The prequel to the New York Times Bestselling novel, We Were Liars, readers will once again step into the mysterious Sinclair family in  Family of Liars, however, audiences will go back in time to when the three Sinclair sisters, Carrie, Penny, and Bess, were young and spent their summers on Beechwood. This review will give you insight to see if you decide to read the prequel!

You’ll Love Family of Liars If You Love…

Sisterly Bond

If you’ve read We Were Liars, you should be well aware that Carrie and her sisters’ relationship wasn’t the best, however, that didn’t mean they weren’t good friends in their younger years. In this book, we finally get to read about the sisters’ relationship from a more positive light. Family of Liars follows their relationship throughout the book and how the sisters overcome obstacles together.

Plot Twists

E. Lockhart knows how to deliver great plot twists, and Family of Liars is no exception! Family of Liars sets the tone for this island getaway filled with tennis matches, scavenger hunts, and family dinners, but, throughout the book there’s a darker undertone that manifests itself through grief that the sisters and family face.

Unreliable Narrator

Family of Liars is told from the protagonist’s point of view, and because of this there are flaws in the storytelling. Not everything Carrie says might not be true, and this aspect of the novel perfectly sets up the ending of the book.

Review

I found the plot to be similar to We Were Liars. It wasn’t very action packed, but the suspense built around the characters is enough to keep you intrigued. The story that Carrie tells seems to be a normal one, but there’s underlying suspense that kept me reading. There were definitely plot twists at the end, and one of them, I didn’t suspect at all, but the other one didn’t have that much of a surprise factor as another. I found the ending to be immensely satisfying. All questions that I had were answered, and the story flowed well. 

I found Carrie’s character to be similar to Cadence’s in We Were Liars. Much like Cadence, Carrie doesn’t act like a stuck-up rich girl, she wants to focus on issues beyond her family. Issues like poverty, the AIDS crisis, and war. Separate from the plot-twist ending, Carrie undergoes meaningful character development. She discovers truths that she didn’t know were there before, and she goes through a journey of self-discovery where she finally comes to terms with her flaws. Because of Carrie’s development, I found her character to be very compelling and likeable, though, not relatable. Through Carrie’s development, Lockhart explores themes of grief, legacy, and family expectations.

In addition to Carrie’s character, there were important relationships that were presented through the novel. I found Carrie’s relationship with Lawrence “Pfeff” Pfefferman especially compelling. What I liked about their relationship was not the nature of it, and you’ll understand why if you read the book, but the inclusion of this relationship. Books that I read that include romance tend to be about relationships that are often healthy and loving. E. Lockhart writes this relationship with Carrie in mind. Carrie’s never had a real boyfriend, so this makes her naive about the topic. It’s interesting to see the dynamics of this “relationship” and the call to attention on unhealthy behavior that Pfeff can potentially display.  Lockhart shows that first love is not always happy, and is not always right.

I always enjoy Lockhart’s writing. I find it very easy to read, and just the right level of descriptiveness. Because of her writing, I was able to devour the last 200 pages of the book. Her style of writing brings a unique voice to the narration of the book and is able to build suspense that had me at the edge of my seat! Similar to in We Were Liars, Family of Liarsalso includes allegorical fairytales to go more in depth into Carrie’s personality and ways of thinking. 

Conclusion

This suspense filled prequel is something that I enjoyed reading! Although it’s not necessary to read, if you want more of the Sinclair family, this is a great way to read more about them. Nonetheless, I would recommend reading We Were Liars first, before reading Family of Liars because there are some spoilers for We Were Liars in Family of Liars.