Actual rating - 4.5 stars

They know that tragedy is not glamorous. They know it doesn't play out in life as it does on a stage or between the pages of a book. It is neither a punishment meted out nor a lesson conferred. Its horrors are not attributed to one single person. Tragedy is ugly and tangled, stupid and confusing.

I don't even know how to review this. We Were Liars left me in tears and my mind reeling from the shocking truth which was revealed at the end. I did not know much about We Were Liars before I read it. I knew people loved it, I knew that the protagonist was unreliable, and I LOVE reading unreliable narrators! I think I am just going to put the rest in a spoiler tag, just to be safe.

Spoiler

I really loved the characters. Every single one. Their friendship was something which really intrigued me and it was one of the main things that kept me reading. The characters weren't just cardboard cutouts, but they were complex, developed characters who I really connected with and who all hold a special place in my heart. When you get to the end and figure out what actually happened that night of the fire, you think about the whole book and all the clues dropped. For example, the teens never actually came in contact with the parents. They were only around when she was on her own. On the tiny beach and in the house. She kept getting told to spend time with the littles and the aunts and her grandfather. None of that stuff you see or even really think about until the end after the truth is revealed. Fantastic. E. Lockhart and this book is genius and a liar. Really great read.

The writing was superb. Every sentence seemed meaningful to Cady.

I don't know what else to write in this review. So all I will say is if you love mystery, contemporary, romance, friendship and unreliable narrators then I highly suggest that you read this. I don't think you will regret it.