This YA Adaptation Might Be Better Than The Book And We Didn't See It Coming

We’re dropped right into Adaptations Month, and Meaghan and Shirin are fired up about one of the most talked-about YA adaptations in recent memory: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, now an eight-episode Amazon Prime series.

Right away, we’re treated to some healthy debate. Shirin adores the book; she champions the writing, the twist, and the mood. Meaghan? Not so much. She found the prose pretentious and didn’t enjoy the tone at all. This dynamic sets the stage for a lively and honest conversation that’s far from sugar-coated.

The book, first published in 2014, holds a kind of pop-culture cult status. It's a staple on “must-read” YA lists and has been adored (and criticized) for its dark twist and dreamy narration.

The show adaptation dropped in June and currently holds a 6.6/10 on IMDb and a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, with both audience and critics matching scores, which the hosts point out as surprisingly rare. There's clear curiosity about how the adaptation stands up to the book and how viewers have received it.

Breaking Down the Sinclair Family Drama

The story follows the Sinclair family, a wealthy old-money clan who summers on a private island called Beechwood off Martha’s Vineyard. The family patriarch, Harris Sinclair, and his wife Tipper (yes, those are the names) built individual homes on the island for each of their daughters: Carrie, Penny, and Bess. Penny is Cadence’s (Katie's) mom, our main character and narrator. Each woman has children, and their interactions form the backbone of the story.

Every summer, the family returns to the island, and the teenage cousins, along with Ed’s nephew Gat, form a group known as “the Liars.” We watch this group grow, fracture, and unravel across two pivotal summers: Summer Sixteen and Summer Seventeen.

Cadence experiences a mysterious accident in Summer Sixteen, one that leads to memory loss, trauma, and isolation. She’s told she needs to recover the memories on her own, but no one in her family will talk about what really happened. That’s the tension. That’s the story.

We quickly learn that the family is deeply dysfunctional. The three sisters are competitive, toxic, and frequently cruel to each other and their children. There are fractures built on favoritism, inheritance squabbles, and the oppressive rule of Harris, who exerts power through manipulation.

Meaghan and Shirin are quick to point out how relatable and painful these dynamics are, even if they’re dramatized through the extreme wealth and privilege of the Sinclair family.

The Adaptation: What Worked, What Didn’t

The hosts appreciated the show's ability to visually distinguish timelines, for instance, Katie dyes her hair brown in Summer Seventeen, which makes the back-and-forth between past and present much easier to track. That little visual clue, while simple, goes a long way in helping the viewer follow the complex timeline.

They also agree that the show did a good job capturing Katie’s slow, painful unraveling. As she pieces together the truth about what happened during Summer Sixteen, viewers are taken through fragmented flashbacks, clues, and unspoken cues from the people around her. There’s a slow burn, but one that keeps you guessing.

However, the hosts were split on the show's tone. Meaghan couldn’t stand how much of the book’s prose, which she already disliked, made it into the show. Shirin felt the adaptation captured the dreamy, metaphor-rich storytelling of the original text. They were both impressed, though, with how well the show built out the adult characters, something t