Amelia Kahaney, All the Best Liars, Walker Books, September 2022, 336 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), IBSN 9781760656072
All the Best Liars is a gripping psychological thriller about obsession, jealousy, manipulation, and deceit which somehow still manages to be a heartfelt coming-of-age story exploring complicated friendships and first love. Kahaney’s characters are intelligent and interesting. Some are likeable, some relatable and some pure evil.
Brie, Rain and Syd were once best friends. Growing up in the same run-down neighbourhood in the Palm Springs area, their families working multiple jobs and living pay check to pay check, the girls understood one another. But when Brie’s dad becomes successful in business and moves them to a more prestigious neighbourhood this friendship dissolves. Now in their final year of high school, Brie is unrecognisable. She leads the popular crowd, the Regina George of the school’s mean girls. Rain and Syd are long forgotten. It is only when Rain’s mother wins a surprising fortune in the lottery that Brie attempts to rebuild the relationship she had with Rain. Soon the two girls are doing everything together and it seems they have a lot more in common than they thought. They’re listening to the same music, buying the same clothes. Brie even dyes her trademark blonde hair to match Rain’s sleek brown.
Syd on the other hand is feeling abandoned, jealous, and angry. She struggles to deal with all these sudden changes. Brie appears to be isolating her from everyone she cares about, and she can’t figure out why. Then there’s a fire. Brie’s house is destroyed and one of the girls is dead.
The story is well written. Told from the perspectives of Brie, Rain and Syd readers are able to understand what each girl is thinking and can relate to them on some level, even if their actions are not always agreeable. Tension and suspense are ramped up as the circumstances leading up to the fire are slowly revealed.
All the Best Liars is recommended for readers aged fourteen years and older due to its strong themes including drug use and murder. Full of twists and turns, this novel is an exciting and pacy read for people who mostly enjoy mystery, crime and thrillers, although it also has a decent coming-of-age plot.
Involving twisted friendships, heartache and high school drama, fans of Pretty Little Liars would devour this book.
Reviewed by India Boon
