Having read all the books in the Liar series, and just finished the TV episodes, I thought this was perfect timing. I will admit the book left something to be desired. I did appreciate the disclaimer at the beginning, as I thougt this was a sequel, and that is not the case. You will enjoy the characters as they are well written, but I was just expecting..more. Not sure how to explain it. In the end the readers get the ending they are probably somewhat hoping for, and there are some twists and turns that are not expected.

Note: We Fell Apart is a book in the We Were Liars series, but it merely occurs in the same setting. It does not need to be read before or after other books in the series.

What I liked

In We Fell Apart, Lockhart explores themes of family - what constitutes a family, how are members responsible to one another, and if it's possible to leave a family. Throughout the novel, Matilda struggles with the meaning of family and how she wants to participate in one. As a young adult, she bounces between the lines of protecting and prohibiting, loving and controlling, very relevant issues for any YA novel. We Fell Apart tackles issues of illness, loss, and healing with nuance and care.

Matilda makes some keen observations about family. Of one relative she says,

"We will always have our blood tie. But blood ties are just what you make of them."

And later,

"I'm conscious of the drops of blood that tie us all together, but that's not enough to make a family. It takes some effort."

Matilda sets off on her journey with a clear goal - find and know her father, and have him know her. Ultimately, she might not get what she wants, but she does get things that she needs, including a better understanding of herself and her relationship to others. The novel felt particularly relevant to me, as I read it while on a trip to Europe to learn more about my own father, who died four years ago.

Some of the characters in We Fell Apart find a bit of romance amidst the adventure, which is always fun.

What I didn't like

The writing style of We Fell Apart focused heavily on Matilda's interior. I would have liked more details of the setting and the other characters to ground me in the story. I had a hard time for most of the book differentiating between some of the characters, especially Tatum and Brock. I could not picture Matilda's father's house, described as a castle, or the layout of the property, which is a shame, since it's an unusual setting.

The plot has mysterious elements, and some people refer to it as a mystery, but that aspect didn't stand out to me. There is a satisfying explanation at the end.

The writing did not consistently pull me in, and I didn't feel connected to the main characters until the end. Matilda often resorts to asking theoretical questions, which to me feels like cheating. In general, I didn't like the writing as much I did for We Were Liars or The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.

Recommendation

We Fell Apart is a solid YA coming of age story, with a quiet mystery and a little bit of romance, kind of like what John Green does in Turtles All the Way Down. It's not my favorite of Lockhart's, but it isn't bad.

I was excited about this book. It did start off a little slow for me but I am so glad I kept reading! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I would recommend this for those who enjoyed the first 2 books!

Matilda Klein lives with her mother's ex boyfriend after her mother ran off to Mexico, and has never known her father. That's why she isn't sure how to feel when she receives an email from the famous Kingsley Cello, a revolutionary artist who is claiming to be her father. However, Matilda is determined to see if meeting Kingsley can give her insight to understanding herself a little bit better.
Upon arriving to Kingsley's summer home, Matilda finds a surprise half-brother, her father's life partner, a child-star turned recovering addict, and a grumpy taxi driver who wants her gone... with no father in sight.
And surprise! Everyone is lying to her.

Getting approved for this book was like giving 15 year old me a big hug. It brought me back to the feeling I got reading We Were Liars for the first time, and I'm loving the nostalgia of it all. I love the ties to the Sinclairs, and while it is set 5 days after the fire from WWL, it doesn't truly have any spoilers for it.
The twist in this was definitely NOT expected, and I think it brings new light to the series as a whole. The characters are fun and loveable, although I'm still not sure about Tatum.. and June has her frustrating moments. And it truly wouldn't be an E. Lockhart book without a little mysterious circumstances around a death ;)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC! Projected publishing date: November 4th, 2025

I have read many of Lockhart's books now. I had first read 'We Were Liars' when I was 13, and it absolutely destroyed me. I read ' Family of Liars' when I was 18, and the backstory of the Sinclair daughters drew me in. Now, at 21, reading 'We Fell Apart', the book brought a level of completion that I didn't know would come. While Lockhart could probably write many books about the Sinclair family, I don't find it necessary. Through Matilda we were able to learn there was a third Sinclair brother and how his choices impacted his life, and his childrens. We learned that Harris' daughters never lost touch with Yardley, and how finally three generations later there were three kids trying to move past their families history. Matilida, Meer and Holland decided that family isn't always blood and that blood doesn't always mean family. Matilida traveled to Hidden Beach just to discover that a father-like figure had been with her for the last three years. While Meer was losing her father he found his sister, and while Holland was mourning the loss of cousins she only knew through social media - she gained two cousins who would be with her and support her dreams forever.

Matilda spent the summer hoping to find herself through meeting her father. but instead found her self by simply being. She walked half a mile up to wood castle only to be greeted by her brother, a child actor trying to find himself, and an orphan. Together they realized that their world doesn't have to be finite.

This book was not as interesting to me as the other books e. Lockhart has written. The storyline meanders too much.

We Fell Apart is in the We Were Liars series, but E. Lockhart describes it as a book family instead of a series and that feels right. We Fell Apart can stand alone (and does), but has hints of the other two novels (We Were Liars and Family of Liars), some of which might be considered spoilers. And, as someone who read the Liars books literally years ago, I remember almost nothing of them and this book jogged almost no memory. All that said, doesn't matter, because I loved We Fell Apart.

Matilda Avalon Klein lives in Southern California with her mother's ex-boyfriend, Saar. Matilda's mother is a flighty, muse of a woman who leaves every boyfriend before he can break her heart. This time, she left Saar to move to Mexico City. Her feeling of 'obligation' to Matilda is limited. And Matilda opted to stay, finish her senior year of high school, and continue with her plan to go to college to become a video game designer.

Matilda's last summer before college is upended when she receives an email from her father, Kingsley. Until now, Matilda had no idea who her father was. Matilda's mom never thought he was important. Turns out, Matilda's father is a famous artist. And he's requesting Matilda's presence on Martha's Vineyard. Saar buys Matilda a ticket cross-country, she makes the trek, and gets to the remote Beechwood Island castle. There, she finds a half-brother, Meer, Kingsley's current wife (who doesn't seem pleased to meet her), and two more teen boys. And who's missing? Kingsley! Despite some hesitation, Matilda decides to settle in and wait for Kingsley.

And wait she does. Days, weeks. Matilda falls into life at Beechwood Island and the castle. It's not what she expected. It's different. A bit off the grid. And yet, she loves it. Matilda remains curious about where her father is, when she'll meet him, and why he invited her here only to gallivant off to Europe, but she's being kept busy by the three boys.

There is a little bit of a romance. A little bit of family drama. A little bit of mystery. And it all feels very warm and cozy, at least to me - with the exception of Kingsley's wife June, nothing warm or cozy about her. Some of it is hard to believe, but it didn't get in the way of my enjoyment of the story. This is a quick, delightful read. My favorite part might be the relationship between Saar and Matilda, which Matilda really doesn't give enough credit to.

Highly recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

my review has formatting commands that would look awkward and weird on the netgalley response form, so please check out my review linked below, in all its glory! .)

I’ve never been so excited to receive an ARC as I was for We Fell Apart. We Were Liars was the first book that I have ever read where the plot twist made my jaw hit the floor. The way E. Lockhart was able to create such an immersive world and then rip it away in the most devastating way hast stayed with me and I can’t wait to experience it all again after I finish this review with the new tv series. We Fell Apart takes place in the same universe just days after the fire on Beechwood Island but isn’t necessarily a sequel. While it does spoiler the events of the first book you don’t necessarily need to read We Were Liars first to read We Fell Apart however I don’t think readers will enjoy it as much if they don’t. This book explores some of the same themes as the other books in We Were Liars universe but from the point of view of Matilda, a soon to be college freshman who doesn’t come from money and struggles with her identity from the lack of her fathers presence in her life. While I enjoyed this new POV into the world of the Sinclaires it almost felt like a watered down version of We Were Liars and definitely didn’t pack the same punch.

The characters in We Fell Apart didn’t feel as developed as the characters in We Were Liars, and while maybe that is part of the point it was harder to relate to them. Meer was a little all over the place and read very childish at times. While obviously a relationship between Tatum and Matilda was going to happen it felt forced. There was no real catalyst or chemistry.

The poultry… don’t get me started😭 Anyone who read the first book knew this was coming.

The best part of the book for me was descriptions of Kingsley’s art. The gothic and gruesome twists on classic fairytales and how they relate to his family kept right off the screen for me. I’d pay good money to see a Kingsley Cello exhibit.

Oh and Saar. I love Saar❤️

overall very meh. It has a lot of potential for a good mystery and lots of twists but it just fell flat and it honestly felt like this story wasn’t necessary to the liars universe

We Fell Apart didn’t quite land for me, which is hard to admit as someone who was completely taken by We Were Liars. I went in hoping for that same emotional grip, but this story never really pulled me in.

The mystery surrounding the protagonist’s father and the elusive community at Hidden Beach had potential, but it stayed just out of reach. I kept waiting to feel the urgency or emotional weight behind her search—but it never really clicked. The sense of longing felt muted, and without that anchor, the rest of the story drifted for me.

There are glimpses of what Lockhart does best—moments of mood, atmosphere, and fragments of grief—but they didn’t quite come together in a way that left an impact.

As the third installment of the We Were Liars series, I knew I’d enjoy it just as much. Although you don’t need to read the prior 2 before reading this, I would recommend you do so as there are some spoilers in it that will ruin the first 2 for you.

This book starts out about a week after the Sinclair fire on Beechwood Island. Following 18-year old Matilda who is just looking for a parent in her life to call home. You’ll easily and quickly fall in love with her mother’s ex boyfriend Saar who Matilda lives with. You’ll go back and forth on several characters as the book progresses. But you’ll most definitely enjoy the twist that arises!

I would definitely recommend this book to friends and family, 100% if they’re read the first 2 in the series. Happy reading!

At the beginning, I really felt a connection to this story especially with how the relationship between the main character and her mom was portrayed. It reminded me a lot of my own experience, and I appreciated how honestly that dynamic was written.

But around the halfway point, I started to lose interest. It felt like there was a lot of running around, but not much actually happening. I kept waiting for the story to take a turn or build up to something more, but it never quite got there for me.

Still, there were moments I enjoyed, and I think the author captured the emotional weight of family and identity in a very real way. It just didn’t fully hold my attention the whole way through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set just five days after the infamous Sinclair house fire, this novel follows 18-year-old Matilda Avalon Klein, She is preparing to start college and design 3D games. She lives with her mom’s ex-boyfriend, Saar—the only stable adult in her life after her mother abandons her. Matilda receives an email from artist Kingsley Cello claiming to be her father. We meet Brock, a former child star in recovery from addiction, and Tatum. Matilda is soon swept into the group's strange but captivating world—trespassing in empty homes, picnicking, and playing experimental games on the eerie island. I think this might be my favorite book in the series so far! The atmosphere is rich with tension, the mystery unfolds at a satisfying pace, and the romance—especially the slow-burn enemies-to-lovers arc—adds emotional weight.

#netgalley

This was by far my favorite title in E. Lockhart’s “We were Liars” universe. Matilda’s search for truth was relatable and suspenseful throughout and this story captures the heartache of a dysfunctional family and their secrets so vividly. And who doesn’t love a great enemies to lovers romance? The relationship and the suspense both unfolded at a satisfying pace that kept me turning page after page. While this title can be read as a stand alone, readers who have read the previous books in this universe will gain even more insight into the twisted lives of the characters.

Loved, loved, loved every moment of it!

Really enjoyed the first two books and I am glad I was able to read the next one early. definitely a great read and almost finish this book in one setting. Very great storyline and really tired stories together.

This novel is in the same family of the books, "We Were Liars" and "Family of Liars," and because of that, I opened it with high hopes. I adored We Were Liars. It was haunting and elegant and devastating in all the right ways. So naturally, I was eager to return to Martha's Vinyard for this one.

Set just a week after the events of We Were Liars, the story follows Matilda—a California teenager heading to Martha’s Vineyard in search of the father she’s never known. He’s a celebrated artist, a figure she only knows through research. But when she gets there, he’s gone. Absent. In his place, she finds a half-brother she didn’t know existed and a quiet, unfamiliar life that slowly starts to take shape around her as she waits.

She makes a weird group of new friends. And scattered here and there are the faint brushstrokes of the Sinclair family—Tipper stopping by to purchase a painting, a passing mention of Mirren by one of the island teens—but those touches feel more like whispers than real threads. It’s as if the book is trying to remind us that yes, this is the same universe. But it doesn't always feel like a true continuation.

Eventually, there is a reveal that does land. It ties the story together and gives it more weight. For a few moments, I was pulled in again, reminded of why I loved the original. But the truth is, I didn’t fall in love with this book the same way. This book WAS good, but not unforgettable. I think "We Were Liars" probably set an unfair precedent.

If "We Were Liars" felt like a gasp you never quite recovered from, this one felt more like a long exhale. Note that there is some animal cruelty in this, so if that is triggering, take note. It is brief, but it is there.

I’m a big fan of e. Lockhart. I grew up on their books. When the We Were Liars adaptation released I went back and reread the first two in this universe. This one is very similar in vein and such a good beach read that you can fly through in one sitting. It was nice to revisit

I have only read We Were Liars and not book #2, but I thoroughly enjoyed We Fell Apart. It was more removed from the Sinclairs, but it was interesting have them in the background. I connected with our main character and her search for her dad. Quick and easy read.

stunning companion novel to We Were Liars. We Fell Apart takes place just five days after the fire in We Were Liars focusing on a family on a neighboring island.
Matilda Klein feels unmoored. Her mother took off on a whim to follow a new boyfriend in Mexico City and she’s left behind with her quasi-step dad, Saar. Then she receives an email from her estranged father, Kingsley Cello the prolific artist, and she decides to travel across the country to see him. But when she arrives, there’s no sign of her father. There’s a strange boy who drives a cab, a recovering addict child star, a woman who makes tinctures, and best of all, the brother Matilda has never met. She adjusts to their strange way of life: no internet, health tinctures, and the like. But when will the mysterious Kingsley Cello return? What secrets is her family keeping?