Book Review: 'We Were Liars' by E. Lockhart

This was the second book recommended by The Guardian, alongside 'She is not Invisible'

One of the New Year's resolutions I spoke about in the post that my computer deleted (no, I'm not over it so no, I'm not going to let it go!) was to read more. Last year, I worked out I read approximately 11 books, although I didn't keep an exact count. This year I'd like to top that figure.

I bought 'We were Liars' for my Kindle back in the summer and just started reading it on Monday. I became kind of obsessed and finished it last night, so in between school and everything I read it in 5 days.

'We were Liars' is predominately about a rich family, who are made up of an elderly couple, their three daughters and their families. Every year, everyone meets on an Island the family owns to spend the summer together there. The 3 daughters are all extremely materialistic and inheritance driven and the children are all expected to live in a very specific way, a way in which lives up to the reputation of the family. They can be nothing but completely normal, whatever that's supposed to be.

Among these children are the 3 eldest grandchildren: Cadence, Johnny and Mirren and Johnny's step-dad's nephew Gat, who Cadence falls irrevocably in love with.

We follow the liars as they grow up and attempt to become their own people with their own opinions.

Then we learn that the main character Cadence has had an accident and is suffering memory loss, and the rest of the novel continues with flashbacks appearing as Cadence forms memories.

But the events she remembers may not be things she (or we, in some cases!) wanted to know.

I think the novel is excellently written with a tone that leaves you longing for more.

I think that the author touches on several extremely important themes, including family relationships and break downs, obsession over physical things and worth, growing up and developing ideas, family expectations, stigma surrounding mental health, wastefulness and many more...

I, being romantic, like the Gat & Cadence romance, but, as I said to my sister this morning, what I like is that the book doesn't rely on this relationship. It's an important part but would still function without and it is that kind of novel that I view to be the best kind. Not only does it make it a more comfortable, enjoyable and worthwhile read, but it makes the romance itself seem more real- there are very few couples who are all over each other for 120 consecutive pages worth in real life! 'We Were Liars' isn't like that at all, and yet at the same time could easily be branded a 'romance'.

The author also uses intermittent adaptations of a popular fairy-tales as analogies to the happenings of the book- they're short, and are actually quite effective, but for some unidentifiable reason I found them kind of annoying!

As I was reading this book, I started thinking it would make a great film, and when I was listening to music I even identified a couple of tracks that would fit nicely in it, and me writing the screen play! My imagination runs a bit wild at times!

I have been recommending this book to a lot of my friends already and it's a relatively short read so worth a go!

Until next time,

Catriona xx