Books We Were Liars  by E. Lockhart (Author)

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is a young adult mystery novel centered on Cadence Sinclair, the eldest granddaughter of a wealthy family that spends every summer on their private island off Martha’s Vineyard. The story unfolds with Cadence returning to the island at seventeen after two years of absence caused by a traumatic accident that left her with memory loss and migraines.

Cadence reconnects with her close-knit group of cousins and a close family friend known as “the Liars.” As she pieces together fragmented memories, tensions rise surrounding family feuds over inheritance and deep secrets. The climax reveals that during a rebellious plan to burn down the family’s estate to stop the greed and fighting among their parents, the fire went tragically wrong, resulting in the deaths of Cadence’s closest friends. The novel explores themes of privilege, family loyalty, trauma, and the painful process of uncovering truth and facing guilt.