We Were Liars

A private island. A wealthy family. Four inseparable friends. And one devastating secret no one wants to tell.

Cadence Sinclair Eastman belongs to the beautiful, privileged Sinclair family—a family accustomed to summers on their private island, expensive homes, perfect appearances, and never admitting when something is wrong.

Every summer, Cadence reunites with Johnny, Mirren, and Gat.

Together, they're known as the Liars.

But during Cadence's fifteenth summer on the island, something terrible happens.

She suffers a mysterious accident that leaves her struggling with migraines and significant gaps in her memory. When she finally returns to the island two years later, everyone seems determined to avoid talking about what happened.

So Cadence begins searching for answers herself.

As fragmented memories slowly return, she discovers that beneath the Sinclair family's picture-perfect exterior are secrets, resentment, complicated relationships, and truths that may change everything she thought she knew.

Atmospheric, emotional, and filled with psychological suspense, We Were Liars is a haunting YA mystery about privilege, family, first love, memory, and the devastating consequences of keeping secrets.

Perfect for readers who love: psychological mysteries, unreliable narrators, wealthy-family drama, private-island settings, shocking twists, complicated friendships, family secrets, summer mysteries, and books you immediately want to discuss with someone after finishing.

Author: E. Lockhart
Series: We Were Liars #1
Genre: Young Adult Mystery / Psychological Suspense / Contemporary Fiction
Age Range: 12+
Grades: 7+
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
Publisher: Ember
Publication Date: May 29, 2018
EAN/ISBN: 9780385741279
Lexile: 600L

Themes & Tropes:

• Unreliable narrator

• Family secrets

• Wealth and privilege

• Private island

• Memory loss

• Mystery

• Psychological suspense

• Complicated friendships

• First love

• Dysfunctional family

• Summer setting

• Shocking revelation

⚠️ Content Note: Contains grief, death, injury, memory loss, family dysfunction, substance use, emotional trauma, prejudice/classism, and other mature themes. The novel contains a major twist, so additional detailed warnings may reveal important plot elements.