I enjoy trying new authors. It is almost a game—to see if they’re ones I’ll read again or if one book is enough. When it comes to Natalie Walters, I’ll be looking out for another book from her.
Natalie deals with such a difficult topic in Living Lies: depression, suicidal thoughts, self-blame, and PTSD. And all of that is mixed up in a murder investigation of a teen girl that just doesn’t make sense. The mystery was veiled and gave me the challenge of not knowing off hand who was involved—or why. I thought the mystery was done in a very good way.
Lane was a very real and relatable character. She was flawed and needy. I can’t say so much about Charlie. He was just a little too perfect and understanding. Don’t get me wrong—he seemed like a fantastic guy, but beyond his little disagreement with his dad, he really was the perfect guy. I absolutely loved how Lane’s and Meagen’s sister-relationship strengthened throughout the novel. It gave greater emphasis on the family life of Lane. And Miguel! Personally, I think he was the best character in the book—so very well done. My heart went out to him (knowing that there are so many real veterans like him).
Personally, I like a stronger Christian thread. The strong Christians in this novel were not the main characters, but an older couple. It left me wondering if Lane and Charlie had personal relationships with Jesus or if they were just good people who prayed when they needed help. I know… one of my pet peeves is when I can’t clearly tell if a character became a Christian during the novel or they just turned over a new leaf. That was this novel. Lane started the novel almost doubting God’s existence and somewhere there was a turning point in her thought process, but no point of her actually coming to Christ for salvation. And I guess I’ll go ahead and mention it here… I do realize the difficulties and struggles of depression and how very important it is to have people there for you, but Lane found her hope and recovery in a person rather than turning to God. This was all wonderful for her, but what about people who don’t have a strong person who accepts them how they are? That void can only be filled through Jesus Christ. There were also some hints that people with chronic depression were “made that way by God.” I personally believe that it’s due to sin entering the world, not God’s handiwork. So yeah, I’m being ultra sensitive here, I realize. I just can’t stop my brain from analyzing while I read a fictional book.
I do admire Natalie for tackling the difficult topic of depression and its repercussions. I thought she presented it well and showed the importance of an individual making the choices that either help or hurt their journey with depression.
The romance was constant thread in the book almost from page one and yeah… I’m not a romantic. There was one scene where she was drawn to Charlie’s shirtless body and then some kisses. Nothing explicitly inappropriate was in the novel. Just some subtle hints.
As far as mystery goes, as I already mentioned, this one was very well done. I’ll not give a spoiler, but when they finally linked Sydney to the “bad guys,” it was like, “Wow—but that makes perfect sense.” I learned something new about a certain process about a certain thing (yeah, no spoilers).
This book has left me hoping that book two is about Deputy Frost. Just sayin’. (okay, so I had to look it up and yay!!!!)
*I received this book from Revell and happily provided my honest review*
About the Book
In the little town of Walton, Georgia, everybody knows your name--but no one knows your secret. At least that's what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five-year-old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body.
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