Return to Beechwood with E. Lockhart’s “Family of Liars”, a prequel set in the 1980s to the modern “We Were Liars”. Focusing this time on Cadence’s aunt Carrie as a teenager, the book follows her during her seventeenth summer.
In the summer of 1987, Carrie and her two sisters Penny and Bess return to Beechwood, prepared for a typical summer there. However, their cousin Yardley brings along three teenage boys that turn Carrie’s inner psyche, as well as her familial relationships, upside down.
I won’t detail more of the plot because of its surprises and details that are better to not hear beforehand. However, this novel is a solid prequel to the original that elaborates upon preexisting relationships as well as bringing new characters into the mix. I would give this 3.5 stars out of 5 stars, with the half star subtracted due to the book’s slightly lackluster third act.