This is a classic unreliable narrator book. I have always loved E. Lockhart's writing style, and I was compelled by the story, but the twist took me completely by surprise, which isn't always easy to do. This is ultimately a heartbreaking but also thought-provoking and moving read.

E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars is a haunting, atmospheric psychological thriller that skillfully explores the themes of family secrets, privilege, loss, and the dangerous consequences of deception. With its short chapters, fragmented narrative, and a sense of foreboding from the first page, Lockhart's novel captivates the reader and keeps them on edge, eagerly waiting to uncover the truth behind the tragic events that unfold.

At the heart of the novel is the Sinclair family’s privilege and the toxicity that often accompanies it. While Cadence and her cousins are surrounded by wealth, beauty, and a life of luxury, their seemingly perfect world is actually filled with deep, hidden flaws—secrets that have festered for years. The novel paints a poignant picture of the dangers of wealth, entitlement, and the ways in which families can be complicit in their own destruction.

Lockhart’s writing is lyrical and evocative, using metaphor and symbolism to enrich the story. The setting of the Sinclair family island becomes a character in its own right, with its isolation and beauty reflecting both the allure and the darkness at the heart of the novel. The novel’s structure, with its frequent interruptions of Cadence’s distorted memories, adds a layer of tension, creating a sense of unease that propels the reader forward.

The final pages are both heartbreaking and thought-provoking, leaving readers with a lingering sense of loss and a new understanding of the true cost of the Sinclair family’s lies. With its haunting ending and complex characters, it’s a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers, contemporary fiction, and coming-of-age stories with a dark twist.

I didn't love this as much as others did. I miss the earnest of Lockhart's Ruby Oliver books. WE WERE LIARS is much more in the vein of taut but rather plot-less YA thrillers such as Maggie Stiefvater and V. E. Schwab, where vibes and writing style matter more than plot and character development.

I hated this book so much I'm still thinking about how much I hated it 8 years later. Nothing has ever made me trust booktok less. I love the author's earlier books but this one was truly bad.

This is one of those stories that I can't stop thinking about, even months after I read it. All through the book I thought I had an understanding of what was happening. But then I got to the end.

It is the story of friendships, family, and growing up. It was well-written and I would recommend it to everyone. I ended up buying a copy for my daughter. I hope she likes it as much as I did.

This was a very interesting story. It's one of the few books that I have had a hard time figuring out and was genuinely intrigued throughout the entire book.

Secrets are never a good thing. They carry a heavy price and do nothing but cause trouble. Especially since it takes lies to keep the secrets in place. Lies that will ultimately effect everyone close the the involved party.

Sometimes though it's thought that keeping the secret is better than telling the truth. In that instance a way of life is preserved and someone of lesser meaning takes the fall or simply there is no answer at all. Leaving things needing a closure that won't come unless the truth is revealed.

This book, which I read in 2014 when I received it from NetGalley, was a twisty, surprisingly poignant expose on a privileged lifestyle and those in their circle. I absolutely didn't see this one coming, and each chapter provided new pieces of the puzzle that, by the end, left me breathless. It was a fantastic thriller and I enjoyed it. On my Goodreads review, I was careful not to give away the plot, as I feel it's integral to the narrative that the reader participate in the journey unawares.

A brilliantly taught, twisty turny novel that kept me awake until 2.30am until it was finished... and then for longer as I tried to figure out how I had missed what the twist revealed!

I re-read this award-winning destined to be a classic again this year. The tight writing, suspenseful plot, over the top wealth, existential questions, and budding romance are a pull through the whole novel, a tale in which a damaged but privileged young woman returns to her family's New England home on a private island to find it much changed. Her family seems to be walking on eggshells around her, and her beloved cousins are not much help recovering her missing memories. Without giving too much away, I will just say this is an unputdownable book that left me a little breathless.

Already read this back in 2014 but NetGalley approved me just now. Haha! That's okay, though. This was a compelling read. e. lockhart is a writer whose work I'll always try to pick up.

We Were Liars

E. Lockhart, 2014

Cadence Sinclair Eastman is the oldest grandchild in the Sinclair family – a wealthy, upper-class family that summers on a private island and fights over the inheritance. Then, the summer when Cadence is fifteen, something bad happens. Something that leaves Cadence with crippling migraines and no memories of the event. She knows that her family is keeping secrets from her, but is unable to figure out what is going on. So now, at seventeen, Cadence returns to the island to see if she can uncover the secrets of summer fifteen.


Okay, I’ll admit it. I did not see this book coming. I had put off reading it for a year, despite (or maybe because of) all of the hype. I had actually received an advanced copy from the publisher a year ago, but never got around to reading it before the download expired. But now, finally, after seeing it on so many “Best of 2014″ lists, I picked it up again. And I was surprised, in a good way, in every way possible.

The characters, at times, could be lacking in dimension, but I believe that this was intentional. They’re portrayed as a snobby rich family, better than those around them, and this is who they are. They’re not always likable. But that’s okay. Even “The Liars” – Cadence, Johnny, Mirren, and Gat – our main characters, aren’t always likable. But I did find them interesting.

I liked the mystery aspect. I liked that our narrator, Cadence, had no idea what was going on. As she tries to figure out what happened that summer, we try to figure it out with her. I liked the style of prose that Lockhart used. I liked the fact that the characters were unlikable and often unreliable. These are all aspects that I know some people had problems with, but that I found enjoyable.

Most importantly, I loved the ending. [No spoilers, I promise] I didn’t see it coming. I’m not one of those people who sits there and analyzes every statement and possible clue to try and figure out a mystery, but I do consider myself to be somewhat clever. But I love it when an ending surprises me, especially if I’m able to look back on the rest of the book and find that the conclusion makes sense based on what I’ve previous read. This book did this perfectly. A very well-executed story.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery and doesn’t mind reading about characters that aren’t entirely likable. It’s geared slightly toward young adults, but I think adults can still find this book enjoyable. I know I did.

This was the first book that I have read by E. Lockhart. It was haunting, and not what I was expecting.
That ending... my mind did explode at the end with new and surprise that an author could pull off that type of twist.
I think this book deals with a lot of different issues (lost memories, dementia, family issues etc. which is nice to see in books. I don't read that much contemporary books so maybe that is why.
I did think there was a lot hype about this book and that can scare people away. The ending did surprise me… and thinking back, I felt like I should have realized the clues.
Anyhoo… I did like Cadence, but it was hard to really connect to her character and the other characters, which is why I gave this book 3 stars. I like the writing style but I felt there could have been more developed characters.

There are so many ways I want to write this review, so many things I want to say and feel need to be said. The first and only things I’ve ever heard about We Were Liars is how brilliant, how amazing it is—and when you open up the eGalley, there’s a whole page about how moving it is but you can’t say much without giving away things.

And that’s the easiest and hardest part.

You really can’t say much about this book without giving away what’s inside. I can tell you the characters are memorable—some not in a good way, but that’s how they are meant to be so it is ok—and I can tell you that the story moves at this fantastically poetic pace. But I can’t tell you how they are Liars, what makes them the Liars, what moves them through the novel, what creates them.

I can tell you that there is an island, and they are a family. Some by blood, others by love. I can tell you that you are reading with mystery, with a cloud over you because you can feel in every word, every sentence, that there is more to the story and that you may not like it. But I can’t tell you who they are, really. I can’t tell you how the bond can go deeper than blood, deeper than love. I can’t tell you what makes her sick, what makes her tick, what causes her headaches.

But I can tell you that I read this book with bated breath. That I suffered and loved through every page, every single moment. I can tell you that this book will grip you, and shake you, and reach out to you and into you and you will know, with a certainty, that this is a meaningful book.

I can tell you that while I didn’t cry (since it seems every other person who read this did), I felt it. I felt why, I knew why, I probably should have cried. I can tell you that even though I actually am not as huge a fan as a lot of others are with this book, there is an undeniable attachment and brilliance to it. The lyricism of the words, how they are strung and hung and linked together, make it an experience to read.

And I can’t give you concrete reasons why, but I can ask you to trust me, to trust that this is a worthwhile journey to go on, that you will never regret meeting the Liars and getting inside her head.

4 Stars / 5

E. Lockhart is so good at skillfully misdirecting readers! I cried the first time I read this book, then reveled in all the details I didn't quite put together in the initial read.

It was absolutely fabulous and I couldn't put it down. I read it entirely in one day, two sittings. Go into it knowing as little of the story as possible. I loved the use of fairy tales and that twist! It's going to be such an amazing beach read for so many this summer.

I wasn't expecting this book to be anything at all like I read. I was expecting rich kids at their families summer home. Which yes we get. but entwined in this story is another layer that makes you stop an go 'hmmm, what happened because nothing is what it seems.

I enjoyed We Were Liars, and I hope to read more my E. Lockhart in the future.

Thank you for the chance to read/review this book.

We Were Liars is the story of Cady, a girl who spends every summer on an island her grandfather owns with her three friends – Johnny, Gat and Mirren. She’s returned after not seeing them for two years because of an accident and amnesia. Something happened when they were 15 and she does not know what. Her friends won’t tell her the truth, but she starts to slowly remember.

I love the unfolding of this story, the way the narrator kept retelling the story of the king with his three daughters (in real life her mom and her two aunts) who are vying for the love of the king trying to earn what they think they deserve. In reality, the aunts are shoving their children forward as favorites and trying to claim a hold of an unclaimed island home, one of the most expensive. Beyond the island, none of the three daughters and their families are actually rich, but their father is and he is slowly getting older and losing his memory.

Cady explains this over time and with the way that the kids are parading around in front of the grandfather and harassed into spending time with him. Gat is not like the others as he is a family friend and is not a Sinclair – he’s a mixed race. There’s some pointed racism in the book and really when everything comes together the whole story is rather heartbreaking. Although Cady comes from privilege you feel for her and the constraints of being a “Sinclair”.

Verdict:

Overall, a fantastic read and one that will shock you at the end.

Told through flashbacks and memories, this suspense novel will truly surprise readers. One of the best suspense novels that I have read.

Sorry, could not get to reading this book on time - thank you for the opportunity to review!

Obviously, the summary gives you very little to go on to decide if you want to read this book. For me, it worked for friends to shove it into my hands saying, you will like this. But that’s because they know my taste. You probably need a little more to go on, because I actually don’t believe this book is for everyone.

So here’s the most non-spoilery summary I can give:

WE WERE LIARS is about a group of four teens (three cousins, one friend) who grow up spending their summers with their families on a private island. When they are fifteen, the narrator, Cady, has an accident. She hits her head and loses her memory, suffers a traumatic brain injury, and spends two years convalescing under the watchful eyes of her parents. She never can recall what happened to her, but she misses the island and begs to return. So when she is seventeen, she does.

Only this time, everything is different. And no one will tell her why.

This is a hard book to peg down. It’s not the suspenseful page-turner I thought it would be, given the back cover copy (although it is a speedy read). Nor is it the quiet literary fiction that it feels like in parts. It’s a mystery that doesn’t read like a mystery. It’s a modern story that feels vaguely historical because of the isolated setting (Internet, phones, cable all don’t seem to work on the island). It’s psychologically manipulative, but then again, maybe it’s not.

It’s an enigma. It defies categorization.

The prose is gorgeous, but detached. It took me a while to become completely engrossed in this book because I couldn’t emotionally connect with the narrator. I was always interested in the plot and wanted to see what happened; I just wasn’t invested until about the halfway point. (Take this with a grain of salt – I have many friends who were utterly riveted by page 1.)

That said, once I was in, I was all in. This book solidly staked its claim on the “There Were Tears” shelf in my brain, and let me tell you, that is a small shelf.

There are twists and red herrings galore in WE WERE LIARS, and whether or not you see them coming or find them satisfying is part of the draw of this book. I found it smart and well-executed and original, but I also was able to call some of the surprises early on. However, that didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book.

This is a book you can only really discuss with others who have read it, and it’s one of very few books that I’ve heard people recommend even if they didn’t like it, just because they wanted to be able to talk about it. It’s well crafted, beautifully written, and unlike anything else I’ve read. It’ll leave you thinking for days (and, if you’re like me, you’ll flip back to the beginning and start reading again immediately after you finish, looking for the things you missed), and talking about it over dinner with your friends.

You know, the friends who read it because you made them read it because you just had to talk about it.

I will give you the disclaimer that this book isn’t one for people who need clear answers. There is a lot open for interpretation, and there is a very valid way of reading the book that could leave the reader in a pretty dark place. There’s also a more uplifting way to read, but if you prefer your endings unambiguously positive, this may not be the book for you.

That said, if you’re up for a ride into the twisting dark unknown, I hope you’ll give it a try.