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White Rabbit, Red Wolf
Peter Blankman is afraid of everything and must confront unimaginable terror when his mother is attacked.
Seventeen-year-old Peter Blankman is a maths prodigy. He also suffers from severe panic attacks. Afraid of everything, he finds solace in the orderly and logical world of mathematics and in the love of his family: his scientist mum and his tough twin sister Bel, as well as Ingrid, his only friend.
However, when his mother is found stabbed before an award ceremony and his sister is nowhere to be found, Pete is dragged into a world of espionage and violence where state and family secrets intertwine. Armed only with his extraordinary analytical skills, Peter may just discover that his biggest weakness is his greatest strength.
Seventeen-year-old Peter Blankman is a maths prodigy. He also suffers from severe panic attacks. Afraid of everything, he finds solace in the orderly and logical world of mathematics and in the love of his family: his scientist mum and his tough twin sister Bel, as well as Ingrid, his only friend.
However, when his mother is found stabbed before an award ceremony and his sister is nowhere to be found, Pete is dragged into a world of espionage and violence where state and family secrets intertwine. Armed only with his extraordinary analytical skills, Peter may just discover that his biggest weakness is his greatest strength.
396 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2018
About the author
Tom Pollock
16 books263 followersTom is a long-time fan of science fiction and fantasy, and has failed spectacularly to grow out of his obsession with things that don’t, in the strictest sense of the word, exist. He studied Philosophy and Economics at Edinburgh University. He now lives and works in London helping to build very big ships. The City’s Son is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 485 reviews
December 1, 2018
"Sometimes an idea can be the best on offer and still suck enormous elephant balls."
Yeah, and if you think you're gonna get away unscathed from reading this book, you better be warned that it will hurt like being punched in the face by equally enormous elephant balls.
So there's that.
As funny as this sounds - and this book has some hilarious moments, I'm telling you - none of it is fun and games. So your favourite character? Probably gonna be stabbed during the first few pages. Might end up dead, who knows. The book is scary...but in a good way? It's scratching-out-your-enemies'-eyes-and-collecting-them-in-a-jar kind of fun. So, definitely worth a read.
It all starts with the main character's mum removing shards from his gums. You heard me right. It doesn't really get less gory from that point on.
Overall this is a genius and original YA book. A spy novel with a pinch of science-fiction and a healthy dose of trust issues. While it's thrilling as fuck and slightly disturbing, it also tackles topics like mental health and domestic violence. It's fast-paced, includes a hell of a lot of plot twists that you won't see coming, and will give math-nerds a lot to think about (that stuff went right over my head, though. Suffice it to say that I'm not exactly good at maths).
Any last words? Do not trust anything you read. This story is definitely a lie.
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Yeah, and if you think you're gonna get away unscathed from reading this book, you better be warned that it will hurt like being punched in the face by equally enormous elephant balls.
So there's that.
As funny as this sounds - and this book has some hilarious moments, I'm telling you - none of it is fun and games. So your favourite character? Probably gonna be stabbed during the first few pages. Might end up dead, who knows. The book is scary...but in a good way? It's scratching-out-your-enemies'-eyes-and-collecting-them-in-a-jar kind of fun. So, definitely worth a read.
It all starts with the main character's mum removing shards from his gums. You heard me right. It doesn't really get less gory from that point on.
Overall this is a genius and original YA book. A spy novel with a pinch of science-fiction and a healthy dose of trust issues. While it's thrilling as fuck and slightly disturbing, it also tackles topics like mental health and domestic violence. It's fast-paced, includes a hell of a lot of plot twists that you won't see coming, and will give math-nerds a lot to think about (that stuff went right over my head, though. Suffice it to say that I'm not exactly good at maths).
Any last words? Do not trust anything you read. This story is definitely a lie.
Find more of my books on Instagram
January 11, 2019
Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
This is one of those books that is hard to write a snippet of because you don’t want to give anything away, but I’ll try. Our narrator is Seventeen-Year-Old Peter Blankman. Peter has anxiety issues, he’s a maths genius and constantly attacked by the school bully. When he has a bad ‘episode’ he eats and if he can’t find food he eats whatever is to hand, this is how we begin the story with Peter sat in the larder at home with blood pouring from his mouth being comforted by his mum.
Anabel (Bel) is Peter’s twin sister, she is older than Peter by eight minutes and those eight minutes mean everything to her. She is his ‘big’ sister. She is also his protector and low and behold the school bully if he attacks Peter whilst she is around.
Their mum, Dr. Blankman is a genius scientist working for a government agency. She has been nominated for an award and the twins are at the ceremony with her when Peter suffers from a massive panic attack and runs away, the next thing he knows is that a woman who states she works with his mother is trying to calm him down, his mum is on the floor bleeding from a stab wound and his sister is missing. He doesn’t trust anyone but if he’s going to find out what the hell is happening he’s going to have to rely on himself and his numbers skills.
This is a book that plays with your mind and you do wonder if what you are reading is true or not, not helped by the fact that on the front of the book is the line ‘This story is a lie’. Peter is a near perfect narrator. His voice comes across strong and I found myself instantly liking him. He is quirky, a little nerdy and has lots of issues, mentally.
The book is written in alternating chapters from the past and the present, starting six years before now and moving forward in time, getting closer to the present as you read. I’m not often a fan of this type of book, but this worked really well and you always knew which time period you were in.
As the plot thickens, mysteries unravel and the many twists and turns in the plot begin to unfold. At times I was left stunned and then more importantly left with an urge to find out more and carry on reading. All I will say is that you will get to the end and think back about what you have just read and shake you head in disbelief. This is a book not to be missed, no matter how weird, eccentric and wacky it is.
This is one of those books that is hard to write a snippet of because you don’t want to give anything away, but I’ll try. Our narrator is Seventeen-Year-Old Peter Blankman. Peter has anxiety issues, he’s a maths genius and constantly attacked by the school bully. When he has a bad ‘episode’ he eats and if he can’t find food he eats whatever is to hand, this is how we begin the story with Peter sat in the larder at home with blood pouring from his mouth being comforted by his mum.
Anabel (Bel) is Peter’s twin sister, she is older than Peter by eight minutes and those eight minutes mean everything to her. She is his ‘big’ sister. She is also his protector and low and behold the school bully if he attacks Peter whilst she is around.
Their mum, Dr. Blankman is a genius scientist working for a government agency. She has been nominated for an award and the twins are at the ceremony with her when Peter suffers from a massive panic attack and runs away, the next thing he knows is that a woman who states she works with his mother is trying to calm him down, his mum is on the floor bleeding from a stab wound and his sister is missing. He doesn’t trust anyone but if he’s going to find out what the hell is happening he’s going to have to rely on himself and his numbers skills.
This is a book that plays with your mind and you do wonder if what you are reading is true or not, not helped by the fact that on the front of the book is the line ‘This story is a lie’. Peter is a near perfect narrator. His voice comes across strong and I found myself instantly liking him. He is quirky, a little nerdy and has lots of issues, mentally.
The book is written in alternating chapters from the past and the present, starting six years before now and moving forward in time, getting closer to the present as you read. I’m not often a fan of this type of book, but this worked really well and you always knew which time period you were in.
As the plot thickens, mysteries unravel and the many twists and turns in the plot begin to unfold. At times I was left stunned and then more importantly left with an urge to find out more and carry on reading. All I will say is that you will get to the end and think back about what you have just read and shake you head in disbelief. This is a book not to be missed, no matter how weird, eccentric and wacky it is.
October 9, 2018
WTF did I just read? I'm not entirely sure, but I'm sure it was awesome. Twisty and mind-bending and utterly original.
August 4, 2018
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
Peter is a teen math prodigy with an extreme anxiety disorder that manifests in intense panic attacks. When his scientist mother is nearly assassinated and his twin sister, Bel, goes on the run, he's forced to analyze the facts and figure out what's going on without the two pillars in his life. Running from the same organization that is hunting his sister and claims to be working with his mother, he joins forces with a girl who might be his enemy...
The short review...
I've read Tom Pollock before and found his writing style a bit heavy even if it suited the world he had created... Here I found that the intensity he brought to his previous work quite suited Peter's adrenaline filled journey to learn the truth! The thing is this is a super crazy ride... its a twist filled thriller that Peter doesn't always tell us straight on what is happening, he's unreliable like that so we really have to pay attention even as we read as FAST as humanly possible to get to the bloody end!
There is also this flipping back and forth between the recent past and the present that imparts everything we need to know in a way that was oh so compelling! No info dumps here!! I wasn't sure I wanted to be in the past or the present as they both were super good... It all comes together in a way that scares the heck out of you for these two siblings... While a part of what has been going on is pretty obvious, the rest really isn't... though you will find yourself nodding and going that makes total sense!
I can't really tell you much more! It's best to go into this without any more information as everything rolls out before you as Peter processes what is going on... And you'll want to get what you need as you follow in his wake. Needless to say I LOVED this book so much... if you want a thriller this is a super fun one!
Cover & Title grade -> C+
I don't get this cover AT ALL and probably wouldn't have even looked at the book except I was looking at the mental health tag and thinking I wonder why this story is a lie?! That title is one of the best ones I've come across and raised my grade from a solid F to a solid C.
Actually i found a different cover that focuses on Peter and Bel's relationship. I would have given that cover a solid B+ as it better captures what the story is about... a conspiracy of epic proportions! I can see why they didn't use it as the title is too small though. Better to ditch the words, White Rabbit and Red Wolf and just keep the animal graphics. I would have also splattered the cover with blood as its certainly a book about murder and mayhem...
What else can I tell you about This Story in a Lie without ruining it for you?
-The Maths.
Oh. My. Maths! All the math talk in this book is sooooo good. The thing is that its not too complex while being terribly complex at the same time. It was expertly written so we really understand Peter's mind.
-His Sister!
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Bel is super duper cool... She is a great sister, a female empowered super being... I can't say more but you will make grabee hands every time she is on the page because you don't want her to disappear!
-Ingrid.
I. LOVE. This. Girl. She has OCD and all sorts of history with Peter and from her youth. I wanted to give her a hug and help her find a regular life! And that end!! GAAAAAHHHHH!
-The mental health, of course!
There is sooooooooooooo much mental health in this book. From unsuspecting characters and ones that horrify you once you realize. I can't go into it but needlesstosay the opening scene will shock you and you'll wonder if you WANT to keep reading but let me reassure you now... YOU DO! (I do want to mention the EXTREME bullying that goes on.)
-The British flavor.
I am a total anglophile! I love to read books set in Britain and the spy aspect of this book is so much fun! The setting for the final battle is the BEST and I just loved the subtle British flavor the entire story was infused with...
As a Writer...
Dani... if you LOVED this so much why the heck did you give it 4 stars?! Huh you ninny?!
Well as a reader I raced through the book. In fact, I rarely read more than 25% in one sitting as you don't catch many nuances when you read a book faster than that. So when I'm reading a book quite swiftly and still find myself not buying WHY something is happening that is a bit of a stumbling block.
One particular section of the book I found to be out of sync for a bullied person who is as severely bullied as Peter. When a person is bullied there are some things that just don't fly. EVER. While the anxiety mental health was quite spot on with Peter, he didn't come across as a person who had experienced what he had in the book. Anxiety should have amped up those feelings as well making it even more unlikely for him to do what he did. If you haven't been bullied before then you probably wouldn't think much about this section, but from someone with experience it just didn't ring true.
Also I'm not really a fan of an open ending... I don't mind allowing the reader to assume for themselves based upon what was shown, but I do have a problem when as a reader I'm finding events explained vaguely enough that I can't settle as a reader on what happened. As a writer its important to portray things clearly enough that a reader is satisfied with their understanding of the end while at the same time allowing them to make their own conclusions.
The Story is a Lie is quite superb! A fun thriller plot, infused with mental health through out and an unreliable protagonist that makes you want to root for him to succeed! Peter is a math prodigy, an observant analyst and the brother who loves and adores his sister... Come root for him too.
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing Style
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ World Building
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...
July 14, 2018
. : ☾⋆ — 4 ★
READ THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG!!!
https://bit.ly/2umzAhU
ARC provided from the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review (thank you Soho Teen and Random House!!)
before picking this one up, keep in mind that the title of this book isn’t a lie, in spite of it being called This Story is a Lie. this book is unprovable. proving it true also proves it false. so it must be true, right? is it true that this story is a lie? is proving that this story is a lie true, also proving it false, since the lie is true, even when a lie is false by the very nature of its meaning?
hmm. yup. if anything is true, is that this book is an anxiety attack waiting to happen. in a good way, though!!
“I’m a world-champion paranoiac.”
This Story is a Lie follows Peter Blankman, a teen who suffers from a very extreme anxiety disorder and relies heavily on his prodigious mathematical abilities to get by on a daily basis. during an award ceremony held in his mom’s honor, since she’s a very influential scientist, Peter suddenly is surrounded by bewilderment, deceit and muddled truths after his mom is the victim of an assassination attempt and his sister goes missing. on the run and hunted by a strange group of people he’s never met before but who claim to work with his mother, Peter has no choice but to try to figure out what’s happening while facing his worst enemy: his own anxiety and fear.
there is no way for me to say too much about this book and its plot without absolutely spoiling everything, but just know that this book unwinds to be so much more than its premise at first glance. it is a mathematician’s fever dream and a philosopher’s wet dream packed into a 336 page mystery/thriller YA book. you are teased not only by the most unreliable narrator there’s ever been, but also by a series of twists that just keep on coming at every turn of the page. there are points in the book where you think you have it all figured out, and then Tom Pollock hits you with another twist out of nowhere. there’s also a very strange element to this book that just doesn’t allow you to discern between truth and lie. there comes a point in the story where Peter’s memories jumble with his anxiety and fear and generally his ethical and moral traits and everything becomes this very organized chaos, which, i don’t know about everybody else, but i just found it enthralling. the way this book unravels into every little crevice and detail that’s been given to you from the very first page is just brilliant.
math is also a huge part of this book but i don’t think it was tedious at all. you’re never lost. on the contrary, i think it made this book and its reading experience that much richer, because the way Peter uses math to roam meticulously through his every day life is something that i’ve never encountered in any YA book i’ve read before, much less when it’s paired up with Peter’s anxiety and panic attacks in the way that it is in this book. it’s such a different and strange approach to mental illness, but as an own-voices book, i really like that Tom Pollock chose to meander into it this way. it also makes me wonder if Tom is just a math genius himself, and if he’s not, how much research went into the book and into Peter’s character. either way, it just makes this book that much better.
it also doesn’t hurt that This Story is a Lie was HILARIOUS. despite Peter’s anxiety ridden life, he’s also still a genius. he’s snarky and witty and sarcastic and i just kept highlighting different quotes as i read because everything that comes out of his mouth is either mind-blowingly intelligent or just plain hysterical. i loved Peter, i really did !!
this book is not what you think it is. it’s also everything that you might expect it to be, but in an entirely different way you might predict. i don’t really know how else to say it, but it’s definitely a book that feels much more exciting than it seems at first glance.
READ THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG!!!
https://bit.ly/2umzAhU
ARC provided from the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review (thank you Soho Teen and Random House!!)
before picking this one up, keep in mind that the title of this book isn’t a lie, in spite of it being called This Story is a Lie. this book is unprovable. proving it true also proves it false. so it must be true, right? is it true that this story is a lie? is proving that this story is a lie true, also proving it false, since the lie is true, even when a lie is false by the very nature of its meaning?
hmm. yup. if anything is true, is that this book is an anxiety attack waiting to happen. in a good way, though!!
“I’m a world-champion paranoiac.”
This Story is a Lie follows Peter Blankman, a teen who suffers from a very extreme anxiety disorder and relies heavily on his prodigious mathematical abilities to get by on a daily basis. during an award ceremony held in his mom’s honor, since she’s a very influential scientist, Peter suddenly is surrounded by bewilderment, deceit and muddled truths after his mom is the victim of an assassination attempt and his sister goes missing. on the run and hunted by a strange group of people he’s never met before but who claim to work with his mother, Peter has no choice but to try to figure out what’s happening while facing his worst enemy: his own anxiety and fear.
there is no way for me to say too much about this book and its plot without absolutely spoiling everything, but just know that this book unwinds to be so much more than its premise at first glance. it is a mathematician’s fever dream and a philosopher’s wet dream packed into a 336 page mystery/thriller YA book. you are teased not only by the most unreliable narrator there’s ever been, but also by a series of twists that just keep on coming at every turn of the page. there are points in the book where you think you have it all figured out, and then Tom Pollock hits you with another twist out of nowhere. there’s also a very strange element to this book that just doesn’t allow you to discern between truth and lie. there comes a point in the story where Peter’s memories jumble with his anxiety and fear and generally his ethical and moral traits and everything becomes this very organized chaos, which, i don’t know about everybody else, but i just found it enthralling. the way this book unravels into every little crevice and detail that’s been given to you from the very first page is just brilliant.
math is also a huge part of this book but i don’t think it was tedious at all. you’re never lost. on the contrary, i think it made this book and its reading experience that much richer, because the way Peter uses math to roam meticulously through his every day life is something that i’ve never encountered in any YA book i’ve read before, much less when it’s paired up with Peter’s anxiety and panic attacks in the way that it is in this book. it’s such a different and strange approach to mental illness, but as an own-voices book, i really like that Tom Pollock chose to meander into it this way. it also makes me wonder if Tom is just a math genius himself, and if he’s not, how much research went into the book and into Peter’s character. either way, it just makes this book that much better.
it also doesn’t hurt that This Story is a Lie was HILARIOUS. despite Peter’s anxiety ridden life, he’s also still a genius. he’s snarky and witty and sarcastic and i just kept highlighting different quotes as i read because everything that comes out of his mouth is either mind-blowingly intelligent or just plain hysterical. i loved Peter, i really did !!
this book is not what you think it is. it’s also everything that you might expect it to be, but in an entirely different way you might predict. i don’t really know how else to say it, but it’s definitely a book that feels much more exciting than it seems at first glance.
February 10, 2018
It is rare that I read a book so far ahead of publication nowadays. I try to read things as they come out, so they get promotion around their launch into the world. But sometimes, some books creep into my head. After hearing Tom Pollock read an excerpt of the first chapter at the Walker YA preview event, I couldn't hold back and I pried open my copy on the train home that night.
This book. THIS BOOK.
Sometimes I read a book that makes me feel so many emotions that I end up tweeting the author my feelings, with specific page references. I definitely sent Tom at least two of those, though I won't repeat them because I want you to experience the plot hitting you like a truck.
This is a twisty-turny thriller, heavily peppered with unreliable revelations that send the plot -- and your brain -- spiralling. This is not a straight forward novel, and it is all the more exciting and brilliant for it.
Peter Blankman is often afraid, balancing his severe anxiety with logic and his love of maths, wherever possible. At an awards ceremony celebrating his scientist mother's work, everything goes to hell; his mother is stabbed, his twin sister Bel has disappeared, and he is taken in with a shadowy organisation telling him to trust them. Together with his only friend Ingrid, he must use is logic and analytical skills to save everyone... or at the very least find out what on earth is going on.
Several times in this book I thought I had everything figured out, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Pollock dangles tidbits and clues, only to flip the plot completely on its head.
I am a huge fan of how Pollock bluntly confronts mental health, tackling it head on and plainly showing the realities of living with a glitchy brain. The novel basically opens right into the middle of a panic attack, showing the reader the reality of anxiety and eating disorders. If you want a taster of his writing on mental health, this piece about his experiences with anxiety and bulimia is incredibly insightful.
I'm absolutely blown away by this brilliantly witty adventure through science, maths and the mind. Mark your calendars for 7th June and clear your weekend; prepare for an adventure you never expected.
What to read next:
Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Replica by Lauren Oliver
A small note, this novel requires content notes for anxiety attacks, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, compulsive hand washing and self harm.
Thank you kindly to Walker Books and ED PR for sharing the copy with me in advance.
This book. THIS BOOK.
Sometimes I read a book that makes me feel so many emotions that I end up tweeting the author my feelings, with specific page references. I definitely sent Tom at least two of those, though I won't repeat them because I want you to experience the plot hitting you like a truck.
This is a twisty-turny thriller, heavily peppered with unreliable revelations that send the plot -- and your brain -- spiralling. This is not a straight forward novel, and it is all the more exciting and brilliant for it.
Peter Blankman is often afraid, balancing his severe anxiety with logic and his love of maths, wherever possible. At an awards ceremony celebrating his scientist mother's work, everything goes to hell; his mother is stabbed, his twin sister Bel has disappeared, and he is taken in with a shadowy organisation telling him to trust them. Together with his only friend Ingrid, he must use is logic and analytical skills to save everyone... or at the very least find out what on earth is going on.
Several times in this book I thought I had everything figured out, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Pollock dangles tidbits and clues, only to flip the plot completely on its head.
I am a huge fan of how Pollock bluntly confronts mental health, tackling it head on and plainly showing the realities of living with a glitchy brain. The novel basically opens right into the middle of a panic attack, showing the reader the reality of anxiety and eating disorders. If you want a taster of his writing on mental health, this piece about his experiences with anxiety and bulimia is incredibly insightful.
I'm absolutely blown away by this brilliantly witty adventure through science, maths and the mind. Mark your calendars for 7th June and clear your weekend; prepare for an adventure you never expected.
What to read next:
Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Replica by Lauren Oliver
A small note, this novel requires content notes for anxiety attacks, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, compulsive hand washing and self harm.
Thank you kindly to Walker Books and ED PR for sharing the copy with me in advance.
Read
July 4, 2018Full review to come, but for now...
So there were good things and bad things here... For the most part it's interesting and approaches anxiety and OCD issues from and Own Voices standpoint, and there's a fair bit of action and mystery and so on.
I predicted certain twists and revelations right from the start, but there was still one that I didn't see coming until it hit right near the end.
I found the style really interesting, with every other chapter being a "recursion" or a memory that contributed to making Pete who he is today.
Certain spoilery things bugged me, though I think overall it was a reasonably interesting and quick read.
--------
Pre-Read
--------
That opening scene.
Duuuuuuuude.
I can see this one being triggering for some people, but when they talk about his severe panic attacks in the blurb, they mean severe severe.
I'm contemplating setting my other books aside in favour of this one right now...
So there were good things and bad things here... For the most part it's interesting and approaches anxiety and OCD issues from and Own Voices standpoint, and there's a fair bit of action and mystery and so on.
I predicted certain twists and revelations right from the start, but there was still one that I didn't see coming until it hit right near the end.
I found the style really interesting, with every other chapter being a "recursion" or a memory that contributed to making Pete who he is today.
Certain spoilery things bugged me, though I think overall it was a reasonably interesting and quick read.
--------
Pre-Read
--------
That opening scene.
Duuuuuuuude.
I can see this one being triggering for some people, but when they talk about his severe panic attacks in the blurb, they mean severe severe.
I'm contemplating setting my other books aside in favour of this one right now...
January 6, 2019
Review to follow
June 18, 2018
I'm not sure I can say anything without ruining this book for you other than I thought it was incredible. Please, go and read it!!!
April 26, 2018
The title says it all. Loop upon loop, lie upon lie, it isn't the narrator who is unreliable in this story, it is everyone around him. Just when you think you have it sorted there is another twist and you are duped again.
Pete is the shy mathsy nerd to his twin sisters confident angry, rebelliousness. These two are as different as siblings could possibly be yet there is a strong bond, they have been bought together by their love of their mother, a frightfully important scientist who is doing secret work. Dad is never spoken of and is mysteriously absent. Pete is friendless and isolated but not unhappy as he has security and love at home, this helps when he is bullied and picked on at school.
As more or Pete's problems are revealed to us, his paranoia and his obsession with counting and managing his life by dealing with it using numbers, you begin to realise that all cannot be what it seems. Things come to a head at a large function where his Mum is to be awarded the highest award in the country for science by the Prime Minister. All hell breaks loose, there is violence and suddenly Bel is missing and Mum has been stabbed. At this point you realise this is a thriller. The pace is wild and the action is kick arse. In the extreme.
this is one of those books where you have to suspend your disbelief and just go along for the ride. It is full on! I was guessing all the way to the end, Bel is such a cool character, totally kick arse and nasty and at the same time so loving to her brother. I loved being in Pete's headspace, the wheels turning while he tried to figure out what was going on, who he could trust, who was good and who was evil.
This is movie ready and I have cast the characters already in my mind. It isn't for the faint hearted and there is violence and gore all over the place. Tom Pollock does a brilliant job of keeping you guessing. A really cool and interesting concept and I enjoyed every second.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me access.
Pete is the shy mathsy nerd to his twin sisters confident angry, rebelliousness. These two are as different as siblings could possibly be yet there is a strong bond, they have been bought together by their love of their mother, a frightfully important scientist who is doing secret work. Dad is never spoken of and is mysteriously absent. Pete is friendless and isolated but not unhappy as he has security and love at home, this helps when he is bullied and picked on at school.
As more or Pete's problems are revealed to us, his paranoia and his obsession with counting and managing his life by dealing with it using numbers, you begin to realise that all cannot be what it seems. Things come to a head at a large function where his Mum is to be awarded the highest award in the country for science by the Prime Minister. All hell breaks loose, there is violence and suddenly Bel is missing and Mum has been stabbed. At this point you realise this is a thriller. The pace is wild and the action is kick arse. In the extreme.
this is one of those books where you have to suspend your disbelief and just go along for the ride. It is full on! I was guessing all the way to the end, Bel is such a cool character, totally kick arse and nasty and at the same time so loving to her brother. I loved being in Pete's headspace, the wheels turning while he tried to figure out what was going on, who he could trust, who was good and who was evil.
This is movie ready and I have cast the characters already in my mind. It isn't for the faint hearted and there is violence and gore all over the place. Tom Pollock does a brilliant job of keeping you guessing. A really cool and interesting concept and I enjoyed every second.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me access.
January 27, 2019
2 stars - meaning it was bad, but not bad enough to earn the author a spot on my arch-enemies list.
I'm a sucker for a certain type of smart, isolated kid story. So I saw this book's description: math prodigy with anxiety disorder gets caught up in a world of espionage when his mother is stabbed and his sister disappears, and thought this might be my sort of thing.
I'd have been happy with either a Bruce Willis / Mercury Rising type story, or a more intimate, The Art of Starving type one.
I got neither.
This is like some sort of grim-dark version of Spy Kids, with a was it real? or was it all in his head? cherry on top.
* I have not actually seen Spy Kids and have no interest in doing so, and the whole was is real or wasn't it bullshit never fails to piss me off.
This might be the right book for somebody, but that somebody sure isn't me.
It's kind of extra sad in that I can see multiple ways the same characters and plot could have been developed in a much more enjoyable way. Either as a less fantastical version of itself that addressed Peter's issues more humanely, or by embracing the "shocking" [Ha!] scifi reveal Putting that out in the open at the beginning and embracing it would have made for a much more plausible and enjoyable story.
***
FYI: this is the non-US version of This Story Is a Lie. I get that publishers think we're too stupid over here to understand British English, but must you change the title too?
I'm a sucker for a certain type of smart, isolated kid story. So I saw this book's description: math prodigy with anxiety disorder gets caught up in a world of espionage when his mother is stabbed and his sister disappears, and thought this might be my sort of thing.
I'd have been happy with either a Bruce Willis / Mercury Rising type story, or a more intimate, The Art of Starving type one.
I got neither.
This is like some sort of grim-dark version of Spy Kids, with a was it real? or was it all in his head? cherry on top.
* I have not actually seen Spy Kids and have no interest in doing so, and the whole was is real or wasn't it bullshit never fails to piss me off.
This might be the right book for somebody, but that somebody sure isn't me.
It's kind of extra sad in that I can see multiple ways the same characters and plot could have been developed in a much more enjoyable way. Either as a less fantastical version of itself that addressed Peter's issues more humanely, or by embracing the "shocking" [Ha!] scifi reveal Putting that out in the open at the beginning and embracing it would have made for a much more plausible and enjoyable story.
***
FYI: this is the non-US version of This Story Is a Lie. I get that publishers think we're too stupid over here to understand British English, but must you change the title too?
February 25, 2023
WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST READ
Everybody who is not absolutely mind blown by this book also please stay away from me. I don't need that kind of energy in my life.
Everybody who is not absolutely mind blown by this book also please stay away from me. I don't need that kind of energy in my life.
July 16, 2018
After reading reviews promising me that the less I knew about this book, the better it would be, I was of course expecting some surprises. So, naturally I spent most of the book thinking there was no way I would be tricked. I had it all figured out. Except I didn't, and Tom Pollock made me look a fool. This is a thriller on the surface, with mental health at its heart, and an entirely unreliable narrator you can't help but relate to.
There is something utterly compelling about reading from the point of view of a character you cannot trust. Who in fact spends a great deal of time explaining how, logically, it's particularly difficult to say if something is true or not. And Peter is nothing short of a mathematical genius, but who on the surface is very observant - an excellent appeal again for most readers trying to figure stuff out. Having seen this book compared to The Curious Incident I kind of expected his genius, obsession with numbers and panic attacks to take centre stage, but actually they don't. And the subtlety of that fact is actually what made it so successful for me. Peter struggles with uncontrollable terror, but he doesn't allow it to define him, in fact we see a number of his coping mechanisms without it seeming too much of a focus; in this way, the serious issues tackled within this book are never trivialised but also do not dominate the book so much so that the rest of the story becomes irrelevant. It is the perfect balance.
The story revolves around an attempted assassination on Peter's mother, a scientist, and the probable abduction of his twin sister Bel. With the help of his best friend Ingrid (who has OCD herself), Peter must try to piece together the puzzle they have left behind. But Peter has the necessary skills to figure this out, if he can control his terror.
There is literally nothing more I can say about this book without destroying it for potential readers, other than that the reviews really are true - you will be surprised. Even once you've convinced yourself you haven't been.
An impressive, cleverly conceived book and an author who tackles mental health superbly.
ARC provided from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
There is something utterly compelling about reading from the point of view of a character you cannot trust. Who in fact spends a great deal of time explaining how, logically, it's particularly difficult to say if something is true or not. And Peter is nothing short of a mathematical genius, but who on the surface is very observant - an excellent appeal again for most readers trying to figure stuff out. Having seen this book compared to The Curious Incident I kind of expected his genius, obsession with numbers and panic attacks to take centre stage, but actually they don't. And the subtlety of that fact is actually what made it so successful for me. Peter struggles with uncontrollable terror, but he doesn't allow it to define him, in fact we see a number of his coping mechanisms without it seeming too much of a focus; in this way, the serious issues tackled within this book are never trivialised but also do not dominate the book so much so that the rest of the story becomes irrelevant. It is the perfect balance.
The story revolves around an attempted assassination on Peter's mother, a scientist, and the probable abduction of his twin sister Bel. With the help of his best friend Ingrid (who has OCD herself), Peter must try to piece together the puzzle they have left behind. But Peter has the necessary skills to figure this out, if he can control his terror.
There is literally nothing more I can say about this book without destroying it for potential readers, other than that the reviews really are true - you will be surprised. Even once you've convinced yourself you haven't been.
An impressive, cleverly conceived book and an author who tackles mental health superbly.
ARC provided from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2018
hello what was this book :o
RTC to come!
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
This review is also available on my blog
RTC to come!
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review
This review is also available on my blog
Read
August 28, 2018The truth is, sometimes you begin a book and you're super into it, but the further in you get, the less into it you are and you realize not that it's a bad book -- I totally know the reader who'll love this -- but rather, it's not the right fit for you. So you let it go, make note of what worked well, and know that it'll be an utterly engrossing page-turner for readers who are itching for a fast-paced adventure full of twists, turns, lies, betrayals, and a great main character who struggles with mental illness.
May 2, 2018
A brilliant author with an excellent imagination.
August 20, 2021
i- there were so many plot twists it would take me so long to explain this book to someone
August 13, 2018
If you asked me to tell you what White Rabbit Red Wolf was about, I would really struggle because it is honestly one of the most complex books I’ve ever read. What I could tell you is that this book is all about family, love, mental health, betrayal and so much more. This book is absolutely gripping and I couldn’t bear to put it down for long. The intrigue is there right from the beginning and every time I thought I knew what would happen next there would be a huge plot twist thrown down in front of me and I’d have to take a different route to the ending. There were so many moments in this story where I actually gasped out loud and I was left reeling by the end of this book. It truly is a masterpiece and I applaud Tom Pollock. If you are an American reader this book is titled This Story is a Lie – I’m telling you this so you don’t miss out on a fantastic read. My mind is still blown!
December 2, 2018
It is really a good book. It is a spy story, but also a math one and a drama. I had to refocus many times and think looking for flaws in the flow of events but in the end everything has sense in the universe.
BUT i want to talk about something else: the math. Yeah, probably your worst enemy (or in a few cases the most loved one).
I love mathematics, and studied a lot of it in college (now I am studying Computer Science and.. NICE book!). You can find Godel, a small intuitive demostration about a wonderful theorem, there is really something hidden there (the main character starts by "This statement is a lie/unprovable" and not accepting incompleteness of arithmetics tries to justify saying "it is a language trick", this passage is just HUGE, it opens to what mathematicians considered a solution to the question, but later accepts the code that translates from propositions to logic - so theorems -). I read that passage three times to get completly its sense and left me in awe. When he talks about Euler theorem on labyrinths he links them to networks (speaking the truth, they are graphs, but a network can be always seen as a graph).
Just one thing I did not like: main character explains in the beginning he is a really really good mathematician (one of the best in England, a prodigy for his age (17)). Well, you never see him being called by univerisities, other mathematicians, the community and so on.
Hide this flaw, and it is a wonderful YA book with a bit of science-fiction. Read it, and pay attention to the math passages, they might make love math :P
BUT i want to talk about something else: the math. Yeah, probably your worst enemy (or in a few cases the most loved one).
I love mathematics, and studied a lot of it in college (now I am studying Computer Science and.. NICE book!). You can find Godel, a small intuitive demostration about a wonderful theorem, there is really something hidden there (the main character starts by "This statement is a lie/unprovable" and not accepting incompleteness of arithmetics tries to justify saying "it is a language trick", this passage is just HUGE, it opens to what mathematicians considered a solution to the question, but later accepts the code that translates from propositions to logic - so theorems -). I read that passage three times to get completly its sense and left me in awe. When he talks about Euler theorem on labyrinths he links them to networks (speaking the truth, they are graphs, but a network can be always seen as a graph).
Just one thing I did not like: main character explains in the beginning he is a really really good mathematician (one of the best in England, a prodigy for his age (17)). Well, you never see him being called by univerisities, other mathematicians, the community and so on.
Hide this flaw, and it is a wonderful YA book with a bit of science-fiction. Read it, and pay attention to the math passages, they might make love math :P
July 9, 2018
This story is a lie. My advice to you: Do not ignore the title.
This book was absolutely wow. I mean, granted, YA is my favourite genre, but still this book, being a YA thriller still read more like a YA psychological thriller. And it was wow. Did I already say that? I'm sorry.
As you can see, this book has been a shock. I loved loved loved it. It had action, it had adventure, it was exciting, scary, intense—as in, nail-bitingly intense—all at the same time.
The characters were superbly created, with with a million flaws and many good qualities too.
All in all, it was a thriller, mind-boggling read, and I'd definitely recommend you to read it!
This book was absolutely wow. I mean, granted, YA is my favourite genre, but still this book, being a YA thriller still read more like a YA psychological thriller. And it was wow. Did I already say that? I'm sorry.
As you can see, this book has been a shock. I loved loved loved it. It had action, it had adventure, it was exciting, scary, intense—as in, nail-bitingly intense—all at the same time.
The characters were superbly created, with with a million flaws and many good qualities too.
All in all, it was a thriller, mind-boggling read, and I'd definitely recommend you to read it!
June 14, 2018
Touted as the new Curious Incident this is a very different book, and I think if you go into it expecting a lovable main character trying to make sense of the world around him you may be disappointed.
Peter is a mathematical genius. He uses maths to manage his extreme anxiety, and is convinced that maths has the answer to everything. Being that bit older than Haddon’s protagonist, he’s also got a slightly different take on the world.
From the moment we first meet Pete crouched in his kitchen having eaten a salt cellar in an attempt to stem his overwhelming anxiety, it’s clear that this is going to be an unsettling read. I truly wasn’t expecting it to be as dark as it was.
It was fascinating to get under the skin of Pete, but the actual story was more focused on the thriller element and it had to be this way in order for the plot to work.
When Pete’s mother is stabbed as she goes to receive an award for her work, his sister is missing and he quickly learns that no one around him was who they claimed to be. We’re plunged into a nightmare world of spies, scientific manipulation and some gruesome deaths.
I don’t want to reveal too much more. Suffice to say, nothing was quite as it seemed and every time I thought we were getting somewhere there was another detail given that turned things on their head. This would have been 5 stars, but for the sense of everything feeling rather rushed by the end and being left rather uncertain about a few key details. Still one I’d heartily recommend.
Peter is a mathematical genius. He uses maths to manage his extreme anxiety, and is convinced that maths has the answer to everything. Being that bit older than Haddon’s protagonist, he’s also got a slightly different take on the world.
From the moment we first meet Pete crouched in his kitchen having eaten a salt cellar in an attempt to stem his overwhelming anxiety, it’s clear that this is going to be an unsettling read. I truly wasn’t expecting it to be as dark as it was.
It was fascinating to get under the skin of Pete, but the actual story was more focused on the thriller element and it had to be this way in order for the plot to work.
When Pete’s mother is stabbed as she goes to receive an award for her work, his sister is missing and he quickly learns that no one around him was who they claimed to be. We’re plunged into a nightmare world of spies, scientific manipulation and some gruesome deaths.
I don’t want to reveal too much more. Suffice to say, nothing was quite as it seemed and every time I thought we were getting somewhere there was another detail given that turned things on their head. This would have been 5 stars, but for the sense of everything feeling rather rushed by the end and being left rather uncertain about a few key details. Still one I’d heartily recommend.
April 30, 2018
Wow, this sent me all over the place. Thrilling and unpredictable.
Not sure about that end, though.
Not sure about that end, though.
June 29, 2019
Ciencia ficción de la buena. De esa que te deja pegada al libro hasta que lo terminas, porque no podés concebir otra cosa para hacer o leer. “Conejo blanco, lobo rojo” me atrapó de principio a fin. Diferente, caprichoso, atractivo. Vale la pena darle una oportunidad. Me quedé con dudas y ganas de una segunda parte.
April 11, 2021
Originality pours out of this book, and it was one that I definitely enjoyed reading. The final chapters were really good. Where it lacks overall for me is the writing style. It’s very YA, which is fine (which I actually liked), but some of the imagery was actually difficult to visualise, in that I feel some of the action could’ve been written in a more clear and demonstrative way. Sometimes I skimmed over a couple of lines and upon rereading, still didn’t have a clear idea of what had happened.
For all of its cringe, descriptive shortcomings, and mathematical snobbery (or is it more an inaccessibility re my poor maths skills?), I really enjoyed This Story is a Lie. Pollock had a clear image of what he wanted to do, and had planned exactly how he would tell the story, just in what felt like a rushed and sometimes clumsy manner.
I would still very much recommend!
For all of its cringe, descriptive shortcomings, and mathematical snobbery (or is it more an inaccessibility re my poor maths skills?), I really enjoyed This Story is a Lie. Pollock had a clear image of what he wanted to do, and had planned exactly how he would tell the story, just in what felt like a rushed and sometimes clumsy manner.
I would still very much recommend!
September 7, 2022
Plottwisten genoeg!! Ik wist niet wie niet en wie wel te vertrouwen waren, dat maakte het spannend.
Snap niet zoveel van 't einde ... Maar he, dat kan aan mij liggen ;)
Snap niet zoveel van 't einde ... Maar he, dat kan aan mij liggen ;)
July 11, 2018
That ending is the best and the worst thing at the same time!
I don’t know what I’m thinking right now. My mind is blown away, I guess...
I don’t know what I’m thinking right now. My mind is blown away, I guess...
September 15, 2018
*4.5 Stars*
This was incredible. I don't even know where to start. I don't want to say anything about the plot because diving in without knowing anything really worked for me.
SO many twists, and I saw none coming...
Incredible characters.
An amazing story, an amazing book.
This was incredible. I don't even know where to start. I don't want to say anything about the plot because diving in without knowing anything really worked for me.
SO many twists, and I saw none coming...
Incredible characters.
An amazing story, an amazing book.
March 15, 2021
«Uno a veces dice mentiras no para que te crean, sino porque no puedes tolerar lo que pasará si dices la verdad.» ~«Conejo blanco, lobo rojo»
♡Autor: Tom Pollock.
♡Páginas: 337.
♡Mil gracias por confiar en mi a: @vreditorasya
♡RESEÑA:
Esta historia comienza en Inglaterra, donde nos encontramos a Peter, un joven extremadamente inteligente y brillante en matemáticas, con un futuro prometedor si no fuera porque su vida está empañada por graves ataques de pánico que lo ponen en peligro constantemente, no sólo eso, cuando se producen estos ataques sufre alucinaciones a tal punto que no sabe qué es real y qué es mentira. Así que tenemos a un protagonista cuyo testimonio no es fiable, y nosotros como lectores no sabremos en quién puedemos confiar... «A veces, ser valiente se trata de descubrir a qué le tienes más miedo.» Él vive tranquilamente con su madre (una científica de renombre) y su hermana melliza Bel, quienes constantemente están apoyándolo y ayudándole a sobrellevar los ataques, con completa incondicional. Una familia realmente unida y armoniosa...hasta qué un inesperado atentado a la vida de uno de ellos pondrá a prueba a Peter, quién estará muy cerca del lugar de los sucesos y sólo en su mente guarda la respuesta al enigma para descubrir quién está intentando destruirlos. «Tenemos que amar nuestros errores, Peter. Son todo lo que tenemos...» ¿Podrá mantener a la cordura frente a los ataques de pánico y las alucinaciones? ¿Encontrará al enemigo que anhela lastimar a sus seres queridos? Sólo sabrás la respuesta leyéndolo, te invito a descubrirlo.
Uno de mis libros favoritos de VRYA.🌟
...♡♡RESEÑA COMPLETA EN MI BLOG: Link en la bio...
♡Autor: Tom Pollock.
♡Páginas: 337.
♡Mil gracias por confiar en mi a: @vreditorasya
♡RESEÑA:
Esta historia comienza en Inglaterra, donde nos encontramos a Peter, un joven extremadamente inteligente y brillante en matemáticas, con un futuro prometedor si no fuera porque su vida está empañada por graves ataques de pánico que lo ponen en peligro constantemente, no sólo eso, cuando se producen estos ataques sufre alucinaciones a tal punto que no sabe qué es real y qué es mentira. Así que tenemos a un protagonista cuyo testimonio no es fiable, y nosotros como lectores no sabremos en quién puedemos confiar... «A veces, ser valiente se trata de descubrir a qué le tienes más miedo.» Él vive tranquilamente con su madre (una científica de renombre) y su hermana melliza Bel, quienes constantemente están apoyándolo y ayudándole a sobrellevar los ataques, con completa incondicional. Una familia realmente unida y armoniosa...hasta qué un inesperado atentado a la vida de uno de ellos pondrá a prueba a Peter, quién estará muy cerca del lugar de los sucesos y sólo en su mente guarda la respuesta al enigma para descubrir quién está intentando destruirlos. «Tenemos que amar nuestros errores, Peter. Son todo lo que tenemos...» ¿Podrá mantener a la cordura frente a los ataques de pánico y las alucinaciones? ¿Encontrará al enemigo que anhela lastimar a sus seres queridos? Sólo sabrás la respuesta leyéndolo, te invito a descubrirlo.
Uno de mis libros favoritos de VRYA.🌟
...♡♡RESEÑA COMPLETA EN MI BLOG: Link en la bio...
April 8, 2019
Je ne savais pas trop à quoi m’attendre de cette brique (le livre est lourd!) et j’ai été agréablement surprise. Au début, c’est l’anxiété de Peter qui ressort (attendez de voir ce qu’il mange pour tenter de contrôler une de ses crises… ish) et on a l’impression de se retrouver dans un récit psychologique abordant les troubles anxieux, mais rapidement l’action décolle quand l’attaque envers la mère des jumeaux a lieu. À partir de là, le lecteur perd pied au même titre que Peter, entrant dans le monde parallèle des agences secrètes, à la recherche d’indices pour deviner s’il est, ou pas, paranoïaque, ce qui est réel de ce qui ne l’est pas. On est dans une histoire dense où chaque révélation ne fait qu’amplifier l’ambivalence autour des personnages : les parasites autour du bruit. Comme Peter, le seul fil d’Ariane auquel le lecteur peut se raccrocher, ce sont les mathématiques. Mais si elles mentaient?
« Cette histoire est un mensonge. »
À la fois captivant, perturbant, fascinant, ce récit ne joue pas selon les codes et déstabilise réellement le lecteur, jusqu’à la dernière ligne.
Lien: http://sophielit.ca/critique.php?id=2128
« Cette histoire est un mensonge. »
À la fois captivant, perturbant, fascinant, ce récit ne joue pas selon les codes et déstabilise réellement le lecteur, jusqu’à la dernière ligne.
Lien: http://sophielit.ca/critique.php?id=2128
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