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Spending the summers on her family's private island off the coast of Massachusetts with her cousins and a special boy named Gat, teenaged Cadence struggles to remember what happened during her fifteenth summer.Tags
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amysisson Although ultimately the books are different, the love felt by the viewpoint characters seems similar, and there is a certain unusual poetic quality to the writing. Both are glorious books.
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A really good read, "We Were Liars" is sad and joyful, poignant and tender, and filled with the hope of youth and the sometimes disappointing reality of youth, all of these at once it seems. It is an emotional journey into love and grief and guilt and forgiveness as Cadence struggles to recall that 'one' summer after a tragic accident. Her memories are gone and when she tries to remember she gets terrible migraines. Her attempt to reconstruct that summer and discover what went wrong with her life is the central plot of "Liars." The plot is outstanding and offers a couple of definitive twists that keep the reader turning pages to see what happens next. Lockhart has filled those pages with strong, in-depth characters and good story that show more is propelled by her style of wriiting. She builds empathy for the characters as they struggle with family, relationships, and trying to grow up. The ideals of a youth that seeks to change the world but rushes headlong into tragedy in the attempt is the driving theme. Probably one of the most poignant statements for me comes near the end of the book as Cady writes, "Tragedy is ufly and tangled, stupid and confusing. That is what the children know." And while I am not the target audience, I found this to be quite a moving story. show less
Ever since they were eight years old, they've spent their summers together: Cady, Johnny, Mirren, and Gat. Three cousins and a friend, running wild on the cousins' grandfather's private island. But then, two summers ago, something happened, some trauma Cady can't quite remember. She hit her head, she thinks. And last summer she toured Europe with her father. But now she's back on the island, back with Johnny and Mirren and Gat, her favorite people in the world, ready to face whatever it is that she's been trying so hard not to remember. Or is she?
I found this book intriguing in the literary sense, though I never connected with it on an emotional level -- too many of Cady's problems are Rich Kid Problems, and she's a little too show more intentionally vague to transcend her socioeconomic background and resonate with the rest of us, I think. But it kept me reading to the end, to see how things played out in terms of the mystery. The hints were there, but I didn't even suspect the truth until shortly before it was revealed. I also appreciated the homage to King Lear. This book grabs hold of the brain, though not necessarily the heartstrings, and if you're okay with that, then I would certainly recommend it to you. show less
I found this book intriguing in the literary sense, though I never connected with it on an emotional level -- too many of Cady's problems are Rich Kid Problems, and she's a little too show more intentionally vague to transcend her socioeconomic background and resonate with the rest of us, I think. But it kept me reading to the end, to see how things played out in terms of the mystery. The hints were there, but I didn't even suspect the truth until shortly before it was revealed. I also appreciated the homage to King Lear. This book grabs hold of the brain, though not necessarily the heartstrings, and if you're okay with that, then I would certainly recommend it to you. show less
I kept hearing about We Were Liars by E. Lockhart from the various book reviewers on YouTube that I obsessively follow so I finally caved and checked it out from the library. I'm very glad that I did. It was marketed as a young adult novel with a twist ending so shocking that you'd feel compelled to lie about it to all of your friends (after enthusiastically recommending it to them). I'd have to agree with that. (Note: I'm not usually the type of person that can suss out the ending of a book or film from clues at the beginning.) It wasn't until page 196 (out of 225 pages) that I figured out the big WHOA moment (and lost my mind completely). The book focuses on a group of teenagers who are living the kind of privileged life that you only show more see in books and films. They spend their summers on a little island owned by their grandfather. (I must point out one of the main characters is just a friend who is lucky enough to be included. This is important to the plot.) We are seeing everything through the eyes of Cadence who is the oldest of the grandchildren and the story starts when she is 17. However, the narrative keeps folding back upon itself to the summer when they were all fifteen. I found it somewhat difficult living inside of her head as she wasn't the most likable character...those were few and far between actually. The world that they inhabit is bizarrely fantastical but the storyline is believable. That strange dichotomy is what makes this book so excellent. I found myself turning the pages hoping that the unreality would somehow resolve itself into something understandable. My biggest issue was that the ending was rather abrupt and I feel it didn't do justice to the rest of the book. BUT if you're looking for drama x1000 with a super surprise ending then you can't go wrong with We Were Liars. show less
I didn’t realize that this was a Young Adult book when I picked it up, but once again I found myself pleasantly astounded. YA books weren’t like this when I was younger. This book was smart and beautifully written in a unique style that I completely enjoyed.
I thought I had it figured out. Then I didn’t. Then I realized that I had part of it, but the author tricked me into doubting myself and then whammied me with an added bonus. This book kept me on edge. I didn’t want to put it down. It gave me pleasure. It gave me pain.
At 225 pages, this is a quick read, and one that I’d recommend if you like reading about teenage strife and you’re in for a bit of mystery. This is one that I’ll be passing on and forcing someone I know to show more read. 5 stars. show less
I thought I had it figured out. Then I didn’t. Then I realized that I had part of it, but the author tricked me into doubting myself and then whammied me with an added bonus. This book kept me on edge. I didn’t want to put it down. It gave me pleasure. It gave me pain.
At 225 pages, this is a quick read, and one that I’d recommend if you like reading about teenage strife and you’re in for a bit of mystery. This is one that I’ll be passing on and forcing someone I know to show more read. 5 stars. show less
What. Was. That.
I will probably go around for the next week, not naming this book but putting forth the situation of the whole thing that happened TO EVERYONE I KNOW and ask them if they immediately see any flaws in the plan. Because I did.
I mean, I get y'all were fifteen and drunk, but how do you think that could possibly end well?
But. You know, I was definitely not expecting that.
Um. It actually made me a little bit nauseated, but I can't blame that entirely on the book. I really shouldn't have eaten four pieces of pizza.
Also, this book was so well written. Like, SOOO well-written. Read it just for the writing. Seriously.
Anyway, this book was great and surprising and really, really cool.
(You know, despite the whole stupid idea thing)
I will probably go around for the next week, not naming this book but putting forth the situation of the whole thing that happened TO EVERYONE I KNOW and ask them if they immediately see any flaws in the plan. Because I did.
I mean, I get y'all were fifteen and drunk, but how do you think that could possibly end well?
But. You know, I was definitely not expecting that.
Um. It actually made me a little bit nauseated, but I can't blame that entirely on the book. I really shouldn't have eaten four pieces of pizza.
Also, this book was so well written. Like, SOOO well-written. Read it just for the writing. Seriously.
Anyway, this book was great and surprising and really, really cool.
(You know, despite the whole stupid idea thing)
Writers of Young Adult fiction are faced with a gargantuan task each time they sit down to crank out a book. Their job is to take the thoughts of fundamentally uninteresting people, teenagers, and try to make them worth reading. For whatever reason, E. Lockhart decided to start off We Were Liars with the two least compelling chapters in the history of the written word, creating an uphill battle for herself that she never even comes close to winning.
Rather than copy and paste the first two chapters here, I've written one paragraph that I think sums them up fairly well.
The "rich people get sad sometimes too" theme is one of the most toxic recurrences in literature, firstly because it's been covered ad nauseum for the past century and gets presented as insightful every single goddamn time. What's worse, though, is that we see wealth framed as a burden. We can't forget that the pain that comes with the human condition is unavoidable, and wealth is just a temporary buffer from that pain. When the Buddha left his palace for the first time and saw starving beggars on the street, I bet that sucked a lot for the Buddha, but it wasn't nearly as bad as actually being the beggars.
Unfortunately, novels like We Were Liars don't present it that way. In this world, rich people don't get sad because they're people. They get sad because they're rich. No wonder the dumb kids in the book think that reducing the family's material wealth will solve their problems.
I should probably take a step back. I'm thinking way too hard about a book where the BIG PLOT TWIST is that some teenagers forgot that you can't go through doors when the doors are on fire. Let's get back to some stupid young-adultiness.
Our narrator, Cadence (just fucking name her Candace quit trying so hard why does every young adult book have the most obnoxious fucking names) tells us that her group of friends was called the Liars, a super cool name for some super cool friends. I want to meet your friends, Cadence, what are they like?
Rather than let Cadence describe Gat, I'd rather just hear what he has to say.
This matters because Lockhart kills these kids. It's the BIG PLOT TWIST, and I never saw it coming. So what's that worth, exactly? There's an easy way to tell. If as you were reading the BIG PLOT TWIST you said to yourself, "Oh, no! Not Gat!" then it worked. Otherwise, it really didn't matter.
Creating an ending that nobody saw coming is certainly a skill, but it's not the key to making a novel good. If the reader doesn't care about the people affected by your ending, then it doesn't matter how many twists you throw in before you get there. Lockhart could have put every member of the Sinclair family on the top floor of that burning house and it would have meant the exact same nothing to me.
I'm not the target audience for We Were Liars, but high school kids like being unimpressed by things, so I'm sure they'd feel the same way about this as I did. show less
Rather than copy and paste the first two chapters here, I've written one paragraph that I think sums them up fairly well.
My name is Apoplexia Trifles. I dyed my hair and I read books, so I'm obviously a big girl now. I have migraines now, so God is for sure not real. My family sucks becauseshow more
they like to keep their drama private, which bothers me because I imagine myself yelling all my problems at strangers in the grocery store when I get older. I've come to an epiphany. It's gonna blow your mind so you better sit down for it. Here it is: rich people aren't always happy. Isn't your mind blown like I said it would be? Don't you find me interesting now?If you still want to read the book, you're now free to skip to chapter 3.
The "rich people get sad sometimes too" theme is one of the most toxic recurrences in literature, firstly because it's been covered ad nauseum for the past century and gets presented as insightful every single goddamn time. What's worse, though, is that we see wealth framed as a burden. We can't forget that the pain that comes with the human condition is unavoidable, and wealth is just a temporary buffer from that pain. When the Buddha left his palace for the first time and saw starving beggars on the street, I bet that sucked a lot for the Buddha, but it wasn't nearly as bad as actually being the beggars.
Unfortunately, novels like We Were Liars don't present it that way. In this world, rich people don't get sad because they're people. They get sad because they're rich. No wonder the dumb kids in the book think that reducing the family's material wealth will solve their problems.
I should probably take a step back. I'm thinking way too hard about a book where the BIG PLOT TWIST is that some teenagers forgot that you can't go through doors when the doors are on fire. Let's get back to some stupid young-adultiness.
Our narrator, Cadence (just fucking name her Candace quit trying so hard why does every young adult book have the most obnoxious fucking names) tells us that her group of friends was called the Liars, a super cool name for some super cool friends. I want to meet your friends, Cadence, what are they like?
Johnny, he is bounce, effort, and snark.Good start. That's a very normal way to talk about people.
Mirren, she is sugar, curiosity, and rain.I'm now all-in on describing my friends this way. Meet Cody. He's Cocoa Puffs, confusion, and erection.
Rather than let Cadence describe Gat, I'd rather just hear what he has to say.
"Want to know what I'm thinking about? I'm wondering how we can say your granddad owns this island. Not legally but actually... Maybe land shouldn't belong to people at all. Or maybe there should be limits on what they can own... We have a warped view of humanity on Beechwood. I don't think you see that."This, more than anything else, is where Lockhart blew it. You have to try something to raise the quality of thought to a level beyond what you get from any 15-year-old dope. Some YA authors (cough cough John Green cough cough) say fuck it and give the kids adult brains with William F Buckley vocabularies, but even that's better than leaving it as-is. The reality is, once a 15-year-old guy has beat his dick to the point where there's nothing hanging between his legs but a urethra, he tackles the world's problems by pretending John Lennon's "Imagine" is practical political policy. I don't need that in a novel. I've already got it on Facebook.
This matters because Lockhart kills these kids. It's the BIG PLOT TWIST, and I never saw it coming. So what's that worth, exactly? There's an easy way to tell. If as you were reading the BIG PLOT TWIST you said to yourself, "Oh, no! Not Gat!" then it worked. Otherwise, it really didn't matter.
Creating an ending that nobody saw coming is certainly a skill, but it's not the key to making a novel good. If the reader doesn't care about the people affected by your ending, then it doesn't matter how many twists you throw in before you get there. Lockhart could have put every member of the Sinclair family on the top floor of that burning house and it would have meant the exact same nothing to me.
I'm not the target audience for We Were Liars, but high school kids like being unimpressed by things, so I'm sure they'd feel the same way about this as I did. show less
“See the world as it is, not as you wish it would be”
-4 Stars-
Tropes:
-Dual time line
-Trust fund babes
-Murder mystery (ish)
-SAD so sad
-Summer romance
Spice:
2/5
Okay admittedly I fell asleep halfway through this book, so I missed part of the book but I think I understand the book. Haha!
So, I was hesitant to read this because I don't usually tend to read books that are murder-mystery, but I'm actually quite happy that I got to read this book, it was refreshing and not what I usually read.
This book was sad, just downright sad from the beginning. My heart hurt really badly for all of the characters and all of their problems... Daddy issues, Mommy issues, issues in general.
To be totally honest, I liked this book because it showed me show more that not all rich babes are crazy rich. I think it shows that everyone has crap that they have to deal with, and it kind of restored my faith in humanity even though the book was really sad.
This is my first time ever reading e. Lockhart's books and I actually really liked her writing style. Dramatic, sad, and romantic... just right up my alley!
I highly recommend if you want to cry your eyes out and feel genuine sad for all of the characters in this book. :)
p.s there's a huge shocking plot twist, that is so thrilling!
“Then he pulled out a handgun and shot me in the chest. I was standing on the lawn and I fell. The bullet hole opened wide and my heart rolled out of my rib cage and down into a flower bed. Blood gushed rhythmically from my open wound,
then from my eyes,
my ears,
my mouth.
It tasted like salt and failure. The bright red shame of being unloved soaked the grass in front of our house, the bricks of the path, the steps of the porch. My heart spasmed among the peonies like a trout.” show less
-4 Stars-
Tropes:
-Dual time line
-Trust fund babes
-Murder mystery (ish)
-SAD so sad
-Summer romance
Spice:
2/5
Okay admittedly I fell asleep halfway through this book, so I missed part of the book but I think I understand the book. Haha!
So, I was hesitant to read this because I don't usually tend to read books that are murder-mystery, but I'm actually quite happy that I got to read this book, it was refreshing and not what I usually read.
This book was sad, just downright sad from the beginning. My heart hurt really badly for all of the characters and all of their problems... Daddy issues, Mommy issues, issues in general.
To be totally honest, I liked this book because it showed me show more that not all rich babes are crazy rich. I think it shows that everyone has crap that they have to deal with, and it kind of restored my faith in humanity even though the book was really sad.
This is my first time ever reading e. Lockhart's books and I actually really liked her writing style. Dramatic, sad, and romantic... just right up my alley!
I highly recommend if you want to cry your eyes out and feel genuine sad for all of the characters in this book. :)
p.s there's a huge shocking plot twist, that is so thrilling!
“Then he pulled out a handgun and shot me in the chest. I was standing on the lawn and I fell. The bullet hole opened wide and my heart rolled out of my rib cage and down into a flower bed. Blood gushed rhythmically from my open wound,
then from my eyes,
my ears,
my mouth.
It tasted like salt and failure. The bright red shame of being unloved soaked the grass in front of our house, the bricks of the path, the steps of the porch. My heart spasmed among the peonies like a trout.” show less
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ThingScore 100
Of course I won't reveal the twists and turns of the cunning plot, but I can say that when the secret at the heart of the book is finally revealed, it turns out to be nastier and more shocking than anything I had imagined. This is a cunning, clever and absolutely gripping novel, full of surprises, which sent me straight back to its first page as soon as I reached the last.
added by souloftherose
What really makes a book of the summer is when we surprise ourselves. It’s not just about being fascinated by a book. It’s about being fascinated by the fact that we’re fascinated.
The odds:4-1
We Were Liars
E. Lockhart
Pros: Rich people on an island; sharp, funny-sad writing; a head-snapping fourthquarter reveal.
Cons: It’s a YA novel, so some adults might pass.
The odds:4-1
We Were Liars
E. Lockhart
Pros: Rich people on an island; sharp, funny-sad writing; a head-snapping fourthquarter reveal.
Cons: It’s a YA novel, so some adults might pass.
added by feeling.is.first
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Author Information
70+ Works 29,915 Members
E. Lockhart is the author of We Were Liars, Fly on the Wall, Dramarama, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and the Ruby Oliver quartet: The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, The Treasure Map of Boys, and Real Live Boyfriends. She also co-authored How to Be Bad with Lauren Myracle and Sarah Mlynowski. Lockhart's Disreputable History was a show more Printz Award honor book, a finalist for the National Book Award, and recipient of the Cybils Award for best young adult novel. Lockhart has a doctorate in English literature from Columbia University and currently teaches creative writing at Hamline University's MFA program in Writing for Children. In 2015 the title We Were Liars made the Silver Inky Awards shortlist. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- We Were Liars
- Original publication date
- 2014-05-13
- People/Characters
- Cadence "Cady" Sinclair Eastman; Jonathan "Johnny" Sinclair Dennis; Mirren Sinclair Sheffield; Gatwick "Gat" Matthew Patil; Taft Sheffield; William (show all 8); Carrie Sinclair; Bess Sinclair
- Important places
- Massachusetts, USA; Burlington, Vermont, USA
- Dedication
- For Daniel
- First words
- Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I endure.
- Blurbers
- Green, John
- Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.6
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- 9,848
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- 1,023
- Reviews
- 489
- Rating
- (3.66)
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- 15 — Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 80
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 15