Family of Liars is the prequel to the critically acclaimed psychological horror novel, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. It explores the vulnerable themes of lies, loss, and greed, and provides commentary on social structures and the large disparity between the upper and middle class. This novel follows the story of parents of the main protagonist in the preceding novel, and illustrates a summer spent at their private island off the coast of Massachusetts and retells an event that will haunt the family for years to come.
Lockhart organizes this novel in a unique structure. The majority of the story is written in prose, but occasionally will switch to the format of a poem. This writing style may not be for everyone, but I personally enjoyed it because I thought it added depth to the characters and their emotions. The emotions, feelings, dialogue in the book is all so vivid and you can’t help but get connected to the characters. Lockhart does a masterful job at creating an incredible plot twist that leaves the reader spellbound. This entire novel is made up of many meaningful metaphors that provide commentary on the complexities of our world currently.