As someone who loves reading the novel before upcoming book adaptations when I can, it can go two very different ways. The latest on the 2025 TV schedule is the We Were Liars series, which I ultimately think had a more enjoyable book. (Which is usually the case anyway, right?) I want to talk about the main things I missed from the novel when watching the TV show, but there’s also a couple of major things that were added that I really appreciated.
It’s always a good sign when the author is involved in the production, and E. Lockhart served as an executive producer on the Amazon series. Another big plus is the fact that the co-creators Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie are known for adapting the The Vampire Diaries franchise prior. Let’s get into what I missed from the book, first:
I Missed The Novel’s Lyrical Style
I have to say my favorite part of the reading experience of We Were Liars was actually the writing style of E. Lockhart more than the plot itself. She pulls the reader in immediately with her lyrical style of writing that makes use of a lot of very non-literal writing devices like hyperbole and such. I love how the book captures Cadence’s feelings about being who she is and what she’s going through more than the story. It often feels like you’re reading diary entries through Cadence's often very short, atmospheric musings.
Also, the novel itself works so well because Cadence is this unreliable narrator who is dealing with a lot of emotions and gaps in her memory. Seeing the story through her eyes and her eyes only (with Lockhart’s specific writing style) really rewards the reader once the twisty ending is revealed. I know it’s difficult to adapt something like writing style, but I wish there was a bit more effort to include this element of the story visually. Either way, the series only made me appreciate the book more.
I Missed Seeing The Ghosts Of The Liars Unravel
While there’s a lot I like about the depictions of the other Liars in the series (which I’ll get to later in the article), there was one aspect of their arcs in the book I didn’t see enough in the show. In the novel, the ghosts of Johnny, Mirren and Gat kind of unravel emotionally as they continue to hide their secret of no longer being alive from Cadence. I’ve been listening to the audiobook since watching the series, and I really missed seeing scenes where you feel like the late Liars are getting frustrated over their deaths as the novel continues.
For example, when Cadence is talking about her trips abroad in the novel and they start to get jealous about not being able to go visit different places outside of the U.S. Cadence doesn’t get why they are so envious when they can just plan to book a trip later on, but when we learn they have died, the loss only hits harder. I wish the TV series chose to adapt some of those scenes.
I Missed The Book’s More Sprawling Timeline
One more element from the novel I missed in the TV show was how the timeline is done. In the book, it covers a lot more ground, and the time between Cadence’s accident and her return to Beachwood is two years. Whereas, in the series, the time between her accident and her return is just one year. I understand why the change was made. It just makes it easier for the viewer to follow flashbacks from one year prior than a longer timeline, but at the same time it felt a tad unrealistic to me.
I’d imagine one year after the death of multiple people in the Sinclair family, the whole family would be in pieces. I mean, can you imagine being the parent of Johnny or Mirren and going back to your summer town with your family without your kids? Everyone seemed pretty OK, despite three major losses in the family, while I think two years would have made more sense for their behaviors.
I Loved Seeing The Other Liars And Moms Have Their Own Storylines
Sure, I was frustrated with some elements of the series, but the book isn’t going anywhere, and I did appreciate the show adding to the story. Because it’s not just from the perspective of Cadence, I found it really smart that the creators added more depth to each of the liars stories. From Johnny being gay and having a really dark secret to hide, or Mirren’s romance and relationship with her art to Gat getting more of a highlight with there being Indian writers involved, I did like understanding who the Liars were more intimately, on the TV show.
That also mostly goes for the moms (with the caveat of their emotional arcs kind of being unrealistic). Overall, not just having the perspective of Cadence did allow me to get a better picture of the Sinclairs and who each of them are.
I Loved Gat’s Uncle Ed Having His Own Arc In We Were Liars
Speaking of additions to We Were Liars, another big change I loved was the addition of Gat’s Uncle Ed into the main storyline. Ed is barely in the novel, but the writers found a really great role for Rahul Kohli as the longtime partner of Mamie Gummer’s Carrie. As Cadence and Gat are weighing their own young romance as an interracial couple who come from different upbringings, I found it really interesting to see how Ed’s relationship is with the family after being with them for years. It really helped highlight some of the messages of the novel through a more mature lens than the novel gave me with Cadence’s POV.
While ultimately I’d rather pick up the book again than watch the series again, I thought everyone involved did a great job, and I’m really hoping Family of Liars gets adapted next. Let me know what you thought about the series in the comments below.
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