Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney Summary

Sometimes I Lie is a psychological thriller about Amber Reynolds, who wakes up in a hospital coma unable to move, speak, or open her eyes, but can hear everything around her. The narrative alternates between three timelines: Amber's present state in the ICU, the week leading up to her mysterious car accident, and childhood diary entries from 1991. As Amber pieces together fragmented memories, she suspects her husband Paul may be involved while grappling with workplace betrayals, a dangerous ex-boyfriend, and her complicated relationship with her sister Claire.

Sometimes I Lie is ideal for readers who enjoy unreliable narrators, compelling female protagonists, and psychological thrillers with endless plot twists. This book particularly appeals to fans of suspenseful narratives that constantly challenge perceptions of reality and keep readers guessing until the final page. If you appreciate stories that mess with your head beyond typical thrillers, with chilling characters and masterfully executed twists that you won't see coming, Alice Feeney's debut will captivate you.

Sometimes I Lie is widely considered one of the best twisty-turny psychological thrillers, with readers praising its pure genius and unpredictable plot twists. The book features a brilliantly executed narrative that keeps your heart pounding and breath caught in your throat as you constantly try to distinguish reality from deception. While some readers found the early chapters linger too long on dream sequences and hallucinations, most agree there's a clear turning point when the book transforms from "not bad" to "really effin' good".

Alice Feeney is a psychological thriller author who gained significant attention with Sometimes I Lie as her debut novel, demonstrating exceptional skill in crafting unreliable narrator stories. Her writing style stands out for taking the psychological thriller genre a step further, creating clever and compelling narratives told from unique perspectives that challenge readers' perceptions. Feeney's ability to frame narrative secrets perfectly ensures readers don't even fully work out the questions they should be asking, never mind the answers.

The title Sometimes I Lie refers to Amber Reynolds being an unreliable narrator, one of three key things she wants readers to know about herself from the beginning. This admission sets up the entire psychological thriller, forcing readers to constantly question which parts of Amber's narrative—her memories, perceptions, and claims—are truthful. The ambiguity becomes central to the book's power, leaving readers unable to determine whether Amber is a devious psychopath or an innocent victim, since she readily and frequently admits to lying.

Sometimes I Lie uses three distinct narrative threads that gradually converge: "Now" follows Amber lying in her hospital bed in a coma, "Then" explores the week before her Christmas Day accident, and "Before" presents diary entries from 1991. This alternating structure allows Alice Feeney to drip-feed information about the characters and their roles in Amber's predicament, building suspense throughout. The diary entries initially seem disconnected but eventually reveal one of the biggest plot twists when readers discover their true significance.

Claire appears to be Amber's sister but is actually a childhood friend whom Amber first met when she was 10 years old, going by her middle name Taylor. The 1991 diary entries reveal that Claire was adopted by Amber's parents after Claire's parents died in a Christmas Day housefire that Claire apparently set to bond with Amber. Their relationship is deeply toxic and controlling, with Claire having shielded Amber from bullies as children but later becoming manipulative, culminating in Amber poisoning Claire and her husband on Valentine's Day.

Edward Clarke is Amber's ex-boyfriend who becomes a central antagonist after their chance reconnection in London. Edward, now working as a low-level hospital orderly, still seethes over Amber's accusations of unwanted advances years earlier when he was a promising med student—accusations that destroyed his medical career. He torments and rapes Amber while she's helpless in the ICU, though she later discovers her sister Claire actually filed the original complaint that ruined Edward's career.

At the end of Sometimes I Lie, Amber reveals she poisoned Claire and Claire's husband on Valentine's Day and framed her ex-boss Madeline Frost for the murders. Amber and Paul are now arranging to adopt Claire's twins, while Edward has disappeared with police suspecting foul play, possibly killed by Claire. The epilogue leaves the story open-ended and ambiguous, making it impossible to determine whether Amber is truly a manipulative psychopath responsible for five deaths or an innocent victim who finally freed herself from Claire's toxic control.

Some readers found that Sometimes I Lie lingers too long on the not-knowing in earlier chapters, with excessive hallucinations and dream sequences that slow the pacing. The narrative structure keeps readers in the fog for an extended period before clarity begins to emerge, which can feel frustrating for those seeking more immediate answers. Despite widespread acclaim with numerous five-star reviews on Goodreads, a minority of readers felt disappointed by the execution, finding themselves unable to connect with the story despite its popularity.

Sometimes I Lie is considered possibly one of the most twisty-turny psychological thrillers readers have encountered, going beyond typical genre expectations. Unlike many thrillers where readers can predict some twists, Alice Feeney sets up the narrative secrets so perfectly that readers often don't even know which questions to ask. The book's unique perspective of being trapped inside an unreliable narrator's mind while she's in a coma distinguishes it from conventional psychological thrillers, offering a claustrophobic and suspenseful reading experience.

Amber's locked-in state—unable to move, speak, or open her eyes while hearing everything around her—creates intense psychological suspense and vulnerability. This condition forces readers to experience helplessness alongside Amber as she overhears conversations revealing suspicions about her husband, learns about her pregnancy loss, and endures Edward's nighttime torment and assault. The hidden camera Paul places to catch any movement inadvertently captures Edward's crime, becoming a crucial turning point in the narrative.