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dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The book is very confusing for the first 50% and really goes nowhere. You will have to sit through it. The second half is better but the twist and climax didn’t hit home for me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Drug use, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Review for We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Writing Quality 5/5
The unreliable, first-person narrative has a very poetic, fluid pace to it, and then we are snapped out of the trance by the abrupt and graphic intrusive thoughts of our MC, Cady. It’s believable. Her emotions were written in a way that I could feel them with every intense description, staccato wording, or lyrical paragraph. The relationships between the characters are realistic. I did not see the plot twist coming until I was there but it made sense and looking back the hints were all there. Lockhart’s writing made me ache for every single character.
Characters 4/5
Overall the characters are convincing, each showcasing their flaws and strengths. Cady uses beautiful adjectives to describe her group of Liars. I didn’t give 5 stars only because the Sinclair family is a hyper-rich, snobby family (mostly) that kind of annoyed me. This obviously is not a fault of the author. Just my reaction to how well-written and realistic they are.
Plot 5/5
Unique and riveting. Following Cady on her journey to find out what happened during Summer 15 on Beechwood Island was so intriguing. I was always trying to figure out what happened. And when I thought I had the answer something would come along and change that. I honestly was not expecting the plot twist, but it made. So. Much. Sense.
Post-reading Rating 5/5
This is a book I will think about for a long time and recommend to everyone. I finished this, and then continued reading the author’s annotations because I needed to know how and why and what’s next.
Who Should Read This
-Can I say everyone?
Final Rating 4.75/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Medical content, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Sexual assault
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Unwell is the word that describes how this book left me.
So so good. I liked the way it is structured, it resembles a chaotic mind and rushed, teenage thoughts.
I very much appreciated the map and family tree, otherwise, my reading experience would've been very unpleasant.
I also loved how easy it was to immerse myself in Sinclair's island and activities; now I want to make ice cream and go tubing. 🥲
And I thought about all the plot twists possible but the one that happened. WTF.
Oh, and loved the extra notes and content from the author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use
Minor: Abandonment
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this book in two sittings. I felt like I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely had to know what happened. The ending was devastating with a completely unexpected twist. I hated it. So naturally 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Racism, Suicidal thoughts
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i know this book can be divisive but i really didn’t hate it that much. i found the story really intriguing and the main character cady was likeable at points. i did NOT expect the plot twist and it was good but it was definitely not a very lighthearted book. e lockhart’s writing style is very capturing, i really loved the sometimes poetic chapters and the mix of fairy tale like moments. although i sometimes struggle with their themes i do like to read lockhart’s books. also - mirren was my fave character .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Racism
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book put me in a reading slump - I was confused and the plot was slow and uninteresting. I felt most of the time I was trying to force myself to read it. After Part 4 (150 pages in) the plot finally picked up and I did enjoy it but I think this book was overhyped for what it was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Fire/Fire injury
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Blood, Alcohol
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i loved the plot twist at the end, it didn't make me cry but it was surely heartbreaking. something that would give you a reality check about how bitter life actually is
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Racism, Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism