The other two books in the We Were Liars series fell short for me. Good but not great. This book actually exceeded my expectations. The storyline is independent from the original story but there are crossovers with the characters. So there are several easter eggs for readers who loved the first two books. I enjoyed the story line and though the plot twist was a little predictable, the family drama and craziness created an enjoyable, quick read. I did have trouble with some of the words and phrases used by the teens. No way 18 year olds speak in the way the main characters did in this book and the word “rotten” was way overused.
Overall-good read, quick read, and if you love the series, you will love this book.

We Fell Apart was by far my favorite in the we were liars series. I will say I had a hard time getting through Family of Liars but absolutely LOVED We Were Liars so I wanted to dive back in. We fell apart had way more connection to the original book than i anticipated. I think of the series we fell apart had really nice characters growth. You could see that the characters were struggling in different ways but wanted to do the best they could. The book kept you on your toes waiting to see what would happen next. It is relatable in many ways. In particular the struggle of family dynamics, navigating them and learning that blood isn’t necessarily everything. Each character has their own struggle which is addressed throughout the book as you watch them change and evolve. I hope there is another to come in the series I would love to know more about holland. Her experience and point of view. In all I would HIGHLY suggest this book if you are a fan of We Were Liars, 4⭐️!

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I love that I get to read a third in this series. I loved the first 2 books. This one was a little underwhelming for me in the suprise and shock category, but it was still a good read, and loved tthe connection to the family. I would still recommend reading this one if you have read the other 2 books.

A good read! I liked the connections to the "We Were Liars" books and how it expanded on the setting. I loved the uniqueness of the characters. Even the "minor" characters stood out and were memorable. I especially appreciated that this book was a commentary on what truly makes someone family.

I was sadly disappointed in this book. I had high hopes Bruce I loved the first book and thought the second one was pretty decent. The first half of this book was so slow but the second half was better.

3.75 stars rounded up

We Fell Apart was a good, quicker read that kept me engaged. While it’s technically part of a series, you don’t need to read the other two books first—this one stands well on its own. The story was solid and easy to follow, but it didn’t quite hit the same high notes as the others in the series. The twist, while expected to be a big moment, fell a bit flat and didn’t pack the punch I was hoping for. Overall, still enjoyable, just not as strong as the rest.
Thank you NetGallery for the early release to read and review.

We Were Liars is a haunting, beautifully written mystery that spirals into the depths of family secrets and buried truths. E. Lockhart crafts a suspenseful summer story filled with atmospheric tension, complex relationships, and shocking surprises that kept me guessing until the very last page. From the moment Matilda arrives at Hidden Beach, the sense of unease is palpable. The island setting is both mesmerizing and unsettling—an isolated retreat hiding more than just ocean views. As secrets begin to surface about her new siblings and their troubled pasts, the lines between truth and lies blur in this intricate web of deception. The story’s pacing is tight, and Lockhart expertly builds suspense as Matilda unravels the layers of her family’s history. The emotional stakes are high, and the twists hit hard, forcing you to question everything you thought you knew about these characters—and yourself. While I wish some character motivations were deeper, the story’s atmosphere and the shocking revelations more than compensate. We Were Liars is a daring, immersive read that will leave you pondering long after the last page. A perfect pick for those who love psychological thrillers wrapped in lyrical prose.

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately it didn’t deliver for me. I felt like this book moved really slow, until the end when it started to pick up. I enjoyed the plot twist, but it wasn’t enough to make me want to revisit this book.

I didn’t care for the romance subplot, it felt unnecessary and out of place in the overall story.

My favorite part of the book was Saar. He’s such a warm, generous, and caring presence in Matilda’s life, and I liked how he stepped into a father figure role despite not being her actual dad.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s Books, and E. Lockhart for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This series is so good and twisty. It gives me the same vibes as some of the shows like White Lotus, Outer Banks, The Perfect Couple, Nine Perfect Strangers, etc. As al;ways, it doesn't take long to find out that everyone Matilda meets when she goes to stay with her "dad" is lying. There are so many emotions, twists and moments that leave you flat out stunned. I have truly enjoyed this series and look forward to reading more from the author.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

WE FELL APART by E.Lockhart

Thank you Netgalley and GetUnderlined for the earc (Nov 4)

Matilda never knew her father, so when he invites her to his home on Hidden Beach she goes. There, she doesn't find her father. Instead she finds a stepbrother named Meer as well as Brock and Tatum. Kingsley, her father is nowhere to be seen. Matilda spends the summer searching for answers only to find that everyone is lying.
WE FELL APART is another emotional roller-coaster of a book from the author of WE WERE LIAR and FAMILY OF LIARS. This YA contemporary book was everything I wanted it to be and more. I literally binged this book, dropping everything just to be back in this universe again. There's something about Lockhart's writing that's magical, and this book---despite the setbacks the characters face, and what happened in the end---was magical in its own way. Seeing Matilda come out of her shell, seeing Meer, Brock, and Tatum do the same was everything.
WE FELL APART offers no shortage of jaw-dropping twists and high emotions. As the book played out, I was trying to figure out what the twist would be because I knew it would be something out of the blue---and it was.
I loved this book and found it easily devourable, but in a way where I didn't want it to end. You know that feeling when you want to no what happens but you want to savor it? That's how this book was for me.
WE FELL APART has likeable---and unlikeable---characters, and I highly recommend this to those who want to be back in the WE WERE LIARS universe with twists and turns and emotions that Lockhart is known for.

#WeFellApart #NetGalley Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I know this book was most requested so I feel happy that I was chosen.
I actually did not read the other books in this series but, I decided that since this was not coming out until November that I should read the others. I am glad I did.
It isn't necessary as per the author but I did think that this made it easier for me to follow and understand the story. It's all around the same time as the first book and it was easier for me knowing the other characters to tell how these characters may/may not act.
I really enjoyed this group of young adult characters more than the first book. I really enjoyed the twist and i think this was an easy read once it got going. I am rating this book a 4. I really enjoyed how we got to know the characters but can not give it a 5 because i feel like the ending was rushed a bit compared to before the
"twist". Regardless of that I really am excited this first book is going to get a tv show because that means maybe this book will be the second season. I really did like the characters in this one and would love to see this play out as a series This book is coming out

I was so excited to hop back into the "We Were Liars' universe with this book and see how it tied in!

The description and idea was so interesting to me, but the whole thing fell flat for me. I read this in two days, but it was not something I was zooming through because I was enjoying it, it was just that easy to follow and not terribly long.

It all felt rushed and not cohesive the further I read and overall felt very scatterbrained. You're basically thrown into the FMC's life with little to no backstory and it felt almost like whiplash.

The tie into the 'We Were Liars' universe felt very outlandish and was a wild way to connect the stories. I would've been fine with the events of this book simply happening after the events of the first book, but the connection just didn't make sense and didn't really feel necessary to this specific story. I get it's the same universe, but the connection simply felt like it was there for continuation purposes when it wasn't needed in my opinion.

Matilda arrives at Hidden Beach hoping to uncover her father’s past—but what she finds are deeper secrets and tangled truths. Matilda is fierce and lost in equal measure, with a cast around her that’s flawed, vivid, and emotionally raw. Meer, childlike and aching for connection, frustrates and endears, while Tatum quietly steals scenes. The plot is simple, but the mystery and emotion pull you in fast.

I was so excited to read this after loving the first book in the series. The second one was also decent but wow. This one felt like a completely different boat. The writing style was very different. And it felt like the family tree was thrown together just to connect it to the other novels. It made the ending seem convoluted. The writing was just intriguing enough that I didn't skip major chunks but the timeline was kind of hard to follow. It was too quick to push through the climax. Then there were 2 epilogues? Ugh

We fell apart by E. Lockhart was a decent story with a PLOT TWIST.

You don't have to read the other two books in this series to read this one, but I recommend that you do because a lot of things will make a lot more sense and add more depth to the story.

The beginning of the book introduced interesting and captivating characters. As the story progress it became more complicated but then it started to pick up again. Then the plot twist happened.

That's all that I am going to say. Give this book a try.


Thank you Netgalley for the gifted e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing an E-ARC for this novel
NOTE: All opinions shared are my own.

We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart is set to release on November 4th, 2025.

Before I read this book, I went back and reread We Were Liars and Family of Liars, 2 books that take place in the same world as We Fell Apart. I will have separate reviews for those on my StoryGraph page you can find here. I do recommend reading those two books before reading We Fell Apart.

I have mixed feelings on this book. The first 40% or so, I was super invested in Matilda and her story. I found the relationship with her mom (or lack thereof) to be important to her journey to meeting her father and discovering the other half of herself that she never knew. However, after finishing the novel, I feel like we never really got to learn anything. I understand why, given how the plot plays out, but we lived a little bit too “in the moment” for me, especially with what this story is built on.

Matilda wants to meet her father, to discover who her father is as a person. I loved seeing the noticeable traits she picked up from her dad, such as her artistic talents, even though she had never met him previously. However, I wish we had gotten MORE of this. With the twist, I feel like this severely impacted being able to explore Matilda’s dad and the developments that could’ve been made. I really loved the complicated relationship Matilda has with her mother, and found it interesting how her mom described Kingsley with very few words (I won't quote them in case there are some editing changes in the final publishing). But this ended up falling very flat because of the development of Kingsley in the present day, and it felt very unrewarding for me as a reader.

I think overall the thought was truly there for this book, the twist itself just felt very meh to me, and in return made the rest of the book feel very empty. My current rating is around a 3-star, though I do plan to reread this once the final publication is out, so my feelings may change!!!

Again, thank you so much to NetGalley for providing this ARC!

3.5 stars

We Were liars is one of my all-time favorite books, so as soon as I saw there was another book in the series, it was a must read for me. E. Lockhart's We Fell Apart adds to the Sinclair story, but indirectly. It takes place during the same summer and while it has a different cast of characters, there are connections to the first book. I definitely recommend this book, especially to anyone who loved We Were Liars.

Thank you to Random House Children's Books/Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I know that the original novel was very polarizing for people, everyone either loves it or hates it. I fell into the first camp so I was excited to have the opportunity to read this book, and I did really enjoy my time with it.

Matilda grew up with a mother who always put herself first and with a father she never knew. One day, she receives a letter from Kingsley, a famous artist that claims to be her father, inviting her to Hidden Beach. Hoping to finally understand the man who stayed away, she sets out to connect with him and make sense of his absence. But instead of the reunion she imagined, Matilda meets Meer, his mother June, and Tatum and Brock. While she is trying to figure out where she belongs, the powerful Sinclair family begins to surface in unexpected ways.
I love this series and am so happy that this book is such a strong addition. It beautifully shows that when life doesn’t go as we hoped, it can still lead us to what we need.

I'm an adult and still adore this collection of books. Lockhart's writing is superb and consistently draws me in. The eerie beach setting and mysteries to be uncovered were intriguing. Love this! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.