Review: The Color of Lies by CJ Lyons

Author: CJ Lyons
Publisher: Blink
Publication Date: November 2018 

High school senior Ella Cleary has always been good at reading people. Her family has a rare medical condition called synesthesia that scrambles the senses—her Gram Helen sees every sound, and her uncle Joe can literally taste words. Ella’s own synesthesia manifests itself as the ability to see colors that reveal people’s true emotions…until she meets a guy she just can’t read.

Alec is a mystery to Ella, a handsome, enigmatic young journalist who makes her feel normal for the first time in her life. That is, until he reveals the real reason why he sought her out—he wants to learn the truth behind her parents’ deaths, the parents that Ella had always been told died in a fire. Alec turns Ella’s world upside down when he tells her their deaths were definitely not an accident.

After learning her entire life has been a lie, Ella doesn’t know who she can trust or even who she really is. With her adoptive family keeping secrets and the evidence mixing fact and fiction, the only way for Ella to learn the truth about her past is to find a killer.

The Color of Lies was a random pick from my library.  It involves Ella who has a condition called synesthesia which causes her senses to be scrambled.  She essentially sees the world in a different way.  She has been raised by her grandmother and uncles after the death of her parents.  On her 18th birthday, she learns that her parents death might not have happened the way she had been told her whole life.

I thought this was an fairly enjoyable YA mystery.  The reveal was a bit predictable if you pay attention early on. I really enjoyed the characters.  I'm not sure how synesthesia really works and whether or not it allows you to see "auras" that give away people's emotions.  I was able to suspend some disbelief for the sake of the book.  Ella was an interesting character.  I liked her loyalty to her family and her willingness to find out the truth.  I also liked Alec.  I wasn't sold on the slight romance.  The story takes place over 3 days.  If it had been left out, I would have been fine with it.  I also loved Ella's friends and their fierce loyalty to her.

I listened to the audiobook and I wouldn't recommend it.  The story is told through both Ella's and Alec's perspective.  The narrator did not distinguish between the two very well.  When Alec was speaking out loud,  he had a southern accent. However, when he was telling narrating his perspective, he sounded like Ella.  I found it easy to forget whose point of view I was listening to.  This would have been better with dual narrators. So read a physical copy instead.

Rock Bottom

by:  Erin Brockovich and CJ Lyons
published by:  Vanguard Press
publish date:  March 1, 2011

Ten years ago, a pregnant seventeen-year-old, Angela Joy Palladino, fled her hometown, Scotia, West Virginia, as a pariah. Over time, AJ succeeded in establishing herself as an environmental activist, dubbed “The People’s Champion,” only to be forced to retreat from the spotlight in the wake of a crushing media disaster.

When AJ is offered a job with a lawyer who is crusading against mountaintop removal mining, she is torn. As a single mother of a special needs nine-year-old boy, AJ can use any work she can get. But doing so will mean returning to the West Virginia hometown she left in disgrace so long ago.

Upon arriving in Scotia, AJ learns of the sudden death of the lawyer who hired her. Soon after joining forces with his daughter, Elizabeth, threats begin to surface, bodies begin to pile up, and AJ discovers that her own secrets aren’t the only ones her mountain hometown has kept buried. Hitting rock bottom, AJ must face the betrayal of those once closest to her and confront the harrowing past she thought she had left behind.

No, you didn't read that wrong.  It is THE Erin Brockovich, the one that Julia Roberts played in the movie.  She teamed up with author CJ Lyons to write Rock Bottom.  According to Goodreads, this is the beginning of a series.  I'm assuming the rest of the series will feature AJ and Elizabeth teaming up to protect the environment and concerns of consumers.  In fact, you won't have to wait long for the second book to come out.  Hot Water is schedule for release this October.

I happened to really like this story, much more so than I had anticipated I would.  I downloaded the audiobook from the library strictly because I saw it was co-written by Erin Brockovich and it was a novel, so I was curious.  First off I will say, if you don't like tree-hugging, leftist, environmental and political activism, this book is not for you, fair warning.  Beyond that, it was a well written, exciting, thrilling suspense novel. 

AJ was a very interesting character.  She had a lot of flaws, which added a lot of dynamics to the story that were a little frustrating at times, but completely realistic.  Her son, David, was a really cool kid.  I liked him a lot.  Elizabeth wasn't particularly my favorite, but maybe she'll grow on me in future books.

Overall, I'd recommend this one.  I'd definitely recommend the audiobook.  The narrator, Coleen Marlo, was excellent.   I'll definitely be keeping up with this series!