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hayleygray's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
[Huge thank you to Hot Key Books UK for sending me an uncorrected proof of this book before the release date]
This was a long-anticipated read for me after reading 'We Were Liars' years ago and it did not disappoint!
E. Lockhart has a way of gripping readers from the very first sentence and keeping them invested in the story, the whole way through – with twists, turns, and huge family secrets being revealed throughout. 'Family of Liars' provided a sense of nostalgia from reading 'We Were Liars' but it also provided a brand new experience, simultaneously. You truly feel like a part of this disheveled family, learning about, and keeping, secrets along the way (especially, as I read the proofs before its publication date, so I had to keep the whole thing a secret!)
I highly recommend this book – but, only after you read 'We Were Liars' as it contains spoilers which are the fundamental basis to this new(ish) story!
This was a long-anticipated read for me after reading 'We Were Liars' years ago and it did not disappoint!
E. Lockhart has a way of gripping readers from the very first sentence and keeping them invested in the story, the whole way through – with twists, turns, and huge family secrets being revealed throughout. 'Family of Liars' provided a sense of nostalgia from reading 'We Were Liars' but it also provided a brand new experience, simultaneously. You truly feel like a part of this disheveled family, learning about, and keeping, secrets along the way (especially, as I read the proofs before its publication date, so I had to keep the whole thing a secret!)
I highly recommend this book – but, only after you read 'We Were Liars' as it contains spoilers which are the fundamental basis to this new(ish) story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
rory18's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Antisemitism, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Racism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War
niamhsbooks1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Rape
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for an advaced copy of Family of Liars to review! We Were Liars made such a splash on TikTok last year; I was excited to read the prequel! If you loved We Were Liars, you'll definitely enjoy getting more background on the Sinclair family. Even if they're not a particularly likeable family overall.
The writing style of this is much the same as We Were Liars, with short chapters and a lot of dialog. Honestly, Lockhart is just great at capturing teen dialog. The conversations flow easily between characters and help to move the plot forward quickly. While the characters might not be the most likeable characters, you're still invested in their story.
Like with We Were Liars, there are plot twists abound in this book. While I found them a little predictable, they still add a sense of intensity to the story overall. From the beginning, there's an air of mystery of what's going to happen on the island over the summer. You know something will happen, but it's not immediately clear what. Lockhart is an expert at keeping that air of mystery, even without making it totally obvious. However, I did think the book took a little too long to find it's narrative voice. The voice didn't really pick up until about halfway through the book.
Overall, if you enjoy summer themed mysteries, you'll definitely enjoy this book! Especially if We Were Liars is one of your favorites.
I think fans of We Were Liars will definitley like this, as it has similar vibes and a pretty similar plot structure. For me, it just felt like it took a little too long to find its groove. Stay tuned for a full review to come next week!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault and Grief
Minor: Suicide
readsbyhope's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, and Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Suicide
jtlarowe's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Un-put-downable. I adored *We Are Liars* so this prequel grabbed my attention quickly. Well done study of what family dynamics and pain can drive a person to.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
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