We Were Liars

Every year, three generations of Cadence's family spend their summer on Beechwood, their private island off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. It's her favorite place, largely because of The Liars: her cousins, Mirren and Johnny, and her best friend, Gat. The year they are all sixteen years old, they arrive on the island expecting the usual three months of mischief, sandcastle contests, and lemonade – but everything changes when Cadence and Gat begin to develop new, intense feelings for each other, and tensions between the adults on the island threaten to expose family secrets. Caught in the bliss of first love, Cadence doesn't yet know that her fairy tale summer will end with her alone, washed up on the beach with a traumatic brain injury -- and no memory of how she got there.
 

Following her mysterious accident, Cadence has suffered a year of illness, amnesia, and loneliness, having had no contact with The Liars. Determined to find out the truth about what happened to her, she returns to Beechwood for answers, but even her closest friends refuse to talk about the summer she can't remember. Still, the island triggers some new memories of Summer 16 – as she finally recalls the family's Father's Day celebration – a once-joyful annual tradition that was spoiled by rivalry, betrayal, and heartbreak.

Having newly remembered a family tragedy, Cadence convinces the Liars to tell her about the aftermath. Mirren confides in her about an encounter with a crush gone awry, while Johnny remembers a rival's unwelcome visit to Beechwood. Gat has no choice but to recount a painful turn in their relationship – one that threatened their long-standing friendship and their potential new romance. And they all bore witness to brewing tension between the aunts, Carrie, Penny, and Bess. But as they tell their stories, at least one of The Liars is hiding something from Cadence, fueling her suspicions that last summer's pivotal trauma may not have been an accident after all.

As the Sinclairs prepare for an uncharacteristically low-key Fourth of July on Beechwood, Cadence, unsure of who to trust, starts to do some digging into one of the Liars. What she finds helps her to remember last summer's Fourth of July party, when the island was flooded with guests – some more welcome than others. While the Sinclair sisters competed for their father's approval, Cadence did her best to get over Gat, Mirren found a surprising connection, and Johnny helped Ed prepare a romantic surprise for Carrie. In present day, Cadence makes a shocking revelation about one of the Liars, leading to an explosive confrontation that rivals the fireworks.

Unsettled by a series of painful memories, Cadence decides to give up her quest for answers and try to enjoy what's left of her summer – even if it means distracting herself with a potentially dangerous stunt. Despite her best efforts, she's triggered to remember a stormy day from Summer 16 when rising seas and rising frustrations threatened everyone in the family, exposing the darker side of the Sinclairs and forcing Gat and Cadence to confront their unspoken feelings.

Unable to continue keeping secrets from her, Gat finally opens up to Cadence about his perspective on the island – one that doesn't always reflect the fairy-tale nostalgia of her own experience. While they head into town in search of answers, Gat recounts his memories of a time-honored Sinclair tradition – Tipper's Lemon Hunt -- and the unplanned visit from his mother that made him question everything.

More uncertain than ever, Cadence reluctantly agrees to accompany Harris on an excursion – and the time with her grandfather reminds her of their final confrontation in Summer 16. Stakes were high as the Sinclairs met for a civilized family dinner – but the gloves came off before the main course was served. Politeness was entirely forsaken as the Liars confronted their mothers about family secrets, lines were drawn, and ultimately, actual blood was spilled. In the aftermath, the Liars mourned what had become of their once-beloved childhood playground, and the adults they once admired – and they decided to unite in a desperate attempt to save the family from being torn apart forever.

Cadence devises a plan to trigger her latent memories of the final hours before her traumatic accident, but she can't do it alone – she must convince the reluctant Johnny, Mirren, and Gat to help her, even if it means risking everything. But as the truth begins to come back to her in fits and starts, Cadence realizes that she, herself, has been the biggest Liar of all.