As with Sager’s Final Girls, he creates a story and characters where the blurb interests you more than the actual output. The Last Time I Lied feels familiar and not in the nostalgic, cozy way.

Pros :

1. Vivian. Her arc’s interesting.

2. The ending, which if the beginning and middle worked better, should have packed a bigger punch.

Cons :

1. Mind you I read an arc. Hopefully, the final product changes the long chapters killing this story’s pace. Too much exposition and description killed its momentum.

2. Unlikeable characters suffering from a lack of connection. Why can’t Sager write characters in which to rally? Even if they’re unlikeable, I can root for them. However, only one person gain half my interest.

3. The plot’s rather meddling. Camp with a possible spooky past connection and missing girls would’ve worked in more capable hands.

4. The female perspective comes off as cliched and cut from several novels. I would’ve liked fresh characters beyond the mean girl and her two minions, along with the crazed survivor, working through her issues as she stumbles into more drama.

I rated this 2 out of 5 for its rather mediocre approach to a story that should have worked but ran with tediousness.

*Thanks NetGalley for the arc in return for an unbiased review*