We Were Liars

“Live in the moment because life is short” - advice young people frequently hear. But is living in the moment always the right decision? If you're constantly living in the moment and making impulsive choices, couldn’t your actions spiral out of control like a tornado ripping through a town, destroying everything in its path? It’s important to consider the consequences of your actions before doing them because when the dust settles, you can see what you’ve truly done…how do you go back? In We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, Cadence Sinclair, the main character, wishes she asked herself questions like those before making one of the worst decisions of her life one summer at her beach house. E. Lockhart develops the characters so they each possess a distinct and unique personality, and the plot keeps the reader intrigued and on the edge of her seat throughout the book...until the surprise conclusion…The Sinclairs had a perfect little family that vacation on a perfect little beach, Beechwood, during the summer. They were athletic, beautiful, and rich. They walked in straight lines and held sophisticated discussions around the dinner table. They were the definition of quintessential. At least, they used to be. But everything changes one summer when Cady, Gat, Mirren and Johnny craft a foolish plan. Now, two years later, Cady is back at Beachwood for only four weeks. Four weeks to go through the twisting chaos of her memory and find out how consequential her actions really were. But after Cady finds out the truth, she finds that it was more beneficial to her fragile state of mind to be left in the dark. Friendship and family are important, but they are also fragile. What happened that summer? With her perfect family crumbling down around her, will Cady be able to overcome and accept what she did?The way Cady, Gat, Mirren, and Johnny are portrayed is vital to the success of the book. As you read, each personality floats out of the pages and can be seen as a reality. The reader can easily relate to the main characters, their emotions, relationships with each other, and struggles they go through. There are two main characters that especially pop out at you. The first one is Gat who was passionate, political, and ambitious, brings perspective, intelligence, and diversity to the island, “Not everyone has private islands. Some people work on them. Some work in factories. Some don’t have work. Some don’t have food” (Fantasy Island by Meg Rosoff). Gat is aware of everything going around him and wants to make a difference. He never lets anyone forget how bad the world sometimes really is, “You don’t know my bedroom with the window onto the airshaft…...You only know me on this island, where everyone’s rich except me and the staff. Where everyone is white except me, Ginny [the housekeeper], and Paulo [the gardener]” (103). He doesn't want to be perfect and put on fake smiles at dinner. Gat pops out of the book because of how different he is. Gat wasn’t a Sinclair. He wasn’t blond and rich. In fact, he was the complete opposite of a typical Sinclair and while some of the family couldn’t stand him, Cady fell in love with him.With Gat in the picture, Cady views the world differently. In my opinion, I think that Cady wouldn’t have made those mistakes and gotten into her accident if it hadn’t been for the way Gat influenced her and convinced her to take more chances without fully thinking through them.Not only are the characters important to the success of We Were Liars, but the plot is as well. Each good story must contain a strong, intriguing plot. There must be suspense, diction, and conflict. The plot E. Lockhart creates with her surprise ending will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. When you start reading We Were Liars, the reader discovers that the main character, Cady, was in an accident. She’s been told that she hit her head while swimming. However, the reader and Cady, who are both limited to the information of what actually happened, start to question the sequence of events from the night of her accident, “I make a separate page for the accident itself…I must have gone swimming on the tiny beach alone. I hit my head on a rock….I was diagnosed with hypothermia, respiratory problems, and a brain injury…Did I really have a head injury from the swim, or did something else happen?...Was I the victim of some crime?” (77). Cady starts wondering about what really happened, and no one will help her remember, “Johnny stares at me oddly. ‘You don’t remember?’ ‘Her memory is messed up Johnny!’ yells Mirren……..No, no, shut up right now,’ Mirren barks……..’This is important! How can you not pay attention to this stuff?’ Mirren looks like she might cry” (94). Cady and the reader are limited to the information of the accident but discover that Cady’s mind conjured visions of Mirren, Johnny, and Gat to protect her from what actually happened that night. As the conclusion of the book comes, suspense builds and the ending is unforeseen.Your actions are important. Consider the consequences of what you’re doing before doing them. If Cady had done this, the place in her heart meant for family and love would not feel so empty. E. Lockhart uses Cady’s choices to make We Were Liars an unpredictable roller coaster from start to finish. I would recommend this book to someone who loves suspense action, and love.

The Sinclair family is different. It is part of the American oligarchy. The lives of the family members typify “old money,” steeped in tradition, isolated from the drudgery that accompanies life’s problems. Except. Well, except for the accident.Emily Lockhart introduces the characters in “We Were Liars” (2014, 250 pages in paperback format, plus end notes and a preview of “Genuine Fraud”) with this:“Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family.No one is a criminal.No one is an addict.No one is a failure."The Sinclairs are athletic, tall, and handsome. We are old-money Democrats. Our smiles are wide, our chins square, and our tennis serves aggressive.”But this is the story of Cadence Sinclair Eastman, a resident of Burlington, VT, with Mummy and three dogs. Familiarly known as Cady, she’s not doing as well as is expected of a Sinclair. A couple of years ago when she was 15, something happened. Apparently, whatever it was caused some brain damage, and Cady’s memory of her summer on a privately-owned island off the coast of Massachusetts, has been totally erased.The Sinclair summer retreat, Beechwood Island, has four homes scattered around the perimeter: Windemere, Red Gate, Clairmont, and Cuddledown. They surround a tennis court and are connected by wood-plank pathways. There are two docks and multiple, as well as varied, boats. In a word, it’s idyllic.After spending “Summer 16” in Europe with her father, Cady returns to Beechwood Island for “Summer 17.” Initially, she’s delighted to reunite with her cousins Merrin and Johnny. And Gat. We never really learn who Gat is, but Cady is in love with him. However, he’s not part of the oligarchy, and perhaps not even the nation’s huge middle class. He may even be a person of color. But, collectively, the four teens are known as The Liars.Cady has a million questions for the group about what happened during Summer 15 when the accident occurred, but the island’s residents have been told not to speak about the incident. They — and Cady — have been told that Cady needs to work out the answers to her questions on her own.Granddad, whose wife Tipper recently died, is the patriarch. His daughters Carrie, Bess, and Penny (Cady’s “mummy”) are known as the Aunties, and they’re the only adults on the island. Finally, there are the Littles. These are younger kids, but they are so insignificant that we don’t know their names or even how many of them are present during Summer 17.The Aunties seem to be jockeying for position in terms of who will inherit which properties when Granddad passes on. When there is great wealth to be passed from one generation to the next, animosities arise. Kirkus Reviews summarizes the reaction of the teens succinctly: “Though increasingly disenchanted with the Sinclair legacy of self-absorption, the four believe family redemption is possible — if they have the courage to act.”Cady begins giving all her belongings away. But no sacrifice can compensate for the “accident” of Summer 15.Jim Glynn

I wasn't prepared for the outcome of this book. I wasn't prepared for all the feelings it made me feel. I didn't intend to cry my heart out. But I did. I love the clever writing and the fairy tales in-between. It was different, and bold and entirely new to me. I'm sad it's over. I want to be 15 and live the summer on an island and fall in love with a forbidden boy.