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Read Between the Lies: A Novel
Read Between the Lies: A Novel
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Read Between the Lies (Sorcerer's Society Book 2)
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Read Between the Lies
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Read Between the Lies - 9781800241718
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Reading Between the Lies: 4 (A Survivo..., Cahoon, Lynn
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Read Between the Lies
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Reading Between the Lies (Paperback or Softback)
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Read Between the Lies : A Novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto (2026, Hardcover)
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“Read Between the Lies is a dark, delicious takedown of cancel culture and the publishing industry—I read it in two sittings because I had to stop midway and go google my own name. Highly recommend.” —Mindy Kaling
In this claustrophobic psychological suspense from USA Today bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto, the line between victim and villain blurs with every chapter. Because in the end, everyone has their own version of the truth—but only one will make it onto the page.
Fern’s dream of becoming a published author is finally coming true. After years of rejection, her debut novel has sold, and she’s ready to join the supportive online community of fellow debuts. But when she discovers her high school bully, Haven, has landed a major book deal and will be debuting alongside her, old wounds reopen.
As the pandemic forces everyone online, tensions escalate in their writing community. While Haven seems to succeed effortlessly, Fern watches her own career crumble. Yet beneath their polished personas lies a darker truth about their shared past—one involving a lost friend, Dani, and secrets neither wants revealed.
Fern isn’t the same person Haven bullied all those years ago. She’s learned that the best revenge stories aren’t written—they’re lived. And she’s been plotting this one for years.
What begins as online rivalry escalates into dangerous obsession. Because neither woman is telling the whole truth about what really happened to Dani…or about who’s the real victim in this story.
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by Amazon Customer
This was an Amazon First Reads for me while I sat through an international flight. I’ve never read the author’s work but appreciate her gift. Why the 3 stars? I was annoyed by the main character – I don’t think she was fully fleshed out for her to be that sympathetic. Speaking of not being fully fleshed out, I felt like the whole book was that way. The author doesn’t really go into the “why’s” something is the way it is. We, as the reader, are just asked to accept it as is written. Spoiler: I thought the ending and “resolution” was just a bit ho-hum, as well. Overall, not my cup of tea.
by Pixiemix
This is the first book I’ve read by this author- and maybe not the best one to jump into. At first I was really excited about this story. I thought the main character Fern was layered and interesting and I was eager to jump into her thoughts about being a newly published novelist. The book offers a fictious yet realistic overview of the ins and outs of the traditional publishing industry, but then it kind of goes off the rails.
And for me, Fern becomes annoying and clearly unreliable. And I love an unreliable narrator but there are too many things that just seem really shallow in terms of action and consequences. And hey, I was bullied mercilessly in school so while I understood the level of trauma Fern was trying to get through, as the story went on I just couldn’t manage the constant paranoia and countless missteps she kept making while blaming her apparent arch nemesis Haven. Also, were there people who just tuned out the pandemic completely? How are all these people moving about with seniors and running in the streets during lockdown?? That part also bugged me.
I began scanning more through pages because I wanted to find out what happened to Dani- and I must admit, I felt a bit cheated by the reveal, it didn’t live up to the hype. I felt that the ending was rushed and I was disappointed at the way the publishers were portrayed at the end of the book. Their reaction for the first half was on point, but not taking the time to dig into both sides of the author’s history bothered me because I’ve been on both sides of the industry and I know they would not have taken the giant risk they did. Also, it’s super rare for an agent to make the steps Rachel did. Agents tend not to step into a mess like the one that played out, especially when they work for the same agency!
As for the side character of Terry-his character didn’t serve any purpose so it seemed a waste of what could have been a more interesting character interaction. The mention of the therapist throughout- and the same actions Fern made to calm herself down- clearly didn’t work and I wondered why Fern just didn’t call her. And the relationship between her parents- there was never a real reason why they behaved the way they did towards her. I get that some families don’t act the way we think they should, but I would have loved more there to be developed to make it all ring true. So while this plot did not work for me that well, I will say that the writing is very well done. It’s strong, with some amazing sentences and descriptions but I really had hoped there would have been more fun as a weird thriller.
by Justina
Jesse is an excellent writer and builds rich, interesting characters that are the just-right amount of self aware. I enjoyed her other novels and this is no different.
Of note, she also writes what she knows, which thankfully means no cringy stereotypes and no pretension. You can always tell when someone is writing something they have not lived at least in part, but I never see that issue in her books.
The book moves at breakneck speed. I kept wondering what was going to happen – I even questioned the MC’s perspective at times – but the ending was… not happy, but also the only conclusion that really made sense.
by Grumpy
Dark, challenging, and sad. A well-crafted examination of the mental destruction wrought by bullying. Hated it, although the writing is good, but hated how it felt to read.
by FT
The pacing is tight without feeling rushed. Every chapter ends with just enough tension to keep you reading “one more.” The plot twists are smart and well‑earned, nothing feels cheap or thrown in for shock value. The protagonist is layered, flawed, and easy to root for. Side characters feel fully realized rather than filler. Relationships evolve naturally, adding emotional weight to the mystery. Clean, vivid prose that’s easy to sink into. Dialogue feels authentic and helps drive the story forward. The author balances suspense with introspection in a way that keeps the narrative grounded. Explores truth, perception, and the stories we tell ourselves. Raises questions about trust and identity without slowing down the plot. Offers enough substance for book‑club discussions while still being a fun, fast read. If you enjoy twisty, character‑driven fiction with emotional stakes, this novel delivers. It’s gripping, thoughtful, and incredibly satisfying from start to finish.