Friends and Other Liars by Kaela Coble @Sourcebooks

It has been ten years since Ruby left her hometown behind. Since then she’s built a life away from her recovering alcoholic mother and her first love, Murphy. But when Danny, one of her estranged friends from childhood, commits suicide, guilt draws Ruby back into the tumultuous world she escaped all those years ago.

She’s dreading the funeral – and with good reason. Danny has left a series of envelopes addressed to his former friends. Inside each envelope is a secret about every person in the group. Ruby’s secret is so explosive, she will fight tooth-and-nail to keep it hidden from those she once loved so deeply, even if that means risking everything…

Review

Friends and Other Liars by Kaela Coble begins with the death of Danny. His friends are back home at Chatwick for his funeral when they are informed that he left letters for all of them. As the blurb reveals, the letters contain secrets. You see, Danny had dirt on everyone and so he knew some of the secrets that they were keeping from each other. These are the letters that he left behind for his friends.

The story is narrated by different characters. Ruby is the main narrator but a number of chapters are told from the POV of the other characters. In addition to the multi-narrators, the story alternates between the past and the present. It might seem like a lot was going on but this didn’t affect the flow of the narrative. I was still able to keep up with everyone and I enjoyed the different POVs.

I really liked this book and read the first half pretty fast. However, my reading slowed down during the second half. The pacing in the book remained the same but I was dealing with different emotions that made me want to go through the story a bit slower. I loved the past narrations in the story. I really liked the group of friends despite how flawed they all seemed. However, I was also moved by the present narrations which I could relate to. The fact that life happened and the friends grew apart. I have lost touch with so many friends along the way so this book brought up memories, mixed emotions and a whole lot of regret.

The author did a great job in crafting the characters. Each one of them was unique and I enjoyed getting to know them through the chapters. I also loved the setting. Chatwick is a small town where residents love a good gossip and everyone knows everyone. It is also the kind of town where most people don’t leave. I really enjoyed this setting and its people. I liked the imagery of the touristic sites and how the residents were protective of their town.

Friends and Other Liars by Kaela Coble is a book that I didn’t want to end. I wanted to stay with the characters and continue getting to know them. I was so invested in their stories and was sad when I finally had to turn the last page. This was an addictive, immersive narrative and I enjoyed every single page. I can’t recommend it enough.