We Were Liars

Lockhart, E. (2014). We were liars. New York: Delacorte.

Does being wealthy mean you have it all? Cadence Sinclair-Eastman is part of an upper class, educated and good-looking family. They own their own private island off the coast of Massachusetts where all of the family members gather to spend every summer together. It’s the stuff fairy tales are made of. The trouble is there is evil in every fairy tale. Behind closed doors the Sinclair family is not as it seems. Penny, Bess and Carrie scheme to be the family’s heir and attempt to mold their children to do the same. Cadence, Mirren, Johnny and Gat, the Liars, bond together and see past monetary frivolousness as a necessity for happiness. On summer fifteen a mysterious tragedy strikes. After the tragedy, Cadence tries to reconnect with the Liars, but everyone shelters and coddles her. No one will speak of what happened, and regardless of her debilitating headaches she searches for truth. She finds enlightenment piece by piece with the return of her memory. She had kept the fire and the death of her friends, the Liars, from herself as a defense mechanism. Being the only one that survived was too much to bear. We Were Liars is a look at life, the good and the bad, and of survival. It is an emotional ride that once is picked up it can’t be put down. It is intended for students in grades 9-12. Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand would be a good follow up book based on this title.