"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies...The man who never reads lives only one." - George R.R Martin

20 June 2014

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart


A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

My Review of Were Were Liars:


One day I sat down to do a jigsaw puzzle. It wasn't very big and it took me no time at all to finish. At first it seemed confusing and I wondered how it would all fit into place. As time passed things became a little more clear until finally all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. And it was challenging, enjoyable, engaging and intriguing. It was wonderful. We Were Liars was that jigsaw puzzle.  

Going into this book I had absolutely no idea what it was about. Hearing it was best to go into this blind, I dove straight in, open minded, excited and intrigued. Finishing the story I felt like I'd been on a wild roller coaster ride of emotions and a journey of discovery. I had no idea where the roller coaster was taking me - where it would stop and reveal its secrets - and I was proven wrong countless times and experienced heartbreak, love, happiness and sadness along the way. The journey itself was slow at first but built and built with tension and suspense while events unfolded before me - making me turn page after page with anticipation. The story was shrouded in mystery, a tale of truths and lies, the real and the unreal - and ultimately the truth was both shocking and haunting.  

The narrative itself was fractured but beautiful - fractured like the characters and their beautiful families, fractured like the beautiful setting in which events take place. The setting was both magical and mysterious. A haven where summer reigned supreme and passed lazily by year after year with this privileged family residing in its island houses, big, rich houses that screamed money and superiority. The characters themselves were complex individuals, caught up in their own little world, full of flaws and hopes and dreams. They made mistakes, were full of greed and jealousy, passion and regret and I loved and hated them for it. They frustrated me at times with their material needs and bickering but they were just so human and so realistic, so layered with their complexities, their loyalties, their lies and their secrets.

What I enjoyed most about this story was the lovely lyrical language - so intricate and touching, bursting with emotions. E Lockharts language was so beautiful, so full of depth but also so extremely haunting and foreboding. It sometimes read like a dream, a fairytale but quickly changed into a nightmare, creating a vivid and realistic image of the story's inhabitants and the world in which they resided.

There's so much to say about this story but I won't go on. To fully appreciate the story, the shocks and twists and to really get to know the characters you need to pick it up for yourselves. It's essentially a story about summer and love, friendship and family, kindness and understanding. It was beautiful but heartbreaking, slow but suspenseful, complex but captivating. A true jigsaw puzzle of emotions.

1 comment:

  1. While I didn't love it like you did, I completely agree that it's like a jigsaw. I could see why so many people loved it and after reading your review, I might have to go back and reread it someday to see if my feelings will change. Love your review, Becca!

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