We Were Liars

“Do not accept an evil you can change.”

The novel We Were Liars follows Cadence Sinclair Eastman, a teenage girl from a wealthy and seemingly perfect family who spends summers on a private island. After a mysterious accident during her fifteenth summer, Cadence suffers from amnesia and debilitating migraines. Two years later, she returns to the island, determined to uncover the truth about what happened.

Part One: Welcome

Cadence introduces her family, the Sinclairs—a privileged, old-money clan obsessed with appearances. Every summer, they gather on Beechwood Island, owned by her grandfather. The “Liars” are Cadence, her cousins Johnny and Mirren, and Gat, the nephew of Johnny’s mother’s boyfriend. The four are inseparable.

During Summer Fifteen, Cadence and Gat fall in love, but their relationship is strained by the family’s disapproval—Gat is not a Sinclair. Meanwhile, tensions rise as the three aunts feud over inheritance and property. Cadence’s mother, Penny, pressures her to manipulate her grandfather for financial gain.

Part Two: Vermont

After the accident, Cadence is sent to Europe with her father, who abandons her there. She struggles with memory loss, pain, and confusion. Letters from the Liars feel distant and strange. When she returns to the island in Summer Seventeen, she notices eerie changes—her cousins act differently, and the family avoids discussing the past.

Part Three: The Summer of Seventeen

Cadence tries to piece together her memories. She recalls fragments of fire, screaming, and water. The Liars seem to evade her questions. One night, she sneaks out to Clairmont, the family’s second home on the island, and sees it burned to the ground.

In a climactic moment, Cadence remembers the truth: The Liars, angry at the family’s greed and cruelty, set fire to Clairmont to force change. But they were inside when it burned. Johnny, Mirren, and Gat died in the fire. Cadence was the only survivor, her mind blocking the trauma.

Part Four: Look, a Fire

Devastated, Cadence confronts her mother and grandfather, revealing the truth. The family’s facade of perfection shatters. The novel ends with Cadence accepting the loss of her loved ones and vowing to live honestly, rejecting the Sinclair legacy of deception.

Key Ideas

• The destructive nature of wealth and privilege.
• The unreliability of memory and perception.
• The consequences of family secrets and lies.
• Rebellion against oppressive traditions.
• The pain of grief and survivor’s guilt.