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We Were Liars:
A novel by E. Lockhart

Nicole Oliva

English 1101

Tim Waggoner

11/12/2020

OUTLINE
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Thesis: “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart is a compelling short novel that would be good for

teens and adults of all ages to read.

I. Introduction: While reading this book, I kept in mind the summary, themes, usage of

sources, and reviews.

II. Summary

a. A brief summary of the book

b. How many pages is it?

c. How long did it take to read?

III. Themes

a. What are the key themes in this book?

b. What are some of the pivotal points in the book?

IV. Sources

a. What are some of the sources the author uses?

b. Examples of references used

V. Reviews

a. Are there any awards the book received?

b. What is it rated on different sites?

VI. Closing

a. Why is this a good book for teens and adults of all ages?

“We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart

Cadence Sinclair is the seventeen-year-old narrator who had an accident she can't
remember. She is the eldest granddaughter of a family so rich they have their own private island.
The accident took place during her fifteenth summer on the island. She is left with crippling
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migraines, amnesia, and prescription drugs. She is not able to remember the details of what
happened in summer fifteen and her parents have kept her from returning to the island until her
seventeenth summer. To make matters worse, her mother and other family members won’t tell
her the details of her accident. Nearly two years after her accident, she still hasn’t heard from the
group of her closest cousins and her boyfriend, a group known as The Liars, who were her
constant companions while on the island. Her judgment clouded by pills and migraines that
confine her to bed for days, she sets out to find out what happened to her. As she spends time on
the island, Cadence begins to remember the increasing friction between her mother, the aunts,
and her grandfather as they fight over the possessions left in the house. Her grandfather tries to
manipulate his children through the promise of houses and jewelry. When they don’t follow his
wishes, he makes threats to disown his three daughters, pits one against the other, and makes
promises he can’t fulfill. Because her mother and aunts depend on their father for the money
needed to sustain their lifestyles, they allow themselves to be more and more manipulated and try
to convince their children to butter up their grandfather for them. One night, Cadence finally
remembers something. The Liars decided that they’d had enough of being pitted against each
other. When everyone but The Liars leaves the island for the evening, they decide to set fire to
the main island house which their parents have been arguing over. Hoping to get rid of the reason
for the adults’ arguments and greed and make them see there is more to life than just possessions.
Unfortunately, the fire catches quickly and all The Liars, except Cadence, are unable to escape
from the house. Adding to the shock of the ending, Cadence had believed that her cousins and
boyfriend joined her on the island during her seventeenth summer. When she learns they died in
the fire, she realizes she was talking to ghosts the entire time she was on the island trying to
remember what happened. The book is 256 pages long and took me about 8 hours combined to
finish reading.
The novel touches on the themes of materialism, young love, and racism. The Sinclairs
are beset by deaths, addictions, and the tragedies that afflict all families no matter how
privileged, but they tuck them away behind their strong chins and perfect smiles. Raw emotions
are hidden by a curtain of politeness. "I don't know what happened," Cadence says of her aunt's
divorce. "The family never speaks of it." Cadence’s family has always sought to present itself as
perfect, rich Democrats.
Cadence searches for a solution, an explanation. "I suppose that I was raped or attacked
or some godforsaken something. That's the kind of thing that makes people have amnesia, isn't
it?" The reader searches with her, combing for clues in the family's behavior, the lies, and
omissions of a tight-knit patrician clan.
The Sinclair family is obsessed with keeping up appearances, which is manifested in a
clan-like mentality that breeds racism and bigotry. The novel suggests that this focus on
appearances is inherently exclusionary, and that the traditional image of old, powerful New
England families and the dangerous belief of ethnic and cultural superiority. Here's a couple
examples from the book:
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“You chose Ed; you chose to live with him. You chose to bring Gat here every summer,
when you know he’s not one of us. You know the way Dad thinks, and you not only keep
running around with Ed, you bring his nephew here and parade him around like a defiant little
girl with a forbidden toy.”
Grandad speaking to Gat, who is of Native American decent, when he finds Cady and
Gat in the attic:
“Watch yourself, young man,” said Granddad, sharp and sudden.

“Pardon me?”

“Your head. You could get hurt.”

“You’re right,” said Gat. “You’re right, I could get hurt.”

“We Were Liars” tells of a romance between Cady and Gat. As Cady is forced to choose
between her love for Gat and her place within the family, many of the other characters see
romance as inferior compared to family, and in consequence, attempt to remove any budding
romance that threatens their family bond. Throughout “We Were Liars”, family ties and romantic
love are portrayed as conflicting desires, and the novel illustrates the cost of such loyalty.

The author uses references from “King Lear” by Shakspeare. Cadence’s mother and two
aunts stand in as Lear’s daughters, squabbling over who has the largest beach house and which
grandchild is likely to get the largest inheritance. Cadence’s grandfather is the King Lear figure,
growing ever more senile and infirm. In addition to the “King Lear” reference, Lockhart uses the
number three, which so often appears in fairy tales.

“Once upon a time there was a king who had three beautiful daughters. No, no, wait. Once upon
a time there were three bears who lived in a wee house in the woods. Once upon a time there
were three billy goats who lived near a bridge.”

Lockhart uses an interesting way to describe Cadence’s feelings. When Gat casually
mentions her dead grandmother, she writes “…my veins opened. My wrists split. I bled down my
palms.”
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"I lie in my darkened room. Scavenger birds peck at the oozing matter that leaks from
my cracked skull."

“My head and shoulders melted first, followed by my hips and knees. Before long I was a
puddle, soaking in the pretty cotton prints. I drenched the quilt she never finished, and rusted the
metal parts of her sewing machine.”

This book has received multiple awards and reviews. Here are a few to list:

● Goodreads Choice Awards: 2014

● Library Reads Favorites: 2014
● A New York Times Bestseller
● School Library Journal Best Books: 2014
● YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2015

I compared the ratings on a couple of different sites: Barnes and Noble it is rated 4.2
stars, on Goodreads it received 3.84 stars, and 4.5 stars on Google Shop.

In closing, I feel that this book would be a good read for teens and adults of all ages. It

was easy to read and kept my attention the whole time. The novel is dark and wonderfully

written.

Works Cited

Lockhart, E. (2014). We were liars. Hot Key Books.

https://www.google.com/search?
q=we+were+liars&sxsrf=ALeKk024GZGhskpGnroXZ5X5yKjBMxaxJg:1606264916513&
source=lnms&tbm=shop&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj53I2Ou5ztAhVnAZ0JHfM0DAMQ_AU
oAXoECA8QAw&biw=2000&bih=986#spd=9430720990806661517

Goodreads. (2014, May 13). We were liars by E. Lockhart. Goodreads. Retrieved May 7, 2022,
from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16143347-we-were-liars
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