she is walking the street really upset, she meets her ex, Edward who is now a Doctor recently relocated to the same city. Sparks do fly a bit here. She goes on a "non-date" with Edward that leads to something unpleasant.

3) You get to read diaries of the character from when she was a child back in 1992. Honestly, this part was highly yawn inducing and I am pretty sure I skipped the first few chapters that focused on the diary. It has the same old tired trope that you get to read in many of the books of Gone Girl genre. The way it's written is a little reminiscent of Little Fires Everywhere.

The story is all about figuring out with Amber what circumstances and people led her to being in the hospital  in coma and what happens if she woke up.

Mind you, I have been watching the show, Marcella too. So, a concoction of the show and this book was definitely not the right choice! I am not saying they are both that bad, but they have people that are not in the right state emotionally. I felt like these characters should not be forced to continue doing what they are doing. Instead, they should recognize that some help would do them good and seek it. (I mean this matter of factly and with all respect)

(Image credit: https://www.amazon.in/Sometimes-Lie-Novel-Alice-Feeney/dp/1250144841)

The thing about this book that made me lose interest was the number of never-ending twists that kept coming. It came to a point where I forgot every last twist! There are too many things happening at all times in the story and while it's tiring to keep up with them all, I am sure if they were interesting, I would have made an effort to do just that! I kept thinking, "ok here comes the ending" but it didn't for another 5 chapters! And even the ending exhausts you! Just like Clare Mackintosh's book Let Me Lie, this books makes its characters suffer and suffer more without an end in sight. Apparently, the "shocking ending" of this book might mean a sequel! God no!

While I personally rated this book 1 on Goodreads, I would suggest you read it and let me know what you think. I am only 1% that rated it so low while some 60% have rated it highly. So, don't take my word for it, do read it and let me know what you think.