Books on the Nightstand discussion

How is there not a support group yet for those of us who have finished We Were Liars and desperately need to talk about it, but know we can't!

I'm bummed. (We'll start this way, Dawn.)

I patiently waited from November, when Ann put it on GoodReads with five stars, to about April when my library finally put it in the catalog as "on order". I quickly attacked that listing and put in my claim. I was #1!.

So, I wait and I wait and I wait. Publication day came and went, but that was okay, I was on my way to Boulder and still reading those books. "I'll be able to get it soon after I get home."

Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Finally, Friday, I was in the library for volunteer work and I ask at the information desk, "Emily, will you check We Were Liars for me. She knows me so well, "I think you're the first one."

"That's what I thought, but the release was more than a week ago."

"Yes, but Alice (the putter-into-the-catalog-person) has been on vacation all week."

Ach! That explains it. And it will be at least Wednesday before I have a chance to get the book and then, what, Thursday, I can discuss it with you - in the confines of our personal book discussion - unseen by public eyes?

If this discussion moves into plot specifics, please put SPOLIERS in the subject title.

In the meantime ... love the idea of a support group :)

Ann wrote: "If this discussion moves into plot specifics, please put SPOLIERS in the subject title.

In the meantime ... love the idea of a support group :)"

Will do Ann. I don't have any intention of spoiling here, but I'd hate to inadvertently reveal anything - so I'll mark it for spoilers.

I read this book a week ago and immediately started pestering everyone I know to read it because I needed to talk about it. Loved loved loved it.

I was thrilled to discover that my niece had read an advance copy. There followed an immediate phone call full of "OMG" and "Right???"

My copy came in the mail on the official release date.

Finished it this afternoon (audio). Gave myself yard work to do, so I could finish listening to it. Loved it! Too soon, not sure I can talk about it yet. But the flowerbeds look nice.
PS: the audio version is phenomenal.

Wow. I was somewhat on the right track as I read, but only on the surface. This is a book that must be read first, then discussed.

And now I have to start another book. "We Were Liars" is going to be a hard act to follow.

Debbie wrote: "And now I have to start another book. "We Were Liars" is going to be a hard act to follow."

I felt the same Debbie!

Dawn wrote: "How is there not a support group yet for those of us who have finished We Were Liars and desperately need to talk about it, but know we can't!"

Well now there is. Thank you, Dawn!

I thought it was a great book, but I can't decide if I liked it. Does that make sense? I'm having trouble deciding why it feels that way to me.

It was a great read that was hard to put down!

I just finished it yesterday and was actually beside myself for a couple of hours afterwards. It's seldom I have such a strong reaction to a book.

Sue, I feel the same - brilliant book, but I don't know if I actually like it.

I just finished it and I loved it. However, I had heard so much talk about "the twist" that I text my friend when i was on page 70 with my guess on what was going on and I was right. So I really loved it but I would have loved it so much more had I not known a twist was coming.

I had no idea a twist was coming and it greatly enhanced my delight in the read.

Just finished last night and am in line with many of you. I definitely thought there would be a twist but, as is the usual case, my idea was not correct! I went back and re-read sections of the book before bringing it back to the library this morning.

I stood in line for an hour at BEA to get a copy signed by Emily Lockhart. Then I devoured it while on a cruise. I'm glad I didn't know anything about it going in. As soon as I turned the final page I immediately wanted to read it again...I never reread but I may have to make an exception this time!

I also agree with everyone and am not sure if I like it too, but WOW did not predict the end. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but have a question about something that happened towards the begin of the book. What was her father shooting her in the stomach all about? Any one have any ideas?

Lisa wrote: "I also agree with everyone and am not sure if I like it too, but WOW did not predict the end. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but have a question about something that happened towards t..."

I read over that a couple of times and in the end, I assumed he did not literally shoot her....that it was just a metaphor for how her mother always made her act "normal" no matter how shattered her emotions were. Anyone else have a take?

Agree with Janet - that's how I interpreted it as well... Much like how she kept saying she "bled" all over Gat when she got emotional.

Well, I kept waiting for and trying to figure out the twist and didn't get it ahead of time. I started over immediately - at 2 a.m. this morning.

Yes, I think the opening chapter was a metaphor and also an early indication that we were dealing with an unreliable narrator. Plus, teens are often overly-dramatic, so I thought it worked. However, I did have to read it a few times, and I know a few of my kid's friends were confused by it as well.

That makes sense. Thanks everyone!

Hmmm...I listened on audio so had totally forgotten the beginning by the time I finished it!

I was glued to my iPod! It usually takes me 3-4 weeks to finish an audio book but I listened to this one in under a week.

I agree she often talked in metaphorical language (rather violent metaphors!).

Didn't you just want to slap her mother every time her daughter was in pain and she hissed at her to "act normal"??

Yes! and the Aunts and Grandfather too. I'm glad my family is not like that. I guess that is why I'm not sure if I liked the book because I did not like the people in it...

Jana wrote: "Dawn wrote: "How is there not a support group yet for those of us who have finished We Were Liars and desperately need to talk about it, but know we can't!"

Well now there is. Thank you, Dawn!"

Me too ..I'm in need to talk about we were liars xxn

I just finished this on audio this morning. I actually sat in the parking garage for a few minutes to finish it up. What a great book, it kept me completely interested, I had no idea of what the story was about or of any twists or turns etc.
Very good!! Great audio too.

Debbie wrote: "And now I have to start another book. "We Were Liars" is going to be a hard act to follow."

Ach, it so was! And I followed it with "The Lowland" - beautifully written yes, but not much of a story. ("The Lowland" was almost like revisiting my parents' marriage, painful, bitter, and the only point was to have me! LOL)

Lisa wrote: "I also agree with everyone and am not sure if I like it too, but WOW did not predict the end. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but have a question about something that happened towards t..."


I agree, I think it was just how, in her teenage mind, all the disruption her father caused and the anger her mother so obviously felt towards her, made her feel.

Just finished in one siitting, and went right back to the beginning and reread many scenes in light of what I learned. had no idea there was a twist but did have a bad feeling that something was not right about her story. now I have to make my daughters and friends read it!

SPOILER! I spent the entire weekend reading it so it was compelling. However, knowing there was a twist kinda ruined it for me...I was all too aware that it was coming and that the narrator was unreliable...maybe the repetition of the title gave that away...and the plot device of amnesia.

I liked the inter chapter fairy tales but again that tips you off that an air of illusion/delusion hangs over the island.

Not sorry I read it but I felt let down in the end. I'm not a YA so I wonder if the book would have greater impact on younger readers.

I devoured it this afternoon. Had no idea about a plot twist or unreliable narrator so I got to enjoy the ride.

I loved that I knew there was a twist and I didn't entirely figure it out! I was sort of close but not entirely correct on what I thought was going to play out, and my ideas about what the ending would be changed as more information unfolded throughout the book!

loved this book! recommending to everyone I know.

Just finished. A page-turner, but I didn't particularly like it. I rarely read YA and believe I am too old (60) to "get" it. Somehow I don't think the message I got out of it will be what most teens take away.

I left my teens a few decades ago, but I loved it

I came just to post "Wow" but I see that's not an original thought. Great book. I bought it in hard copy for my daughter but she still hadn't picked it up yet (I read it through the elibrary). I told her last night that she HAS to read it so we can talk about it. She is 13. She gave me a raised eyebrow. Hopefully she will read it soon though.

SPOILER (in fact double spoiler)

The twist totally reminded me of the movie The Sixth Sense.

Victoria wrote: "SPOILER (in fact double spoiler)

The twist totally reminded me of the movie The Sixth Sense."

Exactly!!! And like The Sixth Sense I want to reread and see how it all fits from the beginning.

I loved this book so much that I suggested it for my book club. We're meeting in a couple weeks - does anybody have suggestions on questions or conversation starters for it? Thanks!

Finally got my hands on a copy of this book. Two of my friends had read it and just kept saying, "READ IT, I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABOUT IT!" I half predicted the ending, so still being somewhat surprised was nice. I've decided I'm not a fan of the unreliable narrator. I felt a ton of rage once I finished THE LIFE OF PI, and I kinda felt the same with this one. I get so sucked into the characters that the truth hurts :(

Funny, I think anymore I assume they're all unreliable. Because they are, in a way--we are all unreliable narrators because we're blinded by our own world views and biases. Wow, that's deep. ;)

Kalen wrote: "Funny, I think anymore I assume they're all unreliable. Because they are, in a way--we are all unreliable narrators because we're blinded by our own world views and biases. Wow, that's deep. ;)"

I agree with you....there is no such thing as a 100% impartial narrator in real life, why should there be in fiction?

The advance copy I got had spoiler alert alerts all over it so I didn't feel as sucker punched...I did notice the haunted house reference, the dead dogs, the odd responses to some questions. But I also didn't enjoy reading while trying to figure out the twist, and felt a lot of the necessary character development occurred after the characters were dead, which felt "off".

This is the first YA book in awhile that I found interesting. The tone and sentence structure wasn't overly simplistic so I didn't feel like it was written for an 11 year old me. I didn't know there was a twist going in, but I did figure it out as soon as I read there had been a fire.