We Were Liars Review

   Distiller: Hikari Loftus
   Drink: Hot Tea


   We Were Liars
    by E. Lockhart
    Delacorte Press (May 13, 2014)
    240 pages






    This is one of those books guys. One of those books that   will surprise you. (in the good way) I'm glad that it was a short read, because I was able to get from beginning to end quickly, and I really needed to find out how it ended.

Cadence Sinclair Eastman is the first grandchild in the Sinclair family. The Sinclairs come from old money and are extremely wealthy, extremely privileged, and live perfect lives. Or at least they want you to think their lives are perfect. (read: this is a book pretty much about people that are spoiled rotten, manipulative and conniving)

Every summer, Cadence and her cousins go to their family owned private island (yes, family OWNED island) and spend the summer eating ice cream, swimming and having cookouts. Cadence spends those island summers with her cousins Johnny, Mirren, and nephew to Johnny's mother's boyfriend, Gat.

But summer fifteen (the year they were all fifteen years old) something happened to Cadence. An accident? A crime? She can't remember. She can only remember a few bits and pieces of that summer and the details are foggy. And whenever she tries to bring up that summer, or get some of her questions answered, no one will talk about it.

We Were Liars follows Cadence and her cousins through summer seventeen, where the Sinclair family secrets would unravel faster if everyone in the family weren't such liars.

First of all, I loved Lockhart's writing style. It was almost like reading a poem. It's different, refreshing, and awesome. Don't let anyone tell you different :) Second, the tension in this book builds well. Lockhart takes it slow— building the island, the Sinclair Family, and the four Liars (Cadence, Johnny, Mirren, and Gat). She reveals interesting details, family history and plot points through fairy tales, which I loved. (I suppose you'll have to read the book to get what I mean.)

About halfway through the book I realized what exactly Lockhart was building up to. I suppose I should have seen it sooner, but I was too caught up in the world she created and the characters to see past them initially. After I got what we were building too, I couldn't read fast enough to see how everything fit together.

I was pleased to be surprised at the end. I didn't see that ending at all until Lockhart was spelling it out for me. I love when that happens. After finishing the book, and reflecting on it for awhile, I found several things that had more than one meaning/significance. And since Lockhart does talk about a play on words on the first page, I think it must have been intentional. (I see what you did there!) All in all, I enjoyed this read and recommend it to anyone looking for a good, quick summer book.

Johnny and Gat get big on drinking hot tea during summer seventeen, so I recommend steeping your favorite tea in hot water with this read.