In the end though, they balanced each other out just right, because although they could have survived through life on their own, in order to actually live they needed to be together. He was so protective of Lavender, it was sweet at times, but it was also almost his downfall, and as soon as he learned that Lav could fend for herself, he knew it was game over and it was time to try his best to make things right. He had a giant heart, always trying to do what he believed was right for those he loved, especially Lavender, but in the end, the one who suffered the most was himself. His inner monologue gave an insight into what was going on his head, and his reasoning behind his actions, and whilst reading that part my heart broke for his pain. He put pressures on himself, expectations nobody should have, and his mental health majorly suffered because of it. She was in control and that made me so proud. She was so strong, and I loved how when she stood up to Kodiak, he didn’t know how to deal with her, because the small shy girl he once knew was long gone, she was finally discovering herself, and wasn’t ashamed of any part of it. It was relatable, so real that I felt the anxiety and stress she was going through, but also the sheer joy she felt when she worked through it each time and became a little bit more independent. But how Helena wrote about Lav’s mental health was so incredibly moving. She was the perfect mix of Alex and Violet and seeing them as parents made my heart happy. Seeing the development from young Lav in the flashbacks to the woman she was in the present day was incredible. All her life she had been kept in cotton wool by her older brothers and twin, her parents, the rest of her family and friends, but she learnt, on her own, how to stand up for herself and find her voice. She was intelligent, brave and she grew so much throughout the book, I loved seeing her evolve into an independent, confident young woman.

Lavender was the outstanding character for me. It was paced perfectly, so emotional and heart-wrenching and so well written, my heart physically ached for both of them. Little Lies is their story of finding their way back to each other, and their past heartache is revealed through flashbacks, from both of their views. They leaned on each other in tough times but are suddenly separated in their early teens for years, until college. When Lavender suffers a traumatic event as a child, Kodiak is there to help her fight her demons, and she too helped him fight his own. Lavender and Kodiak were best friends growing up and understood each other in a way that neither of their families could. It is different to her normal writing, it still has moments of humour and so much steam, but the subject it highlights is much deeper, full of angst and heartache. Little Lies is one of Helena’s best books yet.

Helena hunting little lies