A review by ashleyvharris
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

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

1.0

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. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Death, Gaslighting, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Chronic illness, Dementia, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Classism