A Book Review
By Dalia Sophia WOLNY
Edited by Lara KALANKE
Have you ever read a book that is so beautifully written and gripping that you couldn’t put it down? We Were Liars was exactly like that for me. The novel isn’t particularly long, and its short chapters are perfect if you are short on time or want to read it in one sitting. Written by E. Lockhart in 2014, it won the Young Adult Goodreads Choice Award. The prequel Family of Liars was first published in 2022, and the first episode of the series adaptation became available on Amazon Prime in October 2024. Let’s dive into the story:
Cadence is a member of the Sinclairs, an American millionaire family. Known for being tall, blond, rich and attractive, the Sinclairs consist of “Granddad” Harris Sinclair, the family patriarch, “Granny” Tipper Taft and their three daughters: Carrie, Bess and Penny. Every summer, the daughters bring their children to their parents’ private island. The oldest children, born just weeks apart, are Cadence, Mirren and Johnny. Together with Gat, Johnny’s best friend, they enjoy wonderful summers year after year. The family calls them “The Liars” since they always seem to cause trouble. They are inseparable, the best of friends.
Summer 15 (The summer when they were 15 years old) began like all the others, filled with beautiful memories. But then Cadence had an accident and got hospitalised for an extended period of time. She went to see multiple doctors, as she barely remembered the summer and couldn’t recall the accident at all. In fact, almost everything she shares with the reader about summer 15 is information that was given to her by her family. Her health was so poor that she was not allowed to return to the island the following year. All of this is revealed in retrospect, as the story begins in summer 17, when Cadence finally returns to the island. However, her family is now distant and evasive, and she gets the feeling that they haven’t been entirely truthful about her accident, which prompts her to start collecting information and rebuilding her memory. I won’t give away the ending, but I can assure you: it is very surprising and shocking!
I loved the book—it’s a clever mix of romance, friendship, family drama, and tragedy. The writing style is poetic and refreshing. I highly recommend We Were Liars to anyone who enjoys a story with a bit of darkness and thrill.