If you’re reading this review because you want to know about that big plot twist that everyone is talking about, this is not the place for you to be!
I read this book on a whim having read no reviews of it so I had no idea what to expect, but let me tell you, I was in for a pleasant surprise.
We Were Liars is based on family morals, self-acceptance, young love, friendship and consequences, things that are instantly relatable to anyone.
Cadence Sinclair Eastman is heiress to her Grandfather’s large fortune, so it’s evident that this girl’s family is wealthy to say the least. So wealthy, in fact, that they own a private island off Cape Cod, where she spends most of her summers with her Mother and two Aunts. The word ‘liars’ in the title may leave you wondering who else falls into the category; this is where Cady’s cousins, Mirren and Johnny come into play, along with family friend Gat.
Cady suffers an unfortunate head injury during one of these blissful, picture-perfect summers, and the book takes us to the summer that this troubled girl desperately tries to piece together the memories she lost in the aftermath of her accident.
We soon come to realise that even the most perfect of families have flaws as she battles excruciating headaches and a family who refuse to talk about the event, or rather are afraid to. Perhaps privilege comes at a price, as Cady becomes a dazed and damaged shadow of her previous self.
You spend the majority of your time reading the book with questions, the main one being why does her family insist on avoiding the topic of Cady’s accident? Why did Johnny, Mirren and Gat refuse to have anything to do with her until two years later? Why are they referred to as ‘liars’?
We are left with a multitude of questions, leaving us hooked on this nostalgic journey with a narrator who truthfully, can’t be trusted to give the full truth since she is trying to piece together this puzzle herself.
Despite her being a privileged, spoiled and miserable, it’s easy to see how Cady can be relatable, wanting nothing more than to go back to those summers where she had no troubles at all and was blissfully unaware of the tense family dynamics.
I read a lot of young adult books, and I find that a lot of them lack depth and are full of clichés but not this one. Family holidays are a time for spending time together and going out and exploring, right? Not for me. I spent two days holed up in our caravan, unable to put this masterpiece down unless I absolutely had to.
We Were Liars is a haunting tale of a girl who is struggling with something that nobody her age should ever have to go through, and it’s shocking and heartbreaking at the best of times but the plot twist is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. You know when you read something that makes you stop everything sit in shock? That was me when I discovered this excruciating but beautifully written twist.
I am going to say nothing more, other than the fact that even if the concept isn’t what you’d usually go for or you’re an adult and vow to steer clear of young adult fiction, this book is more than worth the read. It's a story that is stuck in my mind almost a year after having read the book, so if that doesn't convince you I don't know what will!
I don’t think a novel has never left me so shocked.
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