Review Detail

The Sinclair family is American royalty. Blonde, beautiful, and wealthy. Each summer, the family comes to Beechwood Island. That includes a group of friends, the Liars. Then one evening, Cadence wakes up on the beach, hurt and with no memory of what happened that fateful July. Determined to find out the truth, she returns. No one offers her any clues on what happened. Little by little, her memories come back with a painful truth. A truth that might be too much to bear.

What worked: Beautifully written, haunting tale of friendship set in a wealthy New England island. Lyrical, this story is addictive as readers follow the four forever friends: Cadence, the firstborn granddaughter of the wealthy Sinclairs, Mirren, the artistic romantic cousin; Johnny, the impulsive, snarky cousin; and Gat, the 'outsider' who wins the heart of Cadence.

There are flashbacks to the fifteenth summer of the friends that led up to the tragic event that has Cadence searching for the truth. Readers sense that Cadence's amnesia and horrific migraines might be her body's way of protecting her from a terrible truth. The clues are woven throughout on what might have happened. But the final reveal is guaranteed to take readers off guard!

The Sinclair family, with all its wealth and privilege, has its dysfunctions. Secrets are everywhere. It's a sign of strength not to show weakness. It's very telling when the grandfather suggests that Gat is like Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. Racism is there, and the others either ignore it or brush it off. That brings tragedy to Cadence and Gat's relationship.

Punchy writing that is fast-paced, but totally engaging.

This tenth anniversary copy includes an interview, a quiz on what liar are you, and the TV show Q & A.

Sharp, twisty, with all the clues scattered around Cadence as she tries to make sense of what happened that fateful summer. I highly recommend reading the next book in this series, FAMILY OF LIARS, which tells the story of the mothers' teen years and how it all connects with the future events.