Plot Overview

About the Author

Novel Notes

The story is about a girl name Cadence Sinclair,

whose grandfather owns an island. Her family goes
to the island every summer. During summer eight,
when Cadence arrived at the island, her aunt
brought a guest. Her cousins (Johnny) best friend,
Gat, was the guest. Cadence. Johnny, Gat, and her
other cousin, Mirren were called The Liars on the
island. During the summer, Cadence and Gat
became best friends. Throughout the summers, Gat
and Cadence fell in love. Cadences grandfather
didnt approve of their relationship, but that didnt
stop them from being with one another. Cadence
and Gats relationship has been strong until
summer fifteen. When Cadence arrived to the island
during summer fifteen, she discovered that Gat met
a girl in New York, where he lives. Cadence only
remember half of her summer fifthteen, because of
a tragic accident. One night, Cadence woke up on
the beach of the island, with her aunt and mother
surrounded her. Cadence doesnt remember how
she got there, or events that happened a few weeks
back. When she was rushed to the hospital, she
didnt return to the island. She soon started to have
bad migraines everyday to the point of her dropping
out of school, quitting sports, and rarely leaving her
house. Two years later, when she returned to the
island, nobody would tell her what happened in the
year of summer fifthteen. Her cousins, mother,
aunts, and Gat refused to tell her what happened,
because they thought it wouldve made her
migraines worst. Cadence soon started to write
down her memories that slowly come back, and
soon learned about what really happened in
summer fifteen.

The author, Emily Jenkins, who is also

known as, E. Lockhart, was born in 1967.
When she was in college, she studied
illustrated books. When she graduated, she
earned a doctorate in English literature. The
most recent novel Lockhart wrote, was We
Were Liars. The time period Lockhart writes
in, is modern time, and this affects her
novels. Her novels take place in modern
time with modern everyday people. Other
novels that Lockhart also wrote was, The
Boyfriend List, Fly on the Wall, and The Boy
Book.

We Were Liars

Historical Context
The novel takes place in modern time,
where there are rich, that are too greedy,
and poor civilians. During the modern time,
there are some rich people, who own an
island(s), and people who arent rich
enough. Some families believe that their
kids, or grandkids should be with people
with the same race as them. Some families
fight with another over property that theyll
inherit, if one of their family members die.

E. Lockhart
Mariah Calvillo
March 2016

Essential Quotes
A witch has been standing behind me for some time,
waiting for a moment of weakness. She holds an ivory
statue of a goose. It is intricately carved. I turn and
admire it only for a moment before she swings it with
shocking force. It connects, crushing a hole in my
forehead. I can feel my bone come loose. The witch
swings the statue again and hits above my right ear,
smashing my skull. Blow after blow she lands, until tiny
flakes of bone litter the bed and mingle with chipped bits
of her once-beautiful goose (Lockhart 77).
I took the pen out of his hand-he always read with a
pen-and wrote Gat on the back of his left, and Cadence
on the back of his right (14).

Add Work Cited Here:

"E. Lockhart." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d.
Web. 31 Mar. 2016.
Lockhart, E. We Were Liars. New York: Delacorte,
2015. Print.

Character Analysis

Cadence

Gat

Themes
Competition.

Shes white with blonde hair, but

Family would be mention a
soon dyes it black, after her accident.
lot in the novel, because the aunts
Only child, of her divorce parents,
would always fight a lot over the
and also the eldest of the cousins, so
houses on the island.
her grandfather loves her more.
Their financial problems
She loves Gat, so Gat and her do
everything together.
made them fight with one another
Gets migraines after her accident,
in the novel.
and had to drop out of school because of Love
them.
Since Gat and Cadence met
Wants to know that happened
when they were eight, they always
during the summer of her accident.
loved each other, but her grandpa
Mainly talks to The Liars on the
island.
wouldnt allow it.
Love's Cadence, does everything
with her.
He isnt a Sinclair.
Johnnys best friend.
Cadences grandfather doesnt
like him.
From New York, and isnt white.

Johnny
Is a Sinclair, is Cadence and
Mirrens cousins.
He goofs around a lot
When he talks, he is always
joking
Gat has been his best friends
since they were little.
His mother is dating Gats uncle.

Mirren
Is a Sinclair, also is Cadence and
Johnnys cousin.
Is always wearing bathingsuits,
and loves to sunbath.
Is Cadences best friend on the
island.

Motifs and Symbols

Symbols
Beach Roses
When Cadenced first recieved
beach roses from Gat, it symbolizes
when she fell in love with him
Gat also gave her the beach
roses, after they fought. For him, the
beach roses symbolizes the love
between them.

Clairmont
The grandfathers house is full
of many expensive objects that he
doesnt need.
The big, expensive house
symbolizes the things in life that
people dont need, but want.

He didnt want Cadence to

be with Gat, because her grandpa
was a racist, since Gats skin color
Motifs
was dark.
Materialism
The grandpa allows didnt
It get mention a lot in the novel.
want Johnnys mother to marry
The sisters fight over items that
Gats uncle, because he was also
they dont need to the point where
dark.
theyre ruining their relationship.
Homes
They grew up always having
On the island, each daughter
things that they want, that when they
of the grandfather had their own
slowly started to lose money, they
house.
fought over family heirlooms.
Their houses defined them
and their family.
They soon started to fight
over what house they will keep,
because of their financial
problems.