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Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Publisher: Delacourte Press
Publish date: May 13th, 2014
Genres: Young adult fiction, psychological thriller
Synopsis:
A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.
My Rating: 5 Stars
This book sat unopened in my Kindle library for a long time, but once I started reading it, I couldn’t bear to put it down. It was truly gripping.
I try to be careful about doling out 5-star reviews, but damn… this one deserves it.
Psychological thrillers aren’t my usual cup of tea, and if I’m honest I didn’t know a thing about this book before I read it. I’m now considering trying other novels of this genre. It was so unexpected.
Part of the reason why that’s not my usual go-to is that I’m a sucker for a happily ever after, and there’s no guarantee in a novel of this genre that you’ll get that. It’s a guessing game until the end.
I’m a strong supporter of novels that cover the hard topics of trauma, substance issues, grief, and the whole concept of “coming to terms.” When my first novel debuts you’ll be able to see that firsthand.
Long story short, you need to read this one.
Pick up your copy and let me know what you think! (Or, y’know, lie.)
The Pros:
- E. Lockhart is some kind of magician or something. There’s no other way for the suspense to build so well. Not to mention all the incorrect guesses I made along the way, trying to solve the mystery.
- It was so refreshing that most of the story takes place on an island without cell reception, and the teenagers can all still have the time of their lives, without missing it. We need more of that in the real world.
- I mentioned it above, but I am just so appreciative of novels that cover the real topics of grief, trauma, mental health, substance issues, death, etc. It’s authenticity in a fictional world.
The Cons:
- Oy vey, three cons for this one is going to be hard… but I guess from the perspective of someone with absolutely no patience, I wish it would’ve progressed faster. But then the book wouldn’t be as long! So therein lies that dilemma.
- More could’ve been done with Cady’s father’s storyline, and even that of her grandfather.
- That’s it. I give up. I can’t think of a third thing I would want to see changed!
Overall:
If you’re like me and have no patience whatsoever, schedule this read accordingly so you can see it through to the end in one sitting. I made the mistake of starting it when I didn’t have much time to spend reading, and it drove me crazy.
Lockhart manages to really make you think. It sounds a little backwards, but I find it’s hard sometimes to find a novel that does that. The skill involved is up there for sure.
While I do think this one inspired me to read more psychological thrillers in the future, I think my next read is going to be my usual preferred contemporary fiction. In the meantime, I’ll be watching for your thoughts on this one if you opt to give it a read!
Let me know what you thought of We Were Liars in the comments below, or on social media!
Check out more of my book reviews for other recommendations!