Since the beginning of time, similar things have always been compared to each other: Pepsi or Coke? Lemon or Lime? Boxers or Briefs? And books are no exception!
Throwdown Thursdays: I’m doing a bit of a Throwback Thursday with this feature to share my thoughts on the newest YA mini series TV adaption: We Were Liars! Feel free to share your thoughts below by commenting! Let’s get ready to Rumble!:
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We Were Liars Book Series | We Were Liars TV Series
Round 1: The Sinclairs
Unlovable Perfection vs Flawed Perfection
When I read the book, I remember having a hard time keeping track of all the Sinclairs and their relationships to each other. It’s much easier to follow in the show because you have a face to the name and get these extra scenes that Cadence isn’t privy to in the book.
I also remember thinking how unlikeable the older Sinclairs (ie the moms). They are just vain, vapid 1%ers who think that they should rule the world because they come from money. And while the TV show characters are also projected as that, because we get to see scenes where they aren’t interacting with Cadence (so you aren’t always seeing them through her eyes), I actually felt myself understanding the characters more and appreciating their flaws. I think it always helps to understand the “bad guy’s” motiviations and influences and that’s how I felt about the TV show.
Winner: The SHOW! The characters just had so much more substance to them!
We Were Liars Book: 0 | We Were Liars TV Series: 1
Round 2: Cadence
Metaphor Rich Narrator vs Living Her Best “Emo” Life
The Cady you meet in the book is clearly broken so her narration style is a little flowery and metaphor filled. I struggled to figure out when she was being literal or lying about things. I love a good unreliable narrator story and she fit the bill perfectly.
Cady in the TV series is perhaps more developed than in the books because we do have more developed side characters and connections as you aren’t solely in her head all the time. But something about her just irritated me throughout the series. So much so that I could only watch one episode at a time because her melancholy was just too much for me to handle.
Winner: the BOOK! I appreciated Cady’s headspace more than I was annoyed by it.
We Were Liars Book: 1 | We Were Liars TV Series: 1
Round 3: The Mystery
Unreliable Narrator vs Selective Flashbacks
When I read the book, I think I figured out the twist by the halfway point but still enjoyed watching it all unfold.
However, when I watched the TV series, I could only vaguely remember the plot twist so I did enjoy watching it all unfold and also getting a few other side-stories along the way.
Winner: the TV show. You really only get bits and pieces of the mystery through selective flashbacks as Cady rebuilds her past so I think the build-up was stronger.
We Were Liars Book: 1 | We Were Liars TV Series: 2
Ultimate Winner: The TV series
Final Comments: I thought the TV adaption did a very good job of bringing the Sinclairs to life! Lots of tension, drama and romance. It even made me cry at the end and I don’t remember the book having the same pull.
What are your thoughts: which one would you rather read/watch? Leave a comment below!