“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” – Leo Tolstoy
Welcome to Beechwood Island: pristine beaches, champagne brunches, coordinated family outfits, and a thick cloud of generational trauma disguised as New England perfection. Amazon Prime’s YA thriller We Were Liars serves up an intoxicating cocktail of memory, privilege, and the deep wounds we carry—some self-inflicted, others inherited.
As I watched this dreamy, yet disorienting tale unfold, I found myself spellbound by the sheer aesthetic of it all. Sun-drenched sailboats, lemon hunts, white linen, and ocean views as far as the eye can see. Long summers enjoying the bliss of island life without a care in the world, and a whole staff to cater to every whim. It’s the kind of wealth that gives you permission to ignore the world—and yourself. But we all know that no amount of generational money can keep the skeletons from slipping out of the walk-in closet.
The Lie of Perfection—and the High Cost of Hiding Pain
Our narrator, 17-year-old Cadence Sinclair Eastman (played with fragile elegance by Emily Alyn Lind), returns to the family’s private island after a mysterious accident leaves her with debilitating migraines and gaping holes in her memory. As Cady pieces together the events of the elusive “Summer 16,” we get a front-row seat to how this family uses silence, secrets, and distraction to maintain their façade.
As a sober person in recovery—and someone who’s become a bit of a trauma detective when it comes to TV families—I couldn’t take my eyes off Aunt Carrie (Mamie Gummer), the eldest Sinclair sister and self-proclaimed ten years sober. Is she really sober? Let’s just say if Zoom AA is your last resort and not your first resource… we’ve got questions.
Carrie floats through this picturesque hellscape looking brittle but composed, like a wineglass that’s never actually empty. She is trying, yes—but in that way many of us know too well: holding it all together with grit and denial until it all comes crashing down.
And in the middle of this polished dysfunction is a quiet rebellion etched on the hands of Cady and her love interest, childhood friend Gat: “Never surrender to the devil you know best.” A phrase so simple, and yet so piercing for those of us in recovery. Because we do know that devil. Sometimes that devil is a bottle, a pill, a thought pattern, or a familiar trauma loop we revisit like an old playlist. It’s cozy, it’s predictable—and it’s deadly.
Drunk Decisions, Permanent Pain
We Were Liars is not a show about addiction, and yet it is. It’s about the consequences of unchecked behavior, the cost of living in illusion, and the price of silence. It’s about families who would rather bury the truth than face it. Sound familiar?
This is a story where one split-second, grief-fueled, ego-driven decision shatters everything. And once you know the truth (no spoilers, I promise), you can’t un-know it. If you’ve ever woken up in the wreckage of your own making and whispered, “What did I do?”—this story will hit hard. Because we’ve all been Cady, trying to put together the pieces of a memory we’d rather forget but need to face in order to move on.
Memory, Privilege, and the Myth of Freedom
There’s something haunting about watching young people with every imaginable advantage self-destruct in slow motion. And yet, I couldn’t look away. Maybe it’s because I, too, have fantasized about that kind of financial freedom. The kind where no one questions your choices because money answers everything. But that, my friends, is the biggest lie of all.
What We Were Liars does so well is expose how privilege can be both a shield and a prison. The Sinclair’s may look like they have it all, but they’re emotionally bankrupt—and it shows. The traditions, the legacy, lemon hunts, the Fourth of July fireworks… they’re all just smoke and mirrors, garnished with a lime wedge.
The Final Sip
As the credits rolled, I felt compelled to start from the beginning. To comb through every poetic voiceover and fractured flashback for signs I missed. Like many of us in recovery, I’ve had to revisit my own story more than once to make sense of it. To separate what happened from what I told myself happened.
I’ve already pre-ordered We Fell Apart, the sequel by E. Lockhart dropping in November 2025 on Amazon Prime. And yes, I added Family of Liars, the prequel, to my cart before the closing credits even finished.
We Were Liars isn’t just a story about wealth and memory—it’s a cautionary tale about the lies we tell to survive and the truth that ultimately sets us free. Sobriety gives us that truth, whether we’re ready or not.
So grab a non-alcoholic spritzer that we recommend over in Happy Every Hour, brace yourself, and dive in. Just remember: everyone on Beechwood has something to hide.
The Mindful Binge Sobees Score: 4 out of 5
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You can stream “We Were Liars” now on Amazon Prime. Watch with intention—and maybe a journal close by.
We Were Liars Trailer – Amazon Prime
THE MINDFUL BINGE: Need MORE Island Summer Drama in your life? The Better Sister: A Family Drama Soaked in Secrets, Sobriety, and the Summer Hamptons
THE MINDFUL BINGE at The Sober Curator is where we binge-watch and chill—mindfully. In this TV series review section, we don’t just consume shows; we explore their stories, themes, and cultural impact through a sober lens. Using our signature Sobees Scoring System, we rate each pick to help you choose your next watch with intention.
Our digital shelves are neatly organized into Drama, Dramedy, and Reality, making it easy to find your perfect series for a night in.
SOBER POP CULTURE at The Sober Curator is where mainstream trends meet the vibrant world of sobriety. We serve up a mix of movie, podcast, fashion, and book recommendations alongside alcohol-free cocktails, celebrity features, and pop culture buzz—all with a sober twist.
We’re here to shatter the “sobriety is boring” myth with a mash-up of 80s neon, 90s hip-hop edge, early 2000s bling, and today’s hottest trends. From celebrity shoutouts to red-carpet style inspo, this is where sober is as chic as it is fun. To the celebs using their platform for good—our Sober Pop Trucker hats are off to you!
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