We Were Liars Essay

"We Were Liars" is a novel by E. Lockhart that tells the story of Cady, an almost 18-year-old member of a wealthy New England family, the Sinclairs. The story revolves around the summers Cady spends on the family's private island, called Beechwood, with her close friends Mirren, Johnny and Gat, who are known as the "Liars".

Cady has known her friends since childhood and has formed a strong bond with them over the years. Gat, in particular, has always been important to Cady, and over time she develops a romantic relationship with him. In the background of their lives, however, the Sinclairs are plagued by family drama, as the patriarch and matriarch, Harris and Tipper, still dominate the family and their aunts fight over who will inherit the

She is found unconscious on the beach and can't remember how she got there. Over the next two years, she falls ill and can't remember the events of that fateful summer. Cady suffers from constant headaches and must take strong medication against the pain. Although she takes a trip to Europe with her father, however, her illness remains. She writes to her friends, the Liars, but none of them respond, and Gat disappears from her life despite his professed love for her. Cady is confused and hurt by this.

When she turns 17, Cady feels good enough to return to Beechwood for the summer. Her mother is very controlling and insists that she eat dinner at Clairmont every night. Her mother and other family members refuse to tell her what happened the summer she was 15, claiming doctors advised them it would be better if she remembered it on her own. Cady later meets Mirren, Johnny and Gat, who are camping. There Cady and Gat reestablish their relationship, and it appears as if nothing ever had

She remembers becoming so angry with her aunts for arguing over the division of the family estate that she inspired the Liars to burn down Clairmont, where Harris, the family patriarch, was living at the time. She was disgusted by the way Harris manipulated his daughters and made them compete for his affections and property. She was equally upset by the behavior of the aunts, who seemed mean and greedy in her eyes. The more she remembers, however, the more she realizes that this is not the whole story. Cady also remembers that her good friends, all three of the other Liars, died in the fire, and that she is most likely responsible for their deaths.

As Cady comes to deal with what happened, she struggles with guilt, grief, and shame. She is confronted with the fact that she caused the deaths of her friends, and she is not sure if Gat could ever forgive her.

The novel ends with Cady coming to the truth of what happened that summer, facing the consequences of her actions, and learning to forgive herself. She decides to start a new life, away from her family and the painful memories of Beechwood Island.

"We Were Liars" is a story about friendship, love, family and secrets, where the past haunts and shapes the present, and how the characters deal with the consequences of their