We Were Liars

The perfect beach read: mysterious and captivating, portraying rich people's vacations (and traumas) in a beautiful location. This book had me guessing what the h--- was going on most of the time. After a bit, the number of characters was less overwhelming, and I could focus on... well, my confusion.
The only downside is that the solution to the mystery in the novel turned out to be the one that I thought to be most likely from the start - a bit of a let-down, but also a humble-brag on my part.

Aww, shucks, We Were Liars didn't really work for me.

It seems that I've consumed too many stories with an unreliable narrator suffering from amnesia. I quickly realised where the story was headed, and once you know, it's right there on the page, staring you in the face (and yes it lessened my enjoyment.)

I didn't mind the prose; I like when an author plays around with style. It doesn't always work, but I quite liked Lockhart's attempt even though some other reviewers found it awful. The characters don't stand out. They're not flat, but they're not memorable either.

This would have blown my mind twenty (even ten) years ago, unfortunately I'm turning into a grumpy old lady who is difficult to impress.

If there is on thing I expect from Lockhart, it's absurdly interesting and usually tragic protagonists. And lord, does she deliver in this book. Read it and then read everything else by her.

Round up to 3.5, for writing style. Otherwise the book kind of baffles me. Fodder for much discussion, though.

I think this book was written for teens, but it's sophisticated enough in its construction that it felt appropriate for adults too. That said, I really wanted to love it - there were so many high-potential elements, like a Kennedy-esque family that gathers its three generations on a private New England island each summer, plagued by an event that no one is willing to speak of. It largely delivers, but something about it kept it as "just average" instead of a homerun. Maybe the author tried to be too clever and I lost my patience?

The writing style is very unique. Also I loved the setting, the lonely island where the rich family meets every summer. The characters are great. Simple, but interesting. The story is so calm, so full of thoughts. And that's all I say. I can recommend it!

Just read it.

I read this book knowing nothing about it, and now I wonder whether it's classified as a "young adult" novel. If so, maybe it's not as bad as I thought it was. But the foreshadowing is so whomp-you-over-the-head that the author could have ended every chapter with an all-caps "BUT THERE IS A SECRET ABOUT THE ACCIDENT THAT WILL BE REVEALED LATER." There's also a significant amount of overly dramatic teen romance that's wearing. The only upside is that it kept me turning the pages and was a very fast read (I think it took me about 3 hours total).

One of those books you can only really appreciate once you've got to the end. Most the characters I only sympathised with once I knew what had happened, privileged and self centred comes to mind, but would be interesting on a second read.

Full review to follow.