We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Release: May 13, 2014

Source: Purchased 

Synopsis: 
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.
 
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

E. Lockhart has delivered her wonderfully insightful storytelling once again, reminiscent of one of her previous works, The Disreputable History for Frankie Landau-Banks. She weaved together intrigue, romance, and family dynamics into an unforgettable summer reprieve. 

I am struck by her honest and straightforward depiction of how the this privileged, beautiful family lives and their own struggles that are universally human and hit very close to home. I applaud the author's approach of distorted perception and how fact and fiction blurs to showcase the very real complexity of memory and suppression in the face of guilt. The plot twist is redolent of A Beautiful Mind, and while though heart shattering, I was overwhelmingly pleased with how Lockhart choreographed the plot. 

By the novel's end, I was left with my heart ripped out, my eyes guzzling a constant drip-drop of tears, and my nose running with endless snot. Maybe the fact that I was already emotional the day I read it and needed a good crying session helped the waterworks, but I'm pretty sure my reaction would've been the same regardless of how I was on any given day. 

I wholeheartedly recommend that everybody read We Were Liars. The exploration of family issues, memory, and romance delivered in a brisk package will leave you searching for more of E. Lockhart's work. 

5 stars! 

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