We Were Liars: this bestseller finally has a series

In high school, there are always books you are required to read; they are often not the most enjoyable stories, but sometimes you get lucky. For my English class, I read ‘We Were Liars’ by E. Lockhart in my third year; a book that I still fondly remember years later because it was so thrilling. When I saw that Prime Video had made a series out of it, I had to watch it, of course. And it did not disappoint. Even if you have already read the book, the series manages to surprise you again.

What you need to know about We Were Liars

‘We Were Liars’ tells the story of Cadence (Emily Alyn Lind). She is part of the Sinclair family, a wealthy family often seen as ‘American royalty’. Every summer, they spend time on their private island Beechwood, where Cadence mainly hangs out with her cousin Johnny (Joseph Zada), cousin Mirren (Esther McGregor), and Gat (Shubham Maheshwari), her uncle's nephew; the four of them call themselves the ‘Liars’. In the summer when the kids are 16, ‘summer 16’, Cadence washes up alone on the beach one evening, without any memory of what she has experienced. The memory loss persists, and she suffers from severe migraine attacks. For a year, she has no contact with the other Liars and seeks relief in painkillers and alcohol. The following summer, she returns to the family island, but everything seems different. No one wants to tell her what happened; a command from Cadence's mother, because according to the doctor, it is better if she remembers it herself. It is clear that everyone is hiding something. Bit by bit, Cadence tries to piece together the puzzle in her mind, but that proves to be anything but easy.

Book vs. series: the biggest differences in We Were Liars

Don't worry, I won't give any major spoilers now. Even without revealing too much about the storyline, a number of differences can be discovered between the book and the series. Fun to pay attention to while watching; whether you have already read the book or want to do so (first). The first difference lies in the timeline, it book divides the story over a much longer period, four summers to be precise. In the series, it is different; the creators ‘limit’ themselves to two summers. Another difference is that various characters receive much more depth in the show; this applies, for example, to Johnny. Other characters, such as Gat, Uncle Ed, and the Sinclair sisters now play a much larger role than they do in the book. Certain themes are also explored further. There is more attention to the privileges of the Sinclairs and the racism surrounding the family. The foundation is the same, but everything has just a bit more detail.

Do you want to visit Beechwood yourself? These are the filming locations of We Were Liars

For those who want to visit Beechwood itself, I have bad news: the private island does not actually exist; well, the name does. Most of the filming did take place on a real island, but that was the Canadian peninsula of Nova Scotia. Many filming locations can therefore be visited, but you will need to take a little road trip. Actually, everything that happens outside in the series was filmed across the towns of East Chezzetcook, Dartmouth, Chester, and Lunenburg. These places have many harbors and are surrounded by beautiful nature that perfectly fits the setting of We Were Liars. The fact that so much was filmed outside also meant that the shoots did not always go smoothly. Unexpected rain showers, strong winds, or the sun changing position sometimes disrupted the schedule. You might not expect it, but various scenes in the water were filmed in studios. In so-called water stages, the creators had the ‘sea’ just a bit more under control, and that works a bit easier. For many of the indoor scenes, the cast and crew also used studios in Los Angeles.

Will there be a season 2 of We Were Liars?

With a strong position at the top of the Prime Video top 10 and an ending that leaves us wanting more, the question is whether there will be another season. There is no answer from Prime itself yet, but we can cautiously hope. Showrunners Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie have already mentioned in interviews that there are certainly discussions about a possible continuation. What also helps is that the book ‘We Were Liars’ received a prequel in 2022: ‘Family of Liars’; a story that takes place before that of the first book and the series. Even more good news, a new installment will be released in November of this year: ‘We Fell Apart’. This book also takes place in the same world, and the stories will be intertwined. You might think that a season three could also come. The creators are certainly open to it: “We love this world. We love our cast. We would love the chance to tell more, so we hope we can come back and do more.” But as is often the case with all series nowadays, they at Prime want to wait and see how this first season is received. The initial reactions are promising, so who knows, we might get good news soon. But with two books out, a third on the way, and of course these eight episodes, we certainly don't have to be bored in the meantime. ‘We Were Liars’ is now available on Prime Video.

Image: © Amazon Content Services/Prime Video