February 16, 2023
“There is not even a scrabble word for how bad I feel.” And there is not even a scrabble word for how speechless this book leaves you. It leaves this empty feeling. A feeling that you can’t really pinpoint, but you feel it there. We Were Liars written by E. Lockhart and published in 2014 is the story about four liars, four beautiful liars.
This book is a twisted mystery and drama of an imperfect family. In no way is there any form of normalcy in this family. From the outside they look normal, but the story reveals an insider perspective. They have their life together spending the summer as a whole family on their private island. But the summer of ’15 changed their lives forever. The main character, Cadence Sinclair had an accident that changed everything. When she returns to the island two years later, everything is different. Especially the way her cousins are now treating her, as their relationship has shifted for the worst. Cadence always knew her family had flaws, but now she’s trying to piece all those imperfections together to reveal the truth of what really happened during the summer of 15′.
Each main character has a quote they live by, that encourages them to “do what [they’re] afraid of.” The most insightful quote in my opinion is by Cady’s summer love, Gat. The words that give him courage to be himself are, “Do not accept an evil you cannot change.” And with his characteristics and struggles, that quote relates to him as a whole.
Personally, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes pain when reading. The book isn’t necessarily a type of sad that makes you cry, but it does definitely leave you feeling so empty yet feeling so much at the same time.
It would also be good for anyone who likes mystery. If you like the book One of Us Is Lying, you would enjoy We Were Liars. They both include mysterious aspects and intense plot twist that keep you on the edge of your chair.
As someone who stopped reading for a while, We Were Liars is the book that got me back into reading!
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