The Book Lisp with Jon Ryan & Sarah Colonna

Episode: “Sometimes I Lie” Full Discussion

Date: August 25, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jon Ryan and Sarah Colonna dive deep into Alice Feeney’s twisty psychological thriller, Sometimes I Lie. They unpack the novel's labyrinthine plot, grapple with unreliable narrators, explore character motivations, and candidly share both confusion and admiration for the story’s many layers and ambiguous ending. The discussion is lively, informal, and peppered with both personal anecdotes and genuine attempts to make sense of the book’s most shocking turns.

Key Discussion Points

1. Initial Impressions & Format

• [03:54] Sarah kicks off with her overall love for the book and notes that the plot twists greatly affected rereading:

  “I loved the book… when the twist comes that you realize Claire is... it’s Claire’s diary, not Taylor’s.”

• Jon admits to being so surprised by the major twist that he needed to pause and literally map character relationships on paper:

  “I wrote Amber, Taylor, Claire to, like, sort it out because I was like, I’m screwing up my head again.” (05:12)

• Both hosts highlight Alice Feeney’s meticulous plotting and foreshadowing, noting the impact of a good audio narration on their experience.

2. Character Confusion & Unreliable Narration

• [07:10 & 08:25] Sarah discusses the significance of obsessive counting and threes, both as character quirks and narrative clues.
• The duo explores how Feeney expertly blurs the identities of Amber, Taylor, and Claire, continually forcing readers to question character reliability.
• [09:08] Sarah delves into the questionable motives behind Amber’s pursuit of revenge, asking if she was manipulated by Claire or acting of her own volition.

3. Major Plot Twists & Theories

• Twist #1 – The Diary’s Author: The discovery that the diary presumed to be Amber’s is actually Claire's upends reader expectations and prompts both hosts to revisit earlier events in a new light.
• Revenge & Identity:

  “She was already ready to frame Madeline for Claire’s murder. So... she was planning to murder Claire pretty early on, right?” — Sarah [11:32]

• Paul’s Role: Both question Paul’s transparency and love for Amber, questioning his erratic behavior and if he knew more than he let on.
• Claire’s Intent: The pivotal car crash—was Claire purposely trying to kill Amber? Both revisit the details and swap theories.

  “[Claire’s] driving the stick shift… going faster and faster, when [Amber’s] like, slow down… led me to believe that she was purposely crashing.” — Jon [20:46]

4. The Ending: Open Questions & Wild Theories

• [23:18] Sarah outlines the ambiguous final vacation scenes: Is someone stalking Amber? Did Claire escape the fire? Did Paul read the diaries and is now tormenting her?
• Bracing for the Bracelet: The sudden reappearance of Claire’s bracelet sparks fierce debate on whether Claire is alive, Edward is still a threat, or Paul is playing mind games.

  “Are we to believe that she got out and is now, like, stalking her...?” — Sarah [23:24]

• Jon ponders: is Paul now complicit or controlling, using knowledge from the diaries against Amber?

  “Could it be Paul? And he’s trying to keep her in line and... put a power move...” — Jon [24:08]

• [29:01] Both acknowledge the deliberate ambiguity: “It’s a choose your own adventure in some ways, right?” — Sarah
• The phrase “sometimes I lie” is dissected for clues, suggesting the book’s resolution purposely keeps the truth murky.

5. Thematic Deep Dive

• Toxic Family and Identity:
  • The hosts empathize with the psychological damage inflicted by parents and failed sibling relationships.
  • Sarah observes:

    “No wonder both these women were so messed up.” [19:39]

• Imaginary Friends & Easter Eggs:
  • Jon notes the psychological instability:

    “If you have an imaginary friend when you’re like in your mid-30s, you’re having like a mental breakdown.” [48:49]

• Recurrent motifs like “threes,” the color red, and missing objects are called out as clever foreshadowing or red herrings.

6. Edward’s Subplot

• [41:30] Both question the need for the Edward subplot, ultimately suggesting he represents another aspect of Claire’s destructive influence and the book’s psychological dread.

• “Is he just another representation of something that Claire did that almost ruined her life?” — Sarah [42:49]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Big Twist

  “The turn of events, the big twist was so much that I pretty much had to put down the book… I had to completely rethink the entire book to that point.” — Jon (05:01)

• On Ambiguity

  “This is the most unsatisfying book review anyone’s ever done... if you aren’t quite sure what happened at the end, you’re not alone, but you’re free to make up your own, choose your own adventure.” — Sarah (50:22)

• On Rewarding Complexity

  “I really love a book that makes me think and that I don’t quite... and then there could be different theories...” — Sarah (45:19)

• On Paul’s Creepiness

  “You couldn’t pay me enough to read a fricking 13- or 11-year-old girl’s diary. That's the creepiest thing I’ve ever heard.” — Jon (31:58)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:02 – Episode introduction and setup
• 03:54 – Initial impressions, Sarah’s Goodreads/Reddit research
• 05:01 – Jon’s reaction to the plot twist
• 07:10 – Discussion of reliability, character OCD, and motif of threes
• 08:25 & 09:08 – Alice Feeney’s foreshadowing and character clues
• 11:32 – Amber’s plan to murder Claire and set up Madeline
• 20:15–21:05 – The car crash and Claire’s intentions
• 23:18–29:01 – Post-ending debate, bracelet mystery, and open questions
• 31:01–32:19 – Paul’s odd behavior and the diary-reading scene
• 41:30 & 42:49 – Edward’s subplot and its impact/themes
• 45:19 – Reflections on loving an ambiguous ending
• 50:22 – Invitation to audience discussion and final review ratings

Final Thoughts & Listener Engagement

• Both hosts rate the book highly for its ability to spark discussion and leave them perplexed:
  • Jon: “11 out of 12 beers” [51:03]
  • Sarah: “5 out of 5 cocktails” [51:07]
• They strongly encourage listeners to join their Facebook group and weigh in with theories.
• Sarah sums up the episode’s spirit:

  “And just because I’m confused doesn’t have anything to do with not loving it.” [51:13]

Next Episode Teaser

• Next month’s pick: The Wedding People
• Weekly episodes build toward a full-review in week four.

For in-depth debate and more listener theories, check out the Book Lispners Facebook group or interact via Instagram and Patreon!