fiction_addiction_1994's review against another edition
- 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
🌊🌊🌊💧
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•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.Â
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•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
Moderate: Toxic relationship
gellyreads's review
- 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
Spoiler
That twist ending was dumb and pissed me off. There were no hints, which makes me mad. This all went downhill once I learned she killed the dogs.Graphic: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism
allykinng's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Child death
akrafi's review
- 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
Moderate: Blood, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Animal death, and Grief
skpandher's review
- 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
Spoiler
The characters are very human, choosing to burn down the island, but are also soft, especially when Cadence's recovery is shown.Overall, I was absolutely delighted with this novel and it's tantalizing plot of mystery and prejudice, sometimes slightly macabre.
Graphic: Dementia, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Toxic relationship
clstrifes's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Toxic relationship
vedpears's review
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Classism, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
wonderlandiful's review
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Death, Mental illness, Medical content, Murder, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Addiction and Blood
guivx5'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
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.
Â
Spoiler
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.
Graphic: Medical trauma and Mental illness
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Racism
krystaltyong's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Abandonment, Animal death, Racism, Dementia, and Toxic relationship