Special thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's not secret that We Were Liars wrecked me when I read it, if only for one particular reason that haunts me to this day. Reading Family of Liars put that same fear in me, but thank cheezus my fears were unfounded.

I don't particularly care about the lives of wealthy families on their own private islands. I cannot relate to them. However, I know what it's like to want so badly to please your family and make them love you. I know what it's like to be heartbroken. I know how it feels to be betrayed by your siblings, and still fiercely and ferociously protect them. I've loved someone who struggled with addiction. I can understand and empathize with the desire to lose yourself.

Will this book be for everyone? No, but I liked it for me. If you liked We Were Liars you'd do well to read this prequel.

E. Lockhart does not fail to deliver a stellar prequel to the epically popular We Were Liars! Beautifully written, this book will fly off the shelves. This title belongs in every YA collection!

Fans of E. Lockhart will not be disappointed with this binge-worthy prequel to We Were Liars. Family of Liars is set in the summer of 1985 on the Sinclair's private island. While sitting in the kitchen late one night, Johnny's ghost asks his mother, Caroline, to tell him a story about when she and her sisters were teenagers. Johnny wants to know what type of trouble his mother and her sisters got into on the island. While she doesn't want to tell him at first, Caroline begins the story of the summer that the boys came and everything changed. You will lose yourself in this fast-paced story of privileged teens, first kisses in the moonlight, the death of a child, the unbearable grief that follows, as well as the "be a credit to the family" repression of feelings typical of the 80's. This is a first purchase for libraries where suspense novels are popular.

I forgot I had a preview of this book on my kindle app, so it truly didn’t take a month to read… more like 2 days. The writing and story were masterful and haunting.

Thank you NetGalley & Delacorte Press for the eARC!

Publishes 5/3/22 - if you haven’t yet read We Were Liars, begin with it and then pick up this prequel.

Ever since We Were Liars was published in 2014, I've heard my teen students raving about. I looked it up online, read an excerpt, decided I didn't like the author's style and hadn't really engaged. Fast forward a few years and hubs and I were in a huge bookstore in Southern Ohio, and I found an autographed hardcover copy on a clearance table. Brought it home, put it in my to-read pile, got it out periodically, couldn't get into it. Then saw this prequel was coming, requested it in hopes of the missing pieces making me finally want to read We Were Liars.
Didn't help. There's something about Lockhart's writing style that grates on me, and I found the characters unsympathetic. The whole "ghost " thread seemed contrived and forced.
However, my teen students are excited about this book. My hope is it will better fit their tastes than mine.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun opportunity to receive this as an ARC from Net-Galley. I still remember reading the first one and have recommended it to many students throughout the years.

This was similar and yet different. It was mysterious and intriguing. It was a great escape. I wish I could go to an island even summer with my family. OK maybe not this island or this family, but it is fun to think about the possibilities.

I would recommend it for people who absolutely loved We Were Liars, but I don't think people who disliked the first one will like this one.

This book is a prequel to the original, where the parents from the original book, We Are Liars, are teenagers now. The book is based on the same island but we get to know the three daughters. I enjoyed the story and would definitely recommend reading this book, especially if you liked the first one!

Solid sequel to a great book. Great backstory to the adults. The first half was a bit slow though. Would have loved for them to dive a bit deeper into the biological father storyline

I went into this book without reading descriptions but having had read We Were Liars. Upon reading the first couple of chapters it was a story about the aunts, mainly Carrie. While this was not the story of jaw dropping twists and shock it was one that brought understanding of the family history. The family dynamic. This family is complex and I feel like still so much left unknown! I still think there is a lot left unsaid from Carrie’s summer 21 until the fire of the Liar’s summer 15.

Also. Yardley’s story must be told! Best and most underrated character so far.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a person who chose to name themself after a character from We Were Liars, the idea of a prequel being released after eight years made me hesitant. I know the original became popular again because of tik tok, but it is something I read during high school that moved me and I wanted to know where Lockhart was going to go with this, since the story of Cadence seemed tied up with a bow. My concerns for this book were right. I like the generational trauma aspect of this book, that these parents were messed up and in turn, handed that down to their children. I felt like I was waiting this whole book for the other shoe to drop, there was all this build up for the reveal and then it was the most obvious storyline. It wasn’t an interesting turn of events, it was just. Predictable. In a way that made me feel so let down. Lockhart tried to pepper in some queer characters but it didn’t make the book better, it just made me sadder at the way things are set up for the original as well as highlight the lack of diversity in this book. Lockhart also tries to make some good, political points but the main character being a rich white woman with immense privilege just makes it seem like she’s trying to win hollow “woke” points. If this had been the first and only book, I would’ve been hooked. But coming into this novel with the knowledge from the first makes this feel like a echo of the original, with its diminishing return and slight change of inflection.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, E. Lockhart, and to Random House Children's/Delacorte for providing me with a free copy of Family of Liars (Prequel to We Were Liars) by E. Lokchart in exchange for an honest review. All of the following opinions are all my own.

3 out of 5 stars

We Were Liars is probably one of the most traumatic books I've read since getting back into reading in 2020. It was emotionally impactful and dealt with the very real issue of opioid addiction. I loved the fact that the first book was marketed as YA because it shows young adults the impact of addiction among the upper class where this is actually an incredibly prevalent issue.

I described the first book as soul-shattering. I also questioned if Family of Liars was really necessary to be published especially after the first book came out in 2014. Of course, I jumped on the opportunity to read Family of Liars after having We Were Liars make such an emotional impact on me.

In We Were Liars, I thought every character in the book lacked depth except Cady. Family of Liars added some depth to each of them and made the original story more impactful. You learn more about all the characters, including the parents.

I'm still not sure if this was completely necessary and if reading it two years apart from We We Liars impacts how I read this novel. I liked it and I want to read We Were Liars again... I'm not sure if it would make the original any better though. I think it should stay as a stand-alone and leave the reader to ponder how Cady's addiction happened versus showing where it stemmed from.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl whose sisters were loyal to her."

I was not expecting this book from E. Lockhart but I'm so glad she wrote it. I didn't think you could expand on We Were Liars any further in a way that would enrich your previous experience and knowledge: this story does exactly that. While it is definitely important you read We Were Liars before reading Family of Liars, it honestly still read as a standalone. If We Were Liars was shocking and gripping, this one is it's twisty sister. It is a prequel and focuses on the kids moms: Carrie, Penny, and Bess. It's through Carrie's lenses that we see what it takes to be a Sinclair and the more sinister side of the family through their summer at Beechwood Island. What would you do to uphold your family name and how would that affect your being?

I loved the rich, white privilege, coastal Massachusetts lifestyle Lockhart paints and the dirty part of how the family got their name in the first place. Each sister deals with familial pressures in different ways and it's interesting to see the image Carrie paints of them. It's always important to note that you are watching this summer unfold from one perspective. Nothing is at it seems and what might have started off as a picturesque summer fades away as secrets are revealed, loyalties are tested, and hearts are broken.

WOW! What a book!

The Sinclair family is back on their private island for another unforgettable summer. But this summer is different. Something tragic happened in the past, and the Sinclair's are trying to move on with their lives. There are also new guests on the island this year, and with new guests come new secrets. New secrets bring new consequences. So when another tragedy happens, the Sinclair's do what they do best... keep quiet, move on, and if anyone asks about it, LIE.

I devoured this book. I couldn't put it down and I read it so fast I'm sad that it's over. I will be thinking about this one for a long time. First of all, the descriptions in this book transported me back to summers of my childhood. The descriptions of smells, sounds, the feeling of warm summer air blowing through your hair... all of it. I can't remember the last time a book made me feel like I was somewhere else.

Second, the characters were so perfectly flawed. They were nice enough to like them and shady enough to not trust them. And of course, they are all liars, so is what they are saying really how it happened? I was so invested in this story but I also found it hard to believe anything that was being said and I was anticipating an alternate scenario throughout the book. I was not disappointed.

I don't want to say too much else because the blurb about the book is rather vague and doesn't give much away. There was so much happening in this book that I'm glad the blurb is vague because I was surprised by everything that came along. I think it added an extra element to the story not knowing what could be coming before I started reading.

Anyway, 5 stars, ALL the stars. I loved everything about this book, including the ending. I felt this book wrapped everything up nicely and I wasn't left with questions at the end. It also seemed to fit the rest of the book and felt complete and thought out. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Wow, I think in many ways I liked this one better than We Were Liars. The author is upfront and admits that there are spoilers for the first book in this prequel, so you might want to read that one first. While I would agree that there are spoilers, they don’t necessarily totally ruin the book if you haven’t read it and want to read this prequel first.

The writing is once again beautifully done, you feel a part of the Sinclair family and what it is like on that island. The family is kind of messed up, due to some tragedies that happen even before the book begins. You find out about all of that as the book progresses and it is a bit of an eye opener.

Carrie is the sole narrator of this story. She is the oldest of the Sinclair sisters and she is telling the story to her son, who has asked her what is the worse thing she has ever done. I loved the relationships between the sisters, they all felt very realistic in that even though they might fight, and at times not even like each other, they still deeply care about each other. This is the story of how Carrie falls into her addictions and how her first love with a boy who is a bit of a cad, leads to a tragic end. Carrie is a very believable, yet flawed character that you end up liking, even when she is being quite horrid.

The story is wonderfully done. This is a story of a first romance and unfortunately the boy Carrie chooses to fall in love with is a bit a rogue and not a very nice person. Pfef is a friend of Carrie’s cousin’s boyfriend, who comes to spend the summer on the island before heading off to college. He is a charmer and at first I kind of even liked him. But as the story carries on you realize how horrible he really is. But yet he doesn’t deserve what happens to him.

A brilliant prequel with a very interesting and dysfunctional family. I loved all of the little plot points and the twists and turns this story takes. If you enjoyed We Were Liars, then this is a must read. If you like family dramas this is one that you should consider giving a try.

Having waited years for another Sinclair story, my hopes were high and I was not disappointed! Was so glad to return to the island and get a deeper understanding of the older Sinclair generation. This book will be enjoyed by fans of WE WERE LIARS and thriller readers who are new to the series.

As a huge fan of We Were Liars, I was very excited to read the prequel, and E. Lockhart did not disappoint!
The novel gives the reader more insight into the Sinclair family and the sisters opening with the death of young Rosemary. The reader watches as Carrie falls deeper into addiction as she tries to cope with the loss of her sister but is given a brief light with the arrival of Pfeff. However, with all of Lockhart's novels, what you see might not be what happened. I will definitely be buying this for my classroom library!

Family of Liars is a haunting tale about a privileged family filled with secrets threatening to tear them apart. The novel started off a little slow in my opinion, but by 50% I was racing to finish it to find out exactly what Carrie did to her son for him to be stuck "haunting" her, and what really was the truth about what happened with her and Pfeff. Although I wish we got more backstory from Tipper and Harris, I really liked the way the relationships were written, especially the one between Carrie and her father. My heart broke for Rosemary and I found myself dreading when she would appear because it meant there were rough times ahead for the family. The backdrop of the story was extremely compelling and inviting, in the way the beach town is described. However, the book tackles substance abuse, sexual assault and ghosts so I would make sure to be aware of those triggers before reading. I likely will read the original book and didn't feel too confused reading the prequel first. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It’s been a while since I read We Were Liars, but that didn’t matter; Family of Liars is perfect as a stand alone novel, and I would even consider reading We Were Liars again now that I have more context.

Family of Liars has all the makings of a great summer read: the beach, murder, and an unreliable narrator. Despite Carrie explaining that she is a liar from the very beginning of the book, it is hard not to root for her. All of the characters are flawed, yet surprisingly likable. While the book starts out slow, the lies spiral out of control toward the middle of the book, and you really begin to appreciate the complexity of the story.

Read this book for E. Lockhart’s unique voice and character development. You won’t regret it.

When a book series has a prequel, I always wonder if I should read them in the order they were published, or in chronological order. This prequel MUST be read after We Were Liars unless you have absolutely no intention of ever reading We Were Liars, because it gives away a major plot twist at the beginning. In this sequel, we are taken back a generation to the Sinclair sisters' summer on Beechwood and another peek into the lives of the rich and undeserving :) There is suspense and intrigue and bad behavior and twists galore.

3.5 ⭐️ This was a perfect domestic thriller-esque summer read. I did not read the author’s first book prior to this one but still found it to make sense (and I now look forward to reading their other titles).


Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.