Helpful Score: 2
Like "Gone Girl" for young adults. That is the best way to describe this book. And don't read the end. I'm an end reader, but I'm glad I didn't.
The characters are semi-developed. The prose is just okay. But the psychological aspect of the book is what you are reading for.
Just don't read the ending first.
The characters are semi-developed. The prose is just okay. But the psychological aspect of the book is what you are reading for.
Just don't read the ending first.
Helpful Score: 1
A friend gave me this book. I would not have picked it up myself given that it is YA. But that's silly of me. This book was riveting! So haunting, so mysterious, so clever. I won't say anymore other than read this book! I loved it, was glued to it and finished it in a day and a night. Please read it.
First book I've read in a long while that truly captured my heart and inspired me. Its simple and straightforward style is refreshing and honest, reminding me why I love to read and write.
This is the first book in a long time that made me cry. I have really liked the other books I have read by Lockhart, but none of them were quite as shocking as We Were Liars. I stayed up late and went to work tired to finish this book, and the ending has haunted me ever since. This is one of those books that sticks with you long after the last page is turned.
I loved the relationships between the characters. The Liars perfectly showcase young love, the power of friendship, and what summer vacation really means. The family issues addressed in the novel were also wonderfully done. Coming from a small family, the Sinclairs were everything I expect being part of a big, affluent family must feel like: the pressure, the petty arguments, always having someone to turn to, always fighting with someone.
More impressive than the relationships between the characters is the connection Lockhart is able to build between the characters and the reader. I was able to see a little bit of myself and my past in Cady every step of her journey. I have loved and lost. Ive had friends that were like family. Ive had family that felt like strangers. Ive failed to meet expectations. Ive been let down a hundred thousand times by people I loved. Ive misjudged myself and others. Ive made horribly stupid mistakes Ill remember for the rest of my life. For this reason, as I read the book, her pain was my pain, and her happiness was my happiness.
I only have two real complaints with this book. The first is the title. I am not sure it really fits the group very well. Maybe I missed something, but they didnt seem to do anything in the novel to merit the label The Liars, nor do I remember anyone referring to them as such. The second complaint I have is with the big twist at the end (no spoilers, promise). While it was very shocking and I didnt see it coming, I think the main reason for that is because it didnt make a whole lot of sense and previous events were not explained more thoroughly to make the twist at all believable.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. The characters were wonderful, the story was well-paced, and the setting makes it an absolutely perfect summer read. I just wish the twist at the end, while shocking, didnt feel like such a cop out. If you enjoy contemporary, mystery-like reads with strong characters and beautiful prose you need to go pick this up right now.
I loved the relationships between the characters. The Liars perfectly showcase young love, the power of friendship, and what summer vacation really means. The family issues addressed in the novel were also wonderfully done. Coming from a small family, the Sinclairs were everything I expect being part of a big, affluent family must feel like: the pressure, the petty arguments, always having someone to turn to, always fighting with someone.
More impressive than the relationships between the characters is the connection Lockhart is able to build between the characters and the reader. I was able to see a little bit of myself and my past in Cady every step of her journey. I have loved and lost. Ive had friends that were like family. Ive had family that felt like strangers. Ive failed to meet expectations. Ive been let down a hundred thousand times by people I loved. Ive misjudged myself and others. Ive made horribly stupid mistakes Ill remember for the rest of my life. For this reason, as I read the book, her pain was my pain, and her happiness was my happiness.
I only have two real complaints with this book. The first is the title. I am not sure it really fits the group very well. Maybe I missed something, but they didnt seem to do anything in the novel to merit the label The Liars, nor do I remember anyone referring to them as such. The second complaint I have is with the big twist at the end (no spoilers, promise). While it was very shocking and I didnt see it coming, I think the main reason for that is because it didnt make a whole lot of sense and previous events were not explained more thoroughly to make the twist at all believable.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. The characters were wonderful, the story was well-paced, and the setting makes it an absolutely perfect summer read. I just wish the twist at the end, while shocking, didnt feel like such a cop out. If you enjoy contemporary, mystery-like reads with strong characters and beautiful prose you need to go pick this up right now.
The Sinclair clan summer every year on Beechwood Island in Massachusetts. There are many houses and each family habitates in each house. There are Harris & Tipper, who are the oldest. They live in the biggest house.
There are 3 daughters by Harris & Tipper. There are two sets of cousins, the older and the younger. Cadence, Mirren, Johnny and Gat are the oldest group and they call themselves the Liars.
There is much haggling among the sisters about who should inherit what. It causes unrest sometimes and worries the younger group of Liars.
This was written very well and was a good story.
There are 3 daughters by Harris & Tipper. There are two sets of cousins, the older and the younger. Cadence, Mirren, Johnny and Gat are the oldest group and they call themselves the Liars.
There is much haggling among the sisters about who should inherit what. It causes unrest sometimes and worries the younger group of Liars.
This was written very well and was a good story.
This book was incredibly well-written. Lockhart writes in a way that I only hope to one day. It's beautifully descriptive, raw, and honest; yet also dramatic, twisty, and confusing in all the right ways. The romance is neither cheesy nor predictable, and it's safe to say you'll have many literary double-takes. When you read the book's description, you assume you're getting a classic mystery and an interesting story. (I am not one for mystery reads myself, and picked this on a whim.) However, everything about it makes you want to keep reading, regardless of your typical choice of genre. A lovely read that will surprisingly require some deeper thinking.
I really enjoyed this! I liked the writing style. I loved the island atmosphere and the characters were interesting. Even though I began to suspect the twist that was coming I was still quite surprised by all it entailed.
This is the first time I read a book for book club that I gave a lower rating than everybody else. It may have been the issues happening in my life at the time. I was bored most of the book by the wining of the affluent teens. I did not feel sorry for any of them. There is a HUGE plot twist that I did not see coming but it was all they way at the end. After that revelation I was happy I read the book to the end. All in all it was a very fast read, good for the airplane or vacation.
Disappointed.. But it's a decent summer read. Only a one time read for me.
A summer time tradition with family, cousins spending time together and making lasting friendships. The bonds are not easily broken even after a tragedy.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is the story of the Sinclairs at their private island retreat. The Sinclairs are a wealthy family gone very, very wrong. Cadence, one of the Sinclair grandchildren, is returning to the island after two years in summer seventeen. What happens to the Liars in summer fifteen is the heart of the mystery of this book.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/05/we-were-liars.html
*** Reviewed based on a copy received through a publishers giveaway ***
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/05/we-were-liars.html
*** Reviewed based on a copy received through a publishers giveaway ***
