This month, the Litopia Book Club dives headfirst into We Were Liars—a novel that glitters like a perfect summer and cuts like broken glass. Set against the sun-drenched backdrop of a wealthy family’s private island, this modern classic is a masterclass in atmosphere, voice, and the slow, devastating reveal.

Book Club is not really an elite cadre. Or, if it is, anyone can join at any time. Litopians who wish to pop in for a meeting should feel very welcome. The difference between other book clubs and ours, we hope, is that we look at the books through the eyes of a writer, not a reader. Whether or not we like something does matter, but what matters more is how the author did what they did, and if it works. And, of course, can we steal that and use it to improve our own works.

• Precision plotting that turns re-reading into revelation
• Themes that spark big conversations: class, complicity, trauma, and truth
• A final act that redefines everything that came before

Whether you’re encountering this novel for the first time or returning with fresh eyes, the Litopia Book Club session will unpack how the book works, why it hits so hard, and what writers can learn from its daring restraint and structural control.