It’s not uncommon for a book adaptation to be aimed at a different audience. That’s often because some of the scenes and topics raised in the book can’t be easily shown on screen for younger audiences, so what about We Were Liars?
The new Prime Video series is based on the young adult novel of the same name by E. Lockhart. The fact that it’s “young adult” is something to keep in mind, as it suggests that the book is okay for older teenagers and young 20-somethings. What about the TV series that’s now dropped as a binge-watch on Prime Video?
The basis of the story is the same as the book. Something happened to Cadence during Summer Fifteen (or Summer Sixteen in the show). While the book took two years for her to go back to Beechwood Island for answers, it only takes one year in the series, and she learns why she was in the water, almost left for dead that summer, and why her cousins stopped talking to her.
We Were Liars age rating: This remains a young adult story
While Prime Video puts the age rating between 16+ and TV-MA depending on location, this is still a young adult story. There is some harsh language that is worth being aware of, and there’s some violence throughout, but this remains an important story of class, race, and teenagers realizing that actions can have some devastating and immediate consequences.
Sex & nudity: There is minimal sex and nudity throughout We Were Liars, although there are a couple of sex scenes. The characters keep their clothes on, and you can’t see much of what’s going on, but you know the actions.
Violence & gore: The series opens with Cadence being found on the beach with a cut on her head and looking like she has been left for dead. This is something we see in the trailer, which gives everyone an idea of the level of violence and gore that is included.
There is one scene where there’s a fight that plays out, and there are other scenes where injuries happen, and the topic of death comes up. It’s the ending that is really going to hurt people, especially as Cadence starts to remember everything that happened at the end of Summer Sixteen.
I don’t want to reveal spoilers, but there are two deaths in particular that are going to eat at you. If your teens have already read the book, they will know exactly which deaths they are. Fortunately, the deaths aren’t shown on screen, but the sounds will sit with you.
Language: The F-bomb is dropped a few times, and other swear words like the S-word and the B-words are dropped now and again.
Alcohol & drugs: There is a lot of drinking, with the teenagers throwing a party for July 4 in their own space. This leads to them and others getting drunk.
One of the characters is a recovering drug addict, and that comes up now and then. Cadence has also turned to medication to help with the headaches that she has from her TBI, and the overuse and reliance on them is a topic that is sure to come up in conversation.
Overall verdict: Who is We Were Liars appropriate for?
Like the novel, the series brings up some important topics that need to be discussed with teenagers. We Were Liars will work for a lot of those who are 16+, as the violence is on the level of school ground fights and you’d have seen similar scenes in One Tree Hill, Charmed, and other TV-14 shows on network TV.
This is one of those shows that reminds everyone that there are consequences to actions, and sometimes, you have to live with those consequences forever. At the same time, there are some great conversations about classism and how money corrupts people. It’s worth a binge-watch with your teens.
We Were Liars is now available to stream on Prime Video.