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emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
“Someone once wrote that a novel should deliver a series of small astonishments. I get the same thing spending an hour with you.”
This novel delivers a series of small astonishments. Summers on Beechwood feel dreamy and nostalgic, polished and fractured. Lockhart’s writing is lyrical, every word chosen carefully to create beauty and tension. The truth is hidden in plain sight, and every breadcrumb leads the reader to the realization just as Candace makes it. I gasped as I turned the page. I hope the TV adaptation does The Liars justice. They deserve it.
“Someone once wrote that a novel should deliver a series of small astonishments. I get the same thing spending an hour with you.”
This novel delivers a series of small astonishments. Summers on Beechwood feel dreamy and nostalgic, polished and fractured. Lockhart’s writing is lyrical, every word chosen carefully to create beauty and tension. The truth is hidden in plain sight, and every breadcrumb leads the reader to the realization just as Candace makes it. I gasped as I turned the page. I hope the TV adaptation does The Liars justice. They deserve it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Animal death, Death
Minor: Addiction
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Honestly hated this book until part 5 with the HUGE twist. Like what!? Idk how I was expecting it to end but this wasn’t it. Glad I finished it - probably won’t finish the rest of series though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Medical content, Alcohol
Minor: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Well I certainly didn’t predict that ending, that’s for sure.
I definitely was confused through most of the book, but that mostly had to be me getting distracted in thought as I listened to this book.
I’ve seen this book out and about for years but only picked it up so I could watch the show. I’m curious to see how the show will portray the book or if it will be more like tsitp vibe where it expands beyond the book.
I’m looking forward to reading the other books that are within the same universe to see what else I learn and uncover.
I definitely was confused through most of the book, but that mostly had to be me getting distracted in thought as I listened to this book.
I’ve seen this book out and about for years but only picked it up so I could watch the show. I’m curious to see how the show will portray the book or if it will be more like tsitp vibe where it expands beyond the book.
I’m looking forward to reading the other books that are within the same universe to see what else I learn and uncover.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This would’ve knocked my socks off at 16
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
I didn’t really enjoy this one, although I can understand why others might. The story follows a group of very rich teenagers who spend their summers on their family’s private island — and while the twist at the end was powerful, it felt like the book relied too heavily on shock value rather than depth.
The writing style didn’t work for me. The narrator’s language was overly poetic and emotionally intense, which didn’t feel believable for a teenager. At times it pulled me out of the story completely. The emotional scenes — especially the dogs — felt manipulative rather than earned. I felt affected, but also a bit violated by how the book achieved that effect.
That said, I would still recommend it to younger or newer readers who enjoy emotional, twisty YA. I think I might have appreciated it more if I’d read it 10–15 years ago, before reading more classics and literary fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Racism