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ksamaine95's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Emotional abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
fiction_addiction_1994's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
TW: Toxic Family, Pill Popping, (PTHA) post traumatic headaches
🌊🌊🌊💧
.
•What did I think of this book?
I thought this was a good book. The writing style is different. None of the characters are likable. Towards the end, you understand.. I almost gave up on this because rich people problems drove me nuts. GREED is what I would have called this. Honestly, the ending was great it was worth finishing.
.
•Thoughts & Quotes:
~She made me act normal. Because I was. Because I could. She told me to breathe and sit up. - p.32
~"Always so what you are afraid to do," -p.112
~"You read just as I do," he said. "Walking back and forth across the pages." -p.117
~I will prove myself strong when they think I am sick. I will prove myself brave when they think I am weak. -p.157
~Tragedy is ugly and tangled, stupid and confusing. -p.249
🌊🌊🌊💧
.
•What did I think of this book?
I thought this was a good book. The writing style is different. None of the characters are likable. Towards the end, you understand.. I almost gave up on this because rich people problems drove me nuts. GREED is what I would have called this. Honestly, the ending was great it was worth finishing.
.
•Thoughts & Quotes:
~She made me act normal. Because I was. Because I could. She told me to breathe and sit up. - p.32
~"Always so what you are afraid to do," -p.112
~"You read just as I do," he said. "Walking back and forth across the pages." -p.117
~I will prove myself strong when they think I am sick. I will prove myself brave when they think I am weak. -p.157
~Tragedy is ugly and tangled, stupid and confusing. -p.249
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship
gellyreads's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism
allykinng's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75
If you’d like to read something that feels like you can’t trust yourself. (In a good way) read this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury
akrafi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
skpandher's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This was a truly inspiring novel touching many different backgrounds. My take on the main character Cadence was truly astounding and the author was a wonderful writer. E. Lockhart managed to both enthrall and alienate you with her character's desicions.
The characters are very human, choosing to burn down the island, but are also soft, especially when Cadence's recovery is shown. They are very human, and relateable, something that is getting harder and harder to find in novels. I appreciated how the author wrote relationships as well, illustrating them as a two way street rather than focused on one member of them.
Overall, I was absolutely delighted with this novel and it's tantalizing plot of mystery and prejudice, sometimes slightly macabre.
Overall, I was absolutely delighted with this novel and it's tantalizing plot of mystery and prejudice, sometimes slightly macabre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Dementia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Toxic relationship
clstrifes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Book wasn’t good. It was clear what had happened with the not so subtle hints.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
vedpears's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I dont want to give away too much but this was a great quick read! If you like Gossip Girl, this is right in line but with much less of a time commitment. Characters with full personalities, familial politics, class issues, and twisty twists! This would make a great poolside read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, and Classism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
wonderlandiful's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Addiction and Blood
guivx5's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Lockhart must be laughing at my face from her couch right now, drinking wine while she watches me trying to review this without ruining it for new readers.
Well done, Lockhart.
This is going to be
a hell
of
a mess.
Are you happy?
Don't worry, I'll cover the spoilers.
This is one son of a b***h of a pretentious book. God, it really is. I can see why people will love it or hate it, no in between. Because the whole narrative doesn't seem like it works during the first half. You start to question yourself if this is really clever or very badly written. And then it starts to hit you with a baseball bat on the forehead. Lockhart PURPOSEFULLY gets you the most vulnerable by making everything so confusing that you'll have no idea of what hit you. And she does it beautifully. When things start to get clear, it's too late for you. You've been taken.
Ok, now for some spoilers, and I BEG you to not read this before reading the book. Get yourself a copy, read the trigger warnings if necessary, and jump in.
GOD, THAT ENDING. That. Ending. What in the actual f**k, Lockhart? HOW?! No matter how predictable you think it was, it is undeniably well constructed.
Jesus, what was this? Like, how f***ing pretentious you have to be to make something like this? And it actually works! I was so f***ing confused by the writing style, at some points nothing seemed to make sense. But nothing made sense to Cadence until she started to remember the fire. Every line was chopped off and confusing, but then again, so was Cadence's memory for two years. Nothing in this book makes any sense until she starts to realize what happened. Nothing. If you drop this book before the end, you'll hate it. If you finish if, you'll most likely love it.
Dude, even the title, THE F***ING TITLE, makes so much sense after the plot is revealed. "We WERE Liars", not "We ARE". Sure, it's nothing revolutionary, and it doesn't pretend to be. It is a f***ing hell of a twisted story and that's it. Sure, I don't think it's perfect, hence the 4 stars. But it is brilliantly written.
All in all, this has a guaranteed spot in my shelves for future rereads, because I have the impression Lockhart made so the story only gets better on a second run. For now, I can say that "We Were Liars" is undoubtedly one of the best mystery books I've read. THIS is mystery done right.
I still have the sequel to read, and I hope it doesn't suck.
Well done, Lockhart.
This is going to be
a hell
of
a mess.
Are you happy?
Don't worry, I'll cover the spoilers.
This is one son of a b***h of a pretentious book. God, it really is. I can see why people will love it or hate it, no in between. Because the whole narrative doesn't seem like it works during the first half. You start to question yourself if this is really clever or very badly written. And then it starts to hit you with a baseball bat on the forehead. Lockhart PURPOSEFULLY gets you the most vulnerable by making everything so confusing that you'll have no idea of what hit you. And she does it beautifully. When things start to get clear, it's too late for you. You've been taken.
Ok, now for some spoilers, and I BEG you to not read this before reading the book. Get yourself a copy, read the trigger warnings if necessary, and jump in.
Jesus, what was this? Like, how f***ing pretentious you have to be to make something like this? And it actually works! I was so f***ing confused by the writing style, at some points nothing seemed to make sense. But nothing made sense to Cadence until she started to remember the fire. Every line was chopped off and confusing, but then again, so was Cadence's memory for two years. Nothing in this book makes any sense until she starts to realize what happened. Nothing. If you drop this book before the end, you'll hate it. If you finish if, you'll most likely love it.
Dude, even the title, THE F***ING TITLE, makes so much sense after the plot is revealed. "We WERE Liars", not "We ARE". Sure, it's nothing revolutionary, and it doesn't pretend to be. It is a f***ing hell of a twisted story and that's it. Sure, I don't think it's perfect, hence the 4 stars. But it is brilliantly written.
All in all, this has a guaranteed spot in my shelves for future rereads, because I have the impression Lockhart made so the story only gets better on a second run. For now, I can say that "We Were Liars" is undoubtedly one of the best mystery books I've read. THIS is mystery done right.
I still have the sequel to read, and I hope it doesn't suck.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Medical trauma
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail