Family of Liars

“To be a Sinclair and to have the security and good standing that all our hard work and dirty money and unearned privilege and intelligence has bought us…” is a rather hefty price to pay in this family! When what was yours is no longer yours, the question of who you are and what you are willing to do comes forth. In a labyrinth of a summer vacation, narcotics addiction, date rape, murder and lies, so many lies loop into themselves to become a thought provoking tale of one woman’s experience.
Lockharts characters were strong and gave all the feels in one way or another, and her plot twists around in depravity and loyalty and love, no matter how warped. A great summer read!
*I received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley for show more an honest review show less

Lacking the magic of "We Were Liars" since the twist is used as a significant (but ultimately stagnant?) plot device in "Family of Liars". The criticism of "We Were Liars" - affluent white people having first-world problems - seems even more applicable here.

I read WE WERE LIARS eight years ago and absolutely loved it. It was devastating, but also amazing. FAMILY OF LIARS is the prequel, but please read the original first to avoid any spoilers. The prequel is all about the previous generation of Sinclairs during their teen years (set in the 1980s), and we get a glimpse of why they are the way they are, and how their grief, guilt, and family dynamics affected their children years later. The writing is gorgeous. I do think the prequel is different in that it’s more of an atmospheric family drama rather than a mystery/thriller, though there are a few surprising twists along the way. I loved this book and didn’t want it to end!

Like so many others, I was blown away by E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars. It was such a gut-wrenching story that I knew I wanted to read the prequel, Family of Liars. While not as strong as the first book, I appreciate the Sinclair family much more after reading about what happened to the previous generation.

Unfortunately, most of what I would want to say would create spoilers for anyone who has not read the first book, and that is something I do not want to do. I can say that Family of Liars is just as atmospheric and that setting still captivates me. I particularly enjoyed the chance to understand the family better, and much of the dynamics that play out in We Were Liars make a lot more sense now. You do have to read that one before you show more get to Family of Liars, but that is Ms. Lockhart’s intention anyway, so you lose nothing by reading the prequel last. Either way, you are in for a delicious, mysterious treat! show less

The whole time I was reading this book, I felt like I was watching Kennedy clones through a sepia tone window. Carrie is very sympathetic, more so as her story unfolds and her angst over her youngest sister really makes the story richer. Many of us have similar 'ghosts' in our lives, but how often are we willing to admit to them?

A good study of sibling and family dynamics in the earlier iteration of the emotionally repressed, WASPy Sinclair family. Not as mysterious, twisty, or surprising as We Were Liars, but a lush and detailed read about grief and adolescence.

when i realised there was a prequel to one of my favourite and most memorable five star reads of all time, i was excited before i knew anything about it! i thought it was interesting that it was narrated by and centred around carrie, but as she tells her story, it did become clear why e. lockhart chose to do this. i wasn't as shocked or caught off guard as i was when reading 'we were liars,' but maybe that's because i was more familiar with the writing style this time. the writing was still beautiful and i would still immediately buy books on any other character in this series.