Family of Liars by E. Lockhart is the prequel to We Were Liars. Years before the original, this story follows Carrie.

I don’t want to spoil anything by talking about the plot too much, but it’s a very twisty read. E. Lockhart’s writing style is compulsively readable and draws in the reader almost right away.

Ok, first, I have to admit that I am swift denial that We Were Liars came out 8 years ago, probably because I still have students who devour it on the weekly in my classroom library. So this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher is a delight for me to review because I was waiting with bated breath to be able to talk about it. I know We Were Liars is a polarizing read, but I loved every second of the privilege, the private lives of the elite, the drama, and the twists and turns, and thankfully in this juicy prequel, it lives up to the OG.

I delighted in the twists and turns of Carrie’s words, and I always stan an unreliable narrator. This also reads like the perfect beach read. A private island getaway, a family vacation with secrets to be explored, and loads of liars around every turn. If you are looking for a twisty, turny novel that is going to be the buzz of your classroom’s lunch bunch book club, this book is a keeper.

an emotional wreck from yet again another compelling book by e lockhart, just when you think it couldn’t get better it did. The sinclair family has managed to leave me distraught, betrayed, and utterly heart broken but loving every moment of it. Definitely recommend.

I received an ARC of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book. I read We Were Liars years ago and loved this prequel.

We Were Liars was such a powerful story. I didn't predict the twist. So when I found out that the author was writing a prequel I knew I had to read it. How did a family even get to that point? How can you become so detached?
Family of Liars provides insight into the sisters/aunt's lies, and into Tipper and Harris's lies which is what enables the string of events to transpire. It provides background on how the houses were all built and who each was originally built for. It also tells you who knows all the secrets.

I could not put this book down and have not stopped recommending it to readers who loved We Were Liars.

Many people have said to have disliked We Were Liars, even if you did, I would recommend reading Family Of Liars. I really liked We We’re Liars but Family Of Liars in my opinion is better. I love E. Lockhart’s style of writing and the plot twists were again amazing. Before I read Family Of Liars, I was trying to figure out who was going to be the narrator from the Sinclair family. I love how we get the book in the perspective of Carrie, and we discover how she ended up the way she did. It shows that acting can be a lifestyle for people, and that mistakes and liars run in families. I can’t wait to buy myself a copy. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read it.

I received a temporary digital advanced copy of Family of Liars by E. Lockhart from NetGalley, Delacourte Press, and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Family of Liars, prequel to We Were Liars (WWL), takes place on their private island with their parents in their teens. Johnny asks his mom what is the worst thing she has ever done and in an effort to be transparent with him, she opens up about a summer on the island with her sisters, cousins, and four friends who are visiting for the summer. Disaster will strike the island, the girls have to come together and create more secrets and lies than they already have.

Lockhart's prequel was an easy, insightful (if you read the WWL) read. I had read WWL a while ago and did not remember all of the characters and their connections; however, Lockhart does insert small bits here and there to remind the reader what happened. I did not find Family of Liars as shocking and twisty as the WWL, but Lockhart created a lot of excellent moments.

So, I think Lockhart is a gifted writer. And I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

However, I find it impossible not to compare this prequel to the brilliance of We Were Liars. And this one was really good. But not great. I didn’t feel nearly as awestruck with the reveal(s). I wasn’t as invested in the characters and what would happen to them. And i go a little bogged down in the ghosts.

Having said that, it was a great look back at the 80s. I enjoyed the pop culture references and i had a very clear picture of life on the island. 💜📚

I had not read We were Liars, before (as of this review, I did read it). This is an amazing story that will sink you in within the first couple of pages. The characters are very relatable, good and/or bad. We all will be able to understand them. This is another one of those stories that could easily be a show. I feel that most of us are going to be able to remember when we were younger and how our family dynamics have changed over the years and what we once that was "normal" may not of really been. I will be recommending this book and of course the first one as well.

I think I liked Family of Liars even more than I liked We Were Liars, and that's saying something! I did see the "surprise" coming, but it was hard not to when you're primed from the beginning (and from reading the previous book) to second guess literally everything Carrie was telling you. Definite purchase and possible book club read!

I loved this prequel to We Were Liars. It was interesting to hear the back story of the family, and actually to see a more human side of the Harris Sinclair (as well as Tipper, who's not in the first book). The prequel gave context to how the Sinclair father and sisters got to such a dysfunctional place in We Were Liars. It was a little confusing that the book was written from Carrie's perspective rather than Penny's, since Penny is Cadence's mother and she was the narrator in the first book. I had to remind myself a few times that I wasn't reading the book from Cadence's mother's perspective. Overall I enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone who liked We Were Liars, or as a standalone novel.

I actually loved this sequel/prequel to We Were Liars better than the original.

Told from the parent generation of the children in We Were Liars, the book is a gorgeous and enthralling look into the inner workings of a very rich and very lucky family, especially four teenage girls enjoying the summer on a private island.

The book has twists and turns, a few literal and figurative ghosts, and some interesting character development. Although you need to read the first book first or the ending will be spoiled, this book stands on its own with no problem.

This was a very good book.

This book opened with a note from the publisher saying, "But I ask you, dear reader, keep the family secrets. Do not reveal a thing..."
With that said, I don't want to give anything away.
Family of Liars is a prequel to We Were Liars and is told from the POV of Carrie, Johnny Sinclair's mom. It gives a peak into the family drama that caused the family drama. Once I started, I couldn't put it down.
Anyone who enjoyed We Were Liars will enjoy this book. It is written in the same style. After finishing, I am now tempted to re-read We Were Liars and see what puzzle pieces slide into place.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC to review

Anything E. Lockhart writes is an automatic read for me--her books are atmospheric, spooky, chaotic, weird, feminist, angry, poetic. This prequel to WE WERE LIARS can definitely be read as a standalone (although beware spoilers)--it's been a while since I've read WWL, but I didn't have any problems with even minor details of this one, which absolutely operates independently.

E. Lockhart has done it again! Chilling and twisty, this was a great prequel to "We Were Liars'. Another riveting novel.

My GoodReads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4589981807

"Don't pretend you would never hurt anybody."

As someone who really enjoyed [book:We Were Liars|16143347], I was so excited to read this book. It did NOT disappoint, and I actually think it was <b>even better</b> than the first one. The characters have more development, and while the plot twist was not as wild as <I>We Were Liars!</I> (how could it be?!?!), it was still enjoyable and delicious. I especially loved a zoomed in story on Penny, Carrie, and Bess, and seeing Tipper & Harris in their prime was awesome!

I'm really looking forward to this book being published so I can recommend it to my students who LOVED <I>We Were Liars!</I>.

A great prequel to “We We’re Liars”. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to others at my book store.

This book gives me all the feels. It was like PTSD with every reminiscent moment making me burst into tears. There was a publishers note that had me in a puddle. A look into Beechwood, and how it came to be was all I needed. The what ifs. The references to the cottages. Also there were enough refreshers for who was where in We Were Liars. Much appreciated.

It was everything I wanted, and I now I need a We Were Liars reread because this was NOT ENOUGH. I’m beginning to think anything E. Lockhart wants to write I will eat up ten times over. She is wonderful.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from Netgalley :)

When I first read We Were Liars back in 2014, it immediately became a favorite of mine. E. Lockhart’s writing style is simple and eloquent and it really draws me in to the story. I loved all the characters, the descriptions, and I absolutely did not see the twist coming whatsoever.

Family of Liars is no different!

If I didn’t have adult responsibilities, I would have read this all in one day. I loved reading Cadence’s story in We Were Liars and I loved reading Carrie’s story just as much. There’s just something about revisiting that private island filled with family that makes me feel warm on the inside. Family vacations as a child are really something special (although, mine were never as twisted and interesting as the Sinclair’s?!) so I always love reading vacation novels.

I enjoyed the personalities of all the characters (even if I though some of them were complete jerks). I empathized with Carrie, too. She was the oldest sister and had certain expectations placed on her shoulders that she obviously had trouble dealing with. I don’t have any sisters, but I definitely understand the pressure of being the eldest child.

Once again - I was surprised when the twist came around at the end. Obviously, I should have seen it coming since Carrie is a self proclaimed liar, but I’m never that good at figuring out the ends of stories!

Overall, I enjoyed this just as much as We Were Liars 8 years ago (holy CRAP it’s been 8 years). And if E. Lockhart wanted to write more stories from this family on this same island, I would absolutely read them.