Review: Beautiful Lies
Beautiful Lies by Jessica WarmanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Alice and Rachel are identical twins, at least on the outside. Of course, identical twins never are completely identical. Rachel is the good friend, the good student, and the loyal girlfriend whereas Alice is the rebellious and scrappy survivor. When Rachel goes missing at the carnival, it is up to Alice to unravel the truth about why Rachel disappeared so she can find her before it's too late. Along the way, Alice realizes that in order to discover the truth about Rachel, she also needs to acknowledge a few truths about herself.
Initially, Beautiful Lies seems like an ESP twist on the supernatural themes in Warman's previous novel, Between, but much like the movie, Donnie Darko, the reader keeps guessing whether what is at work is a supernatural force or mental illness.
As always, Jessica Warman brings her impeccable skill at rendering the characters and dynamics of a small town. She gives enough detail to make everything real, but never gives too much away. This chilling mystery will keep you guessing until the last page.