Read Between The Lies
- Judith D Collins
- Jan 31
- 6 min read
By: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Narrator: Eunice Wong
ISBN: 978-1662534645
Publisher: Mindy's Book Studio
Publication Date: 02/01/2026
Format: audio/e-book
My Rating: 4 Stars
“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.
Praise
“Prolific Sutanto showcases ‘the quieter, darker side of me,’ pushing plenty of hot-topic buttons―bullying, suicide, social media curation, cancel culture, and the cutthroat world of publishing.”
―Booklist
“If you were fascinated by the Bad Art Friend, prepare for your next obsession. Read Between the Lies is a deliciously simmering pressure cooker of a book, with one of the most interesting and multilayered narrators I’ve read. Come for the whip-smart commentary and intricately twisted plot, and buckle in for the wild ride. In these pages, Jesse Q. Sutanto gives a front-row seat to the inner workings and heartbreaks of the publishing industry, and how friendships are forged―and destroyed―within it.”
―Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, USA Today bestselling author of Till Death Do Us Part and The Girls Are All So Nice Here
“Everything that Jesse Q. Sutanto turns her hand to is gold.”
―CrimeReads
“If there is one author who can do it all, it’s Jesse Q. Sutanto.”
―Culturess
“If there’s something author Jesse Q. Sutanto does well, it is creating diverse reads with engaging characters and fun-filled stories.”
―BookTrib
My Review
In READ BETWEEN THE LIES, Jesse Q. Sutanto (Vera Wong Series) cleverly explores the dark side of the publishing world, toxic social media culture, and the lasting trauma of bullying.
The entertaining psychological thriller focuses on Fern Huang, a debut author whose dream comes true only to be derailed when her high school bully, Haven Lee, debuts during the same time period. As the pandemic forces their interaction online, a toxic rivalry forms, revealing secrets about a shared, tragic past involving a lost friend, Dani.
Highlights...
The Publishing Dream:
Fern Huang, a struggling photographer’s assistant, finally secures a book deal for her debut novel, The Happiest of Unhappy Days.
The Reappearance of the Bully:
Fern joins a 2020 debut author Facebook group, only to find her high school nemesis, Haven Lee, is also a member with a much larger book deal and a "better" book.
Escalating Rivalry:
As the COVID-19 pandemic forces the writing community entirely online, Fern watches Haven’s career thrive while her own struggles. This triggers Fern’s unresolved trauma and leads to a dangerous, obsessive online rivalry.
Shared Dark Past:
Both women share a secret regarding the death of a childhood friend named Dani. The narrative follows a dual timeline, slowly revealing the truth about what happened to Dani and how it connects back to Haven’s past cruelty.
The Blur of Victim and Villain:
As Fern begins plotting revenge against Haven, the lines between who is the victim and who is the predator become increasingly blurred.
Social Media Chaos:
The narrative builds towards a dark, explosive finale, addressing themes of cancel culture and toxic, long-term bullying.
My thoughts...
READ BETWEEN THE LIES is set within the cutthroat world of debut publishing during the COVID-19 pandemic and will keep readers on the edge with this unreliable narrator.
Dark, claustrophobic, and twisty, the author keeps the tension high with online spaces, commentary, and channels during the pandemic, creating intensity and a locked-room type vibe.
The protagonist Fern's mental state and her obsession with her rival explore the publishing industry, social media, online bullying, and modern themes like cancel culture. She consistently paints herself as the victim, even when her actions cause direct harm to others, using her past trauma from Haven Lee's bullying to justify her own increasingly predatory behavior.
The novel brilliantly explores how social media can be used as a weapon to paint anyone as a hero or villain within hours. The narrative uses an unreliable narrator to show how obsession can warp memory and reality, making it difficult to distinguish the predator from the prey.
Essentially, the book warns that the stories we "live" are often more dangerous than the ones we write, especially when fueled by unresolved trauma and the pressure to be authentic online.
The characters are morally gray (Fern and Haven), deeply flawed and unlikable, making it difficult to distinguish the victim from the villain. Ferns serves as an unreliable narrator, with her trauma and jealousy warping the truth. The rivalry is a dangerous obsession that spans from high school into adulthood.
Both Fern and Haven are hiding the truth about what happened to Dani that will keep you page-turning to solve this mystery. Fern’s unreliability stems from the fact that she has been plotting her revenge for years, a fact that she is hiding.
Intricately twisted, a page turner that is different than the author's cozy style; whereas this is a darker psychological trauma and industry satire. The novel explores themes of social media toxicity, the long-term effects of bullying, and the unreliable nature of truth.
Themes...
~The Lingering Trauma of Bullying:
~Social Media Toxicity and "Cancel Culture
~The Malleability of Truth
~The Cutthroat Publishing Industry
~The Blurring Between Victim and Villain
The central takeaway of Sutanto’s READ BETWEEN THE LIES is a sharp exploration of how trauma and obsession can distort objective reality. Essentially, the book warns that in the digital age, authenticity is a performance and the narratives we build—about ourselves and our enemies—are rarely the full story.
The Audiobook...
I recently had the delightful experience of immersing myself in both the book and its audiobook, skillfully narrated by Eunice Wong. Her narration brilliantly captured the nuanced tone and atmospheric depth of the story, drawing me into its world. Wong's voice conveyed the characters' obsessions, emotions, and the intense rivalries and toxic friendships that permeate the narrative. She artfully explored the darker aspects of the publishing industry, ambition, and the complex terrain of cancel culture, making for an enthralling listening experience. I wholeheartedly recommend the audiobook to anyone looking to dive deep into this captivating tale!
Recs...
Readers who enjoyed the toxic rivalry, unreliable narration, and industry backdrop of Jesse Q. Sutanto's READ BETWEEN THE LIES might like other psychological thrillers focusing on toxic friendships, workplace ambition, and the blurring lines between truth and fiction.
~I'm Not Done with You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto
~A Different Type of Poison by Liz Alterman
~All This Could be Yours Hank Phillippi Ryan
~Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott
~Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
~Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
~The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Feb 1, 2026
My Rating: 4 Stars
About the Author
Jesse Q. Sutanto is the Edgar Award–winning, USA Today bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties, The Obsession, Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, and Well, That Was Unexpected. The film rights to Dial A for Aunties were acquired by Netflix in a competitive bidding war, while the TV rights to Vera Wong were bought by Warner Bros. with Oprah Winfrey and Mindy Kaling attached to produce. Sutanto holds a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Oxford, though she hasn’t found a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. The author lives in Indonesia with her husband, two daughters, and a ridiculously large extended family. WEBSITE
