We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (5/5)

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is a young adult mystery novel centered around a teenage girl named Cadence Sinclair Eastman and her cousins. Thematic concepts included mystery, trauma, romance, racism and classism. One theme is how privilege and money can corrupt a seemingly happy family. The theme is supported by the main characters' mottos that are repeated throughout the novel. Such as, "Do not accept an evil you can change". Another one, less obviously related to the theme is “Always do what you are afraid to do”. The Sinclair family is rich and privileged and perfect. During the summer they live on a private island off the coast of Massachusetts. When Cadence is 15, something horrible happens to her. She can’t remember what, and her family won't tell her. All she has is fractured memories and stabbing headaches. Gat Patil who Cadence is in love and obsessed with is welcome on the island in the summer. Except due to Cadence’s classist racist grandfather, Gat’s not always treated as such. Her aunts fight and scream, her cousins lie, and Gat is threatened. Whatever happened on the island that summer when she was 15 is a mystery to her but it's tearing her family apart. It takes years for her to discover the truth and when she does she sees her family (including herself) for what they really are. Liars. It doesn’t end how you think it will. I was still on edge after I finished it. The dramatic and suspenseful writing kept me intrigued the whole time which is appreciated as someone with a short attention span. The use of juxtapositions also gave the writing a dramatic effect. Another aspect I liked about it is throughout the book there are small sections told in the form of a fairy tale, which keeps it interesting and wasn’t something I had seen in a novel before. I had heard all good things about this book from other people and after reading it I can safely say it was worth the hype. This book made me excited to read and I am already starting a different novel by the same author (E Lockhart) because of how much I liked the writing style. Anyone in need of a mystery book, I deeply recommend We Were Liars.