I just finished reading “We Fell Apart” by E. Lockhart. I am a big fan of this author, having read quite a few of her books. Since I saw this was in the same place as “We were liars”, I knew I had to read it asap! It was a book I couldn’t put down. It was about family based on blood and family based on who you chose to allow in your life. Sometimes you have to cut out blood family and that’s ok! Family shows up when you need them. I think this book had such a good ending in Matilda’s journey on learning more about her self in this coming of age story.

The action in We Fell Apart happens concurrently with Lockhart's first novel in the series (now an Amazon Prime show), and mentions of the Sinclair family are sprinkled throughout the book. However this is a whole new family to focus on with Matilda as the central character who provides the POV of the book.

Matilda is drawn across the country to Martha's Vineyard after receiving a short email from her father (a man she never knew existed) asking her to stay with him and promising her a painting. After some internet sleuthing Matilda discovers that her father, Kingsley Cello is a very famous painter and she jumps at the chance to know this man, to find some family as she feels cut off from her mother. Matilda had a rather atypical bohemian childhood as her mother moved her across countries and around the US to follow her latest lover.

What she discovers at the house in Hidden Beach is far from what she has ever dreamed and she stays longer and longer in hopes of actually meeting the father she has never known as he was away on important business when she arrived.

I was blown away by the storytelling in We Fell Apart e. lockhart weaves in short poetic paragraphs within the rest of the story creating lyrical type interludes throughout which fits perfectly with the bohemian nature of Cello's house.

I found the characters extremely engaging. Matilda's angst and anger rolls off of her while sweet, whimsical Meer is happy just to have her around. Though not everyone is happy to have a visitor. Meer's mother June is prickly and set in her ways while longtime tenant Tatum is closed off and cold to Matilda. All of these personalities fit seamlessly into the world lockhart has built in this final installment of the Liar series. A truly remarkable read 4.5 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

We Fell Apart takes us back to the world of We Were Liars. Matilda, a drifting almost-college student, visits Hidden Beach after getting a mysterious email from the father she’s never met. What she finds there her father, his family, and the island itself is not what she expected.
I loved seeing glimpses of life after the fire and feeling that same eerie, twisty atmosphere that made We Were Liars so memorable. Matilda’s journey of uncovering secrets pulled me in right away.
However, the pacing felt uneven, dragging in some parts and rushing through others. Matilda and Meer also came across as overly “quirky,” which felt more dated than fresh.

Being a high school counselor, I love young adult novels and sometimes even prefer them. One of my favorite young adult authors is E. Lockhart, especially after reading her popular book We Were Liars. She now has a new one out, We Fell Apart, so I was excited to read it and compare.

We Fell Apart is a stand alone book; however if you have not read We Are Liars yet, there are some connections/spoilers in this book. 18 year old Matilda has never met her father. One day the famous artist invites her to come and meet him on an island. Wondering about the father she never had, she accepts his invitation and arrives on the island where she meets her half brother as well as two other teens. What is strange is that her father had to leave on business, so she decides to stay until he gets back.

This was a quick read and I was excited to see where the book was going to go! I enjoyed the main characters and the setting. I was waiting for a big plot twist at the end like in the author's other novels, but the ending fell a little short for me. 3 stars

Who doesn't want to dive back into the messy, chaotic, and richly gossip worthy lives of the Sinclair's in all their wealthy, privilege and scandal? This book is the third installment and may be the best of the series. In it we follow Mathilda into a time of discovery and unraveling of truths from lies. This book was a great, quick read and the cover and sprayed edges make it all the more enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me the privilege of reading this incredible book.

It was fast moving and a book that you want to set sdide a huge block of time to read because you're not going to want to put it down.

Be prepared for an emotional roller-coaster.

I just finished We Fell Apart and it felt like stepping into a beautifully creepy dream. Matilda shows up at Hidden Beach hoping to meet the dad she’s never known and instead finds a half-brother, an ex-child star wrestling with demons, and a brooding guy named Tatum. With their father nowhere in sight, the summer gets tangled in secrets, lies, and emotional traps that feel as unpredictable as the tide.  

The vibes are classic Lockhart: beachy gothic, atmospheric and charged with family drama and budding romance. 

Some early readers said the structure and characters can feel a bit stubborn and I agree. The pacing could be slow at times and certain figures grating, but I still appreciated how the ending pulled it all together in a satisfying, emotional knot.

Matilda hasn't had a normal childhood, a revolving door of a relationship with her mother and a mysterious absent father, has left her yearning for more. When Matilda receives a surprise email from her father, Kingsley, she hops at the chance for a real relationship. Things get off on a rocky start, when she arrives only to find dad off on a business trip. Matilda discovers a brother, a less than welcoming step-mother, and two other young friends of the family. She bonds with this new makeshift family and discovers the secrets they carry about her father.
I've loved the other books in this "series" and this one could be easily be read on its own. I didn't find this this novel as thrilling as the others. Didn't really love the characters either. Disappointed overall.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC of this!! I thoroughly enjoyed diving back into this universe, especially after watching the new show on Prime. I definitely recommend this book if you like works by the talented E. Lockhart. I think many people will be as happy as I was about this book!

We Fell Apart returns to the world of We Were Liars from E. Lockhart. In this story Matilda, a lost almost college student, visits Hidden Beach after a mysterious email invitation from the father she never met. With an absent mother and a curious mind, Matilda decides to go out on a limb and meet this father of hers. After many twists and turns, Matilda finds out that Hidden Beach, her father, and his new family isn't exactly what she imagined.

I was very excited for the release of this book due to the fact that We Were Liars was the book that got me interested in reading again in my adult years. This book takes place after the events of We Were Liars and does offer a few glimpses into life after the fire. These elements brought me back to finding that love of reading again and were very enjoyable. This book contained the mysterious vibe that We Were Liars did and also took us down some twists and turns along the way. I very much so liked the story line of Matilda visiting this island she had never heard of only to find that she was missing a lot of information needed.

While there were positive elements to the story, I did feel like it fell flat in some places for me. The pacing of the story felt very awkward. The story drug on in place that didn't feel necessary and sped by parts that I felt like could have had more time spent on them. The characters, especially Matilda and Meer, gave me very 2010s vibes. This could have been done intentionally, but it also felt like they were so "quirky" it was forced and, for lack of a better word, cringy. I feel like these characters would have thrived in a book release in the 2010 time frame, but in today's world, they felt outdated and behind the times.

Overall, I think readers who enjoy E. Lockhart will like the story. It is comparable to the other books in the series and has nice nods to the book that everyone holds near and dear.

Thank you NetGalley and E. Lockhart for allowing me the opportunity to read this story.

This is a standalone novel that takes place during the same time as We Were Liars. I enjoyed the connections to We Were Liars, but I understood the connections even though it's been a really long time since I read this book.

Matilda has an interesting life. She has an absent mother and a father she doesn't know. Then she receives a special invitation from a famous artist that just happens to be her father. She jumps at the chance to meet him, gets on a plane, and heads off.

Then, it becomes Lockhart's signature style of writing. It is mysterious, gothic, and reflective. The castle, the art, the descriptions are wonderful.

All of the characters in the book are going through it. They are a hot mess express, but they have each other. I feel like that was the large take away from the book with a few mysterious circumstances and video game knowledge thrown in the mix.

I enjoyed the book and the writing style. Do I think it has as much shock value as We Were Liars? Absolutely not, but I think that is okay. I think people need to come at this book with that perspective, and they will not be disappointed.

Talk about moody drama! We Fell Apart was the perfect mix of family secrets, tangled relationships, and a crumbling seaside estate full of tension. I loved following Matilda as she tried to piece together the truth about her reclusive father while navigating a cast of messy, complicated characters. The atmosphere was lush and eerie, with just enough twists to keep me flipping pages late at night. If you like your reads dramatic and dripping with secrets, this one’s for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank You so much NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of this! Was it as good as We Were Liars? Not even close. But did I still enjoy it? Yes I did. This is written 'in the world' of We Were Liars and Family of Liars but could be read as a stand-alone as well, although I feel you would be doing yourself a disservice if you did. Some of the characters in this book are more than a little eccentric but it works without being unrealistic and I love the way the author described Kingsleys paintings so vividly, without boring me to tears, that I was able to envision them myself.

The Sinclair family strikes again with a different branch of the family with the same amount of secrets to go around. Though a lot more twists than the first book and more suspenseful and less heart breaking than the first book. Absolutely loved this

We Fell Apart is exactly what I expect from E. Lockhart—lyrical, sharp, and layered with meaning. The writing style is almost poetic at times, pulling you into the raw emotions of heartbreak, identity, and self-discovery. I really liked how the book explored the messy, imperfect parts of love and loss without sugarcoating them.

At times, the narrative felt fragmented, but that almost worked in its favor—it mirrored the way emotions can feel when everything in your life feels like it’s coming undone. The characters weren’t always easy to love, but they felt real, which made their journeys more impactful.

If you enjoy contemporary stories that are deeply emotional, slightly unconventional in structure, and full of honesty, this one is worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s a quick read, featuring interesting characters and an intriguing setting that kept me engaged from start to finish. E. Lockhart has a talent for weaving suspense and emotion, and this novel is no exception.

I would highly recommend is reading all other books in this universe before starting We Fell Apart. There are a lot of spoilers if you do not heed the warning.

While I didn’t love this quite as much as We Were Liars—it was still a solid read with some satisfying twists. Fans of the author and the universe she’s created will not be disappointed.

Captivating and thought-provoking with Sinclair's signature blend of romance, suspense, and beachy vibes. This latest E. Lockhart title is set in the same universe as the Sinclairs, opening days after the fire that killed Harris Sinclair's grandchildren. This time, we see through the eyes of Matilda, who receives a letter from her previously unknown, famous artist of a father, Kingsley Cello. With few family or friend ties left at home, Matilda agrees to fly out to Kingsley's run-down castle (within viewing distance of Birchwood Island). When she arrives, her father is nowhere in sight with no promise of return. Instead, she meets her half-brother Meer and his resentful mother June, as well as former child star, Brock, and of course, a love interest, Tatum. Lockhart excels at capturing complex relationships between friends and family, and this book does not disappoint. Readers who enjoyed Lockhart's previous works will be glad of this addition; however, readers sensitive to animal neglect and suffering should beware.

We Fell Apart, the upcoming addition to the We Were Liars universe, follows 18-year-old Matilda, who receives a letter from the father she’s never met, inviting her to join him at the secluded Hidden Beach. Freshly graduated from high school and recently abandoned by her mother, Matilda sets out on a cross-country journey to meet her father — the legendary painter Kingsley Cello — before starting college.
However, upon arriving, she discovers that her father is nowhere to be found. Instead, she meets her half-brother and a group of others living at the estate, each with their own secrets and stories.
Although We Fell Apart is intended to be a standalone novel, it unfolds around the same timeline as We Were Liars, and familiar characters make appearances throughout. So, be warned — there are some spoilers if you haven’t read the original!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rounded up to four stars — chapter 67 really tugged at the heartstrings!

3.5 stars

We Fell Apart is connected to We Were Liars and Family of Liars, but the story is not a continuation of either story. The novel references certain events in We Were Liars, and the connection between stories is revealed slowly.

Matilda Klein does not know her father. He left her mother Isadora before Matilda was born. What she knows of him is that he is an artist who stays out of the public eye, so when she receives an email from Kingsley Cello asking her to come meet him, she goes. It’s important to know that Matilda’s relationship with her mother is strained as well. Isadora lives in Mexico City with her new boyfriend, while Matilda lives with Saar, her mother’s previous boyfriend. Matilda is hopeful that the visit with her father will lessen the feelings of rejection that she’s feeling.

Unsure of what to expect, Matilda arrives in Martha’s Vineyard and Hidden Beach (not too far from Beachwood Island). Upon her arrival to Kinsgley’s castle, she learns that she has a brother, and that her father is not home at the moment. There are actually several people living in the castle, all with ties to Kinsgley. As Matilda waits and waits for her father to return, she learns more about who he is while becoming more and more confused.

I enjoyed the story, and the short chapters are nice. Once I understood the connection between We Fell Apart and We Were Liars, things started to make more sense. I appreciate the depth of the story and how the author thoughtfully considered connections to previous novels. There are spoilers to We Were Liars, and my understanding and appreciation of We Fell Apart because I knew the first story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an interesting read for me.
To start, I didn’t read We Were Liars. I had watched the Amazon Prime show and was left absolutely reeling by the ending of it, which made reading the book afterwards seem a moot point. The intrigue, the plot twists, the heart-wrenching moments, in my opinion wouldn’t hit as hard since I already knew what was coming.
That was what drove my desire to read this novel. I wanted to experience it through its primary medium first instead.
Upon meeting Matilda, I felt so deeply for her. She’s young, never really had a stable parental figure in her life, as her father is not in the picture and her mother is a bit of a free spirit, searching for meaning and life in different men. We get to experience all of her emotions of being invited to meet her father for the first time, but I felt a bit disconnected from the real emotional weight of that. The writing is beautiful, poetic in ways, but, for some reason, I struggled to really connect to the story in the beginning.
As we meet the array of characters on Beechwood Island, things started to click into place for me. Everyone seemed to be searching, Brock, Tatum, Meer, even June, for something more, just like Matilda.
Once we discover their secret, it becomes clearer that they are all in a state of pause, their main focus and overall goal keeping Kingsley, Matilda and Meer’s father, alive and safe. I felt so deeply for June, Brock, Meer and Tatum. Matilda is immediately disturbed and against the way in which the members of her new found-family are handling Kingsley’s mental decline, but they are all just trying to stay afloat. All of them are exhausted, mentally and physically, and Matilda is just starting to see this toll on them before she discovers why her father, who she thinks invited her to meet him, has been a no-show since she arrived.
I loved the relationship between all of the four kids, but especially the one between Matilda and Meer and Matilda and Tatum. They are all just trying to help each other find themselves, and it was refreshing and sweet and real.
The way the author handles themes of identity and grief and being lost is so beautiful and, in a way, warm.
I enjoyed this book, although, I felt the relationships could’ve been fleshed out a bit more and the final twists fell a bit flat. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.