Hoo boy, it's the middle of September, and I am alarmingly behind in my blogging. Happily, I am not behind in my reading. It's just the blog posts that are suffering right now. In my defense, school just started up again, and there really is no tired like teaching in 2020 tired. Trying to get used to a strange hybrid schedule, teaching kids virtually and in-person at the same time, and struggling with projecting my voice through a mask all day is leaving me with little energy for writing. However, I must persevere! Onto the review for my first book of the month!
We Were Liars has long been one of my favorite young adult novels, so I knew that I wanted to include it in my Then Vs. Now Challenge this year. I remember being just blown away the first time I read this novel back in 2014. It was mysterious and suspenseful and had this amazing twist at the end that I didn't see coming. I was curious if I would enjoy it as much on my reread, since I already knew the ending. Is is possible to enjoy a book with a twist ending when you already know what's coming? Determined to find out if I would still be impressed, I got started.
We Were Liars follows Cadence Sinclair, a teenager from an extremely wealthy family. Despite her life of luxury, all is not well with her household. Her father recently walked out and her mother is engaged in a battle with her rich siblings over what she will inherit when Cadence's grandfather dies. She spends her summers with her cousins on a private island near Martha's Vineyard and those times are a major bright spot in her life, despite her mother and aunts' constant squabbling over family money.
As the story begins, something terrible has happened. Cadence has had an accident over the summer resulting in a loss of memory about what led up to it. She's can't remember how she was hurt or the events that led up to the injury. She is desperate to figure out what happened and reconnect with her cousins, so she is relieved when the next summer arrives and her family gathers on their private island once again. However, when she reunites with her cousins, things are strange. No one wants to talk about the accident and the general vibe on the island is unsettled. Cadence must put together the pieces of how she lost her memory on her own and try to solve the mystery of why her family has changed in the aftermath.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn while reading that my knowledge of the ending did not diminish my enjoyment of this novel. I was still completely engaged in the story and was able to pick up on foreshadowing in the text that I didn't catch onto the first time around. It wasn't the exact same kind of experience as before; instead of rushing through the story anxious to see the resolution, I was able to slow down and notice the little bits of foreshadowing that Lockhart integrated into the text. I was more able to appreciate how the story was crafted, rather than just read for plot. It was neat to see the pieces come together.
Despite my obvious enjoyment of the novel, We Were Liars seems to be a divisive book in the reading community. It's one that people tend to love or hate. I personally love E. Lockhart's writing. She has a dark, lyrical style that really appeals to me, and the drama, mystery, and suspense in the text pulled me in from page one. She revealed information at a good pace and kept dropping enough clues as the plot developed to keep me hooked in. The resolution is disturbing and hits hard. While I wouldn't say this is the most moving or emotional read, it is a deeply entertaining one. As I was in the mood for a little escape this month, this story was the perfect choice.
So, ultimately, We Were Liars definitely held up on the reread and remains one of my favorites. It was a great way to kick off my month of reading and I'm pleased to have gotten the chance to experience it again.
Total Books Read in 2020: 64
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So, what do you think?