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Book Cover for: Family of Liars: The Prequel to We Were Liars, E. Lockhart

Family of Liars: The Prequel to We Were Liars

E. Lockhart

Reader Score

68%

68% of readers

recommend this book

Critic Reviews

Good

Based on 7 reviews on

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The New York Times Best Seller
2022 & 2023 The New York Times Best Seller
The thrilling prequel to the TikTok phenomenon We Were Liars takes readers back to the summer that the Sinclair family's lives changed forever.

A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts.
A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow.
A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy.
A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes.
Twenty-seven years before the events of We Were Liars comes another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades--a story that is scandalous, tragic, and layered with mystery.

Welcome back to the Sinclair family.
They were always liars.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The addictive prequel to the TikTok phenomenon We Were Liars the story of another summer, another generation--and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come.

"I anticipated that at some point a shocking twist would come. And, wow, does it ever." --The New York Times

"A perfect beach read." --The Boston Globe

Book Details

  • Publisher: Ember
  • Publish Date: May 2nd, 2023
  • Pages: 336
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.20in - 5.50in - 1.00in - 0.65lb
  • EAN: 9780593485880
  • Recommended age: 12-UP
  • Categories: Thrillers & Suspense - PsychologicalSocial Themes - Drugs, Alcohol, Substance AbuseFamily - General (see also headings under Social Themes)

About the Author

E. Lockhart is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller We Were Liars. She also invented a superhero for DC Comics. Her books include Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero; Again Again; The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, a National Book Award Finalist and a Printz Honor Book; and Genuine Fraud, a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize.

Critics’ reviews

Praise for this book

Praise for Family of Liars

"Poetic and thoughtful.... I anticipated that at some point a shocking twist would come. And, wow, does it ever." --The New York Times

"Besides superb character development, there is a dark, supernatural angle that makes this an interesting novel with unexpected twists.... An atmospheric story that will welcome new and seasoned readers to the Sinclair family." --NPR

"Full of plot twists, betrayal, and ugly family secrets, fans of the first novel will no doubt love it." --Paste Magazine

★ "Beautiful and devastating." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "[A] layered, atmospherically tense exploration of jealousy, love, and family loyalty." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "While knowledge of the earlier title enriches the drama here, this is still absolutely engrossing, and readers will wonder what other tragic secrets the Sinclairs are hiding." --The Bulletin, starred review

★ "An unforgettable, sorrowful story of grief, guilt and regret.... Lockhart further contrasts death, lies and grief with movie nights and sunny afternoons on sailboats, giving depth to this unsettling yet striking story." --Shelf Awareness, starred review

"The novel is uncomfortably thought-provoking... and is impossible to put down." --The Horn Book

"An absorbing prequel.... As she did in the original, Lockhart uses fairy tales and a shocking twist to powerful effect." --The Buffalo News

Praise for We Were Liars:

"Irresistible premise for this ticking time bomb of a novel." --The New York Times Book Review

"[A] haunting, sophisticated mystery... so twisty and well-told that it will appeal to older readers as well as to adolescents." --The Wall Street Journal

"It's a nearly perfect story, and it's utterly absorbing." --Bustle

"No book on this summer's reading list will have readers immobilized in their hammocks more than E. Lockhart's We Were Liars." --Newsday

"Stunningly sharp. . . . will sear itself into your memory." --Christian Science Monitor

"A haunting psychological thriller." --The Guardian

"Delivers a satisfying, but shocking twist ending." --Entertainment Weekly

"It's twisty, it's mysterious, and it's got a surprise ending that'll knock your socks off." --MTV News

"A shocking punch in the face that will stay with you long after you finish." --Hypable

★ "Surprising, thrilling, and beautifully executed." --Booklist, starred review

★ "Riveting, brutal and beautifully told." --Kirkus, starred review

★ "The ending is a stunner that will haunt readers for a long time to come." --SLJ, starred review

★ "Astonishing." --Shelf Awareness, starred review