We Were Liars is a young adult mystery novel by Erin Lockhart about an athletic, wealthy, respectable family who represent the paragon of All-American, old money privilege. This book is most well known for its truly shocking and unexpected plot twist.
The story is narrated by seventeen-year-old Cadence, the oldest Sinclair grandchild. She suffers from agonising migraines following a mysterious accident and draws the reader in with her sarcastic quips and figurative imagining of her emotional and physical pain. The book centers around the summer idyll the Sinclair family experiences annually on their private island- Beechwood. Specifically, the events of summer 15, the holiday in which the enigmatic tragedy occurred, obfuscated by Cadence’s memory loss. Cadence, Gat, and her cousins: Johnny and Mirren comprise the ‘Liars’. Cadence’s affection for her cousins, and magical, forbidden love with Gat, her family friend, portrays the transcendent intensity of bonds within the teenage years. The adolescent propensity to feel as if the blissful moments will last forever and perceive losses as world-shattering and permanent is conveyed colourfully.
The distinct descriptions of the Liars enthrals the reader, evoking a personal connection with the main characters and rendering a felt closeness with the plotlines detailed, despite their extravagance. This deep characterisation is convincingly extended to all characters and their interpersonal interactions. Authenticity within storytelling furthered by placing Cadence within the universal phenomenon of a dysfunctional and terminally codependent family structure.
Cadence, after two years, revisits Beechwood island, hoping to rediscover the truth about the summer 15. Here she discovers a deep atmospheric shift in the dynamics of her extended family. Furthermore, those around her undeniably restrict her access to information, all while knowing more than they let on about the trauma Cadence suffered. Hence, the ‘Liars’ nickname is given new gravity. During her return to the island, Cadence gradually pieces together what happened on that fateful vacation and regains her memories until, in crescendo, the truth comes rushing back.
The prose of this novel is eccentric: visceral and poetic, acting only in short sentences. This frank, vivid style is supremely gripping and interactive, solidifying We Were Liars as a page-turner that is hard to put down. Each brief chapter is necessary and cram-full of plot and symbolism, meaning and clues, perfectly suiting the genre of mystery or suspense. The tale is unfolded strategically and plotted expertly, upon the background of Cadence’s fascinating unreliable narration and idiosyncratic worldview. In this way, the book is easy to read and effortlessly encourages the reader to continuously contemplate the significance of every moment towards the promised great reveal of what truly happens. Engagingly, the book is ripe for analysis and really gets your mental cogs whirring, with many characters existing archetypally and allegorically, contextualised within the gender, class, and racial cleavages of modern America.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy immersive suspense leading up to a big reveal, especially those of secondary school age who may relate to the essence of the characters and story. If you enjoyed We Were Liars, I recommend One of Us Is Lying, another YA suspense novel with an awesome reveal.
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