Liar, Dreamer, Thief
by Maria Dong
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A young woman's carefully constructed fantasy world implodes in this brilliantly conceived novel that blurs distinctions between right and wrong, comedy and tragedy, imagination and reality: "Surreal . . . filled with technicolor lies and terrible truths" (Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling and Hugo-award winning author).
Most Anticipated by CrimeReads - Good Housekeeping - BookRiot - Goodreads - Bookish - OverDrive
Aardvark Book Club pick - Good Housekeeping Must-Read Book of 2023
Katrina Kim may be broke, the black sheep of her family, and slightly unhinged, but she isn't a stalker. Her obsession with her co-worker, Kurt, is just one of many coping mechanisms--like her constant shape and number rituals, or the way scenes from her favorite children's book bleed into her vision whenever she feels anxious or stressed.
But when Katrina finds a cryptic message from Kurt that implies he's aware of her surveillance, her tenuous hold on a normal life crumbles. Driven by compulsion, she enacts the most powerful ritual she has to reclaim control--a midnight visit to the Cayatoga Bridge--and arrives just in time to witness Kurt's suicide. Before he jumps, he slams her with a devastating accusation: his death is all her fault.
Horrified, Katrina combs through the clues she's collected about Kurt over the last three years, but each revelation uncovers a menacing truth: for every moment she was watching him, he was watching her. And the past she thought she'd left behind? It's been following her more closely than she ever could have imagined.
A gripping page-turner, as well as a sensitive exploration of mental health, Liar, Dreamer, Thief is an intimate portrayal of life in all its complexities--and the dangers inherent in unveiling people's most closely guarded secrets.
Includes a Reading Group Guide.
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Book Details
- ISBN
- 9781538723487
- Binding
- Paperback
- Authors
- Maria Dong
- Publisher
- Grand Central Publishing
- Published Date
- January 9, 2024
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 368
- Physical Info
- 1.1 in H x 8 in L x 5.2 in W (0.66 lb)

I truly truly truly never knew where this book was going and it wrapped up so well. Highly highly recommend for weird girls
I admit that when I first started reading, I had absolutely no idea what was going on. I was so confused and thinking this book was going to be tough to get through. How thrillingly wrong I was! I stuck with it and holy moly, this is a heck of a good book, an original story that is mind bending and mind blowing and it has everything I love in a book, an unsolved & strange mystery. And I adore Katrina Kim. I definitely recommend this book for a rollocking read. 5 stars and maybe my favorite book of 2024! Read it!
Not much to say without giving some things away for the next reader. Difficult to read and the topics are very concerning. Not my type of book.
This was an amazing debut novel for Maria Dong.Dong does a wonderful job of making you feel like you are Katrina, experiencing everything she does. This is done almost too well, considering I had to stop a few times due to the second-hand embarrassment or because my anxiety was through the roof.This book thriller tackles poverty and mental illness in the main character very well. As Katrina spirals following her encounter with Kurt, you don’t know what is real and what could just be a figment of her imagination, but never does the book becoming too confusing to follow.I never knew where this book would take me next. As Katrina was trying to piece together evidence to uncover the truth, I found myself doing the same. Keeping track of what “we” had collected and what it could mean. Despite this, I never could have anticipated the ending.As someone in tech, also liked that Dong incorporated aspects of her computer programming life in the book.The way this book ended there is potential for a follow up story and I would not be opposed to another one to see what becomes of Katrina’s life going forward. Regardless of if Dong continues with Katrina’s story or not, I look forward to her next book!
This was a book we read in a book club that I'm in. I did not like this book at all. Better to get it a the library and check it out before you purchase this one.
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