We Were Liars

This book is not at all how I thought it would be....let's just say tik tok over hyped it
I found out about this book from tiktok and seeing multiple people recommending it I decided to read it and I wasn't satisfied.
Overall the book was good just didn't reach my expectations.
The ending was a bit sad tho when she remembered everything and realized her friends were ghosts/spirits.

I really struggled to get into this book. I had to switch from an audiobook to my kindle, because I was too confused by the way the book is written to understand what was going on when listening to it.  It gets interesting around half way through the book,  but it continues to be quite confusing until the end when things start to make a little more sense. The ending is the only reason this was not a 2 star review though. The ending was very interesting, I was completely surprised, and it made me cry! If you don't like sad endings, this may not be the book for you. If you LOVE sad endings, definitely read this book,  I was heartbroken.

I'm at a loss for words. First I would like to start off by saying, that this took an unexpected turn. I have no idea what I thought the plot twist was going to be but it definitely wasn't that. This book was such a fun read and I admit I did tear up a bit. 3/4 of the way through I got a little disappointed because I thought I knew everything and the but was about to end but boy.. boy was I wrong. When I REALLY found out what had happened I was like.. I'm sorry WHAT HAPPENED NOW??? Honestly loved it, and will have to read this again soon!

[b:We Were Liars 16143347 We Were Liars E. Lockhart https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402749479l/16143347.SY75.jpg 21975829]From Genuine Fraud to We were LiarsI originally picked this up because I read Genuine Fraud by the same author and I genuinely enjoyed it. Pun intended. While I feel like the description of the book tells you everything you need to know about what it is about so I won't be going into much detail I will say it's a quick read. The writing is good–poetic, but not pretentious. If the editor hasn't done his or her job, I tend to do it in my head while I'm reading, but I didn't need to here. Lockhart's prose is clear, consistent, and vivid. The narrator's voice is believable, fresh, and likable. It makes it a much more enjoyable read when the author is clear on what he or she wishes to express. this is the sort of book that could be spoiled VERY easily, so I won't say too much about it. The story follows the wealthy Sinclair family who owns a private island near Martha's Vineyard where they spend summer every year. The self-named Liars are three cousins and one outsider, all around the same age, who become best friends and allies. There's romance, interesting social commentary, and CRAZY family dynamics. What you will probably ask me next is why this received four but not five stars. Firstly, the ending was somewhat predictable due to lots of heavy foreshadowing by the author. If you figure out the ending it takes a bit away from the story. Overall a very good read and very recommendable.

Publicado originalmente: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Entonces... No tengo idea de cómo hablar de este libro sin básicamente no spoilearles algo.

Nunca leí antes algo de E. Lockhart aunque es una escritora que conozco, es bestie de varios escritores favoritos míos, es casi difícil no verla en Twitter o el mismo Goodreads me recomienda sus libros basado en lo que me gusta leer, pero nunca, no sé por qué, cogí un libro suyo hasta We Were Liars.

Al terminar de leerlo lo único que pude poner en mis pensamientos previos en Goodreads fue: “I just... I can't...“

Cuando Maggie Stiefvater lo terminó de leer puso que le pareció una historia interesante pero no le gustó mucho el giro que toma la historia, no voy a negar que me decepcionó un poco que mi escritora favorita diga eso, no digo que esté mal, solo que me hubiera gustado coincidir con ella, porque a mí, ese twist, que no voy a negar lo estaba esperando pero es tan cruel que no creí fuera posible, me tuvo sollozando sobre mi escritorio. Lo sé, no el mejor lugar para leerlo, pero a veces hay que hacer trampa y sacar tiempo de dónde no tienes.

E. Lockhart repite frases en su narración, dándole un sentido/escenario/sensación oscura, personalmente el hecho que repitiera tanto me trabajó psicológicamente para lo que venía. Incluso ahora mientras escribo tengo ganas de hacerme bolita.

Me demoró un montón escribir esta reseña, no solo porque quería que cayera cerca de la publicación sino que no tenía las palabras para hablarles del libro, no encontraba la manera de decirles que quizá tengan su próximo The Fault in Our Stars, quizá, no me gustaría ser pretenciosa, solo que a mí me dio esa sensación. Ojalá por fin alguna editorial nos traiga a esta escritora al español. El libro tiene ese algo hipster que va a gustar a los amantes de los infinitos.

Traducción de toda la reseña más clara que el agua: El libro te va licuar emocionalmente.

Así que ya sabes, cuando termines de leer el libro y alguien te pregunte de que va, solo miente. Y si no fuiste de los que leyó Cumbres Borrascosas por culpa de Crepúsculo, ahora querrás.

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Originally written:  August 10, 2016 
The book was a 3 out of 5 stars for me. It was just okay. I found the characters hard to relate to as spoiled rich kids with “first world” problems. It had a lot of typical YA cliches though that made me roll my eyes, especially when the narrator went on and on about how much Gat was the love of her life.

I did enjoy the twist (which I did not predict), but I also didn't feel that it was believable that  the characters would just burn a whole house down like that, even if they DID drink a lot of wine. They just didn't exhibit any destructive behavior beforehand. The fairy-tales in between the chapters got old fast, too.

I listened to this on audiobook, which is probably the preferred way if you don't like the “prose” style of writing like I do. I probably would have given it 2 stars if I had read it instead of listening it. The narrator of the audiobook, however, was very good.

Holy crap! Now that's the way to start off the new year! I picked up this book because it was short and because I heard that there was a mind-blowing twist in it and I was not disappointed! This twist is something akin to Shutter Island and The Silent Patient- it just blew my mind! I also feel like this book is deeper in meaning than your average romance thriller/mystery and I loved the whimsical way that the author brought the story to life since it wasn't written in the most simple way. I'm just ecstatic that I started my reading year off this way!

To begin with, We Were Liars is about four kids from a privileged family who spend summers together on a private island. One summer things get a bit out of hand and repercussions follow not long after. I haven't read many plots like these but this one takes the cake. I loved the way we saw the world through Cadence's eyes and really felt like we were in her mind, even the book was written through a teenagers outlook on life. There were definitely plenty of twists but that last turn at the end, had me gasping out loud in disbelief. I usually don't particularly like books that skip around so much and have lots of flashbacks but in this case it didn't take way from me understanding the gist of the story. Masterfully done.

Further on, the characterization of the main character especially was otherworldly. I loved how we got to see her authentic self, without any airs or falsehoods. Also, the way she saw all her other best friends on the island, it really made me feel like I got to know them really personally as well. Lockhart wasn't afraid to go there, to the very disgusting and miraculous depth of the human soul and it made the main character so relatable, even though I am twice her age and things that concern her aren't really a concern at this stage of my life.

Finally, the writing style, as I have already mentioned above is so unique and yet packs quite the punch. The sentences are written in a whimsical style, at least in some parts and there are even creative renderings written from the heroine's point of view, which are not necessarily always woven in concrete reality and yet never fail to hold a truth to them either. I haven't read a book quite like this one before and will continue to pick up E. Lockhart's works in the future because that choice was absolutely mesmerizing and so unique/different- just a breath of fresh air!

In conclusion, even though this book is considered Young Adult and is written from the perspective of a teen, I think this book could positively affect any adult. There is romance, mystery and thrills in this novel and even though romance isn't a favorite genre of mine, I ate it all up in this one. The author was just able to deliver a story that was so authentically full of truth and hard life facts, that it was heartbreakingly impossible to put down. For such a small book, this sure packs quite a punch! A must read!

Absolutely blown away by this book. Went into it not knowing anything at all about the story, but I don't think that changed much (although I've heard it's best this way). The writing style definitely complements the story itself. I loved the little fairytales in between. We Were Liars is so well written and well structured with a perfect pace. I think it deserves another re-read just to fully appreciate E. Lockharts writing and the sneaky little hints here and there.

I read this book in a day and a half, it took me around two hours. The first few sections of the book were engaging as fuck; Cadence would mention events of previous summers until it got down to summer fifteen. I needed to know what happened, why she was suddenly so fucked up and confused. When I got to Part 5, though, it just went down hill. It turned the whole premise of the book into a cliche. Wow, a traumatised teenage girl hallucinating about her dead cousins and boyfriend? Totally unheard of.

Aside from the ending, I really enjoyed the book. I love how it portrays that youth, although they haven't experienced the bulk of the world, are capable of striving for morality. I love how they were able to see how ridiculous their mothers were acting about the inheritance and trust fund. For me, the highlight of the book was the little revelations Cadence had about her family's selfishness and arrogance only from the short remarks her grandfather, mother and aunt would make. It made the book more engaging. Even Lockhart's prose was well written within the first few parts, specifically the dialogue between Cadence and Gat.

The book's downfall is the ending. Everything else hit the nail on the head. It honestly felt like Lockhart just wanted to finish writing the book, so she just decided to kill the rest of the Liars off (I mean, it was only 200 pages sooo I mean, it's possible isn't it?).

Although I've only given this book 3 stars, I do recommend it! It is a quick, easy read that is thought provoking but not to the extent that it makes your head explode. Perfect for a quick YA fix.

I was kind of disappointed by this book, actually.

What I liked:
The last few pages were very touching, beautiful and emotional. I also felt like I could understand Cadence's relationship with her cousins, because I'm also one of three cousins born within a few months of each other. I'm not the oldest, but that doesn't matter.

What I didn't like:
The big twist wasn't at all unexpected for me. I didn't know anything about this book or the story before reading it, but I still had it figured out halfway through.
Some people might consider all the repetition poetic, but for me it was just a bit annoying.
I didn't develop feelings for the characters. None of them really stood out, I didn't love them or hate them or anything.
The whole book reminded me of Looking for Alaska, to be honest, and I didn't really love that book either.

So that's why this gets 3 stars from me. It was okay, but nothing more. And way too hyped up.

I kind of like the writing. I love the short chapters. I feel like the beginning was strong and the stakes of Mystery were set high. The ending does have this sort of shock value but it still feels like a puzzle piece that doesn't quite fit with the rest.
I feel like there's very little plot besides the Mystery. Which means there's quite a few empty spots that are just...boring. Although the vibe of a place and time kind of covered in brainfog does fit the narrative, it's not enough to truly draw you in. The reimagined fairytales and dramatic analogies of Cadence's pain weren't terrific, but it was a nice shift from the bland narrative going through most of the book.