Book Review: We Were Liars by author E. Lockhart 4/5
Welcome!
This book was a lot of what I expected.. and just enough of what I wasn’t to keep my interest throughout.
Though slightly predictable(at times) I found myself turning the pages almost impulsively.
If you’re interested in young adult mysteries with unreliable narrators searching to find the truth and ones ‘self’ in the all the madness, you will enjoy this.
There will probably be spoilers.
Scratch that.. there definitely will be.
I wouldn’t even know how to write this review without one or two but don’t worry, nothing that would ruin the book for you.
Enjoy!
(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, purchases made through my links may earn me a small commission, at no cost to you.)
“We are liars. We are beautiful and privileged. We are cracked and broken.”
― E. Lockhart, We Were Liars
Once upon a time there was a rich man who thought himself a king.
He had three beautiful daughters who grew to be spoiled selfish women. They used their children as pawns to gain favor with their father for trinkets and property.
Once there were four liars. Johnny. Mirren. Gat. And Candace. Tired of the Sinclair legacy of power and greed. They make make a plan that will bring their family together again. They decide to be heroes.
This is their story.. or is it a lie?
Welcome to the Sinclairs.
Perfect.
Wealthy.
Above reproach.
Candace “Cady”(almost eighteen) is searching for answers about the truth of what happened the summer everything changed. “Summer fifteen.”
She doesn’t remember anything. Trauma from a head injury that year causes terrible migraines that leave her miserable for days. And no one is talking. Infact, she’s repeatedly told that the other cousins have been warned away from answering her questions at all, and that her memories need to return naturally.
Her and her mother do return to the island after some subtle manipulation on Cady’s part. She has four weeks on Beechwood. Four weeks to get answers. Four weeks with her Liars.
“It is true I suffer migraines since my accident. It is true I do not suffer fools.”
― E. Lockhart, We Were Liars
Four Stars!
About the book:
Summer Fifteen: Her father runs off to Colorado to be with another woman. He isn’t a Sinclair and never will be. He doesn’t become more present in her life after that, being only mentioned in passing. Her mother demands the appropriate behavior of rich and entitled. Caught up in her things and position, she and Cady have a pretty contentious relationship. Candace herself switches from a young, happy girl of fifteen, in love and happily ensconced in the bright summer days with her cousins.. to a detached, lost teenager searching for answers she’s not sure she wants.
“See the world as it is, not as you wish it would be”
― E. Lockhart, We Were Liars
Overall:
Let’s be clear. I liked this book more and less than I thought I would. The story is an outstanding combination of light reading and mysteriously veiled secrets. It wants to keep you guessing.. when you’ve basically figured out what was going on within the first five chapters.
The liars are likeable and full of youthful vigor and, although it feels as if you never get know them, you want to. This story revolves around their summers on the island and the circumstances of what happened during their fifteenth year.
The family dynamics are realistic enough. A grossly wealthy man drunk with power and obsessed with the games he plays. Stricken by the loss of his wife he uses his own children and grandchildren as pieces against each other. And three very ungrateful women(the aunties) following in their father’s footsteps as toxic manipulators.
The relationship between the liars is curious. They’ve all been raised in the lap of luxury as competition for their Grandfathers favor and the family inheritance. Gat, being the only liar who wasn’t born a Sinclair, brings a new perspective to the group that encourages the others to look at the world with fresh eyes.
“But also, he doesn’t like to let us off easy. He wants to make us think—even when we don’t feel like thinking.”
― E. Lockhart, We Were Liars
My expectations for any kind of maturely developed relationship between Cady and Gat were not very high to begin with. The book is geared towards a younger audience and it certainly hits the mark there.. But I often found myself rolling my eyes. It appears that I’ve officially become too old to appreciate the passionate theatrics of young love.
I feel like I shouldn’t have walked away from this book as satisfied with the overall conclusion as I was. It was refreshing the way she managed to blend the different timelines and memories without over doing it. It’s all skillfully tied together to create an air of mystery that keeps you committed to the very end.
“Someone once wrote that a novel should deliver a series of small astonishments”
― E. Lockhart, We Were Liars
Really Liked:
That the author chose to reveal small hints and truths to Candace through short fairy tales created about the family.
Pet Peeve:
The chapters in this book are really short. Sometimes one or two pages short. I have no idea when this became the ‘thing’ to do but, as it turns out, I’m not a big fan.
Thanks so much for reading!
How do you feel about unreliable narrators?
I love this review and I would like to read this soon. I do agree with you about short chapters, especially when books have any suspense to them.
Since there would be spoilers, not reading the entire review as this is present in my TBR
That is a great idea because this would definitely spoil something. 😅
I am actually finding it very hard to read books since the pandemic lockdowns. I just don’t seem to be able to concentrate long enough.
Many thanks for following my blog.
Best wishes, Pete.
I’m sorry to hear it, that’s really unfortunate.. and slightly reassuring. I have been having the same issue. I thought maybe it was just the books I was picking.. 🤕
How are you getting around it?
I am not, to be honest. I haven’t finished a book since early last year. I keep trying to read, but end up going back over the same pages. So I write a lot more on my blog instead, and hope that reading will come back to me in time.
😱 That took the wind right out of my sails.. and has to be deeply frustrating. I’m sorry and I hope it comes back to you soonly.🌹