We Were Liars is a beautifully written and haunting story that lingers long after the final page. E. Lockhart’s prose is lyrical and sparse, creating a dreamlike quality that perfectly suits the unfolding mystery. The structure of the novel is clever, gradually revealing layers of truth through carefully paced storytelling. The island setting adds to the sense of isolation and tension, and the characters are deeply flawed yet compelling.

The emotional impact of the twist is powerful and well executed. While the unreliable narration may not be for everyone, it adds depth and intrigue that make the story stand out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

wow i really enjoyed this book. The many twists and turns throughout. Cadence is involved in an accident but suffers from amnesia. This summer she tries to piece together what happened. A psychological thriller that keeps you guessing to the bery end. The authors writing how she jumps between timelines shows how fragile the human mind is.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.
I was drawn to this book as I had seen a few reviews about it and more recently the TV show of it.
I didnt realise that it was YA and I usually quite like this genre, however i found the writing style hard to get comfortable with and I kept forgetting what had happened when I went back to it. I didnt really gel with the characters.
However about 2/3 of the way through, when we started getting answers, I was gripped by it wanting to know what happened 2 summers previously. I enjoyed finding out and then for me, the story just ended.
Overall not much really happened before or after finding out what happened. That small part of the book was the only part I enjoyed really!

I loved ;'We Were Liars' and am now a life-long fan of E. Lockhart! I am so looking forward to the new follow-up to revisit these characters

A book that I couldn’t put down, such an easy read with the short chapters and full of intrigue that doesn’t give you chances to pause and come back.
Cadence is a Sinclair, a family with money and history. She has been through her own fair share of tragedies, her father leaving, and then an accident when she was 15 which resulted in painful migraines and amnesia around the accident meaning she couldn’t remember what had happened and left with questions constantly.
Every year the Sinclairs go to an island that they own for the summer. Sisters bring their children and the cousins play and bond for the whole summer. They are split into two groups the Littles, as they came along later, and the Liars, the eldest children of each of the sisters. Cadence is one of the Liars, along with Johnny, Mirren and Gat - the nephew of one of the sister’s partners.
When Cadence goes back to the island 2 years after her accident, she asks everyone what happened but they aren’t willing to tell her. So Cadence spends the next few weeks trying to piece together her missing past along with the Liars.
I loved the twist at the end of the book, and I definitely wasn’t expecting it, but it explained so much around the rest of the book. The book was fast paced and an easy read, I’m looking forward to picking up Family of Liars to see if it explains more about the characters in this book!

This book hasn't been my cup of tea to read due to the writing style unfortunately. The writing is definitely aimed for YA which was disappointing. The book will mess with a YA's head with it's twists but due to the hints it can be easily guessed.

I wanted to like this book as it sounded good but I couldn't get into it. I would have not reviewed but NetGalley insists on a review to keep your profile rating up even when you say you are declining to read it.

Brilliant thriller what a thrilling fast paced edge of your seat read it kept guessing right until the end this is definitely worth a read

The writing style wasn’t as enjoyable as I had hoped. It felt very simple. The characters were ok but I couldn’t connect to them. It was very slow paced.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in this long awaited prequel!
Characterisation was done really well and the pacing was great!

Dysfunctional family ✔️
Mystery ✔️
YA ✔️
This book had all the markings of a 5 star read for me, but, I found the multiple viewpoints confusing and elements pretty predictable. It wouldn't put me off reading another by this author, but this one missed its mark for me.

This is the first book I have read by this author. I liked her writing style s as n dc would read more of her stories.

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

Wow, this book. What a mystery, what a character, what a story. And that ending! I had to read it twice to make sure I wasn't imagining things - I hadn't of guessed! A wonderful YA thriller/mystery, quick to read and hard to put down.

We Were Liars is a powerful and gripping prequel to the best-selling novel of the same name, written by E. Lockhart.

The novel is set in a world of lies and deception, as four friends—known as the Liars—find themselves on a private island and thrust into a tumultuous situation. The characters are vividly drawn, the setting full of tension and suspense. The beautiful and distinguished family the Liars come from plays a crucial role in the plot, and their secrets slowly unfold to reveal truths both good and bad.

The plot itself is tightly woven, as secrets are slowly revealed that reveal the history between the Liars, their relationships and what led them to the island in the first place. From secrets to relationships, everything culminates in a passionate, political plot that culminates in a revolution, an accident, and an incredible true love.

We Were Liars is a thrilling novel that captures your attention from start to finish and you'll find yourself enthralled with every page. It’s an enthralling story full of unexpected twists and turns, sure to keep readers captivated until the end. Be sure to get your copy

This YA mystery thriller was unfortunately not for me although I know many others who love it! I didn’t enjoy the plot or the characters and felt the writing was fine if a little on the ‘purple prose’ side.
Thank you to NetGalley and (the publisher) for the opportunity to read this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I did not see the twist in this book coming. Shocked! I was hooked the whole way through.

I like the writing style, its quick pace kept my attention.

Very much inspired by King Lear, the only Shakespeare play I have read! But it has always stuck with me.

I'm looking forward to reading Family of Liars next.

I had this on my TBR for a while and when I finally got to it (sorry!) I loved it. Gripping story and really kept me reading.

I loved the outrageous dysfunctional family.
This book is all about the twist and it certainly delivers!
I'm intrigued to read the prequel.

We Were Liars is a much hyped YA novel which floors the screens of bookstagram and booktok and to be honest I avoided it for quite some time because of this. It seems to be a book that people either love or find pretty meh and unfortunately I'm in the meh camp with this one.

While the story itself started out well and I was intrigued to find out about this 'HUGE' inevitable twist, it just all fell a bit flat for me. Despite the twist being quite an alternative and interesting one I found it strangely predictable.

The characters also just didn't draw me in, I found them quite one dimensional and struggled to develop any connection or empathy.

That being said I did finish it as I wanted to see how things panned out so it wasn't a complete disaster. And for some curious reason I am considering reading Family Of Liars, maybe in hope that some blanks would be filled?

This is marketed at a YA market and I can definitely see how it could be enjoyed by that audience but this one just wasn't a hit for me!

2.5/5