This is the prequel to ‘We were liars’ and whilst you don’t need to read that first, it does refer to the story.
This story is told from Carrie’s perspective and is a confession to her son Johnny who we met in ‘We were liars.’
Carrie and her sisters are struggling to cope with the grief of losing their ten year old sister and each is trying to deal with it in their own way.
Carrie is frank about her feelings in this book but also admits she is a liar.
We find out what happened to shape her later life whilst on the island that the Sinclairs stay on.
This is not as punchy as ‘We were liars’ but is a real insight into Carrie’s life and those around her.
A great read.
Thanks to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you for the E-ARC here is my fair and honest review…am no liar

First off a warning if haven’t read the first instalment about the Sinclair family and plan to read We Were Liars before you read it this as it contains spoilers. Though it contains spoilers and mentions the other book this book is very a stand alone novel. While it contains some of the characters, location etc it is set in a different time.

I found this book read very much like We Were Liars in the sense it was slow burning with almost eerie feeling leading to the main event, I always enjoy that in a book. As with We Were Liars I found parts a little a strange and dragged out. On the whole I liked this book better there was more going on and it was less muddled with time lines it was more a straight show and tell story, but a good one though I saw parts of the twist coming unlike the shocker in We Were Liars.. It touches on topical issues today such as dirty money, white privilege among others and these topics are addressed fairy well and don’t feel like they have been added in as they are hot topics.

I liked the character of Carrie who was the narrator in the first person, she was well written and likeable right to the end. I found her to much more developed than that if the main character in We Were Liars. I enjoyed the insight into Carrie, Penny and Bess; seeing their relationship as teens and it give a insight to how the family became what they were. As with We Were Liars I loved the setting and loved how the author went into little details describing the island I could picture it clear in my mind. The food description made my mouth water.

This a good read, it is set in short chapters so easy to get though. It works as a stand alone novel but will add a another layer to the story of the Sinclairs for fans of the previous book . Like We Were Liars it’s hard to review with spoiling the story so my is advice get your basket ready for the lemon hunt and visit the island. This makes perfect holiday reading as a adult ( better than the fluffy “chick lit” they seem to aim at women for holiday reading ) and will be a hard hitting, gasping, moving ,obsessive summer reading for teenage girls.

As adult this book is not aimed at me and full disclosure I bought We Were Liars as a 99p kindle read years ago not expecting much, while I liked it and found the twist to be cleaver, it was very much a YA novel this is also case here. I bought my 13 year old niece We Were Liars as part of a covid care package she loved it and all the Tik Tok hype that came with the book I’ve no doubt this book will cause the same uproar among teens but will lack the depth needed for most adult readers to fully get into the hype and fully get on board with parts… it kinda makes me long to be 13 on holiday with a more open less jaded old imagination.

Following Carrie Sinclair, this book provides the story of her time growing up on Beachwood, filled with even more lies and betrayal.

I have to admit, I found the first book in the series difficult to follow but this book much better, becoming an exciting and fast-paced read! I loved Carrie as a character and seeing her relationship with Rosemary and her acceptance when she eventually leaves. Her character development was interesting to read and well thought out throughout.

4/5!

Thank you to Hot Key Books and NetGalley for this eARC of "Family of Liars" by E. Lockhart. This is the prequel to Lockhart's previous book, "We Were Liars"

I didnt enjoy We Were Liars but this book was amazing. You can truly see the development in Lockhart's writing. The story was beautiful and well made and overall, it was a decent read.

*Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read a digital review copy of this title ahead of its publication date next week.*

“What’s the worse thing you did? Come on, spill it…The absolute worst thing you ever did, back then.”

‘We Were Liars’ is one of my favourite young adult fiction books of recent years, so when I heard that E Lockhart was writing a prequel I knew I had to get my hands on a copy of ‘Family of Liars’ and it did not disappoint!

The narrative is set in 1987 and follows the story of Carrie Sinclair, one of the three Sinclair daughters-if you’ve read ‘We Were Liars’, you’ll know Carrie as Johnny’s mother. And that’s exactly how the novel begins, with a visit from Johnny who asks his mother about the worst thing she ever did when she was a teenager. The present-day Carrie then flashes back to a teenage summer spent on Beechwood Island with her family including her cousin Yardley and three teenage boys, one of whom becomes central to Carrie’s story.

E Lockhart’s lyrical, descriptive prose is as gorgeous as it is in ‘We Were Liars’ and there are some really spooky, supernatural elements to the narrative which work really well. I also loved the character of Yardley and would like to hear her story next!

Be warned that the very first page of ‘Family of Liars’ contains a spoiler for ‘We Were Liars’ so if you haven’t read it yet do so before this book.

I will be recommending this book to my high school students although I would say it is probably suitable for age 14+ due to some mature themes, especially in the final stages of the story.

E. Lockhart's writing is so easy and quick to read and this book was no exception to that. A prequel to We Were Liars, this book follows the three Sinclair sisters in their teenage years as they spend a summer on Beechwood Island. I really love the setting of the island - I'm so intrigued by it and I fall under its spell a little more with each book set there. I really liked the narrative voice of our main character Carrie, and I couldn't help but feel a bit for her - although I also didn't really like her. This book touches upon issues of dirty money, coming from unpaid child labour and slavery, as well as sexual assault. While I did like the book, I wasn't really shocked by anything that happened; the plot twists were meant to be surprising, I could see that, but I wasn't really surprised by them at all. This whole book just kind of felt a little unnecessary? I don't really see what it added to the original story of We Were Liars; however, if you're looking for a quick, easy read, this is definitely that.

We Were Liars is one of my favourite books, from looking at other reviews for Family of Liars (FOL going forwards in this review) I can see a lot of negativity (without even explanation) for this first book that I don’t particularly understand. I will just say this though, if you are someone who reads reviews before taking a chance on a book, please take the scoring for Family of Liars with a grain of salt because there are a lot of 1 and 2 stars almost deliberately sabotaging this book simply as a result of hating We Were Liars or for no clear reason at all with a simple 1 or 2 star months before arcs were even released or with no review for such a low opinion. As someone who loves books and appreciates the efforts of any author putting their heart on the page, this seems quite unfair and sullys the joy of books to not give any book the chance even if it’s not for you. This is my personal review so I’m starting off sharing my personal opinion.

Anyway, back to my review. Like I’ve said, We Were Liars, for me, is beautiful, of course people will say how obvious the twist was blah blah blah but for the delivery and haunting and poetic and the book stayed with me a long time, it’s the book I often recommend to people. When I heard that Lockhart was bringing out a prequel I was excited but a little dubious, could it have the same impact? In all honesty, no, but that’s not to say it is not still good. Family of Liars tells the story of Carrie, the mother of WWL’s Johnny, at 17, spending her summer with her Sinclair family, including her sisters Penny and Bess. Carrie feels distanced from her sisters, especially after grieving her younger sister Rosemary. The Sinclair family lives by the motto ‘no way out but through”, perfection and order is the standard the family are required to live by, and so Carrie quietly grieves, quietly longs for acceptance and love, and then one day her cousin Yardley brings 3 boys to the Summer house, including Pfeff who will change everything.

FOL shows the suffocation of family expectations, of the pressure of disappointing people, of the ‘stiff upper lip” mentality of not talking about your emotions, it talks about the process of grief, it explores privilege, consent, addiction and finding your place and unity in a family where everyone handles their own drama and feelings so privately. I really enjoy how Lockhart writes, she creates a world that is easy to dive into and feel familiar with. With WWL being so special to me, I also really enjoyed how Jonny makes appearances during this book and, in understanding the sisters in this book (and the family they were raised by in this book) you feel you better understand the world of WWL where Cadence, Gatwick, Johnny and Mirren reside.

I will say this, there wasn’t the same emotional impact for me in FOL as WWL, I adored Rosemary, her scenes are so innocent and she’s such a sweetheart, and you do feel the pressure of the image of perfection that, when you look closer, is full of cracks and flaws. There is another twist, it just wasn’t so powerful. I do think possibly this would have worked better shorter and turned into a novella, it just has big boots to fill for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review. As always, it’s a delight to spend time with Lockhart’s words.

I have previously read We We’re Liars by this author and this one does come with spoiler warnings, so I would be aware of whether you have read that one or not before you read this one. It’s a great prequel to that book though and helped me to understand some of the things that went down in that book. They go perfectly hand in hand.

Family of Liars had such an enticing quality about it as soon as you start reading. You find yourself wanting to read on to find out more and see what’s going to happen. It runs a similar format to her other book, with a summer trip to the island. Except this time, it breaks a trend. Visitors come to the island and what unfurls is far from expected…

It really kept my captivated and I honestly had no idea what was going to happen. I was unsure of the endgame and it kept me in suspense waiting to see how it ended. I think I even enjoyed this more than We Were Liars! A really entertaining book and I loved how it was written. It seemed to be really fast flowing and the pages disappeared quickly. I read the whole thing in a couple of days and it flew by!

The Prequel to the book that Tiktok did not stop raving about, ‘Family of Liars’ tells the story of another member of the Sinclair family - the story of another liar, of another crime committed on that island.

Whilst this was a captivating read, I found the addition of a prequel wholly unnecessary.

As mentioned above, the stand out positive of the book was that it was an easy, addictive read. It was quick to get through and I couldn’t put it down, the storyline was easy to follow etc. But, having read We Were Liars, I struggle to see what this contributes.

It felt so much like a regurgitation of the previous book - which was mediocre at best. Different characters, different names - but I may as well have read the same book; I did not come out of We Were Liars itching for a prequel and this book hardly proved me wrong. It was a generic formula and, though the twists were there, they felt very much out of nowhere and with little purpose beyond shock value.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest reviews.

I enjoyed this book which is a prequel to we were liars. It was interesting to get to see a more detailed insight into the relationships of the three sisters and with their parents. I initially found the story a little difficult to get into but I flew through the second half and enjoyed the twist and how it made me think more about the characters and the dynamic of their relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the ARC.
Having been utterly captivated by We were liars a couple of years ago, I knew I just had to read this prequel and it totally lived up to my expectations. Set in New England on a beautiful island, Carrie reveals her deepest darkest secret to a ghost about what happened one summer in the 80s. It's full of the heightened emotions of teenage relationships, sibling rivalries and school friendships. We learn about Tipper and Harris' laid back parenting and can't help but wonder how much they were aware of and how much could have been prevented. It's a dark tale, full of love and secrets, it's captivating from start to finish, and will leave you wanting more from the Sinclairs! Thank you E Lockhart! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read We Were Liars when I was about fourteen. My best friend at the time and I had a little book club just between the two of us where we exchanged our favourite books and knew that the other would love it, too. She gave me We Were Liars. I gave her The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Both books had such an impact on the teenage version of me. I know We Were Liars has exploded on tiktok in the past year and it’s become popular with a lot of people disliking it and not understanding the hype. But at the time, this book changed me. I don’t think anyone quite understands. It’s one of the books that reignited my love for reading again. It showed me the impact a book can have on a person and the way they view the world.

I remember getting to the plot twist and I physically dropped the book bcos I was so shocked. 14 year old me lost her mind. the book opened my eyes to the wonders of reading— the possibilities reading ignited in a person. It made me realise i adore the feelings reading stirs in me. When I think back to where my reading journey began, I tend to say Harry Potter because it definitely did when I was like 8 years old but I kinda fell out of reading in my mid-teens.

We Were Liars was the beginning of becoming the obsessive bookworm that i am. So I owe a lot to this book. The impact it had on me and the memories it holds are unparalleled.

I just treasure the memory of We Were Liars. The nostalgia it brings me is just... so intense. I can picture myself reading it in my living room, my dad watching tv, the chair I was sat in, the way I had to hibernate in my room afterwards so no one would see me cry lmao. One of my best friends bought me my own copy for my 16th birthday and it made me so happy that day, walking around school with my stash of books in my bag (bcos we’re British and don’t get lockers). My copy of We Were Liars was my pride and joy... until I leant it to my other friend who gave it back with a cracked spine and dog-eared pages... I remember that day very viscerally too. I’d literally had one of the worst days that my 18 year old self thought was the end of the world (it wasn’t) but that was just the cherry on top lol.

I even obsessively reblogged quotes from the book on tumblr, being all angsty and mysterious with my thirteen followers. The quote “We were liars. We were beautiful and privileged. We were cracked and broken” still lives in my head rent free, to be honest.

So what im trying to say is, the first book means a lot to me. It has for eight years. and naturally, a prequel scared the shit out of me. I imagine it’s how fans of Ari and Dante felt when the sequel released last year. but I couldn’t not read this. I owe it to 14 year old me who was sobbing in her bedroom, clutching this to her chest and never wanting to let go.

Now, this was very reminiscent of the first book, but stands entirely on its own. Do I think this was necessary? No, not really. It really bears very few ties to the first book so in no way “ruins” it since there’s very little crossover. But I also don’t think i would have loved this so much without the ties to the original story. It just heightened my emotions automatically. So take that as you will.

The first chapter had me tearing up, my god. Literally the first sentence. E. Lockhart immediately came for my throat. the melancholy undertone ran throughout the book and it was executed wonderfully. my heart hurt a lot for Carrie, a lump in my throat any time she was in pain. I found it really easy to root for her. she was admirable, loyal, loving. she was selfish, sharp and broken. Out of the three sisters, I’m glad she was our narrator.

The nostalgia I got from the summery vibes was just so heartwarming, gah! Back then, I used to love reading American summery coming of age stories, set in a sandy beach town where two unexpected teens fall in love. So, the moment they were back at Clairmont House, it was like I was in a little, sleepy beach town and not in rainy England. I was fully immersed in the story, the tone was set wonderfully and I devoured it in one sitting. It was easy to read and pretty short. I do wish certain characters, dynamics and events had been fleshed out more— at times there was a little bit too much ambiguity. But I’m also aware that’s the style of the storytelling.

The relationship between the Sinclair sisters stole the show for me and physically pained me to read. the amount of times my heart was beating out of my chest or I began to cry was countless. and that’s why this is getting five stars, just purely due to the visceral reaction it evoked within me... just like when i was 14 years old.

So I’m aware my rating is going be a little bias because it has so much adolescent nostalgia behind it. Again, keep that in mind if you’re wondering if you should give this ago.

You really do have to suspend your disbelief when it comes to a handful of scenarios in this book. I guess the first one is the same too. I feel like if you loved the original book, then i can see you loving this... but if you didn’t, maybe skip this.

There was a lot of telling rather than showing which will bug people but again, it’s pretty much part of the ambiguous style of writing E. Lockhart executes. it worked for me when it usually doesn’t.

This prequel was just a wonderful trip down memory lane for me. I think some people are gonna adore it (like me, seriously cried way too much), while others are just gonna roll their eyes and think it’s kind of basic. I think most people will be able to discern from their feelings of We Were Liars if this will be for them.

14 year old me adored the original story. 22 year old me adored the prequel story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bonnier Books and the author for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review! Seriously made 14 year old ellie’s day.

I read We Were Liars very late after its initial hype. Only last year to be specific. I enjoyed it, so I can see where the hype and excitement for Family of Liars has come from, but I'm not sure people are going to be as impressed as they are expecting. As a somewhat fan of the first book, I can't say that I was.

I can appreciate that Lockhart has given the fans what they wanted with releasing this prequel, but I feel like it could have been left as it was. There wasn't really any need for this prequel, as it doesn't affect the story of We Were Liars much, if at all.

Nonetheless, I can't say that I didn't enjoy it, and if it weren't for the massive We Were Liars spoiler in the first chapter, this book could work very well as its own standalone.

(Will update with blog and social posts when live)

I am not sure if it would have helped if I’d read the first book, but I just couldn’t get into this book at all. It felt like I was reading a whole load of waffle so that when the juicy bits finally arrived, I was so disinterested that the storyline just didn’t have any impact on me at all.

I read the first installment in this series, and while I did enjoy it, it was not my cup of tea/ I went into Family of liars with a clean slate, but it still did not live up to its expectations for me

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for my honest review. Thank you to E Lockhart and Bonnier Books UK / Hot Key Books for giving me the opportunity to read Family of Liars before it’s release.

Family of Liars is the prequel to We Were Liars, which I read last year and found an enjoyable read. I went into this book eager to see some of the motivations for characters and to better understand the family as a whole.

Family of Liars follows Carrie as she recounts a story from her past to the ghost of her dead son Johhny. After a tragic event the previous summer, Carrie’s summer at Beechwood Island when she is 17 will live with her forever. With guests on the island and cousins Yardley and Tomkin back it is guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience that will change the Sinclair family irrevocably.

I enjoyed the insight into Carrie, Penny and Bess; seeing their relationship as teens amongst the typical angst of growing up. The new characters were good additions and I particularly liked Yardley. I found myself waiting in anticipation as I kept trying to guess what would be the boiling point for Carrie; yet I never guessed it would pan out how it did!

When I discovered Johnny, Gat and Mirren were ghosts throughout We Were Liars I was intrigued with the concept, and I was glad to see that Ghosts still played a proportionate role within Family of Liars, in fact my favourite character was one!

If you enjoyed We Were Liars and want to know more about this very messed up family, be sure to give Family of Liars a try.

Many thanks to Netgalley & the UK publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed “We Were Liars” immensely and the absolutely sucker-punch twist it contained. I was also in the mind that “we were liars” did not require a prequel but I was intrigued to see how E. Lockhart handled it.

‘Family of liars’ primarily follows Caroline (Carrie), the mother of Johnny (in WWL) and eldest Sinclair sister, documenting the summer of 1985, with bouts of grief, betrayal, teenage angst, and a spattering of family secrets (the Sinclair’s were always liars), which creates a book that stands on its own two feet, FOL has its own merits and (multiple) good twists but for me, it wasn’t as stellar as ‘We were liars’.

Family of Liars, could and can be read as a wholly standalone story but contains major spoilers for WWL, despite it being a sequel I would recommend reading WWL first if you want to read this book

All in all, FOL is a good ‘coming of age’ tale of teenagers with vast family wealth and has dark themes - addiction, sexual assault, grief and trauma - 4*

Family Of Liars is the prequel to We Were Liars and it follows Carrie who is Johnny and Will’s mother from We Were Liars. It is set when Carrie and her sisters are teenagers and on the Island ever summer. I’m not going to say anything else about this book because I don’t want to spoil it and if you read We Were Liars there is a high chance you will read this. To be completely honest I was very disappointed by this book. It didn’t add anything to the original story and I was bored. I did enjoy the writing and the chapters were really quick but it just felt pointless to me. I didn’t like the twist and it felt pretty obvious to me what was going to happen. I can only give this two stars because I only enjoyed the chapter lengths. The story was mediocre and I don’t think it needed to be written. I absolutely loved We Were Liars so maybe my expectations were too high.

As a huge fan of When We Were Liars, as soon as I knew there was a prequel coming out, I was absolutely sold. I’d loved the complex characters and it was one of the books that initially got me into YA. Lockhart has taken every element of the original and developed it even more. This is a slick and mature addition to the underlying story.

For me, a prequel has to flesh out something hinted at the original. It has to be complimentary, while also making something new. Family of Liars does this to perfection, with an exploration of intergenerational trauma, secrets and of course, the titular lies. This book depicts that broken, murky beating heart underneath the veneer of glamour and wealth the Sinclairs hold dear. It helps explain a lot of underlying tensions and subtle details in the original.

I know for certain that I need to re-read both books to see how the entire story unfolds and fully appreciate Lockhart’s eye for detail. She has this way of making you invest in the characters almost immediately. They are deftly sketched and fractured people, filling the page with their vibrancy and strength of character. Suddenly, a lot of why people operated the way they did in the original clicked into place for me. There’s this whole unspoken backstory that Lockhart spools out for you now. It just enriches and adds a whole new layer for me.

Something I particularly loved in this book was the heartfelt exploration of grief. This is a book that digs deep into the nuanced and splintering heart of death and loss. Lockhart really showcases the differing ways it affects each character, particularly in this environment of silence and stifling emotions. The pretence must be upheld at all costs. This fosters such a suffocating and tense environment, with every action fracturing something deep. That being said, I do not want to give anything away about this brilliant book.

Family of Liars is a book that must be approached with an open mind and heart. Just be warned to prepare for Lockhart to devastate you all over again.

Another Summer…
The prequel to ‘We Were Liars’, taking the reader to ‘before’ and to the lies and secrets that will haunt for time to come. It welcomes the reader back to Sinclair family. To another Summer. Uniquely and effectively narrated, this is compelling , often haunting, and handles difficult issues with a deft hand. The Sinclair family. Were they always liars?