My book review of 'We Were Liars' by E. Lockhart

by E. Lockhart
Recommended age: YA
We Were Liars
by E. Lockhart

The narrator is 18-year-old Cadence Sinclair. From her opening, it is evident that all is not well; there has been an accident and she is still living with the repercussions. However, she does not tell us what happened and, as the story unfolds, it is evident that she cannot recall the events either. Or can she? What can we believe?

Cadence is one of a number of children who spend each summer visiting their grandparents on an island in Cape Cod. It is a life full of luxury and privilege but there are wrangles regarding inheritance, and marriages have broken down. 

One summer things come to a head. But it is only at the end of the book that we discover the truth, and the terrible consequences of what came to pass.

This twist is the key selling point for the book, and it does work, in my opinion. Knowing that there was a surprise in store did keep me reading, or paying attention in my reading. But I also loved that sense of summer, of opulence and of Martha's Vineyard. It reminded me of the novel 'Tigers in Red Weather'.

The ending is likely to play on your mind. As one reviewer said, you'll want to go back to the beginning and read it over again to work it all out, or you'll want to get your friends to read the book as quickly as possible so that you can talk about it together. What greater way to spread the word about a book.

Date of this review: June 2014