“Most people don't realize how important librarians are. I ran across a book recently which suggested that the peace and prosperity of a culture was solely related to how many librarians it contained. Possibly a slight overstatement. But a culture that doesn't value its librarians doesn't value ideas and without ideas, well, where are we?”
Neil Gaiman

Friday, July 25, 2014

E. Lockhart's New Novel

I am very tired this morning.   I was up until 3:30am finishing E. Lockhart's latest book We Were Liars.  It is one of those books that, once you get into it, keeps you up until you get to the final word. It is sad, funny, heart-breaking, suspenseful...and wonderful.  It's one of those books that sticks with you.

We Were Liars is not about the life that I am living, but I could feel the characters none-the-less.  It is about the wealthy Sinclair family.  There are trust funds, a private island, and privilege. Living on the Main Line near Philadelphia, I'm sure some of my neighbors, some of the many students I've encountered, are living life as Sinclairs.  But these wealthy, privileged teens struggle with their own pain just like any other class in society.  They face divorce, the conflicts and power struggles of the adults in their lives, substance abuse, and overwhelming expectations about how they should act and who they should be.  

E. Lockhart is best known for her award-winning book The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.  Her Ruby Oliver books are also popular teen reads.  Do not be surprised if We Were Liars sweeps up awards in the coming months; it is well worthy of multiple honors.  And while this is a YA novel, it is really a novel written for all ages.  It is simply a delicious read.

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