We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is a work of young-adult fiction that takes readers down a winding road of horror and mystery with a plot-twist so sinister one might be left guessing until the end.

I’d be the liar, however, if I told you not to be skeptical of this one. But enough bad puns, is this book even worth reading?

The one word answer: yes. We Were Liars is certainly not a tough read, but it’s still a rewarding one. There’s something about trudging through the layers of mystery with the narrator and protagonist, Cadence Sinclair Eastman, that is both entertaining and redeeming.

The story unfolds on the private island the Sinclair family owns off the coast of Cape Cod. As children, Cadence and her cousins, Johnny and Mirren, and her love interest, Gat, spend their summers on the island and refer to themselves as “The Liars.”

Although life is care-free for “The Liars,” there is an ominous sense of dark secrecy that looms over the Sinclair family. It all comes to a head during Cadence’s 15th summer on the island, when a mysterious accident leaves her with memory loss and terrible migraines.

Determined to uncover the mystery of her accident, Cadence returns to the island two years later in an attempt to uncover the mysteries of not only her family but also herself.

The writing style of We Were Liars is impressive in its own right. Unreliable narration in the form of scattered memories gives events within the novel an ambiguity that brings about an enhanced feeling of suspense.

E. Lockhart also creates suspense by expertly giving readers enough information to sort through to stay occupied, while also withholding information in the form of Cadence’s amnesia.

As impressive as this novel is, however, it’s certainly not the greatest suspense novel I have ever read. I am impressed with Lockhart’s writing style, but the characters she constructed I abhor.

They are wealthy, privileged, childish and ignorant, and reading through their consciousness was a truly painful experience.

While the plot twist was good in some respects, I felt it was more than obvious. Some reviews of this novel say the twist is truly surprising. I, however, felt like I was being held down and slapped with dramatic irony.

Overall, I’d tell you to read this book but be suspicious. If you do, ask yourself: who is the real liar?