You know that feeling when you finish a book and your brain just sort of short-circuits? That was the collective experience of everyone who read We Were Liars back in 2014. E. Lockhart basically handed us a grenade and walked away. So, when the Family of Liars series finally expanded with the prequel, the stakes were weirdly high. It wasn't just about more content. People wanted to know if the Sinclair family's history was actually as "perfect" and "distinguished" as the earlier book claimed, or if the rot went even deeper than we thought.
It did. It totally did.
If you’re diving into the Family of Liars series now, you're stepping into a world of old money, massive privilege, and a level of gaslighting that would make a Victorian ghost blush. The prequel, Family of Liars, takes us back to 1987. We aren't looking at Cadence anymore; we're looking at her mother, Penny, and her aunts, Carrie and Bess. It’s a summer of "the Sinclair girls," and honestly, it’s a mess. A beautiful, tragic, high-fashion mess on a private island.
Why the Sinclair Family History Still Bothers Us
The thing about the Family of Liars series is that it isn't just a mystery. It's a critique. You’ve got this family, the Sinclairs, who live on Beechwood Island. They’re tall. They’re athletic. They’re blonde. They are rich in that way that feels like they’ve never touched a dirty penny in their lives. Harris Sinclair, the patriarch, is basically the architect of this entire facade. He’s the one who insists that Sinclairs don’t cry. They don’t show weakness. They don’t fail.
But the 1987 setting of the prequel shows us exactly where that pressure cooker started to hiss.
Carrie is haunted. Literally. She sees things. Or does she? That’s the E. Lockhart magic—you never quite know if you’re dealing with a ghost story or a mental health crisis fueled by extreme familial pressure. Penny is trying to find her footing. Bess is just... there, caught in the middle. Then comes the outsider. There is always an outsider in these books who ends up acting as the catalyst for the inevitable explosion. In this case, it’s Pfeff, a boy who isn't a Sinclair and therefore isn't bound by their weird, unspoken rules of silence.
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Most people get the timeline wrong. They think you have to read them in order of release. You don't. While We Were Liars was the cultural phenomenon, reading Family of Liars first actually changes the entire emotional weight of the "original" story. You start to see Harris Sinclair not just as a cold grandfather, but as a man who systematically broke his own daughters long before his granddaughters were ever born.
The 1987 Timeline: Secrets in the Age of Polo Shirts
In Family of Liars, the atmosphere is thick. It’s the eighties, but not the neon, leg-warmer version you see in Stranger Things. This is the "old money" eighties. Think Ralph Lauren ads. Think sailing. Think white linen. It feels untouchable.
But then a tragedy happens.
I won't spoil the specific beat-by-beat because that’s the whole point of reading it, but the "incident" in the Family of Liars series prequel is arguably darker than the fire in the first book. Why? Because in the first book, the kids were trying to do something "right," even if it went horribly wrong. In the prequel, the secrets are about self-preservation. It’s about keeping the Sinclair name shiny at the cost of actual human lives and sanity.
- The Ghost of Rosemary: We finally get to understand the "dead sister" who looms over the family.
- Harris’s Control: We see how he manipulated his daughters' grief.
- The Island: Beechwood itself becomes a character, a gilded cage that keeps secrets from the mainland.
People often ask if the Family of Liars series is actually a series or just two books. As of right now, it’s a duology, but the world-building Lockhart has done suggests there are decades of Sinclair lies still buried in the sand of that island. The way she writes—those short, punchy sentences that feel like gasps for air—makes the 300+ pages fly by. You’re not reading a novel; you’re witnessing a crime.
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The "Twist" Culture and Managing Expectations
Let’s be real. We Were Liars had one of the most famous twists in modern YA history. It was the "Sixth Sense" of books. When the Family of Liars series prequel came out, everyone was looking for that same "gotcha" moment.
If you go in looking for a carbon-copy twist, you might feel let down.
The "twist" in the prequel is more of a slow realization. It’s a creeping dread. It’s less about "what happened" and more about "how could they live with this?" The horror isn't in a singular reveal; it’s in the cumulative weight of the Sinclair ideology. They are liars because they have to be. To be a Sinclair is to be a liar. If they told the truth, the whole house of cards—the houses on the island, the trust funds, the social standing—would vanish.
Honestly, the prequel is more sophisticated. It’s more mature. It deals with addiction, grief, and the specific way parents can ruin their children while thinking they’re protecting them. It’s a hard read if you’ve ever felt the pressure to be "perfect" for your family.
How to Actually Approach the Family of Liars Series
If you’re new to the Sinclair world, or if you’ve only read the first book years ago, here is how you should handle this.
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First, don't rush. The prose in the Family of Liars series is meant to be felt. Lockhart uses a lot of metaphor—sometimes the characters literally describe their hearts being pulled out of their chests. It’s visceral. If you skim, you miss the clues. And there are clues. Even in the prequel, there are nods to things that will happen thirty years later in the timeline.
Second, pay attention to the names. Sinclairs are obsessed with their lineage. The names of the houses on the island—Windemere, Cuddledown, Clairmont—they all represent different branches of the family tree and different levels of favor with Harris. The geography of the island is a map of the family’s internal politics.
Actionable Steps for Readers and Fans
- Read the Prequel First (Maybe): If you haven't read either, try starting with Family of Liars. It creates a linear descent into madness that makes the "twist" in We Were Liars feel even more inevitable.
- Track the Motifs: Watch for mentions of "beagles" and "ivory." These aren't just details; they’re symbols of the family’s status and the things they’re willing to sacrifice.
- Check Out the Deluxe Editions: If you're a hardcore fan, the physical editions often have maps and hand-drawn family trees. You actually need these to keep track of who is related to whom, especially once the cousins start appearing.
- Analyze the "Sinclair Method": Pay attention to how the characters handle bad news. They literally refuse to acknowledge it. Try to spot the exact moment a character chooses a lie over a difficult truth. It happens in almost every chapter.
The Family of Liars series is a masterclass in unreliable narration. You cannot trust Penny. You cannot trust Cadence. You certainly cannot trust Harris. You are an outsider looking in through a very expensive, very cracked window. By the time you finish the prequel, you'll realize that the "Liars" aren't just the teenagers—it’s the entire bloodline.
Go back and look at the first few pages of We Were Liars after you finish the prequel. The way the mothers act—Penny, Carrie, and Bess—suddenly makes a lot more sense. They aren't just "neglectful" or "eccentric." They are deeply traumatized women who were raised in a cult of personality led by their own father. It’s tragic. It’s dark. And it’s why these books stay on the bestseller lists.
Enjoy the trip to Beechwood. Just don't believe anything they tell you.