Reviews tagging 'Classism'

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

100 reviews

bookishlittleme's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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The aesthetic and writing style of the novel are quite fitting and hauntingly beautiful. I also thought the concept of lying was really interesting because now having finished the book I''m left unsure of several narrative details. I know they were liars but which were the lies?! The reason I haven't rated this book higher is because the characters aren't lovable. The adults are all the yucky parts of American capitalism, elitism, privilege etc. (I'm aware that's the point). And the children don't give us anything to root for. The main romance in the novel

, between Cadence(Cady) and Gat,

comes too quickly and dwindles for the rest of the book. It becomes an awkward after thought rather than a place for romantic tension to build. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Vomit, Alcohol

molly_rose's review against another edition

2.5

emotional mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

naddl0r's review against another edition

3.5

mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Classism

Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment

sofia_montero's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Classism

Minor: Addiction

itsjusterika's review against another edition

3.5

sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I didn't expect the plot twist.

why did she call her mum Mummy it was so weird.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Classism

Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol

fabycamurugy's review against another edition

4.0

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

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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

katherinek's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

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This absolutely tore me into pieces. It was so beautifully written and I didn’t expect the ending at all. The characters felt so real. Some of the metaphors confused me, though, which took away some of the shock factor for the first plot twist for me because I found myself going back trying to figure out if it was real or not. The middle also slows down just a bit, but after the ending I realized why so many of the seemingly unimportant details in the middle were actually so important. This is one I would totally go back and reread to try and find all the clues I missed—

How they never went to dinner, they didn’t want Cady to jump off the rocks, the kids seeing ghosts, none of them receiving her gifts or responding to Cady’s emails, Aunt Carrie walking around at night, the lie about the donut shop, why Grandad kept calling her Mirren, etc etc.

I don’t think a book has ever made me cry as hard as this one did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Racism, Medical content, Dementia, Death of parent, Alcohol, Classism

Minor: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts

pumpkinbread02's review against another edition

3.0

mysterious tense 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: Complicated

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the dogs.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, Abandonment

Minor: Emotional abuse, Racism, Dementia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism

ashleyvharris's review against another edition

1.0

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

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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. 

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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

mattiedancer's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

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Writing: 5⭐️/5 

Hmm. How to discuss this without spoiling it or ruining the fun of reading it? I think, very plainly, I’ll say it’s some of the most technically controlled and interesting writing I’ve read in a YA novel. 

Characters: 4.75⭐️/5

Again, I’m going minimal with this review. Don’t expect anything, but do understand that the characters will jump off the page.

Plot: 4.5⭐️/5 

No way to talk about this one. Take the mark as it is, but go in expecting nothing. 

Post-Reading Rating:  5⭐️/5

Stunning.

Who Should Read This? 

• Fiction fans
• Fans of gossip girl vibes, but looking for more serious themes
• Someone looking for a well-balanced book with virtuosic writing control, well-developed characters, and an interesting plot

Final Rating: 4.75⭐️/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism