Friday, April 25, 2014

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart -- OPTIONAL

Lockhart, E. We Were Liars, 240 pgs. Delacorte Press, May 13, 2014. $17.99. Language: R (30+ swears, 13'f'); Sexual content: PG-13; Violence: R.

For years, three cousins and one almost-cousin have joined each other on their family's private island off Martha's Vineyard. They call themselves The Liars, and they do everything together. And then one summer, it all changes. Now Cady is left damaged and in pain, and without crucial memories. She revisits the island with one goal in mind: to piece together what went wrong the year she and her cousins turned fifteen.

I loved this book for many reasons. The plot is full of surprises, the writing is precise and often beautiful, and the deliciously untrustworthy narrator kept me guessing. We Are Liars is not for everyone, however. The content and language are definitely strong, and the topics are heavy. The writing is wonderfully literary and often experimental, but the style may not appeal to readers who prefer more straightforward stories. Still, there are always those older students who need something with depth, something that deals with sensitive topics in a real yet hopeful way, something that twists the mind and leaves the reader thinking long after the book ends. In that case, this book will likely be just what they need. And, yes, that goes for both older high school students and adults.

HS, Adult -- OPTIONAL. Reviewed by: Caryn

NOTE from Cindy:  I edited the advisability rating for this book down to OPTIONAL, because by Kiss the Book standards, a book with R-rated content cannot be rated "ESSENTIAL".  It must be rated "OPTIONAL" to warn librarians about content ratings so that they can judge for themselves whether they want to invest in the book or not.

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