Books Like We Were Liars

When We Were Liars by E. Lockhart was published in 2014, it quickly garnered critical acclaim and went on to win numerous awards. One of the major themes of this young-adult novel is how mistakes can sometimes have deadly consequences. Family, privilege, and self-acceptance are also themes that feature prominently in the book. However, it is the ending that has made We Were Liars one of the most memorable books of recent years. If you are a fan of stories with unexpected twists, then check out the following books like We Were Liars.

The Walls Around Us

by Nova Run Suma

The Walls Around Us is another young adult novel that became a New York Times bestseller. It was published in 2015 and written by American Author, Nova Ren Suma. The book tells the story of three young women, who are all connected to each other. Two of the women are imprisoned for allegedly committing separate murders while the third one seemingly has ties to both of them. The story then shifts between the alternating viewpoints of two characters. Although The Walls Around Us features paranormal elements, it is still a gritty tale with plenty of shocking revelations.

Charm & Strange

by Stephanie Kuehn

Charm & Strange is the debut young adult novel from Stephanie Kuehn. The book won the 2014 William C. Morris Award and features a protagonist, Andrew Winston Winters, who is at war with himself. Andrew is struggling to cope with a terrible secret from his past, with each chapter only revealing small hints at what it is. While some of the story is set in the present, some chapters flash back to Andrew's past. The story deals with a lot of tough issues, but it is also fascinating to piece together the pieces leading up to the twists.

Cracked Up To Be

by Courtney Summers

Cracked Up To Be is the debut novel by Courtney Summers and was released in 2009. It is a young adult novel about Parker Fadley, a girl with a horrible secret that is slowly destroying her life. Parker ends up quitting the cheer-leading squad, dumping her perfect boyfriend and even begins failing school in an attempt to be totally alone. Parker believes that removing herself from everyone is the only way to ensure that everything will be okay again, but this is easier said than done. Cracked Up To Be is a great book with an interesting mystery that keeps the story interesting right to the end.

Belzhar

by Meg Wolitzer

Belzhar is a young adult novel by Meg Wolitzer with a 15-year old protagonist named Jam Gallahue. Jam was madly in love with her British boyfriend, Reeve Maxfield, so she is completely devastated when he passes away. Since she is unable to cope with the grief, her parents decided that it would be best to send her to a boarding school in rural Vermont. The school specializes in dealing with emotionally fragile teens. Jam is initially not very enthusiastic about the experience but then discovers that her journal-writing assignment at the school is not as ordinary as she thought. As with the other books on this list, Belzhar has it's fair share of interesting turns and shocking twists.

Save Yourself

by Kelly Braffet

Save yourself is a 2013 novel by Kelly Braffet that is told from three different perspectives. One of these is Patrick Cusimano, who became the town pariah along with his brother Mike after a drunk driving incident by their father resulted in the death of a child. Then there's Caro, Mike's girlfriend, who also has a painful past that she is running away from. The final perspective belongs to Verna, the younger sister of one of Patrick's friends. The lives of these dysfunctional characters all intertwine in interesting ways that keep the story engrossing all the way through.

There Will Be Lies

by Nick Lake

There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake is a young adult novel about a young deaf girl named Shelby Jane Cooper. Shelby was home-schooled by her very over-protective mother but ends up being struck by a car shortly before her eighteenth birthday. This experience results in Shelby receiving a cryptic message from a coyote, which leaves her very puzzled. She doesn't have a lot of time to figure out what's going on either as her mother takes her on a journey to the Grand Canyon. The reason appears to be to get away from dangers that only her mother understands, but along the way, Shelby begins to realize that everything is not as it seems. There Will Be Lies is filled with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Vanishing Girls

by Lauren Oliver

Vanishing Girls is a young adult novel by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver. It is the tale of two sisters, Dara and Nick, who used to be inseparable. Unfortunately, after an accident, Dara is left with a scarred face and the two sisters become totally estranged. Then, all of a sudden, Dara vanishes on her birthday, which makes Nick think that her sister is just playing around. However, a nine-year-old girl named Madeline Snow also disappeared, so Nick begins to suspect that the two incidents are related. Most of the book deals with the events leading up to the disappearance and there are obviously some big twists thrown into the mix as well.