We Were Liars

Author: E. Lockhart

Publisher: Delacorte Press/Randomhouse

Year Published: 2014

Pages: 225

Format: Paperback

Cadence Sinclair Eastman has been suffering from massive headache since her accident two years before. Not only the headache, she also has been suffering from selective amnesia; she cannot remember what happened before the accident, on her summer fifteen at the Beechwood Island.

The Sinclairs--the family from Cady's mother, owns a private island and every summer, the Sinclairs go there to spend summertime together. Harris and Tipper Sinclair, their three beautiful daughters, and seven grandchildren--and Gat. Gat, the Indian boy, the nephew of Aunt Carrie's lover, and also the boy Cady has fallen in love with. The four oldest children has always been together and they call themselves the Liars: Cady, Mirren, Johnny, and Gat. Cady has always been waiting for the summer since she can only meet the Liars during the summer.

Two years after the accident, Cady finally comes back to the island. But this summer--the summer seventeen--is not the same as the other summers. The grandmother has passed away. The mothers are fighting each other, Mirren always sick. And Gat says hurtful things about their relationship. But Cady cannot remember what happened during summer fifteen that changed everything..

What was really happened during summer fifteen? Why does everybody keep it from Cady?

We Were Liars is a kind of story that brings dark and mysterious feeling to me. Narrated by Cady, the story often jumped from one point to another without any clear information so that I often confused about the timeline--whether this event happened during summer fifteen or summer seventeen (the number means Cady's age) and before the other event or after it. I almost thought that the story was boring and gave up but thinking of the price of the book, which is not cheap at all (about Rp. 170.000 at Books & Beyond--even after 20% discount I still consider it as expensive), encouraged me to finish it. Haha.. And thank God I didn't give up because after several chapters, I found out that Cady had selective amnesia so that her way to tell the story is understandable and makes the story more intriguing.

I can't say more about the story. You have to find out yourself what's wrong in summer fifteen and what had happened to Cady. 

This is the first book by E. Lockhart that I read and honestly, I really like her writing style: poetic and beautiful, but not difficult to understand. The characters, despite the book having less than 300 pages, were explored well. Yes, I wish I could know more about the other Liars' life outside the island but, since the story was told from Cady's perspective, I think the portion is sufficient. And the stories Cady made about the King and his children were also beautiful.

If you love mystery and young adult stories which focusing on family and first love, this book is perfect for you.