TikToks “BookTok” community has been thriving ever since the start of the pandemic. More and more young people are becoming avid readers who desire to discuss and share their feelings on the hobby. While it is great to see a whole generation finding enjoyment in reading, the online space has received criticism for numerous creators continuously recommending the same mediocre backlist of YA novels. The dissatisfaction some have found with BookTok videos has made me nervous to pick up popular titles. Even so, I decided to read We Were Liars by E. Lockhart after my sister gave me the novel. I’m so glad I did.
We Were Liars follows Cadence, a member of the affluent New England Sinclair family. Each summer, the Sinclairs travel to their private island off the coast of Massachusetts. One year Cadence suffers a traumatic head injury and subsequential memory loss. The following summer, she arrives back at the island with the sole purpose of remembering the events leading up to her accident.
Now, the reception for this thriller novel has been quite divisive. Ironically enough, the reasons I enjoyed the story are some of the gripes others have with the work. Understand this before reading the piece; personally, I loved the choppy narration style that acts as both a plot device and an intriguing, fast-paced way to capture the reader’s attention. I also liked the main characters and their interactions with one another, as well as theirhe family dynamics, which intrigued me. I especially enjoyed Cadence and her attitude of teenage pretentiousness, which I did not take seriously at all. Most importantly, the book had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what happened the night of Cadence’s injury.
Overall, We Were Liars is a fun and quick read that would be great to pick up this summer. Even though I do not always agree with BookTok’s opinions and favorites, I do believe that this novel is worth picking up.