Everyone is Lying to You made me really glad that I never “made it big” as a blogger or influencer.
This book by Jo Piazza is the kind of story that makes you take a deep breath, look around at your most-likely-average-but-lovely-life, and think: “Jeez. This ain’t so bad after all.”
It’s also a book that I could not put down.
What’s Everyone is Lying to You about?
Everyone is Lying to You is a #tradwife murder mystery. We meet Lizzie, a journalist who’s done more momming than writing lately and is hungry for change. Lizzie’s contacted by her estranged best friend, Bex, who’s now a “traditional” Instagram mom-and-wife influencer. When Bex offers Lizzie a career-changing opportunity to profile Bex’s multi-million dollar lifestyle and business, Lizzie agrees to meet Bex at a conference and write the story.
The day after Bex and Lizzie reconnect at the conference, Bex goes missing. Then her husband turns up gruesomely murdered. Lizzie flexes her rusty investigate journalism muscles to discover who her once-best friend really is these days.
Is Bex a cold-hearted, social media-wielding executive who could’ve murdered her husband? Or, is she simply a woman trying to escape an abusive marriage with her life (and her kids’ lives) in tact?
What’s a #tradwife?
Tartlets, you aren’t alone if you’re scratching your head and wondering “what’s a trad wife?” I had no idea what this Internet trend was before I read Everyone is Lying to You last year. Thanks to books like Yesteryear and The Mad Wife, “trad wife” is more mainstream than ever these days. But, I’m sure there are still a few of you in the dark.
A trad wife is a woman who embraces “traditional” gender roles in marriage and motherhood. She prioritizes cooking, baking, homemaking, and raising a family, which allow her husband to publicly be the breadwinner and “head of the household.”
Although trad wife culture seems pretty black and white, it’s actually quite ironic: many of these #tradwives are running multi-million dollar empires based around this domestic landscape. These women are, in fact, the breadwinners. They’re essentially CEOs of their own brands and businesses. But, that’s something they don’t really admit to because it would undermine the “traditional” (male-centric) values they capitalize on.
What I loved about Everyone is Lying to You
Everyone is Lying to You is a rich, pulpy, fast-moving suspense novel. It’s filled with twists and turns that leave you open-mouthed — not so much in surprise at what happens, but at just how awful the world of influencing and blogging can be. And about how awful people can be, in general.
Much like with Looks Perfect, I couldn’t get enough of the behind-the-scenes looks at the bonkers world of influencing. You can’t help but wonder how much is true and how much is exaggerated. You also learn how much in the blogosphere is completely fake and created just for the cameras.
Just reading the second chapter of what Bex does to maintain her influencing empire sounds awful and horrible and exhausting and draining. It’s definitely not the picture-perfect image that she — and so many real-life influencers – sell to their adoring fans.
Author Piazza used to work as a journalist, and her background shines through in her writing. Everyone is Lying to You reads like an exposé. It’s juicy and consumable. At her book signing event last year, Piazza talked about the five years of research that went into creating Bex’s world. So, some of the shit that does down with Bex and Lizzie has to be grounded in some sort of reality… right??
A few fun photos from the Everyone is Lying to You party
Despite how heavy the subject matter is in this book, the author talk/book signing party at Dear Reader was so much fun!
Guests were encouraged to dress in their best “trad wife” outfits, which many did. Some people even threw in nods to their favorite parts of the book. (Like the woman who came dressed as a “hen-fluencer.” #Brilliant.)
And, since every good trad wife should be able to make a pie, there was a pie-baking contest.
There were only a few pie entries, but they were all delicious! And I’m proud to say I took first prize with my Strawberry Pie.
Which shall henceforth be known as my “award-winning Strawberry Pie.”
Piazza was, of course, at the party. She gave a great talk for about an hour, and it was filled with fun Q&A about Everyone Is Lying To You, secrets and scandals in the influencer realm, and a few of her other books.
Should you read Everyone is Lying to You?
Pick up Everyone is Lying to You if you want a fun, propulsive, scandalous, and indulgent read. However, keep in mind that this book contains many triggering topics. There’s abuse of all kinds – physical, psychological, and sexual. This story also deals with fertility issues, and it contains depths of treachery and betrayal that I didn’t think existed between people.
Despite all the backstabbing and cutthroat nature of the influencers, you really come to feel for Bex as an authentic person. She’s a woman in a bad situation, and you root for her. You also root for Lizzie to come through for her. The female friendship bond is strong in Everyone is Lying to You. Piazza really makes you want these women to be the friends and people they thought they were 15 years earlier.
The epilogue is a delicious extra treat. This is where Piazza reminds us of her book title – just in case you forgot! The ending also sets things up for a potential sequel, which Piazza mentioned (at the time of the Dear Reader signing party) that she’s working on.
I. CAN’T. WAIT.
What’s the recipe for Everyone is Lying to You?
Check back in for the book-inspired recipe: Classic Eclairs.
