In Review: We Were Liars
I was not planning on rewriting a review for We Were Liars by E Lockhart. I read this book five years ago, loved it, and obviously, I had to write a review and post it here on the blog. And now, as I finish reading that review, I have a question: what is that girl talking about?
Memory is a funny thing. I could swear to you what I thought about We Were Liars before rereading it was the same thoughts I had when I finished it. Turns out, it wasn’t. And that is quite fitting for this book, where nothing is as it seems.
I wasn’t planning on writing another review. I decided to reread it now to help me get out of a reading slump and to decide once and for all if the spoiler was actually a spoiler or a spoiler. Although, I feel like I can do a much better job now giving you a scoop of what this book is than I did those years ago.
Title: We Were Liars Author: E Lockhart Publication year: 2014 Length: 6 hours 27 minutes Genre: YA, Mystery, Drama Pace: Fast Story focus: Character & Plot
Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family. No one is a criminal. No one is an addict. No one is a failure. At least, that’s what they want you to believe. Every year, in the summer, the Sinclair family reunites on their private island, away from the rest of the world. Every year, they are the perfect family. Until they’re not. Cadence, the oldest of the grandchildren and the supposed heir of the Sinclair family fortune is sick. She had an accident two summers ago and doesn’t remember anything. No one tells her anything, not even the Liars. Her beautiful Liars. Johnny, Mirren, and Gat. Gat, Mirren, and Johnny.
In my now-hidden-first-review, I say: “For your own good, I’m going to keep my mouth shut.” And I still agree with those words. The less you know about this book, the better. The surprise of not seeing the plot twist coming adds another level to the enjoyment. Although, I believe it’s possible to give you more information about the story without ruining it.
The story is told from Cadence’s perspective. She suffered an accident in the summer 15, as they call it (because that’s how old they were at the time), and she’s suffering from selective amnesia. She has very few memories of that summer and the accident. In consequence, she suffers from crippling headaches. Because of this, no one tells her what happened in that summer. They fear it’s not safe for her. They don’t want to stress her out even more and worsen the headaches. She needs to remember on her own. And so, in summer 17, Cadence is finally back on the island for four weeks. It’s her last chance to remember the past.
I wish to say with as much conviction as I can muster that the plot is unpredictable. And five years ago, I would say that. Although rereading the story while knowing how it ends, I saw E Lockhart leave behind chunks of bread. Not little breadcrumbs here and there. Oh no. She left entire pieces of bread. I don’t know how I missed them before. It was so clear from the start. And now I understand why some people say this book is predictable. Some mysteries just weren’t well hidden. They were there for anyone to see.
When it comes to predictability, especially in mysteries, it’s usually a matter of how many you have consumed. After discovering and seeing a bunch of plot twists, it’s easy to recognise when the same plot twist will happen. For me, We Were Liars was a first, so it caught me off guard. If you are a heavy consumer of mystery stories, then this book might be easy to predict. But if you don’t, then it will be a roller coaster!
If you are a reader who needs to relate to the characters, then you won’t. She’s rich. Like rich rich. Her grandfather OWNS the island. That’s a level of money the common mortal will never see in their lifetime. Also, it doesn’t help that Cadence can be a bit full of herself. She comes from a family all too focused on being perfect all the time, and even while challenging that, Cadence shows she is a Sinclair after all. And the same thing happens with all the other characters. They all seem friendly, but as you learn more, the less good you see in them. Think of them as beautiful apples. Perfectly red on the outside, but once you cut it open, it’s completely rotten. That’s what these characters are like. The image of perfecting with a bad core.
Alongside all the mystery about Cadence’s accident, the book focuses on family drama. That’s what moves the story. All the things that happened in the past show who these people are, how this family really is, and how the Sinclairs aren’t all that perfect. Everything circles back to drama, to secrets, to fights, to love. I really liked seeing all the dynamics between the characters. It was interesting to know them and understand their personalities.
It isn’t a book perfect for everyone due to Cadence’s over-dramatic personality, and having her as the narrator can be annoying. Personally, I wasn’t bothered. And I even believe there’s a reason for this style of narration. I can reread this book over and over again and find different meanings. Find something hidden that I missed the last time. And when it comes to plot twists and mystery, as I said, it depends. It can blow you away or you can predict it 50 pages in. One thing is for sure, it’s a quick read filled with rich family secrets. And as entertainment, this book gets a 10 out of 10.
