✦ BLURB ✦
The first lie made Lily a savior. The second framed Clara for murder.
If it weren't for Lily, Clara would still be a total outcast, shunned for her role in an incident that gave her a criminal record and ruined another girl's life. She's spent the past two years trying to escape that night, and ever since Lily Dalton befriended her, she's almost succeeded. After all, Lily's the golden girl of the high school--smart, popular, beloved by all--and as her best friend, Clara's now the bright, hard-working chemistry whiz.
But is Lily really just the good-hearted friend who saved Clara from the past? Because lately Lily has been talking about certain classmates and teachers--about wanting revenge. Do you ever think about making them pay? she asks. How would you do it? Lily has to be joking. At least that's what Clara thinks, until she finds a folder that outlines a deadly plan, including detailed steps and a list of targets in their school.
Shockingly, there's even more to Lily's plan, and it has everything to do with Clara. After all, everyone already knows what she did two years ago. Suddenly all the evidence has been turned against her, and there's no way she can prove her innocence. And the people on that list of targets? One after the next, they're meeting terrible fates, and Clara's looking guiltier by the second. It's up to Clara to find the truth and clear her name, before it's too late.
✶ PRE-READING ✶
Teen thrillers have become such a huge genre over the last couple of years, but this specific flavour - a misaccused teen trying to clear her name - is still rare. I was interested to see how it would work.
✶ POST-READING ✶
As I thought... You can taste the tension in this one, especially as rumours start spreading through the school. The court of public opinion is much crueler than any actual court, and Clara has some serious problems at different times.
It surprised me by... How committed Lily was to the bit. Everything she did for several years was all dedicated to setting Clara up, and it was only a few lucky accidents that showed Clara how to stop her in the end.
✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦
Book Recommendation: No Place left to Hide by Megan Lally
TV or Movie Recommendation: Knives Out may not be quite as tense, but it's a lot of fun.
✧ VIBE CHECK ✧
A colour palette: Neon lights, blood spray on grass
A soundtrack: Indie pop
A season: Autumn - when the weather is just on the turn
A mood: Desperate, fast breaths
A scent: Marker pen and potato chips
★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★
Seven of Swords. Lily's whole persona is this card. She's built a fake face, but behind it she's plotting Clara's downfall, betraying her in every moment.
Final Thoughts
A fantastic read. Unlike a lot of the teen thrillers, the who is never in question - we know exactly who's set Clara up. What we're looking for is the why. Following Clara on her investigations and watching her piece the whole story together was amazingly satisfying.
Best for readers who
- Don't need their answers handed to them
- Enjoy reading about teens being teens
- Can handle some tension in their fiction
Two Perfect Lies publishes on the 3rd March, 2026. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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