We Were Liars

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The writing style is very poetic. I like how it delves into issues of race and class in a simple way younger readers could understand. Also, “Her parents’ dramatic divorce leaves Cady with horrible migraines. She finds comfort at Beechwood Island with her cousins, particularly with a stepcousin named Gat.”?

now... do i think this was necessary? no, not really. it doesn’t add or take away from the original story whatsoever. it really bears very few ties to the first book so in no way “ruins” it since there’s very little crossover. but i also don’t think i would have loved this so much without the ties to the original story. it just heightened my emotions automatically. so take that as you will. It will be a treat for readers to see the Sinclairs’ island come to life, particularly the four houses built for patriarch Harris Sinclair and his three daughters (the Liars’ mothers), since they are related to much of the story’s drama. But simply getting a visual of that exclusive world where the families spend their summers isn’t the biggest draw to this adaptation. Cadence is the granddaughter of Tipper and Harris Sinclair, wealthy elite of New England. Every summer Cadence spends her vacation on an island off Massachusetts, which is owned by her grandparents. She revels in the freedom of the island and loves to spend time with her cousins — Johnny and Mirren — and their family friend, Gat. Johnny’s mother’s boyfriend is Gat’s uncle. Cadence instantly formed an attachment to him when they met roughly nine years earlier.

As Cadence is working through reliving her past life and rebuilding her memories, she is also working through emotions and family feuds. This adds to the whole of the story in just the right ways because it keeps the reader from focusing on just one aspect of the story and therefore advances the reader’s concentration on the story of Cadence’s life.

The publisher hoped that the novel would have a large crossover appeal to adult readers because it had "teens who must interact with imperfect adults and imperfect adults who are important to the entire dynamic of the plot." [5] To promote We Were Liars without giving too much of the plot away, a blog on Tumblr was created, focusing on the aesthetic of the Sinclair's island with quotes from the book. [6] The promotional material urged readers to "just lie" if they were asked about the ending. [6] Themes [ edit ] A haunting tale about how families live within their own mythologies. Sad, wonderful, and real." — Scott Westerfeld, author of Uglies and Leviathan This book really made me cry. Like explode cry. Lots of tears. And I've only ever cried at 2 other books. I have a theory. I have a theory about this book that I'm really excited to discuss so I'm going to make a video about it!Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Delacorte Press for sharing this one of the most anticipated books’ digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a plot that persuades you to wonder. To readers who can accept the bittersweet circumstances of life displayed within their fiction. This is not a character-driven novel. The story shines brighter. I don't think I ever fully connected with any character at all--and the fact that I was moved to tears by the finish is what made this a five-star read for me. A: We Were Liars is a standalone coming-of-age novel about grief, addiction, and young love but it has a prequel called Family of Liars which is a spoiler to We Were Liars.