Family of Liars is full of emotion and suspense and has a timeless feel to it. Despite the slight difference in tone, I enjoyed it as much as I did We Were Liars. I laughed, I gasped and there were moments when my jaw dropped.
Absolutely brilliant.
E. Lockhart has a unique writing style which plays well towards the stories told in We Were Liars and Family of Liars.

At the beginning of the book there are spoilers for We Were Liars.

A great prequel to We Were Liars. If you enjoyed that book, you will equally love this one. We’ll developed characters and full of family issues. We’ll worth a read.

Love this author and I was excited to read this one. Rich characterizations, realistic emotions, and a lovely story make for a can't-put-it-down emotional read. Oh my GOSH!!!!!! I read this emotionally charged, compellingbook in one sitting. Whoa,my emotions are ALL over the place!!! Wow!!! Wow!!! Wow!!! This book is a total page-turner and will keep you guessing with every page.

The book is a prequel to ‘We were liars’ and basically tells us a story about another secret kept from the previous generation of the Sinclairs.

The setting is the same idyllic island that I personally loved and am extremely jealous of from the previous book.

The main characters are the Sinclair sisters in their teens and the book explains a lot behaviours we have seen in the first one.

The story itself is not something mind blowing but I liked it more that the first book. Generally both books are enjoyable stories to have some good time with.

If you are fan of we were liars will absolutely lobe this book. I devoured it in one go. A crazy, dysfunctional family and the most intriguing story you'll read this year. Brilliant x

So having read We were liars a few years back and absolutely loving it I was a so eager to start Family of Liars. Unfortunately for me I found this prequel to be a little slow in comparison.

I didn't realise this was a YA book when I requested it, but I found it enjoyable nevertheless. The reader is drawn into the story, but there are shocks along the way as we are told that not everything has been the truth. There is a good sense of atmosphere and the characters are very believable.

We Were Liars was an absolute young adult sensation back on its release in 2014. But, it’s quirky writing style and off-the-wall twist did divide readers. I was firmly in the love camp, and so when I saw the author was releasing a prequel after almost a decade, I was far too intrigued to pass this up.


In this book, we return to the Sinclair family and their private island, but we’re whisked back in time to the 1980s. We get a glimpse at a summer of the “aunts” of WWL when they were teens, through the eyes of Carrie.

Carrie has a lot on her plate in 1985. She’s lost her youngest sister, and is returning to the scene of the crime – the private island where she drowned – for the first time. She’s just undergone fascial reconstructive surgery after caving under the pressure of her family wanting her to look like a perfect Sinclair, with a perfect jawline. She’s struggling with addiction to the drugs she was prescribed in the aftermath of her intense surgery.

And then, her cousin Yardley turns up at the island with three boys in tow. Carrie has never been kissed before this summer – but that’s about to change.

There’s something about this series and Lockhart’s writing – it really whisks me away to a different world, a privileged world, of sun, sea, sand and privilege. But there’s always darkness lurking, and this book is no different to the first in that respect, although it takes a different form and is more of a straightforward teen drama with a less earth-shattering twist.

I think the time between the two novels has allowed the author’s writing to mature and mellow. It’s still beautiful, poetic and melancholy. But it’s slightly less in-your-face melodramatic, something that alienated some readers with the first book. So, I would say, if you didn’t love WWL, you may still want to give this a try. And if you like emotional teen dramas, you could go into this without any knowledge of the previous novel – but be aware that it does spoil its sequel on the first page.

Maybe the author didn’t need to expand on the original, but this book did offer a wonderful burst of nostalgia for many readers. It doesn’t pack the emotional punch of its predecessor, but it does show how the author’s writing has matured, and it stands as a powerful teen drama in its own right.

A really different story, wasn't sure if I would enjoy it to begin with but then it just got better and better.

Loved the book. Unsure if it really provided any value to the We Were Liars series as it isn’t about the kids from the first book but I did really enjoy it

I really enjoyed this prequel to We Were Liars, which has made me want to go back and re-read it. I love the authors writing style, it pulls you in even though none of the characters are particularly likeable.

🌸 Book Review 🌸

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

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Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me early access to the ebook in exchange for an honest review!

⚠️ TW/CW: Death, Child Death, Rape, Grief, Drug Abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicide.

Synopsis: The prequel to the bestselling We Were Liars! A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts. A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow. A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy. A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes. Welcome back to the Sinclair family. They were always liars.

Thoughts: We Were Liars was one of the books I read back in 2020 when I was just getting back into reading and I devoured it in a day so when I saw that a prequel was coming I was so excited!

I really enjoyed the characters and setting of this and feel like it was released at the perfect time to read it! I’m so jealous of the characters and their island it’s actually unreal! The character dynamics and relationships really made this book for me, the characters are so relatable and E. Lockhart really knows how to make you feel for them despite all the terrible things they do. I rated this a 3.5 stars purely because I feel like I wanted a little more from the story and don’t think it’s a super memorable tale overall. However, I do feel I would like to reread this story along with the other book in the series in the future as they’re so fast paced and intriguing! I’d 100% recommend this, especially if you love summery settings and a bit of mystery!

Recommend? ✅
Reread? ✅

This was completely bingeable and just as bloody strange as the first book!!! Thoroughly enjoyed it but my head is absolutely scrambled after reading this. This family is STEEPED in layers of deceit, lies and betrayal. It’s also steeped in love, loyalty and morals… however misguided those may be!

I loved this prequel and really felt it allowed us to get to know the family even more. Do research TWs before diving in, as a lot of difficult topics are discussed and explored.

I’m going to start this off by admitting that I wasn’t the biggest fan of We Were Liars. By the time I got around to reading it last year I found it very over-hyped due to seeing all of the 5 star reviews blasted all over Bookstagram but for me it was only an alright YA novel. Family of Liars, however, is a different story and thank you E. Lockart for revisiting the Sinclair Family.

I really, really enjoyed this one. I suppose with its recent release there hasn’t been a lot of time for an overwhelming amount of hype, just hopeful anticipation. I much preferred this to its predecessor. I found this a much easier read. It was a simple writing style telling a story, delving into the past. It was in no way as confusing as We Were Liars. It made for a much more enjoyable read! I really liked Carrie as the protagonist. I liked that it wasn’t Cadence’s mother telling the Sinclairs past and that she was able to shed light on their family dynamic. I found Carrie to be a much more likable narrator than Cadence. If you have read We Were Liars, you’ll know that the family matriarch, Tipper, had passed on yet in this we finally get to see her, what she was like, how she cared for her family, etc. This was honestly one of my favorite things about the book, getting to see a character I had heard about properly brought to life. And being set in the 80s, there were plenty of references to both music and films, which I am all about.

To me, this isn’t a twisty mysterious YA thriller, it’s a coming of age story about finding your place in the world and in your family, learning about grief and love. I want to thank NetGalley, Hot Key Books and E. Lockhart for this advanced copy. I am so happy I got the opportunity to meet the Sinclair’s of the past, read their story and to thoroughly enjoy this prequel.

*Please research any trigger warnings before reading*

As a fan of We Were Liars, I was really looking forward to picking up the prequel, and was really pleased when I recieved a copy of the arc. I was not disappointed - it had everything I expected from the prequel, and it was really interesting to see into the lives of the Sinclair family.

Would recommend if you enjoyed We Were Liars!

I really appreciate the publisher giving me access to this ARC but unfortunately I was disappointed in it. I loved We We’re Liars and was so excited for this prequel, but the ending was just too bizarre and extreme for me. I did however think the characterisation and setting were written really well. I’m glad I read this just to satisfy my own curiosity, but it isn’t a book that I’d recommend.

I was very late to the game reading 'We Were Liars' having only read it for the first time a couple of months ago after the whole new hype around it thanks to TIKTOK😊! While I liked WWL and thought it was a quick read (nice and short, fast paced, full of twists and I read it in one sitting) I can defo see why it has such mixed reviews and is a case of you either love it or hate it and not much in between. I enjoyed it but I definately didnt love it so I would prob have to put myself in the latter category for the first book I think!

However, I liked the writing style of the author and loved how quick paced it was. So much so that I really wanted to read the prequel 'Family of Liars' to see could I find out more about the Sinclair family this time round and see if I understood them any better. So I was delighted when Netgalley approved my request for an ARC.

...And let me just say this one was far better in my opinion!!!

It’s very different from 'We Were Liars' in the best way possible. It stands on its own two feet and tells its own story. Again it was a short and quick read, fast paced (which I love) and I found I couldnt put it down and ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting. It didnt have a huge twist ending like WWL but it defo gave me more of an insight to the Sinclair family and I really liked it.

I think it could defo be read as a standalone (but if you havnt read the first one and want to, I would recommend you read them in the correct order starting with 'We Were Liars' and this newest installment second.) I think I might re read the first book again now and see do I enjoy it any more the second time around.

A solid 4 Stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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If you enjoyed We Were Liars.. then you'll love this prequel. Even if you didn't you'll still love it.. it takes us on a journey from before The Liars were even thought of.
I can't share too much or it will completely spoil the story and thats just not fair on you.

I cant say this book has one particular major OMG twist its more a psychological yet sensitive and realistic storyline about one heck of a dysfunctional family that holds way too many secrets! There are parts that make you stop in your tracks because you really didn't see that coming but it makes you keep reading for more messed up Sinclair Family Drama!

I loved it as much as the first, couldn't really pick a fave between the two!

Well deserved..

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Just like with We We’re Liars, this book did start off quite slowly for me and took me a while to get into the actual story and the characters involved. This may be because with it being advertised as a prequel, I was expecting something different and thought I had completely lost track of where I was. Bad memory and pregnancy brain are not a good combination. But once I started to enjoy the story for what it actually is, I did start to really enjoy the story.

The ending didn’t shock me. I had already figured it out and it’s hard to shock a reader when it’s predecessor had a shock ending, so you were kind of looking out for something similar the entire read. This didn’t disappoint me as much, because I still enjoyed the story for what it was, but it’s not going to be a book that stays with me either.

I have read a few E. Lockhart books now, still looking for the same enjoyment and surprise that We Were Liars provided to me and why it’s stuck with me, but unfortunately, I’m yet to find one that has hit me the same way. Maybe if I go back and read We We’re Liars with more open eyes and knowing what’s to come, I won’t enjoy it as much the first time.

All said, it’s still a good read and I enjoyed it, but may have enjoyed it more if it was so heavily linked with We We’re Liars, making it it’s own book and therefore I wouldn’t be anticipating this twist ending.

If you loved ‘We Were Liars’, then you will enjoy this prequel I am sure. Following the Sinclair backwards and exploring the complicated lives of Carrie, Penny and Bess after the sad loss of baby sister Rosemary, this novel is like a familiar echo of ‘We Were Liars’.

Having visited the East Coast of America and seeing the magnificent ‘cottages’ near Martha’s Vineyard, I can well imagine a private island owned by a rich family like the Sinclairs. Unfortunately for them, although money can buy you an island and nice houses- in the case of Carrie, it can even buy you a new, beautiful face! - it can’t buy contentment, happiness or good luck.

Part ghost story, part crime, part romance, part family epic, part coming-of-age novel the characters are certainly engaging and the story did have me gripped. Like ‘We Are Liars’, the ‘twist’ at the end of the novel is down to a lie told by a key character. I have to say, I did see this one coming. However, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment.