We Were Liars, a young adult novel written by the aloof and talented Emily Lockhart, depicts the metamorphosis of a young girl, Cadence, during her summer on the famously successful Sinclair family’s private island, Beechwood. The Sinclairs, a matriarchal family, are an All-American Dream; they are all beautiful, graceful and athletic. But what they refuse to show is anything that could blemish the Sinclair reputation – a family; a flawless mess. When an ‘incident’ occurs one summer on the island, Cadence is struck with the reality of her family’s lies, secrets and vanity concealing the ugliness of the beautiful, American family.
Naturally for young adult fiction, there is a love interest. Gat. ‘My Gat’ is an intelligent, perceptive, refreshing and genuine presence in Cadence’s summers on the island, ever since he tagged along with his uncle’s girlfriend’s son due to his mother’s inability to look after him at the time. Gat’s influence is powerful because he is a catalyst for Cadence’s grandfather’s intolerance of Indians. Family vanity and inadvertent racism is challenged by Gat, who sees the world as a possibility, not a defeat. Cadence falls in love with his eagerness to live and see.
The most alluring quality of this progressive young adult novel is the beautiful development of plot and character, with a dash of exquisite writing of course. Key theme explored in the novel are family, the integrity of the All-American family and how the image is tested by change and social progression. The entirety of this novel was captivating in a way rarely captured by novelists of modern society. I admire E. Lockhart as a writer because she delivers a novel of fine calibre and intrigue. I highly recommend humans of all age and preference to read this immaculate text as it is, in my humble opinion, the product of a changing society.
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