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adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Grief
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Death, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Murder
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual assault
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was sent this proof for free by Hot Key Books for the purposes of providing an honest review.
WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling We Were Liars. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.
I'd been so looking forward to reading Family of Liars by E. Lockhart since it was first announced. I dragged my heels a bit on reading We Were Liars, but I absolutely adored it, and wasn't going to make the same mistake with it's prequel. And it was so bloody good! Just as twisty and surprising as the first book!
It's summer, 1987. Carrie Sinclair is 17, her sister Penny 16, and her sister Bess 14. As always, the Sinclair family have returned to their island of Beechwood. But this summer is different; it's the first summer without Rosemary. Rosemary was their youngest sister, but she died last summer, drowned, when she was 10. The Sinclair family doesn't talk about their feelings; they move forward, they choose joy, they go back to being normal. But Carrie isn't coping so well. She is grieving, but unable to express her grief, because no-one wants to talk about it, they just want to move on, leave it behind. Live Rosemary behind. But Carrie can't do that. Because it turns out Rosemary isn't gone, she's still at Beechwood, sometimes, waiting for Carrie. But that's not the only thing different about this summer. It's the summer after Carrie's jaw surgery, it's the summer she self-medicates, and it's the summer a group of boys join them. It's a summer of betrayal, and a summer of liars.
This book is so, so good! The story is different, the reason for the story is different, but the Sinclair family is so familiar. I didn't know what to expect with Family of Liars. I thought we'd probably end up with twists we absolutely didn't see, which we do, but not what the story is about. With We Were Liars, it doesn't take long to realise it's the mystery around what happened the summer two years previously; what was the accident Cady was in? And why can't she remember? With Family of Liars, there's no real hint of what this story is about, except for the fact that that it involves a group of boys. And it's the story of the worst thing Carrie has ever done - because Carrie is actually telling this story to the ghost of her dead son Johnny, who has asked her for it.
In 1987, things are different from what we know from We Were Liars. Beechwood is owned by the girls' dad, Harris, and also Harris' brother, Dean. They each have a house, and each year they bring both their families - Dean bringing his daughter Yardley, same age as Carrie, and son Tomkin, who's 11. There is Clairmont, but none of the other houses we know have been built yet. But there's Pevensie, for Dean and his family, and Goose Cottage, for guests. The atmosphere is different. Everyone seems to get on pretty well. While the Sinclair sisters aren't super close, they're quite different from the aunts we know We Were Liars, who were constantly bickering one year over who got what once their father died, to being brought together by the deaths and near deaths of their children. This year, Yardley brings her boyfriend George and two of his friends, Major and Pfeff.
I don't really want to say too much else about it, because it's so much better to find out as you read. You know something is going to happen at some point, because of Carrie's conversation with Johnny at the beginning of the book, but as you're reading along, it's just a summer. Until it's not. There are shocking revelations and incredible twists, one after the other! Honestly, I wasn't sure what Lockhart could do with Family of Liars considering the twists of We Were Liars. How do you beat, or at least equal, that in regards to the shock-factor? But my god, does she manage it! It's bloody incredible; you're still reeling from one thing, only to be hit with another! Lockhart is absolutely the queen of twists and mystery, and will have your jaw on the floor! It's such an emotional rollercoaster! I didn't see any of it coming, and it was just so, so good! And because it was so good, I hope Lockhart doesn't stop. I hope she goes back another generation, to when Harris or Tipper were teenagers. I just want more!
Family of Liars is a bloody fantastic prequel to We Were Liars, and it absolutely will not disappoint! Those who raved about We Were Liars are definitely going to want to pick this one up, just prepare to have your mind blown!
WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling We Were Liars. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.
I'd been so looking forward to reading Family of Liars by E. Lockhart since it was first announced. I dragged my heels a bit on reading We Were Liars, but I absolutely adored it, and wasn't going to make the same mistake with it's prequel. And it was so bloody good! Just as twisty and surprising as the first book!
It's summer, 1987. Carrie Sinclair is 17, her sister Penny 16, and her sister Bess 14. As always, the Sinclair family have returned to their island of Beechwood. But this summer is different; it's the first summer without Rosemary. Rosemary was their youngest sister, but she died last summer, drowned, when she was 10. The Sinclair family doesn't talk about their feelings; they move forward, they choose joy, they go back to being normal. But Carrie isn't coping so well. She is grieving, but unable to express her grief, because no-one wants to talk about it, they just want to move on, leave it behind. Live Rosemary behind. But Carrie can't do that. Because it turns out Rosemary isn't gone, she's still at Beechwood, sometimes, waiting for Carrie. But that's not the only thing different about this summer. It's the summer after Carrie's jaw surgery, it's the summer she self-medicates, and it's the summer a group of boys join them. It's a summer of betrayal, and a summer of liars.
This book is so, so good! The story is different, the reason for the story is different, but the Sinclair family is so familiar. I didn't know what to expect with Family of Liars. I thought we'd probably end up with twists we absolutely didn't see, which we do, but not what the story is about. With We Were Liars, it doesn't take long to realise it's the mystery around what happened the summer two years previously; what was the accident Cady was in? And why can't she remember? With Family of Liars, there's no real hint of what this story is about, except for the fact that that it involves a group of boys. And it's the story of the worst thing Carrie has ever done - because Carrie is actually telling this story to the ghost of her dead son Johnny, who has asked her for it.
In 1987, things are different from what we know from We Were Liars. Beechwood is owned by the girls' dad, Harris, and also Harris' brother, Dean. They each have a house, and each year they bring both their families - Dean bringing his daughter Yardley, same age as Carrie, and son Tomkin, who's 11. There is Clairmont, but none of the other houses we know have been built yet. But there's Pevensie, for Dean and his family, and Goose Cottage, for guests. The atmosphere is different. Everyone seems to get on pretty well. While the Sinclair sisters aren't super close, they're quite different from the aunts we know We Were Liars, who were constantly bickering one year over who got what once their father died, to being brought together by the deaths and near deaths of their children. This year, Yardley brings her boyfriend George and two of his friends, Major and Pfeff.
I don't really want to say too much else about it, because it's so much better to find out as you read. You know something is going to happen at some point, because of Carrie's conversation with Johnny at the beginning of the book, but as you're reading along, it's just a summer. Until it's not. There are shocking revelations and incredible twists, one after the other! Honestly, I wasn't sure what Lockhart could do with Family of Liars considering the twists of We Were Liars. How do you beat, or at least equal, that in regards to the shock-factor? But my god, does she manage it! It's bloody incredible; you're still reeling from one thing, only to be hit with another! Lockhart is absolutely the queen of twists and mystery, and will have your jaw on the floor! It's such an emotional rollercoaster! I didn't see any of it coming, and it was just so, so good! And because it was so good, I hope Lockhart doesn't stop. I hope she goes back another generation, to when Harris or Tipper were teenagers. I just want more!
Family of Liars is a bloody fantastic prequel to We Were Liars, and it absolutely will not disappoint! Those who raved about We Were Liars are definitely going to want to pick this one up, just prepare to have your mind blown!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Alcoholism
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
[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, Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia
Minor: Racism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can’t say I loved this as much as We Were Liars. I’m not even sure if the reason I enjoyed it so much was because of my love of the first book or if it is just a genuinely good book. I loved finding out about the history on the Sinclair family, seeing the little nuggets of information that we weren’t privy to in the first book, the tension of wondering what exactly this big, terrible secret was going to be. I’m not so sure the writing style of the first book was entirely effective when used here, though. I didn’t really like the use of fairytales like I did in We Were Liars, and the weird line breaks didn’t make me feel the words more strongly like they did before. I do love a good plot twist though, a big reveals are very much my kind of thing.
The only thing I felt a bit icky about was the whole thing of using sexuality as some plot twist or excuse for bad behaviour. It felt very sudden and slapdash, like there needed to be an excuse and then once it was used it was barely mentioned again.
All in all, I did enjoy this book and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loved We Were Liars.
The only thing I felt a bit icky about was the whole thing of using sexuality as some plot twist or excuse for bad behaviour. It felt very sudden and slapdash, like there needed to be an excuse and then once it was used it was barely mentioned again.
All in all, I did enjoy this book and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loved We Were Liars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Rape, Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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, Death
Moderate: Sexual assault, Grief
Minor: Suicide
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Suicide