We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

What did I think?
This one’s tricky. On paper, We Were Liars checks a lot of boxes for me: short chapters, a mysterious family dynamic, a beachy isolated setting, and a twisty ending. But in practice? I found myself dragging my feet through it. The writing style, short, clipped, and almost overly stylized, felt more like a barrier than a hook. It read like a diary being written by someone trying hard to be profound, and I kept waiting for the moment when I’d “get” it and fall into the rhythm. That never really happened.

Cadence, the main character, was both frustrating and fragile, and while I didn’t like her, I did feel for her. I was frustrated with her, not at her, if that makes sense. She’s not unreliable in the way that keeps you guessing; she’s unreliable in the way that makes you feel like you’re constantly missing context, which is probably the point, but also makes it hard to care until the very end.

Was the twist worth it?
This is the question, right? Because We Were Liars is known for “that twist,” and to be fair, I did enjoy it. I didn’t fully see it coming, and I appreciate when a book lands the ending. But I was also so bored by the time I got there that it felt like too little, too late. It made me feel something, I’ll give it that, but not quite enough to retroactively love the experience of reading it. It’s like watching a slow movie that ends with a killer final scene. You admire the ending but also think, “Did I need to sit through all of that to get here?”

Why do people love this book so much?
Honestly? I think a lot of readers connect with the atmospheric grief and dreamy style. I didn’t, but I can see how someone else might. There’s something poetic about it all: the island, the family secrets, the themes of privilege and denial. If you like that kind of melancholy mystery, this will probably land harder for you. For me, though, it felt like a lot of aesthetic and not enough substance, at least not until the very end.

Would I recommend it?
Weirdly, yes. Even though I didn’t love it myself, I can see the value in reading it, especially before watching the adaptation. (And if you’re someone who must read the book before seeing the screen version, this one’s short enough to knock out in a weekend if you’re more motivated than I was.) I know a ton of readers who adored this book, and if nothing else, it’s worth reading just to be part of the conversation. I think if I had read it when it first came out, or maybe even just at a different time in my life, it might’ve landed differently.

Who should read it?
Fans of twisty emotional YA, people who like their mysteries slow-burning and poetic, and readers who enjoy decoding layered narratives. If you like unreliable narrators, fractured families, and dramatic secrets but don’t mind working a bit to stay engaged, give it a shot.

Final thoughts
It’s not a bad book. It just wasn’t a “me” book. I kept waiting to fall into it and never quite did. But I don’t regret reading it. And if anything, the twist did deliver enough of a punch to make me glad I finished. Just… don’t go in expecting a page-turner. Or maybe do, and tell me what I missed.