The way I RAN to this book.

Maybe my least favorite of the three, but I will read everything E Lockhart wants to give me. Her writing style is so unique and I tear through it every time.

I loved all the different artists and the gaming references, Tatum was my favorite of the core four, and the TOWERS. As always the fairytale nods are my everything.

Another great addition to the We Were Liars world. I loved that this story could be read as a standalone, but it does have tie ins to the previous books, so be aware of that. I really enjoyed the cast of characters in this one. While I got a feel for the twist early on, I still really enjoyed reading this. I enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t put it down! I read until my eyelids were literally closing. This was not my favorite book in the series, but I would still highly recommend!

i absolutely loved We Were Liars but this one just fell flat for me
i felt like i just couldn’t focus because it was all over the place & Matilda was just everywhere lol

thank you Netgalley & Delacorte Press for the ARC!

This is not a sequel for “We Were Liars” per se, but it does reference events and people in the series. Marketed as a stand-alone story, it may be easier to read if someone has read the other books first.

If you've read the other books, you're familiar with the twists and turns, so I was prepared. There weren't any likeable characters and the premise was hokey: Matilda, who just graduated from high school, is contacted by a father she has never met. He just happens to be an eccentric, rich artist. Because, of course he is. His paintings sell for millions. He painted one of her mother and it sold high, although he has never sent any money to her. And of course he lives on Martha's Vineyard. In a castle! Yep. It was a bit much.

I felt like the story dragged on without really going anywhere until the ending. Not my favorite. Will my students like it? The WWL fans will. I'm not sure the others would.

So yes, this is marketed as part of the Liars family. And yes, there are mentions of characters from We Were Liars and some neat connections among the characters. But it’s not a sequel if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s really a stand alone story that makes reference to the storyline in the previous book. It still has that same rich family-beachy-mysterious theme going on, though. The story centers on Matilda who decides to go on a trip to finally meet her dad. He’s a famous artists who’s somewhat of a recluse. When she gets there, however, she’s nowhere to be found. So she spends time getting to know her half brother as well as a band of characters who all live together. There’s definitely a mystery going on, though, and Matilda is determined to figure it out. A good story with all of the best traits of this author's writing style.

I didn’t dislike or like this book, I was in the middle.
I felt for the FMC and her parental struggles; however, the other characters were just okay.

don’t even get me started on the names of things throughout the book (if you read the book, you’ll understand)

I did enjoy the last chapter, a great closing to tie up the Sinclair Family universe.

Thank you NetGalley & Random House Children’s Books for the eARC.

I was so incredibly excited to read this ARC! Another 'Liars' installment?! Sign me up! Anyways, even though this isn't being published until November, I found it to be a perfect summer read, just like the first 2 in the series. Matilda is a recent high school graduate struggling with her identity who discovers the father she has never known is a world-famous artist and he invites her to come and spend the summer with him and his family. Once she arrives, nothing is as it seems and no one is who she expected. I adore the way E. Lockhart writes, and she threads Matilda's story together beautifully with the Sinclair story in the the first 2 books. (Though fair warning, you do have to wait until close to the end to discover the connections, so in that sense it doesn't seem as closely tied to the first 2 books as they are to each other.) Thank you so much for the opportunity to read We Fell Apart!

I really enjoyed the other books in this series, and I was excited to meet a new set of characters in the same world! The stories ended up connecting more than I expected, but I don't think readers will necessarily have to have read the other books to enjoy this one, though it might be more fun if they have.
I really liked the setup for this story, a young girl is contacted by a father she has never known and invited to his castle on a secluded island over the summer. She arrives to find a cast of intriguing characters but her dad is nowhere to be found.
I ended up enjoying the romance that develops more than I expected to. Sometimes I find romance in YA books to be a little... much, but this was a slow burn that seemed kind of believable.
Ultimately, I didn't think the suspense and the plot twist in this book were as strong as the first two books, but it was still a fun read!

This is described as a stand alone book within the “We Were Liars” world, and it is, but there are enough references to events and people in “We Were Liars,” that someone not familiar with that world might have some questions.

The story itself had twists - none of which were all that surprising. The middle dragged on and on and the story was saved by the ending where we get a glimpse into the future of the characters. Oh, and June? She’s just awful.

6 stars! I loved this book a lot. It isn't surprising to me considering I was obsessed with the first two books in this series. I think this fit really well with the other two books and even though you didn't have to read them before you read this, I would recommend it. It has some of the same themes and the same vibes and also some spoilers to we were liars. I love E. Lockhart's writing and this book is no exception! She has done it again with her exceptional character building. I love Matilda's complicated past and her ties to the other friends/family at Hidden Beach. The romance was really good, again not surprising though! As someone who (almost) exclusively reads romance and thriller, this was super well paced and kept me entertained the whole time. I really liked the twist at the end and then the ending as well. Really well written and you can tell well thought out too. Overall, I LOVED this book!! I have no notes- its perfection <3

I have loved this entire series and I was so excited to read the third installment. It was full of twists and turns, keeps the reader guessing, and you can’t help but want to read more!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart

Personally, though this is said to be a standalone, I would read We Were Liars and Family of Liars first.

E. Lockhart’s We Fell Apart is an emotionally layered novel that explores the complex territory of grief, love, identity, and the devastating weight of secrets. Known for her psychological twists and distinctive voice, Lockhart once again delivers a compelling story that blurs the line between memory and reality.

The novel follows Matilda, whose world fractures after a sudden tragedy. As the narrative unfolds, Lockhart pieces together the past and present like a mosaic, sometimes disjointed, often lyrical, and always emotionally raw. The writing is spare but poetic, capturing the inner turbulence of a narrator who is unreliable, vulnerable, and achingly real.

What makes We Fell Apart stand out is the way Lockhart captures the messiness of adolescence and the ways we try to hold ourselves together when everything else is crumbling. The characters are flawed and believable, their relationships tinged with both tenderness and tension. Lockhart doesn’t shy away from tough topics, and she handles them with both grit and grace.

If you enjoyed We Were Liars, you’ll recognize Lockhart’s signature approach to nonlinear storytelling and psychological depth. While the pacing may feel slow to some readers, the payoff is worth, especially for those who enjoy introspective reads with emotional punch.

Ultimately, We Fell Apart is a quietly powerful novel about what it means to break, and what it takes to begin again. It’s a story that lingers long after the final page.

While listed as book three in the Sinclair drama this is a stand alone book which takes place 5 days after the devastation in We Were Liars.
It is not necessary to read the first book, if readers haven't , they will want to after this one.
Matilda Avalon Klein has a change to see and meet the father she has never know. She takes the opportunity and has ideas of perfect his meeting will be.
I enjoyed this one and read late into the night to finish it. while it is a small cast of characters, all are well developed and each adds to the story nicely. They were all very likable.
I would recommend it to anyone wanting a simple yet complex family drama.
I will say it left me wondering if there will be another book.


Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for the adavanced ebook edition in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this read.
I have been a fan of E. Lockhart for years now and We Fell Apart did not disappoint.
There was so much mystery up until the end and it all came together perfectly.
My only negative about this story is June. The part she played in the twists and turns really deserved more consequences than what she got. It felt like her actions were glazed over and should have been taken way more seriously.
Either way, it was a great, quick read and I look forward to the next amazing book by Lockhart!

4.5 stars, rounded up

Matilda is living with her mother's ex-boyfriend after recently being dumped by her boyfriend and all his friends when an invitation comes out of the blue to visit the father she's never known. Kingsley invites her to his castle on Martha's Vineyard, but when she arrives he's not there and only her half-brother was expecting her. Something's wrong with the castle, too — nobody is keeping it up, and the few people still living there seem like they could be the last lingering members of a cult. Desperate to learn more about her family, Matilda must uncover the truth about the castle before it's too late.

I felt truly transported to the setting in this novel, which felt alive in a way that many settings do not. It did a great job of adding to the mystery and somewhat horrific elements of the book. I think Lockhart did a better job with the setting in this book than she did with either of the previously published Liars books.

I didn't really like the love interest, Tatum, but he was still an interesting character. I understand why he made the choices he made, but a lot of them were deeply questionable. That goes for all of the characters in this book, pretty much, but I found Meer, Matilda's brother, to be significantly more sympathetic than Tatum was. June, Matilda's stepmother, is also a complex character — sort of hate-able, but you can't exactly hate her for what she did because she was trapped too.

I appreciated the Jewish representation in this book as well, and the representation overall. Matilda's mother and her ex-boyfriend are also Jewish, and June and Meer are part Japanese. Meer is gay, and I think Holland, a side character, is a nonbinary lesbian. The way Holland was written as a nonbinary character is a little confusing — there's one line about it, and then she/her pronouns are used for her. Lockhart's author's note says that they/them pronouns weren't being used much yet in 2012 and Holland comes from an establishment family, which is why she uses she/her pronouns. I suppose that makes some sense, but I don't think it would have exactly been unrealistic for her to use they/them pronouns since she was just hanging out on the island with her best friends, not with her parents. People did definitely use they/them in 2012. It's not that big of a deal, but it is a little odd.

The plot twist in this book was a little more predictable than the ones in We Were Liars or Family of Liars, but I didn't entirely predict it. I thought I knew what was going on, and I had a partial idea of what was going on, but not the complete idea. It was still a very enjoyable read.

Matilda grew up never knowing who her father was, until receiving an email from a famous artist named Kingsley, claiming to be her father, asking her to come and visit so they can meet. After confirming it with her mother, she booked a flight to meet him. Upon arrival at Hidden Beach, she meets a boy her age, Meer, who informs her that they are half siblings. Later she goes on to meet June, Kingsley’s wife and mother to Meer, and two other boys her age who aren’t related to Kingsley. As days go by and Kingsley still hasn’t arrived, Matilda starts to get suspicious of what is actually going on at Hidden Beach. What she uncovers changes everything.
•
We Fell Apart is a third edition to the We Were Liars universe. I read We Were Liars back in 2020 and Family of Liars back in 2022. In order to read We Fell Apart, you don’t have to read the other two books first. There are a few times they reference the other books, but they add enough context so even if you didn’t read them you would still understand. This book takes place 5 days after the fire from We Were Liars. I already knew I would go in liking this book, as I love every book she has written. Honestly, I enjoyed the first two books more than this one. I didn’t feel as intrigued and immersed in the story as the others. All around, I thought it was a great story and I enjoyed how well it fit into the We Were Liars universe.
#WeFellApart #NetGalley

3.5/5 Stars!!!

E-arc provided by Netgalley

I feel like this being marketed as a Mystery/thriller first is a bit disingenuous, this in my opinion is primarily a romance. I will say that I enjoyed the romance in this, honestly I think this is my favorite book in the We Were Liars series and while there wasn't too much of a mystery the book was still interesting overall

A girl devoid of daddy issues received an email enticing her to begin having some daddy issues.

I was so excited to read this book it was the only thing I did all day. This book is a stand alone with some references to the happenings in “We Were Liars.” I loved how this book kept me hooked and came full circle. I feel like the author left nothing out and wrapped up all loose ends perfectly.

If you found the some of the artsy type insufferable before this book you’ll really find them completely unendurable after this. A few of the dialogues between the characters were rushed and confusing. The short chapters were nice and the book kept me interested while the ending tugged at my heartstrings.

This story had little to do with the original books, except that it's in the same area and mentions the family. Matilda finds out that her father is Kingsley Cello, famous artist, and is invited to come visit him on Hidden Beach. She soon finds out she has a half brother, but her father is no where to be found. Strange things are happening and she is not sure what to make of everything.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved We Were Liars. It changed my life as a reader at 14. But unfortunately, I think it might be best for E Lockhart to let the Sinclair family rest in peace now.

This book had no drive. Left us idling without urgency or curiosity. Not in a painful way. But with no lines to go on except, “Where is her father? And if he wanted to see her, where is he?”

I am so so sorry for the 2 star review but I have to be honest. Please still consider me for another ARC! I will read anything E Lockhart writes.