We Were Liars - E. Lockhart

Goodreads rating: 4*

If I'm being honest, I passed this book over a number of times on my recommended category on Goodreads. The cover art wasn't giving me great vibes and I couldn't get a feeling for the storyline based on the blurb alone - against my original judgement, I ended up buying it in a bookstore a few months later.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. This book was short and sweet in terms of length, but the story was a well-written tragedy with a twist that I didn't see coming (although everything fitted neatly into place when I looked back afterwards). I liked the fact that this book addressed a certain number of mental health issues and the associated stigma, especially when certain family dynamics are involved. There was also a small amount of racial bias that came through, and the main character rebelled against the fact that it was 'generally accepted' due to the perpetrator's generation, but she really only scratched the surface.

The main reason for rating it as four and not five stars, was that the writing style felt a little disjointed at times. The chapters were super short and the story jumped around which almost made it seem rushed - this may be preferable for readers who really enjoy fast-paced books. Despite the psychological turmoil it contained, I didn't make an emotional connection with the characters as much as I wanted to/thought I would.

Overall, definitely worth the read and certainly made me think twice about judging a book by it's cover next time.