The Mystique Beechwood Island: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family.

No one is a criminal.

No one is an addict. 

No one is a failure. 

The Sinclairs are athletic, tall, and handsome. We are old-money Democrats. Our smiles are wide, our chins square, and our tennis serves aggressive. 

My Personal Rating:

Mysterious as it is, this novel has a lot of descriptions that I need to unleash while reading it. I felt like I was on their island watching them being happy, especially in their summertime, but secrets might tear them apart. 

Set in Massachusetts, USA, where Beechwood Island is located, the story follows a young lady named Cadence as she spends her summer vacation with her two cousins, Mirren and Johnny, as well as her auntie’s stepson Gat. They call themselves as liars. They love each other and demonstrate what true family and friendship are by spending their summers together, swimming in the cold ocean on their island, throwing stones that make them happy and sharing their dreams. 

But things changed one day after an accident on summer sixteen when they saw Cadence embracing herself beside the ocean and feeling the coldness of the wind on her skin, and that’s when the mystery started. 

This book contains several real-life realizations and situations that can occur in our lives. I could relate to Cadence feeling lonely as she wanted to contact her friends to let them know she was in the hospital with migraines and missing them, trying to escape from the pain she didn’t want to experience. But none of them even replied to her emails; confusion starts to rush on her mind. “What happens?” 

“Maybe land shouldn’t belong to people at all. Or maybe there should limits on what they can own” – Gat. 

Their happiness on their private island may not be enough to qualify them as a perfectly beautiful family at any stage, and the secrets and pride they showed may be enough to destroy their lives. Greedy is the best word to characterize the parents of those children; they care about the money, not the potential success of their children and their own lives.

I honestly predicted the mystery or tragedy that occurred in summer sixteen in the middle of the novel. I was a little afraid to keep reading because I was worried that my prediction would come true. When Cadence returned to Beechwood Island after two years away, she was perplexed to find that something had changed; she almost thought something was missing on the island and couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Silence is a protective coating over pain” – Gat. 

Gat and Cadence’s summer love is very warm; they have a deep affection for each other, and they have fallen in love in every part of their bodies, every inch of their souls, and the way they think about various things.

Overall, I believe this book is overhyped; most people cried while reading it and learning the truth about the mystery that occurred during the summer of sixteen. I was not too fond of Lockhart’s writing style in this book; I had to re-read several chapters twice to grasp what she was trying to say; it’s annoying, even though she used simple words to write this novel.

Do I still recommend it to any of my bookish friends? 

Yes, but I would warn them that don’t expect too much on this book, enjoy the story, and follow what the main character wants to reveal. 

I know that this review isn’t the most helpful, but what everyone says about We Were Liars is accurate. You should go into this book with no expectations and let it take your emotions as it sees fit.