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We Were Liars has made the leap from paper to screen, bringing with it a haunting story of memory loss, family secrets, and devastating truths. This Prime Video adaptation of E. Lockhart's beloved 2014 novel has garnered a diverse audience.
However, readers have noted some significant differences between the book and its cinematic counterpart. The series centers on the wealthy Sinclair family, who gather every summer on their private island, known as Beechwood.
At the center of the secret is Cadence "Cady" Sinclair, a teenage girl struggling to recall the events of a traumatic summer that led to her severe memory loss. As she tries to piece together fragments of her past, viewers are taken along on a journey filled with shocking revelations and dark family secrets.
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While We Were Liars maintains the core mystery and emotional impact of the novel, the television adaptation makes several key adjustments to enhance the viewing experience and facilitate character development.
Here are the five key differences that distinguish the show from its source material.
5 significant changes from the book to the series We Were Liars
1) The timeline gets cramped
One of the most evident changes in We Were Liars is the timing of Cady's mysterious accident. In the book, there's a two-year gap between the present storyline and the past traumatic summer.
Cady loses her memory during her fifteenth summer on Beechwood Island, and the novel picks up two years later.
The television adaptation shortens this timeframe. Instead of a two-year gap, there's only a one-year gap between Cady's accident and her return to the island. This change implies her memory loss happened during her sixteenth summer, not the fifteenth. The reduction allows the series to pack more emotional impact in a shorter timeframe.
The alteration also affects other significant events. In We Were Liars, Cady's romantic relationship with Gat, her accident, and the death of the family matriarch all occur within a relatively short timeline.
This creates a more exhilarating viewing experience, as fans don't have to wait as long to see how these interconnected events turn out. This condensed timeline also works better for the limited episode format that the creators adapted to.
2) Johnny's sexual identity becomes centered
Johnny Sinclair Dennis, one of the four Liars at the center of the story, receives a much more developed character arc in the television adaptation. While the book only hints at aspects of his persona, We Were Liars makes his sexual identity much more prominent.
In the show, Johnny openly discusses being gay with his cousins and shares his fondness for his tennis partner, Blake. This relationship becomes complex when Blake threatens to blackmail the Sinclair family with a video of Johnny's violent streak at his private education center. The series does not hesitate to explore how Johnny's gay identity affects his place within the traditional Sinclair family.
This expansion of Johnny's character serves multiple purposes in We Were Liars. It gives him a more defined personal story beyond just being part of the group, and it adds another layer to the family's dysfunction. The show uses Johnny's struggle with acceptance to highlight the rigid expectations and reservations that plague the Sinclair family.
His character development also sets up potential plots for future episodes, as his relationship with his family sows seeds of complication even after the central mystery is resolved.
3) Mirren's love story in making
Another prominent change in We Were Liars centers on Mireen Sinclair Sheffield, who gains a significant romantic subplot absent from the original book.
While the book only mentions her having feelings for an older student off-screen, the television show switches that student to a new character called Ebon, who becomes her love interest. This relationship does more than just give Mirren additional screen time. It reinforces the show's themes about social prejudice and class differences.
Ebon's background contrasts perfectly with the Sinclairs' lavish lifestyle, creating tension that resonates with other bonds in the narrative. The romance helps viewers understand how the family's extreme attitudes affect every aspect of their lives, even their children's relationships.
Mirren's expanded role in We Were Liars ensures she's not just a supporting character in Cady's story. Instead of being overshadowed by the central mystery, she becomes a fully developed person with her desires and struggles. This transition helps balance the ensemble cast and gives viewers more characters to connect with emotionally.
4) The parents become the highlight
The adult Sinclair siblings—Penny, Carrie, and Bless—have much larger roles in We Were Liars than they did in the original book. The three mothers of Cady, Johnny, and Mirren, respectively, were not explored well in the book. However, the television show delves deep into their family struggles and personal struggles.
The series shows how each mother's life is falling apart in separate ways. While all three are divorced in the novel, the show depicts Bess still in a union but living a lie with her spouse, hiding their mutual distractions.
The adaptation also introduces references to Rosemary, a fourth Sinclair sibling who died young, adding another layer of family tragedy. By expanding these characters, We Were Liars shows how the family's toxic patterns have affected various generations.
The mother's involvement in the storyline also sets up different future narratives, as their previous traumas and secrets could fuel another season. This change brings a transformation to the show, focusing on whole-family dysfunction issues instead of just the younger generations.
5) A shocking twist in the end changes the climax
The most dramatic difference in We Were Liars comes at the very end. Most of the book's ending scenes remain the same. Johnny, Gat, and Mirren died in a fire and have been appearing as ghosts to help Cady remember the truth. However, the series adds a crucial scene missing from the book.
After Cady finally accepts the truth and begins to move on, the show includes a sequence where Carrie returns home and faces Johnny's ghost. Instead of moving on, Johnny tells his mother he is not sure if his soul can depart yet. This suggests there's still unfinished business between them, particularly regarding how she handled his sexuality and other family problems.
This change in We Were Liars opens the door for potential future seasons while also providing a more complicated emotional resolution. Rather than simply bringing an end to Cady's acceptance of the truth, the show foreshadows that healing the Sinclair family's deep wounds will take more effort and time.
It also suggests that the consequences of the family's toxic behavior extend beyond the immediate tragedy, affecting relationships across generations.
We Were Liars manages to adapt a beloved book while making thoughtful changes that enhance the narrative for television. By shortening the timeline, developing supporting characters, and introducing new relationship dynamics, the show creates a richer viewing experience that honors the book's themes while standing on its own.
