Scroll through Reddit and you’ll be the first to learn that Tell Me Lies—both the novel by Carola Lovering and the Hulu adaptation—has got readers and viewers in a tizzy. We’re talking anger, excitement, frustration, heartbreak, and everything in between. Executive produced by the celebrity duo behind Belletrist, Tell Me Lies has become a cultural touchstone because it dares to unravel the psychology of power, manipulation, and self-deception within relationships, diving deep into what so many coming-of-age stories gloss over: toxicity.
Critics and fans alike point to its exploration of toxic relationships and the way it challenges viewers to confront emotional hardships that they may have ignored or pushed away. As Grace Van Patten who plays Lucy Albright put it, “all these characters are so out of touch with themselves…if they were all honest and communicated, none of these things would have happened.” This truth sits at the heart of today’s conversations about accountability and emotional survival.
On Lit Society, we’re teaming up with Belletrist to host a Tell Me Lies Season 2 Watch-Along Challenge, and as a team, we’ve been obsessed (and full of emotional feels) about how flawed, beautiful, and fraught these characters are. So, naturally, we started asking: if these characters could step outside their whirlpool of denial and dysfunction, what stories might shake them awake? Here’s a medicine cabinet of reading prescriptions to spark the kind of self-reflection that might change each character’s story, and maybe ours, too.
Lucy Albright
Book: Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
What it’s about: A practical, warm guide to setting emotional boundaries, recognizing what is ours to handle, and saying “no” without guilt.
Why Lucy needs it: Lucy constantly collapses into “yes” mode, suppressing her own needs to maintain connection. This book could help her reclaim emotional agency and protect her fragile sense of self.
Stephen DeMarco
Book: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
What it’s about: Frankl’s reflections from his experience in concentration camps, arguing that meaning—even in suffering—is the core human drive.
Why Stephen needs it: Under Stephen’s swagger lies a man totally adrift and always in need of validation. This book might challenge him to ground himself in something deeper than control or praise.
Bree
Book: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
What it’s about: A foundational work on how trauma is stored in the body, and how healing must engage both the mind and physical presence.
Why Bree needs it: Bree carries the burdens of tension, guilt, and responsibility invisibly. She’d benefit from understanding how emotional wounds manifest physically and how to begin healing.
Pippa
Book: Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino
What it’s about: A collection of essays on identity, performance, self-deception by the beloved New Yorker critic about how culture shapes who we think we are.
Why Pippa needs it: Pippa’s defenses often hide her inner life behind irony. This book might prompt her to see what she’s denying herself and what she might reclaim if she let authenticity speak.
Evan
Book: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
What it’s about: A tender coming-of-age story about love, grief, and the difficulty of maintaining identity inside relationships. Murakami explores how intimacy can both nurture and consume.
Why Evan needs it: Like Murakami’s protagonist, Evan often loses himself in others’ needs. This novel would push him to reflect on what it means to preserve a sense of self while still offering care and loyalty.
Diana
Book: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
What it’s about: A quirky and socially awkward woman with a traumatic past slowly transforms her isolated life through unexpected friendships and the courage to confront her hidden pain.
Why Diana needs it: Like Diana, Eleanor wears strength as armor but must learn to embrace vulnerability and connection to genuinely heal and grow.
Don’t just watch Tell Me Lies—live it, dissect it, and challenge it with us. Join Lit Society for our exclusive Lit Society x Belletrist Watch-Along Challenge—where pop culture meets literature in real time.
- Oct 2 – Author Talk: Carola Lovering on Tell Me Lies & the Messy Heroine: Author Carola Lovering in conversation with Jacqueline Bond (Bond & Grace).
- Oct 30 – Styled for Self-Destruction: A Halloween salon with Hulu’s costume designer Charlotte Svenson.
- Coming in November – Our grand finale with Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss.
Spots are limited—so if you’ve ever wanted to be in a Zoom room with Emma Roberts (and hundreds of fellow fans ready to unpack every toxic twist), this is your chance.
