(Review) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Published: May 13, 2014 (Delacorte Press)
Rating: Stay Up 'til 2 AM
Format: Digital galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!

Summary: A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

In a nutshell, We Were Liars is a fantastic book to read and discuss but a terrible book to review. Basically, I can't say much of anything without spoiling it, but I don't want to spoil it for you! I'm one of the few people who figured out the ~big twist~ ahead of time because it's similar to a movie I love and had watched only a few days before reading this book. So yeah, you might guess it, and yes, the book is probably better if you don't.

But! Don't think that ruins the experience. Despite the marketing, there is much more to We Were Liars than the ending. Don't just read it because you want something that's going to shock your pants off (though that very well may happen - hopefully only figuratively speaking, especially if you're in public). Here are some other reasons to read it:

For the characters: The characters are real and flawed and interesting and all so unique from one another. With the exception of one, they're the rich and privileged kids you frequently see villainized but never explained, and I love seeing the other side.

Because it's different. Trust me, there are not a lot of stories like this.

For the writing. Apparently, sort of like Tahereh Mafi and a few others I could name, E. Lockhart's writing style is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing. And I fall solidly and quite happily in the LOVE IT camp. It is honestly a large portion of why I loved the book.

For the emotions. This book turned me into an emotional wreck. Of course, messed up in the head kind of gal that I am, this made me love it more. So if you're on the crazy emotional bandwagon with me, this one's for you!

For the discussions. I definitely recommend reading this along with a friend so you can discuss it afterward! Much like Dangerous Girls, I think half the experience is in the post-reading discussions. And if you don't have any friends up for a readalong, get some new ones, come find me on Twitter, and I'll be happy to discuss it with you!

All in all, We Were Liars is shocking, unique, and thought-provoking. If you are looking for your next book club selection, I would definitely recommend this one!

First:Welcome to the Beautiful Sinclair family.

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