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dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Addiction, Blood
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
We Were Liars is an intriguing young adult novel about an affluent family who spends their summers on their own island. Cadence Sinclair, the story's narrator, sustained a brain damage and has no memory of the events that led up to her current condition. We follow Cadence as she recounts everything that occurred two summers ago.
What I like
1. The Writing
Contrary to what everyone has been saying about the style of writing, I adore how the author has written it. First and foremost, the writing style is ideal for me, who is suffering from a reading slump. It was a quick read. Also, I've heard from others that because this is written in Cadence's POV, the writing style is comparable to what is going on with someone who is currently recovering from amnesia/brain trauma.
2. The Once Upon a Time collections
I love how there are so many Once Upon a Time stories in between chapters. It maintains my attention, and as a result I cannot put the book down.
What I didn’t like:
Honestly, none. However, all aspects can be improved. Everything - plot, characters, writing, logic, can be improved. I'm not saying it's terrible, but I'm also not saying that it is great.
----
My rating (n/10):
Characters - 5
Atmosphere - 5
Writing - 7
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 7
Total: 48 / 7 = 6.86 or 3.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
I read this book in one evening, I didn’t mind the writing style as I saw some people complaining. The end was really emotional, I didn’t predict that at all and it hit me hard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Drug use, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Lockhart must be laughing at my face from her couch right now, drinking wine while she watches me trying to review this without ruining it for new readers.
Well done, Lockhart.
This is going to be
a hell
of
a mess.
Are you happy?
Don't worry, I'll cover the spoilers.
This is one son of a b***h of a pretentious book. God, it really is. I can see why people will love it or hate it, no in between. Because the whole narrative doesn't seem like it works during the first half. You start to question yourself if this is really clever or very badly written. And then it starts to hit you with a baseball bat on the forehead. Lockhart PURPOSEFULLY gets you the most vulnerable by making everything so confusing that you'll have no idea of what hit you. And she does it beautifully. When things start to get clear, it's too late for you. You've been taken.
Ok, now for some spoilers, and I BEG you to not read this before reading the book. Get yourself a copy, read the trigger warnings if necessary, and jump in.
GOD, THAT ENDING. That. Ending. What in the actual f**k, Lockhart? HOW?! No matter how predictable you think it was, it is undeniably well constructed.
Jesus, what was this? Like, how f***ing pretentious you have to be to make something like this? And it actually works! I was so f***ing confused by the writing style, at some points nothing seemed to make sense. But nothing made sense to Cadence until she started to remember the fire. Every line was chopped off and confusing, but then again, so was Cadence's memory for two years. Nothing in this book makes any sense until she starts to realize what happened. Nothing. If you drop this book before the end, you'll hate it. If you finish if, you'll most likely love it.
Dude, even the title, THE F***ING TITLE, makes so much sense after the plot is revealed. "We WERE Liars", not "We ARE". Sure, it's nothing revolutionary, and it doesn't pretend to be. It is a f***ing hell of a twisted story and that's it. Sure, I don't think it's perfect, hence the 4 stars. But it is brilliantly written.
All in all, this has a guaranteed spot in my shelves for future rereads, because I have the impression Lockhart made so the story only gets better on a second run. For now, I can say that "We Were Liars" is undoubtedly one of the best mystery books I've read. THIS is mystery done right.
I still have the sequel to read, and I hope it doesn't suck.
Well done, Lockhart.
This is going to be
a hell
of
a mess.
Are you happy?
Don't worry, I'll cover the spoilers.
This is one son of a b***h of a pretentious book. God, it really is. I can see why people will love it or hate it, no in between. Because the whole narrative doesn't seem like it works during the first half. You start to question yourself if this is really clever or very badly written. And then it starts to hit you with a baseball bat on the forehead. Lockhart PURPOSEFULLY gets you the most vulnerable by making everything so confusing that you'll have no idea of what hit you. And she does it beautifully. When things start to get clear, it's too late for you. You've been taken.
Ok, now for some spoilers, and I BEG you to not read this before reading the book. Get yourself a copy, read the trigger warnings if necessary, and jump in.
Jesus, what was this? Like, how f***ing pretentious you have to be to make something like this? And it actually works! I was so f***ing confused by the writing style, at some points nothing seemed to make sense. But nothing made sense to Cadence until she started to remember the fire. Every line was chopped off and confusing, but then again, so was Cadence's memory for two years. Nothing in this book makes any sense until she starts to realize what happened. Nothing. If you drop this book before the end, you'll hate it. If you finish if, you'll most likely love it.
Dude, even the title, THE F***ING TITLE, makes so much sense after the plot is revealed. "We WERE Liars", not "We ARE". Sure, it's nothing revolutionary, and it doesn't pretend to be. It is a f***ing hell of a twisted story and that's it. Sure, I don't think it's perfect, hence the 4 stars. But it is brilliantly written.
All in all, this has a guaranteed spot in my shelves for future rereads, because I have the impression Lockhart made so the story only gets better on a second run. For now, I can say that "We Were Liars" is undoubtedly one of the best mystery books I've read. THIS is mystery done right.
I still have the sequel to read, and I hope it doesn't suck.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Medical trauma
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Racism, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Abandonment
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Medical trauma
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was not fun. I only finished this book because I heard promises of a great twisty ending. It left me feeling meh. Not shocked or outraged or slighted. Just underwhelmed. The whole story felt super pretentious and unrelatable, more like watching an episode of The Kardashians where they’re bitching over shoes that cost more than a tropical vacation. Genuinely do not understand the hype.
The one thing I will give this book is the RARE representation for chronic illness. I appreciated the portrayal of chronic pain via Cadence’s migraines.
The one thing I will give this book is the RARE representation for chronic illness. I appreciated the portrayal of chronic pain via Cadence’s migraines.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Racism, Dementia, Alcohol, Classism