THE SCOOP

It is not uncommon for us to be completely pulled in by a story told in a movie or a TV series. However, for a rather significant part of the population, reading seems much more boring or lacking a general appeal. Some people find trouble trying to enjoy books that are long to read, while others just don’t like the feeling of reading overly-detailed stories framed in a 200-page narration when they can just watch the movie adaptation. Even though I’m more of a book lover, I can understand how some books just start off slow or don’t get the main point of the story across perfectly. Nonetheless, I still wholeheartedly believe that there are numerous stories out there worthy of being read; since they can make the darkest of days brighten up, they can make you connect to them in unexpected ways and they can make you rethink your whole outlook on life and personal relationships.

Recently, I read a book that not only quickly became one of my all-time favorites, but also left me speechless and deeply touched for quite a while. The book is called “We Were Liars”, by E. Lockhart and it is classified as a Young Adult novel. From my personal experience, I could say that this book can “easily draw in any type of person, whether you hate books or love them; “We Were Liars” is definitely worth reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I have told the people I’ve repeatedly recommended this book to, it is extremely tough to give a good summary on the novel, since I believe the best way to read “We Were Liars” is to know absolutely nothing about it. However, basically, the book is about Cadence, a young teenage girl that comes from the wealthy, distinguished Sinclair family. Every summer, the family heads up to their private island, where they enjoy some quality time together. There, Cadence forges unbreakable bonds, lives unforgettable adventures and finds love. However, as some of you may be thinking, this seems like the exact same clichéd-plot for any mainstream, recognized Young Adult novel. I guarantee you, it’s not. The novel is just extremely hard to explain without spoiling anything away. I’ll show you one brief summary written in the backside of the book:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Without giving away too much of the book’s plot, I will say it deals with identity, self-acceptance, family, social status and the power of relationships. However, despite how cheesy and overused the plot may sound, or how predictable the characters seem to be in the first pages of the novel, just be aware that this book is unlike anything I’ve read in my life. It’s a gripping, clever story that’s fairly easy to read if you are engaged. After I finished it, it left me breathless and eager to rethink the whole book. One of my favorite things, that may actually bother many to some extent, is the language E. Lockhart uses. She writes so poetically, her paragraphs end up being more than just logically-organized series of words and become beautifully-written depictions of real situations and feelings. That’s why I feel like almost every sentence in “We Were Liars” ends up being an unforgettable quote.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In short, I think the best advice I can give you to encourage you to read the book is extremely redundant, albeit completely necessary and valid: -read the novel-. I can promise you will not regret it. Because, even if you absolutely loath it, you will always remember it. That’s one of the things that makes “We Were Liars” so special. Without the intention of sounding repetitive or cliché and with the objective of bringing forth one of this book’s most valuable qualities, I will say this novel is unforgettable. It is one the most harsh books I’ve ever read and it hits you in the face, smacking the self-righteousness and superiority that usually comes with thinking you know how the book will turn out, out of you. “We Were Liars” is a book of truth, despite what its title may suggest; the truth about youth and perfection, about love and deception. The truth about being broken, while being forced to remain strong, the truth about appearances and friendships and how things can go wrong. A book on beauty, pain, love and the biggest lie of all: there’s no truth in a lie and no lie in the truth.