Not many books grab me within 2 pages, and insist that I keep reading, regardless of what is going on in my day. The Liar of Red Valley grabbed me quick, and I absolutely HAD to keep reading. Enjoy my review of The Liar of Red Valley by Walter Goodwater!
Note: I did have to avoid reading after dark, but that was my thing. The book wasn’t scary, per se, just creepy enough to make me want to read in the daylight.
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Synopsis
Sadie has grown up in Red Valley. Her mom, Mrs. Bradford, was the town Liar. A special magic that came from The King, gave the Liar the power to change reality for people in the town. That power comes at a price. The Liar’s Price.
When Sadie’s mom dies, unexpectedly, Sadie inherits the title of Liar. The problem is, she has no idea how to be the Liar. She never received training from her mom, and she has no clue what all is involved.
When Sadie finds out a secret about The King, she must push herself to learn everything she can about the Liar, and what that means for her life, and for the life of the town of Red Valley.
Thank you to Netgalley and Rebellion Publishing for a free copy of The Liar of Red Valley in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed asking myself questions for my book review when I wrote my review of The Asha Anderson series, so I thought I would do that again for The Liar of Red Valley. The book overall was a pretty simple read, with a pretty simple premise, so I didn’t have many “deep” questions to ask myself. That was not to say that I didn’t love Liar, because I did. I was super curious about The King, and what he represented.
Does The Liar of Red Valley have any Trigger Warnings?
Not much about The Liar of Red Valley was triggering to me, but Sadie did lose her mom, unexpectedly. Losing her mom, then being expected to take over the duties of someone she knew almost nothing about, could be triggering for some people. I don’t think it would be so traumatic that people can’t enjoy the book, but it is something to be cognizant of when reading the story.
The Laughing Boys were super weird and creepy. I was a little traumatized by people who would willingly allow a demon to possess them, just for a “great high.”
What Genre would I fit The Liar of Red Valley into?
When I started reading, I would have classified The Liar of Red Valley as a horror book. I was having to stay careful not to read too late at night, because I didn’t want to make it hard to fall asleep. As I continued reading, however, I grew into calling it a “paranormal thriller,” rather than horror, because I gradually learned more about what was going on.
What about the Plot did I love the most?
I absolutely loved Sadie’s evolution while she was learning to navigate her duties as the town Liar. She began knowing nothing, and even the King, for whom she supposedly worked, was no help. She expected the townspeople to be scared of her, because that’s how they treated her mom, but her growth into her identity was pretty cool.
Was the scenery believable?
I was able to visualize so much about Red Valley. During Sadie’s meeting with the king, I kind of freaked out a little bit. It didn’t help that I was reading at night with the lights out, but the descriptions of the scenery and the descriptions of the King were just a smidgen freaky. If you scare easy, I recommend reading with the lights on.
Which character was the most relatable?
I absolutely loved Sadie, the main character. She got dumped in this horrible crap-show, but she did her best, she remained loyal to her friends, and she did what she could to protect her town. When she became the Liar officially, she used that power to protect her friends.
She also seriously had some attitude. The kind I always wished I had, while staying kind, of course.
Which character did I love to hate?
A couple people fit this character. Sadie’s “father,” Bryan, was kind of a douche. The sheriff of the town, as well, was horrible. The sheriff, for sure, was my “elevator shaft” character. He was supposed to protect the people of Red Valley, but all he really seemed to care about was taking down the King. It was a very confusing situation, and the sheriff didn’t make it any easier.
Recommendation
Yes, I absolutely would recommend this book! The Liar of Red Valley definitely had some freaky parts, and I had times when I regretted reading at night, but all in all, the book was well-written, the story was fun, and I loved connecting with some new characters.
Conclusion
The Liar of Red Valley only has a couple small trigger warnings, and you definitely don’t want to read at night.
Unless you like being scared.
I for sure recommend this book, because it’s got a great plot, some great world building, and a villain who is sure to scare the pants off you a couple times. I hope you get a chance to grab this book, because I very much enjoyed it, and hope you will too!
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Until next time, Friends!
