Family of Liars: The Prequel to We Were Liars Paperback – May 2, 2023

After watching We Were Liars, I was completely intrigued by the Sinclair sisters and their complex family dynamics. I especially wanted to dive deeper into Rosemary’s story, so it was a no-brainer to pick up Family of Liars right after finishing the original.Honestly, I might have loved Family of Liars even more! As a sister myself, I could really relate to some of the tensions, loyalties, and unspoken emotions between them. Carrie quickly became my favorite character—her strength, vulnerability, and decisions really stuck with me.Of course, true to Sinclair fashion, the secrets are everywhere. E. Lockhart masterfully layers mystery, heartbreak, and suspense throughout the book. The 1980s setting was such a nostalgic bonus—I loved the music references and how it added to the overall atmosphere.This was a perfect summer read: romance, suspense, secrets, and a haunting family legacy. I also think the show did a great job setting up a potential second season based on Family of Liars, and I’m excited to see how they bring it to life.If you loved We Were Liars, definitely don’t skip this one!

I read Family of Liars in one sitting—it was emotional, atmospheric, and I appreciated getting a deeper look at the Sinclair family’s older generation. It added layers to the world of We Were Liars and gave me a better understanding of the “grown-ups” from the original story, which was really cool to see unfold.That said, while I found the characters compelling and the writing beautiful as always, the plot just wasn’t quite as gripping. It lacked the same punch and urgency that made We Were Liars such a standout. Still, if you’re a fan of the first book, this prequel is worth the read for the backstory and emotional depth alone.#FamilyOfLiars #WeWereLiars #ELockhart #YAFiction #BookReview #EmotionalReads #YAReads #SinclairFamily #BookTok #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram #PrequelStory #OneSittingRead #BookishThoughts #BeachReadVibes

After reading we were liars I thought it might be interesting to read the daughters back story before all that happened. It was too stream of consciousness writing and too many ghosts of those gone. It didn't have the realism of we were liars.

Just as we were liars, I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, and I did not get bored. I would recommend it.

Another good story by this author. I read the first book and enjoyed it. This is the prequel. Had some unexpected twists. Like the first book, I could do without the fairytales, but it is a quick, worthwhile read.

The twists and turns made this just as good as We were Liars! Definitely worth the read. I finished it in less than a week!!

This was a really good, quick, easy read. Explains a lot from we were liars. Loved the background of the characters.

E. Lockhart is a pseudonym for Emily Jenkins, who has written numerous books under either name. Her YA novels, suitable for adults of any age, center on the angst experienced by young adults of privileged families. It makes sense that she would have insight into their lifestyles, based on her educational background. Ms. Jenkins grew up in Cambridge, MA, and Seattle, WA, where she attended Lakeside School, a private high school. She also attended summer drama schools at Northwestern University and Children’s Theater Company in Minneapolis. She received her college degrees as Vassar and earned her doctorate in English literature at Columbia University, one of the eight Ivy- League colleges.Formerly, I review her novel, “We Were Liars,” about the ultra-wealthy Sinclair family and their summer on their own island off the coast of Massachusetts. The novel was intriguing and quite different from most books that I’ve read. So, I bought the prequel, “Family of Liars” (2022, 298 pages), which was written 8 years later.This book centers on the generation that preceded the young adults who were featured in We Were Liars. Fortunately, the author provides us with the relevant section of the Sinclair family tree. We can see that Harris and Tipper Sinclair are the grandparents of Will, Cadi, and Mirren, who were the protagonists in the earlier novel. Much of the story involves the interaction between Tipper and her daughter Carrie (Caroline), who was one of the three “Aunties” in the sequel. Confusing? A bit, but the lineage (largely unimportant to those of us born into “unprivileged” families) is very important to the nation’s “old money” class.Carrie had two children, Johnny and Will, but Johnny accidentally drowned while swimming alone in the waters off Tiny Beach. Carrie imagines that she can speak with Johnny’s ghost, and he asks her to tell him about the worst thing she did when she was a teen on the island. That sets us up for the contemporary story.It’s the summer of 1985, and Carrie, along with her sisters, are teens again. Carrie is trying to deal with the drowning of her 10-year-old sister Rosemary the previous summer. (With the amount of grief that befalls the Sinclairs, I began to wonder if there is a curse that accompanies families like the Kennedy clan.) In a preview of things to come when Carrie ages, she imagines many conversations with the ghost of Rosemary. However, Carrie’s sisters, Penny and Bee, seem to have moved on with their lives, never mentioning Rosemary, enjoying Tipper’s treats, and flirting with boys. And, of course, the boys show up on the island, guests of Carrie’s cousin Yardley.The boys, all destined for prestigious colleges in the fall, disrupt life on the island. One of them, Pfef, romances Carrie, who assumes that he’s her boyfriend until she finds him kissing her sister Penny. What happens next is a twist on a twist. But it’s mitigated by Carrie’s statement, “I told you I am a liar.”...Jim Glynn