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Family of Liars

The Prequel to We Were Liars

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Paperback
$12.99 US
5.56"W x 8.31"H x 0.87"D   | 10 oz | 24 per carton
On sale May 02, 2023 | 336 Pages | 978-0-593-48588-0
Age 12 and up | Grade 7 & Up
Reading Level: Lexile HL640L
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
  • SELECTION | 2023
    Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2022
    Amazon Best of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2022
    Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2022
    Shelf Awareness - Best Children’s & Teen Books of the Year
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
© Heather Weston

E. Lockhart wrote the New York Times bestseller We Were Liars and the upcoming Genuine Fraud, a psychological thriller. Her other books include Fly on the Wall, Dramarama, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and the Ruby Oliver Quartet, which includes The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, The Treasure Map of Boys, and Real Live Boyfriends. She also wrote How to Be Bad with Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle. Visit her online at emilylockhart.com, and follow her on Twitter at @elockhart.

View titles by E. Lockhart

About

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

Awards

  • SELECTION | 2023
    Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2022
    Amazon Best of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2022
    Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2022
    Shelf Awareness - Best Children’s & Teen Books of the Year

Praise

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

Author

© Heather Weston

E. Lockhart wrote the New York Times bestseller We Were Liars and the upcoming Genuine Fraud, a psychological thriller. Her other books include Fly on the Wall, Dramarama, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and the Ruby Oliver Quartet, which includes The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, The Treasure Map of Boys, and Real Live Boyfriends. She also wrote How to Be Bad with Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle. Visit her online at emilylockhart.com, and follow her on Twitter at @elockhart.

View titles by E. Lockhart