Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Name: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Pages: 225
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Hot Key Books
ISBN: 978-1-4714-0398-9
Rating: 4/5

Cadence Sinclair goes to Beechwood Island every summer with her parents to see her Grandparents. The matriarch and patriarch of the illustrious Sinclair family. Her Aunties and Uncles goes to this island every summer as well taking their children with them. Cady gets on well with all but non more so than her beloved Liars; Johnny, Mirren and Gat. Summer fifteen something happens, an accident. Cady remembers nothing except she thinks she hit her head swimming and when she finally returns to this island two years later no one will tell her what she can't remember.

I read this in a day. Granted it's not a massive novel but I couldn't stop myself, I was hooked. I'll admit I had no clue what was going on but I loved learning about Cady's summers on Beechwood with Johnny, Mirren and Gat. Their friendship was portrayed wonderfully though I still can't figure out why they decided to be known as the 'Liars.'

One thing I will say is that Cady's mother infuriated me throughout the novel. I found her far too overbearing and manipulative. In fact all the Auntie's were manipulative in using their children to try and persuade the Grandfather to give them certain aspects of his estate. However, in the end I found Cady's mother justified in how coddling she was.

The reason this doesn't get 5/5 is because some aspects I felt confused by. Cady often says that she's bleeding and at one point says that Gat wraps white gauze around her wrists. I can't tell if this is metaphorical or not. If it's metaphorical then choose a better metaphor. Self harm isn't a good metaphor. It isn't good full stop and it needs to stop being romanticised. If Cady was struggling with self harm I think the airs and graces around it need removing. Why was it only the love interest that noticed how she was hurting? Why didn't her parents or the other Liars? I can't quite wrap my head around that and I feel Lockhart missed an opportunity in the sense that she could have shown how depression has no real reason. Someone may feel that way but have everything they could ever want. Cady would've been a great representation of this.

Overall I enjoyed this but not as much as I thought I would've.

In case you wish to read more about E. Lockhart's other novels here is my review of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.

Katie x