We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart
The book
Cadence Sinclair comes from a wealthy family. She spends every summer on a private island in the Hamptons with her mother and extended family. But this summer, something has changed.
The author
E. Lockhart is the pen name of author Emily Jenkins, who writes a range of children’s fiction, young adult and adult novels under both names.
The genre
Young adult.
The protagonist
Cadence, or Cady, Sinclair is the teenage daughter of divorced parents. Her mother is from a wealthy, New England family who take pride in their social status. Every summer they retreat to the private island owned by Cady’s grandfather, where she spends the holiday with her cousins Johnny and Mirren, and their friend Gat, with whom she has a romance.
But after an accident two summers ago, Cady isn’t the same person she used to be. She’s sickly and her memory is poor. She can’t remember quite what happened to her, but she’s determined to find out.
Key themes and motifs
- How money and status can cause conflict within a family.
- The role of the outsider.
- Growing up and gaining independence.
What’s to love?
I’d heard this book was good, but it took me by surprise just how much I enjoyed it. I powered through the book on my Kindle in about three hours one Saturday afternoon, captivated by Cady’s voice and the mysterious but evocative story.
Read this book without doing any research; you’ll enjoy it so much more.
Quote
We are liars. We are beautiful and privileged. We are cracked and broken.”
Any negatives?
Personally, I didn’t find anything much to dislike, although you could argue some of the characters are predictably selfish and prejudiced for people of their social class.
Read it if you enjoyed
- Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell
- The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides
Grade
A
Find out more:
We Were Liars, on Amazon (a bargain in the summer Kindle sale!)
Jade @ Bits & Bobs says
I read We Were Liars in the midst of its release hype and so I feel that dampened my experience a little. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and found it to be a pleasant read – twisty and thought provoking – but I feel I set my expectations a little too high. I would definitely recommend it though, great summer read but a year round too!
🙂
Amy Lord says
That’s why I’m glad I missed a lot of the talk – I’d heard it had received great reviews, but I hadn’t read any of them so I came to the book with no expectations. It was a much better read because of that!
Jenn says
Based on the upper-class Hamptons blurb, this doesn’t sound like something I would have picked up if I saw it at a bookstore or library. However, after reading this post, I think I will add it to my list. The mystery aspect is intriguing and I do love diving into a book without knowing too much about it.
Amy Lord says
Hope you enjoy it, Jenn!