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Author: E. Lockhart
Genre: Young Adult
Published: 2014
Rating: 7/10
Review: Looks like I am on a YA kick lately. And enjoying it. I first came across E. Lockhart when I read The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Bank, which was brilliant. I enjoyed a number of her books since and when I saw this latest release, I figured I wouldn't be able to go wrong buying it.
I ended up finishing We Were Liars over the weekend. The book starts out gradually, with the mystery looming, but not much more happening. We get to meet the main character, get into he head (it's a first person narration) and figure out who's who in her extended family.
The main character is a 17-year old teenager named Cadence. It's her family tradition to spend the summer on a small island that they own. She is best friends with her cousins Johnny and Mirren and "adopted-cousin" Gat. Everything is well until on the 15th summer at the island something happens, something that leaves Cadence dealing with migraines and memory loss. And now she is back on the island, two years later, to finally figure out what really happened.
Most of the book was fun, but not particularly distinguished, but I have to admit that the plot twist on the end of We Were Liars is exceptionally well done. I did not see it coming. In a way, this is a very interesting contrast to The Hate List. Both of these novels deal with teenage girls coping with something destructive in their lives, but the approaches taken are very very different. I relate to The Hate List better, but both approaches are valid. It's also fun to compare Valerie's mother to Cadence's. The former is a much more sympathetic character, but the latter ends up treating her daughter a lot better at the end of it all.
Generally, this is definitely a fun super-quick read. Recommended.
You thought Valerie's Mom was sympathetic? I didn't like either of her parents.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to work really hard to work with a main character named 'Cadence.' I'm making too many music related jokes with definitive endings that I'm sure have no bearing on the book.
You've been cranking out a lot of reading lately.
It's all relative! Valerie's mom was at least somewhat relatable (though as I mention, I don't think she treats her daughter very well). The other mother is a useless rich woman who's drinking heavily and fighting with everyone constantly. But at the end, she kind of comes through, which is cool.
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