Family of Liars by E. Lockhart
Publication Date: May 3, 2022
Summary from NetGalley:
The thrilling prequel to the TikTok phenomenon and #1 New York Times bestseller We Were Liars takes readers back to the story of another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come.
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.
Welcome back to the Sinclair family.
They were always liars.
ARC provided by Random House Children’s via NetGalley for an honest review.
Confession:
Wow, I think in many ways I liked this one better than We Were Liars. The author is upfront and admits that there are spoilers for the first book in this prequel, so you might want to read that one first. While I would agree that there are spoilers, they don’t necessarily totally ruin the book if you haven’t read it and want to read this prequel first.
The writing is once again beautifully done, you feel a part of the Sinclair family and what it is like on that island. The family is kind of messed up, due to some tragedies that happen even before the book begins. You find out about all of that as the book progresses and it is a bit of an eye opener.
Carrie is the sole narrator of this story. She is the oldest of the Sinclair sisters and she is telling the story to her son, who has asked her what is the worse thing she has ever done. I loved the relationships between the sisters, they all felt very realistic in that even though they might fight, and at times not even like each other, they still deeply care about each other. This is the story of how Carrie falls into her addictions and how her first love with a boy who is a bit of a cad, leads to a tragic end. Carrie is a very believable, yet flawed character that you end up liking, even when she is being quite horrid.
The story is wonderfully done. This is a story of a first romance and unfortunately the boy Carrie chooses to fall in love with is a bit a rogue and not a very nice person. Pfef is a friend of Carrie’s cousin’s boyfriend, who comes to spend the summer on the island before heading off to college. He is a charmer and at first I kind of even liked him. But as the story carries on you realize how horrible he really is. But yet he doesn’t deserve what happens to him.
A brilliant prequel with a very interesting and dysfunctional family. I loved all of the little plot points and the twists and turns this story takes. If you enjoyed We Were Liars, then this is a must read. If you like family dramas this is one that you should consider giving a try.
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