Novel Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Genre: YA Realistic

Publisher: Delacorte Press (Random House)

Release Date: 2014

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads 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.

The Cover:

I actually really like this cover. It's simple and not at all embarrassing. The scene is fitting for the characters and the island they live on, and I think the blurring effect works really well with how the story goes.

 

Review:

I must admit, I didn't see that coming.

I knew that a big twist was going to come, but I didn't think that would be it. Literally not until it pretty much spelled it out. And even then, I didn't want to believe it. For one, because I didn't realize this was going to be that kind of book. But for another, because it's just so awful, and unfair, and sad.

It leads up to it really well. You get to know each of the characters, and there's some mixed feelings and some really close friendships. Slowly, the tension on the island grows, and slowly you discover why. Part of Cadence's brain was filling in the pieces of what she was missing, in odd ways and odd memories and stories. Looking back, I quite enjoyed the little fantasies she created and how it evolved into the truth. And how it all adds up makes perfect sense, and the events leading up to it were realistic. I was even behind the groups decision, up until we realize how wrong it went.

Even though this is “that kind” of book, I think it handled it really well. How it wraps up in the end, how the goodbyes are handled, I thought was really sweet. It, maybe, softened the blow a little bit.

I was surprised by this book, and I did rather enjoy it. Or, more accurately, I definitely think it was worth reading.

Teaser Tuesday[231]: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publisher: Delacorte Press (Random House)

Release Date: 2014

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Goodreads 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 New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.

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

 

Excerpt:

“'I'm not supposed to talk about you ending up in the water and everything,' says Will.” (Hardback, pg. 92)

What are you reading?

Novel Review: How to Be Bad by Lauren Myracle, Sarah Mlynowski, and E. Lockhart

Rating (Out of 5): ~3-3.5

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: 2008

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the authors of ttyl, Bras & Broomsticks, and The Boyfriend List come three unforgettable characters—and one exhilarating novel

Vicks is the wild child whose boyfriend has gone suspiciously quiet since he left for college; Mel is the newcomer desperate to be liked; and Jesse will do anything to avoid a life-altering secret. Each one has her own reason for wanting to get the heck out of their nowheresville town, even just for the weekend. So they climb into Jesse's mom's "borrowed" station wagon and head south.

Hearts will be broken, friendships will be tested, and a ridiculously hot stranger could change the course of everything

The Cover:

I rather like the covers for this book. The one above is mine, and I like it's simplicity, and that the alligator has a meaning in the book. It matches with E. Lockhart's early covers, as well, which I like. The newer cover is just as pretty, too, though, and more modern, showing a better side of the story, I think.

Review:

Three girls who work at a waffle house together, all at least somewhat tired of their lives, decide to go on a weekend trip together.

There’s Vicks, whose boyfriend has left for college and whom she’s heard very little from since. She doesn’t know what to do about it, and she’s feeling increasingly alone, now being the only kid left at home, even with her best friend keeping things from her. Said best friend, Jesse, is getting more and more stuck up and religious, now that her mother is sick. And then there’s Mel, the rich girl who’s always been the middle child, the tie breaker, forgotten.

I liked Vicks and Mel. Vicks is tough, even as she’s alone and missing her boyfriend. I really liked the end where she finally sees him; they’re kind of adorable. Mel is quiet, more conservative, and I related most to her. She also meets a guy along the way, and I thought they were fun together. Jesse was a little harder to like, being as uptight as she was. She was better by the end, though.

This was a pretty all right book. I liked their journey, and really liked the two romances. The humor was more crude than I like, but that’s just my preference, and I’m sure most people won’t mind as much as I did.

Teaser Tuesday[110]: How to Be Bad by Lauren Myracle, Sarah Mlynowski, and E. Lockhart

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

-------------------------------

How To Be Bad by Lauren Myracle, Sarah Mlynowski, and E. Lockhart

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: 2008

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the authors of ttyl, Bras & Broomsticks, and The Boyfriend List come three unforgettable characters—and one exhilarating novel

Vicks is the wild child whose boyfriend has gone suspiciously quiet since he left for college; Mel is the newcomer desperate to be liked; and Jesse will do anything to avoid a life-altering secret. Each one has her own reason for wanting to get the heck out of their nowheresville town, even just for the weekend. So they climb into Jesse's mom's "borrowed" station wagon and head south.

Hearts will be broken, friendships will be tested, and a ridiculously hot stranger could change the course of everything

Excerpt:

“Awesome. Not only have I lost my phone and unknowingly conspired to commit a felony, but I am now trapped in said stolen car with two people who won’t stop fighting.

I hate that they’re fighting.” (Paperback, pg. 163)

What are you reading right now?

Wishlist Thursday[56]: Monster Soul by Hiro Mashima and We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

I have two very different books for you this week because I just couldn't choose:

Monster Soul by Hiro Mashima
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: May 13th, 2014
Buy it here: Amazon. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A MONSTROUS STATE OF AFFAIRS

In the Monster Soul world, a war was waged between humans and monsters, with the monsters falling on the losing end of a treaty. The peace between the monsters and humans is tenuous and monsters are frequently persecuted by humans. As a result, monsters tend to stay away from humans and keep a low profile. One group of monsters, known as the Black Airs, lives boldly with a purpose: to have fun and take care of each other. They get in to all kinds of trouble with reckless abandon, but as long as they stick together, they'll be all right...probably.

Why?:

I have read a little bit of some of Mashima's other series, mostly Rave Master I think, and remember enjoying it. I've wanted to read more of it, as well as his current series, Fairy Tail. But at this point, they're both so long and I'm so behind that it feels like a little too much at the moment. This series, however, is new and only two volumes long. That doesn't sound daunting at all. And after reading it, maybe I'll get more inspiration to start one of his longer series.

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We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release Date: May 13^th, 2014

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

                        

Goodreads 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.

Why?:

I am really intrigued by this book. I’ve read most of Lockhart’s books at this point, and have enjoyed most of them. I’ve already heard good things about this one, and given that the synopsis leaves a lot of it a mystery really has me intrigued. Also, I’m glad that it’s left so much a mystery, because it sucks when the whole plot is given away in the synopsis.

So, what are you looking forward to reading?