We Were Liars

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Fiction

The Sinclairs are perfect. They live on a private island and are rich, beautiful, and skilled at hiding secrets. Cadence has spent nearly every summer of her childhood on her grandparents’ private island and is used to holding herself together in times of stress. She spends the summer with her cousins, Mirren and Johnny, as well as Gat, who is not quite a family friend due to his poor background. After an accident, Cadence develops amnesia and is unable to remember a major event at the end of her last summer. As Cadence tries to piece together what happened, we learn that some secrets are too big to remain hidden.

Lockhart creates a world that is puzzling and confusing, leaving the reader as much in the dark as Cadence is about what happened the previous summer.  This confusion escalates and culminates until the world the reader was made to believe was true comes crashing down, revealing one never expected. Lockhart uses language that is poetic and beautiful, but at the same time creates a division between the reader and the characters. This makes it difficult to understand and relate to the characters, which may be Lockhart’s intent. Everybody lies to keep up appearances.  In the end, Cadence realizes that while lies may seem to make life better, living requires the truth.

The Cardturner

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar
Fiction

Alton Richards didn’t think his summer would amount to much. His checklist involves going to the pool and maybe getting a job. That all goes out the window when he finds out that his materialistic mother promised that he would drive his blind, diabetic, and very rich uncle, Lester Trapp, to his bridge club. Due to financial problems at home, Alton’s mom wants to get on the good side of Trapp in hopes that he will leave them money in his will. In addition to being his driver, Alton finds out that he also is signed up to be his cardturner. Trapp’s blindness doesn’t let him see the cards, but that is what Alton is for. As a cardturner, Alton is supposed to tell Trapp the cards he has and play the cards for him. Eventually Trapp tells Alton of his philosophical musings and Alton learns more about Trapp’s past relationships. Including one with his former partner for bridge, a woman named Annabel, someone whom Trapp avoids talking about.

Frequently I got very annoyed at Alton for being such a push-over. He sits idly by when his best friend, Cliff takes his potential girlfriend, Toni to a party and doesn’t seem to have any control over his life. He doesn’t even try to get a job during the summer. The fact that Alton is a cardturner illustrates this very well. Alton carries out actions, but he doesn’t really decide anything for himself, Trapp makes all the decisions. It isn’t until after Alton exerts some control over his life does he starts dating Toni, the granddaughter of Anabelle, applies to college, and gets his act together.

This theme reappears throughout the story, giving it—as Trapp puts it—a philosophical bent.

The Westing Game

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Fiction

I know I’ve already reviewed this before, but I think my previous review did not do it justice. I’ve read it again recently, and this time I read it carefully, unlike last time. The Westing Game transports the reader to Sunset Towers where there are bombers, murders, a 200 million dollar inheritance, and one great big mystery.

                On Halloween night, Sam Westing, millionaire and owner of Westing Paper Products, is murdered. Later when Sam Westing’s heirs are all gathered to hear the reading of his will, they are surprised and shocked to discover that the murderer is one of them. In his will, Sam Westing pairs the heirs up, and then gives them clues to discover the killer. Everyone desperately tries to win so they will receive the 200 million dollar inheritance. As the game progresses, the players soon realize that this is not an ordinary game.

                The reason why I liked this book so much was the same reason why I didn’t like it last time. In my last review I thought it was confusing and too complicated. When I read it this time, I appreciated the small details and unsuspected plot twists. The plot was laid out perfectly so it formed a well-constructed mystery with puzzles in every chapter and the characters were so well developed I felt that I knew them personally. As the story progresses, small pieces of the puzzle form a picture that brings sixteen unlikely people together  in the most unusual way.

The Westing Games

The Westing Game  By Ellen Raskin

*** 3/5 stars  Mystery

I rated this book 3 stars because I didn't get the solution. It was well written and interesting until the characters started to find the solution. Maybe I didn't read it carefully enough.  Anyway, it is about 16 people who all live in the same apartment building. They are all called to the reading of Sam W. Westing's will. The will says that Sam Westing was murdered and in order to find out who did it, the 16 people have to play a game called the Westing Games. The 16 players are paired up with partners that Sam Westing selected and are given 8 clues per pair.   The answer to the game is the murderer.  The one who wins gets the 200 million dollar inheritance!

Swindle

Swindle  By Gordon Korman

***** 5/5 stars  Fiction

I like books that combine talents to make a gigantic plan. This book is mainly about plans.  Griffen Bing found a Babe Ruth card easily worth a million dollars, but S. Wendell Palomino swindled him out of the card. Griffen needs to get it back. No guard dog, security system, or nosy neighbor will get in the way.