We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Delacorte, 2014. 242 pages.

Reading Level: Young Adults, Ages 12-14
Maturity Level: 7 (Ages 16-up)

Then he pulled out a handgun and shot me in the chest. I was standing on the lawn and fell. The bullet hole opened wide and my heart rolled out of my rib cage and down into a flower bed. Blood gushed rhythmically from my open wound.

That’s what happened (figuratively, of course) when Cadence Sinclair Eastman’s dad left the family. Now her mom wants her to just Be normal now. Right now. Cadence is a Sinclair: oldest grandchild of the favored, rich, tall, blond clan who spends summers all together on Beechwood Island, their private reserve not far from Martha’s Vineyard. Gat, an outsider, joined Cadence and her cousins (the Four Liars, they call themselves) during the summer they all turned eight, and became part of the group all the way into their teens. Something happened the fifteenth summer, something Cadence can’t remember. Now she’s seventeen. Her grandmother has died and Granddad has descended into a Lear-like domestic tyranny while the aunts fight and drink; the Liars are aimless and anguished and no one will tell her what happened that fateful summer.

This novel is also anguished, and after the highly-touted surprise ending has played out, it feels aimless as well. As one of the most acclaimed YA novels of the season, it sets up high expectations that don’t quite deliver: at the end I’m wondering, “What was that all about?” It might be seen as a provocative picture of Modern Youth and its anger at nothing to live for: “. . . when I’m not hating myself [says Gat, the conscience of the group], I feel righteous and victimized. Like the world is so unfair.” Gat also wonders how to be good once he no longer believes in God. Something more could have been made of this, beyond extreme angst. As it is, We Were Liars might serve as a window into nihilism as it joins the ranks of dark teen novels that offer its readers no positive models and no hope. Strong-minded teens can handle it, but vulnerable ones should stay away.

Overall value: 3 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 2.5
• Artistic value: 3.75

Cautions: Sexuality (not graphic), Profanity/bad language, Dark/Depressing elements (abandonment of family, adult betrayal, no positive role models)
Discussion points:

• Literary element: Candace tells part of her story in blank verse. Does this add anything to the narrative or tone?
• Thematic element: Read a summary of Shakespeare’s King Lear (or read the play, if you have time). How does We Were Liars echo that story, and what’s the point?
• Worldview element: How does this story emphasize our need for a savior?

Categories: FICTION, realistic fiction, suspense, parent/child conflict, YA/Adult