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emilyzzzzzzzz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I really tried to like this, but the thought of his book alone angers me. I read this about a year ago and I'm yet to find a book I hate with the same amount of passion as I do with this book.
Summary of the plot (my memory is a little hazy so I cant remeber the names):
There's the main character (Cadence) visits the family island every summer with the 'liars' (they're literally just her cousins). Anyway, you get this whole background but the big mystery: she can't remember the last summer with the liars/cousins. Her family also won't tell her and the liars haven't been in contact with her, so the book follows her summer and shows her trying to piece together the previous summer.
So why is it shit???
Just because there is a plot twist, doesn't mean its good. I read it and just thought WTF but not in a good way. I just regretted wasting hours of my life on this book.
Whenever I've mentioned disliking this book, the fans always say "You just didn't understand it". So what, I'm stupid because I didn't like it?! Like girl, do you hear yourself?! Sorry to break it to you darling, but I did understand it and I still hated it. If you like it, then love that for you, but I didn't.
It gave the same vibe as "I woke up and it was all a dream". I hate that.
A main focus is the family, but there SO unlikeable. They were racist towards one of the characters and the family just didn't get on. There was also lots of unnecessary character with ridiculous names. Every time a character was with Cadence, I had to go back to the family tree to figure out who she was talking to. Some of it was just pointless.
I felt like the author wanted us to sympathise for family, and I did after the plot twist, but girl you're family are billionaires with a private island. Sure, you haven't spoken to the liars/cousins for a couple months, and I get that the mystery of last summer looms over her, but until the end, I couldn't give any less of a shit.
The liars apparently caused trouble, but they really didn't.
It wasn't until the last 15 pages that it finally made sense, so you just had to read the entire thing confused with no real answers, then BAM! It was like "Then this happend, and that caused that, and thats why that happend, and remeber that thing, oh yeah, this is why". Honey, take a breath, let me process. I had to take a moment to just think and consume what I was just bombarded with, so that's a slight positive I guess.
It wasn't all bad. I did enjoy the writing style and the techniques used, such as fairytales to describe characters and personifying emotions, but I just didn't enjoy the execution of it.
To sum up, I expect E. Lockhart to refund me, as well as 20% interest for everyday since I finished the book. A tree should be planted for every waste of paper that the publishers used to print this. I also expect therapy. My lawyers will be in touch. X
Moderate: Child death, Racism, and Death
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Fire/Fire injury
pianoplayer279's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Grief, Death, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury
jordan_noel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
However, I didn’t feel that I really knew the characters. I knew what Cady felt, but I didn’t know any of their interests and true motivations beyond their love for each other. This made it difficult for me to be engaged in the book.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Death, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Abandonment, Drug use, Alcohol, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Self harm, Racism, and Blood
leah08855's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
fcksnotfound's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Grief, Drug use, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Dementia and Death
Minor: Racism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Animal death
milakzm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Mental illness
yelena_mila's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
aidareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Racism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Self harm, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death, Animal death, Dementia, Alcohol, and Grief
viselik's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Racism
amaramorgenstern's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Grief, Toxic friendship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Dementia