Loved Family of Liars! So many plot twists and turns that had me turning page after page. Highly recommend reading We We’re Liars before this one. Family can be read alone, but even more enjoyable if read as the prequel.
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was allowed to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of what happened to the Sinclair sisters who are the mothers in We Were Liars. I loved We Were Liars and I recommend it to my patrons all the time. So, I was very excited to get an ARC of Family of Liars. However, it did not live up to my expectations. It is told in eight parts by Carrie Sinclair. It begins with Carrie talking with her dead son, Johnny, and him asking her to tell him the most terrible thing she ever did. One of the issues I had was the ghosts. Maybe I took that part too literally, but it didn't work for me. I am also tired of stories about very wealthy families and their "troubles." Families who have so much money that they can kill someone, cover it up, and not be investigated more by the police.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for sending me an advanced reader copy of this book to review.

If you loved We Were Liars, you're going to love it's prequel, Family of Lairs. In the first book we followed the lives of the Sinclair cousins. In this book we follow the story of the original liars.....their Mothers as teenagers on the island!

This story is once again on the private island off the coast of Massachusetts. Much like the first book you'll want to read this story going into it blind. It follows a similar pattern of reading from different points of view and definitely provides a big plot twist just like We Were Liars.

If you've not read We Were Liars. This is not the type of prequel you'll want to read in sequence because it will definitely spoil that book within the first few pages. Definitely read it in publication order.

This author has a simple but eloquent writing style that draws you into the story and before you know it, you can't put the book down.

I would recommend this book and it's predecessor to those readers who enjoy a suspenseful family drama along with a coming of age story line.

The twists at the end were completely unexpected! FAMILY OF LIARS is the prequel to We We’re Liars and shares alot about Candace’s mother and sisters and the history of their family island. The story opens with Carrie (the oldest Sinclair daughter) being asked about the worst thing she has ever done. She shared about the summer of 1980 and how it changed the course of not only her life, but her sisters’ lives as well. Her story starts slow and is definitely a slow burn of a thriller, but once it gets going, I could not put it down! Grab your copy this Tuesday, May 3. Just keep in mind, the entire family are a bunch of liars. 😉 Thanks to @netgalley for the digital ARC and to Delacorte Press for the print ARC at #txla22!

I loved We Were Liars, and was so excited to find out Lockhart was publishing a prequel. Revisiting the Sinclair family wasn’t easy—the deception and heartache is woven into their family tapestry. This book did a great job keeping true to the mystery and intrigue of We Were Liars while also being a standalone story. Though it left some unanswered questions for me at the end, the writing and character development made this an absolute page turner.

I enjoyed this prequel to “we were liars” and read the entire book while on a flight. The story centers on Carrie and is mostly told in the past when she was a teenager spending her summers with her family on a secluded island off of the coast of Massachusetts.

Though much is this story is more day to day events leading up to the “big event”, there is a sense of foreboding along with overall character development that held my interest throughout. There are a couple side stories going on as well, which I thought were fascinating backdrops to the main event. The characters were well drawn and I empathized with Carrie even when she did the wrong things.

All in all, a great prequel that can absolutely be read as a stand-alone (though does provide spoilers to the other book). I enjoyed it and hope the author gives us more stories revolving around the Sinclair family.

I read the original book in this series, We Were Liars, and was happy to receive an ARC of this prequel. I liked the original book, but I absolutely love, love, love this prequel. I think it is much better.
It is definitely a great standalone novel, but now, I want to reread the other and compare more carefully.
Let’s just say that I was on the edge of my seat from the 3rd page and hit 17% read in about 45 minutes. I cannot put this book down. It is suspenseful and written in a very direct way. The voice is excellent, and I can see high school students inhaling this book. I will need concealer and coffee tomorrow AM because I will be staying up all night to finish this book. I’m so hooked that I had to come and write a review ASAP. Read this one-it is the perfect summer beach book! Holy smokes it’s good.

uckle up, because this book is a bit of a bumpy ride, in all of the best ways! It’s been quite a few years since I read We Were Liars, and this book is the prequel to that so unfortunately I may have missed some key connections between the two books, but I guess that means I’ll have to read them both again, which I won’t complain about!

From what I recall, the tone of this book is very similar to We Were Liars, and by that I mean it’s an intriguing and somewhat lighthearted book, or at least it feels that way, up to a certain point. Family of Liars is set on a private island and centered around the Sinclair family, specifically Carrie. Carrie is the oldest among her sisters and it’s clear that both she and her sisters see her as the glue that holds them together. Summers on the island are a time for family and traditional activities that their mother plans. If this all sounds like a fun book to read then let me tell you, it only gets better.

The arrival of cousins and an uncle on the island heralds the true beginning of their summer; however, a slight change of plans occurs when they arrive with guests–young, male guests to be specific. Carrie quickly finds herself falling for one of the boys, and though she and her sisters are close, she begins to spend more time with him alone. Boys aren’t the only thing on her mind this summer though. Having glimpsed a mysterious picture among her mother’s jewelry, she decides to do some digging into the past, paying no heed to her mother’s dismissal of her questions about it.

Carrie’s narration of this book was spot on and it was very easy to slip into the mindset of a young adult perched on the edge of maturity. Unfortunately, Carrie, being the eldest sister, feels she must bear the weight of some of the heavier things that occur over the course of the summer. As the title alludes to, her family has many secrets tied up in lies and she slowly begins to realize that what she has always trusted was the truth may be very far from it.

I’ve heard different opinions on We Were Liars, from readers hating on it to readers loving it. Personally, I loved it and this prequel as well. It was fun to vicariously live a life of luxury, and sunny beaches even if only for a few hundred pages and I’m sure I will revisit the two books sooner than later.

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy from Random House Children’s Books

It is so hard to write a review for this book because the beauty of the novel is not knowing what will happen. It was wonderful to drop back into the world of the Sinclair family and see the aunts and mothers from We Were Liars as teenagers. The story that enfolds adds more depth and resonance to the story of We Were Liars and builds the generational impact of secrets and family relationships - both good and bad. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loved We Were Liars, but with the spoilers in the beginning of the novel, I would recommend reading We Were Liars first.

Thanks to Delacourte Press + Random House Books for the e-ARC of FAMILY OF LIARS, out May 3rd.

If you read and loved WE ARE LIARS be E. Lockhart, then this one is 100% for you - back with the Sinclair family, on their private island, and once again we are immersed in the telling of a story where we know something isn't right but just can't quite figure it out.
I definitely recommend reading this one *after* We are Liars, and really only if you loved it as much as I did.

This is an exceptionally weird follow-up/pre-cursor to E. Lockhart's hit book <i>We Were Liars </i>, and as much as I wanted to enjoy it, <i> Family of Liars</i> lacks the suspense and tight pacing that made <i>We Were Liars </i> so much fun.

I also felt like it was, given all of the conversations about privilege occurring now, so strange that we get a book where the characters are wildly wealthy and there are zero ramifications for the murder that occurs. Unlike <i>We Were Liars </i>, where there's a terrible plan that goes even worse and the perpetrators pay a terrible price, there's no excuse for the murder in this book. Even when Carrie commits the murder it seems to come out of nowhere as she doesn't seem like an especially unreliable narrator despite being on pain medication.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

E. Lockhart's prequel to We Were Liars did not disappoint. Family of Liars follows the events of one summer of Carrie, Penny, and Bess and the darkness that ultimately shadows their lives. Although their family island seems ideal to the outsider, the money and prestige cannot buy happiness.

If you loved We Were Liars, I would highly recommend Family of Liars. It gleams some insight into the family and what they later become. It is a quick read with characters you will love to hate. There were a couple of forced parts in the back that I felt could've been left out; they didn't add to the forward movement of the plot. This kept me from giving the book five stars. However, I would definitely recommend it IF you read and liked We Were Liars first. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this prequel in exchange for my honest review.

Ahhhh, elitism at it's finest.

I keep hearing about this 'tiktok phenomenon' surrounding the book We Were Liars. I don't know if that's the reason Family of Liars was published, but I'd be a-okay with that fact.

We all know the twist in We Were Liars, so I'm not really going to recap it here. But I will say, Family of Liars is written sooooo much better. It's set 27 years earlier on the exact same private island. We know the Sinclair Family is filled with liars, but it seems like they're really just trying to protect their own. The story is told through the eyes of Carrie, the oldest sibling in the original Sinclair Family. She happens to be Johnny's mom, so her story really sheds some light on the bizarre happenings on the island.

It's kind of exactly what I was expecting but better.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for sending me an e-ARC!

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart comes out May 3, 2022!!

✔️ this is the prequel to We Are Liars and I liked it more than the first book. Perhaps because I knew what to expect, of because it seemed less a teenage love story
✔️ although not as surprising as the unexpected turn of events in the first story, still some nice surprises along the way .
✔️ the family dynamics in this story were much more interesting

E Lockhart is a master storyteller. With compelling characters and head-turning plot twists, Lockhart weaves a web that ensnares the reader. I will be thinking about these characters for a long time. For fans of WE ARE LIARS, you will not be disappointed!

Family of Liars is the prequel I didn’t know I was missing. The unraveling begins on the private island where the family spends the leisure day of summer with the arrival of “the boys”. The unexpected guests being an excitement and thrill. The pages turn quickly and leads the reader to a deeper understanding of the Lockhart’s “We Were Liars” while it can be enjoyed as a stand alone, reading “We Were Liars” first is recommended.

I put off reading this one because I was afraid it wouldn’t live up to its predecessor. I was, quite thankfully, completely wrong. I read this more slowly than necessary because I really didn’t want the book to end.

It is a prequel to We Were Liars, and it’s mostly set in the summer of 1987. Part of its appeal to me was the time period (my teenage years) but I was also drawn to the characters, especially the narrator Carrie. And, in true E. Lockhart style, expect a twist (or two) that take your breath away. The ending leaves the possibility of another book or books, which would be wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Let me start by saying, DO NOT read this book if you haven't already read We Were Liars. Even though it is a prequel, it is written from the present, looking back at the past and there are huge spoilers right from the first page.

This is Carrie's story, mostly from the summer of 1987. We learn a great deal more about the Sinclair family and the secrets they hide. On the surface, everything seems perfect, and they work hard to make it look that way. We learn the secrets behind the secrets from Carrie, who is honest about being an unreliable narrator. She does acknowledge her privilege in a way that seems authentic. If you loved We Were Liars and missed the Sinclair family, you should definitely read this. I did not find the reveals to be the gut punch that they were in the first book. Recommended for grade 8 & up.

3.5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC.
I"m the most gigantic fan of We Were Liars, and have been ever since I read it years ago and it continued to stick with me like very few stories do. So I was super excited to hear about and receive an ARC of Family of Liars! There were many things I really enjoyed about it. The setting and writing style are the same, which is a plus for me; I love reading about Beechwood Island, it feels magical regardless of the drama that occurs there. My favorite thing was learning more about the parents and grandparents of the original Liars...it was interesting to learn about more family members, and I loved reading from Carrie's P.O.V. I found myself wishing her and Cadence (from We Were Liars) would've talked more, because I believe they would have gotten along really well. So it was great to have all of this additional background, wrapped up in a quick paced atmospheric summer story.
My only complaint is that it just didn't grab me the way We Were Liars did. It's still 100% worth the read, and still an enjoyable and dramatic story in its own right. I just believe I set my bar too high.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for the Arc.

I re-read We Are Liars prior to reading this prequel and I was very glad I did.

The Sinclairs' island wasn't always home to just the Liars moms and grandparents. When the three Sinclair girls were young the island was shared between their father, Harris, and his brother Dean. The girls- Carrie, Penny, and Bess grew up enjoying summers with their cousins Yardley and Tompkin.

Carrie, the eldest, narrates the story if how the Sinclair third generation were not the first liars. They all were liars.

And it started the summer The Boys came.

Lockhart writes grief into a narrative like poetry. The safe wistful, longing tone of We Were Liars is evident in this prequel.

Beautifully written, engaging.