Format read: paperback provided by publisher
Genre: literary fiction
Release Date: February 16th 2012
Number of pages: 384 pages
Publisher: Penguin UK
Formats available: ebook, paperback
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, Penguin UK, Book Depository (UK), Book Depository (US)

What if your best friend tried to ruin your life?

Take two childhood friends: glamorous, rich Chrissie and clever, down to earth Anna. But what was once the perfect friendship – despite their differences – is now a web of lies and betrayal.

Years ago, Chrissie did something terrible to Anna and it caused more pain and heartbreak than she could ever have predicted. Anna must never find out.

But Chrissie’s guilt is suffocating her – especially when the man they both loved walks back into their lives. When she starts to fall apart under the pressure, the one person she wants to confide in is the one person who must never know. But perhaps Anna isn’t telling all she knows either…

Can a friendship made of a patchwork of lies endure? Will the truth end it completely? Or can Chrissie and Anna put their sweet little lies behind them?

Blodeuedd’s Thoughts:
Sweet Little Lies, you must be kidding me, it’s more Bitchy Little Liars. There is nothing sweet about the lies in this book, well at least not the big lie. The one that breaks them apart, and then there are other lies too.

The book starts as a YA book. Anna, poor Anna, who does not know how to dress and who is a little grey mouse is about to start a new school; a private school for the rich and privileged. She does not belong there; she is just a teacher’s kid. And not much changes this, until one thing happens and suddenly she is one of the popular ones. Best friends with Chrissie, the queen of the school. I will not say what happens, but it’s something superficial, just like the girls at this school. They are really the opposites. Chrissie is rich and beautiful, she is sure of herself and she has it all. While Anna studies and wants to get into a good university, she does not know how to dress and longingly she lusts after the Boy they all want.

But that was then and this is now. When we meet up with them for the second time not much has changed, even though years have gone by. Chrissie is still rich and does not do much with life, while Anna is studying and wants a career. Therefore the term bitchy little liars since Chrissie, oh Chrissie, she is one of those mean spoiled girls one always hate. Sure she tries, but she tries for all the wrong reasons. In this book it’s to ease her guilt. Still I can see them as friends, but it’s such an unhealthy relationship. Maybe in another lifetime because they do miss each other, but then again Anna does not know why they are no longer friends, and if I knew. Chrissie, you bitch you.

I disliked Chrissie to the end. Bitchy and doing things for the wrong reasons. She could not stand on her own two legs. Anna then, she was nice and all, but sometimes I wished that she would rage against the world. There was this sweetness in her, and that is good and all but sometimes you just need to bitch-slap someone.

I have said bitch a few times, ok a lot. She was the drama in this book, and it was needed to move the book forward. I could have lived with that and perhaps liked her (perhaps is the word), if she had not done something so unforgivable. The book can with that be much darker than this glossy cover give it justice. It’s not all sun and relaxing. There are lies, trouble with family, man trouble and the heartbreak of seeing something change until you do not know who that person is anymore.

Verdict: Sweet Little Lies was Mean Girls Grown up. A tale of friendship and how guilt can consume us and how making something better might just in the end make it worse. I do not even know what to classify it as, chick-lit drama perhaps.

I give Sweet Little Lies 3 stars.

Thanks to the wonderful Blodeuedd from Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell for sharing her thoughts about Sweet Little Lies. You can read more of her reviews at her blog (she also has great giveaways *wink*) or even chat with her on twitter.

About Susi

Susi is a geeky vegetarian from Gemany. She just finished university and now works as a civil engineer in steel construction. Besides her reading addiction she also knits like a maniac while listening to audiobooks. Susi also blogs at the Secret HEA Society.

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