If you loved the hazy, heart-shattering world of We Were Liars, the new book We Fell Apart by New York Times bestselling author E. Lockhart is one you’ll want to mark on your calendar.
Lockhart’s return to the Sinclair universe revisits the aftermath of the infamous Sinclair house fire with a new cast, a beachy gothic atmosphere, and that same haunting prose that made her famous.
We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart publishes on 4 November 2025.
It’s the newest entry in the We Were Liars series – the same world now adapted as an Amazon Prime Video series which I’ve just started watching! – and it’s already stirring up a fierce debate among passionate fans about how it compares to the former books.
My Review of We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart
We Fell Apart is a sequel to the popular We Were Liars novels – a book I was totally obsessed with when I first read it (here’s my We Were Liars review from 2016). It had the stunning combination of a gorgeous hazy summer setting, a wealthy dysfunctional family, and a plot that had me floored when the twist hit. I read the prequel, Family of Liars, a couple of years ago and wasn’t quite as entranced but loved being back in that world of secrets and lies.
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This story runs almost parallel with We Were Liars – it happens immediately after the events of the infamous Sinclair house fire in the first book, but from a completely different cast of characters, those who can see the results from the fire across the bay.
Matilda Klein, an 18-year-old who’s been dragged around the world by her mother – a kind of artist groupie – has never known her father. When she turns eighteen and receives an email from him, revealing himself as a famous, reclusive artist and asking her to come to Hidden Beach to meet him and collect one of his paintings, she jumps at the chance.
But when she arrives, her father is nowhere to be seen; instead she finds a half-brother she never knew she had and his witchy, whimsical mother, a former child star, and a brooding island taxi driver – all living in his seaside castle, a kind of crumbling sanctuary. As she discovers more of herself, she discovers even more too – and of course you start wondering, is this all a web of lies?
This book has the same entrancing kind of writing as the others that has you absolutely absorbed, even though a lot of the time nothing is really happening in the story – in fact, most of the plot is biding time while Matilda waits for her father to come home so she can meet him.
If you’ve read We Were Liars, which the majority of people will have done when they pick up this book, they’ll be expecting another huge mind-blowing plot twist. So while we’re waiting with Matilda for her father to arrive, we’re also waiting for that twist and trying to figure out what it might be. That’s really the only problem with an author like this who has set a precedent – you’re always hunting for the next one!
And it did, of course, have a twist. Honestly, it’s a little less believable, so doesn’t deliver that same blow that the one in We Were Liars did. And it’s also a little too neatly wrapped up in the end – that probably appeals to a lot of people though!
There was a slow-burn YA-style not too high-stakes romance which wasn’t anything mind-blowing either, but I think added to the mysterious summer-of-dreams, beachy kind of vibe. It’s a highly atmospheric summer read.
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The cast of characters is brilliant – they’re confusing and eclectic, and there are some real gems in there, like Saar, Matilda’s father-figure. Those in the seaside castle are understandably odd at times, but gorgeous nuanced characters.
I also really loved the insight into the video games that Matilda loves. It’s something I really enjoyed in Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, even though I’m not a gaming sort of person. In fact, the author references this book in her author’s note, along with The Odyssey (there are some wonderful classical references in the explanations of the paintings), I Capture the Castle and more. You can see how inspired she’s been by the books she’s read, and I love that.
This book, while part of the Beechwood Island world and series, can technically be read as a standalone, but when read as the second or third in the series, you’ll have far more depth to understand the wider world it’s set in. It will also give you major spoilers for We Were Liars pretty early on so that the twist in that book won’t have anywhere near as much impact. If you’re there for setting, characters and world rather than being hit by a twist that slaps you in the face, reading this out of order would be fine, but otherwise I’d recommend reading at least We Were Liars first.
I’m excited for the rest of the world to read this and to hear more thoughts. I don’t think it will be beloved (or hated! I always thought We Were Liars was a Marmite book!) like We Were Liars, but I think it’ll be a very interesting one to hear other reviews on.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for a review copy of this book.
What are the other books in the We Were Liars series?
There are 3 books published in the We Were Liars series by E. Lockhart. Two in the main timeline, and one as a prequel:
We Were Liars Reading Order
There are technically two ways you could read the We Were Liars series: publication order and timeline order.
Publication Order
- We Were Liars
- Family of Liars
- We Fell Apart
Timeline Order
- Family of Liars
- We Were Liars
- We Fell Apart
I would suggest not reading the timeline order, as Family of Liars will give away spoilers for We Were Liars – big enough spoilers that will ruin the fun of the first book! I’d definitely suggest reading in the publication order.
What is We Fell Apart About?
The book’s plot hinges on identity, art and legacy. It explores what happens when a young woman – raised without her father – is suddenly pulled into his glittering but broken world. The twisted heart of Hidden Beach is full of contradictions: both a refuge and a trap.
Lockhart’s signature style brings a light touch to dark themes: inherited guilt, artistic genius, and what it means to rebuild after tragedy. It has her usual rhythm of short, poetic sentences and emotional punch like the rest of the We Were Liars world, and her other books like The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and Genuine Fraud (which I reviewed here in 2018).
About E. Lockhart
E. Lockhart (Emily Jenkins) is a New York Times bestselling author and Printz Award honouree whose books often straddle the line between YA and literary fiction. She studied English Literature at Columbia University, and her bibliography includes the Ruby Oliver Quartet, The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, Genuine Fraud, and Family of Liars.
Her works have been finalists for the National Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and her writing carries a distinct sense of rhythm and menace – a whisper of menace of those titles that keeps readers turning pages.
She’s published under Random House Children’s Books and Delacorte Press, and has collaborated on graphic novels and picture books too. Her stories have gained a second life on TikTok – the world of her TikTok sensation We Were Liars continues to inspire edits, theories, and fan art.
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How We Fell Apart Connects to We Were Liars and Family of Liars
All three books form a rich web of Sinclair family references – what many fans now call the Sinclair universe.
While We Were Liars focused on Cadence and the aftermath of the original tragedy, and Family of Liars looked back at an earlier generation, We Fell Apart shows what the outside world saw.
You’ll catch glimpses of Beechwood Island, echoes of the original Sinclair legacy, and (to start with at least!) subtle nods to the former books that reward returning readers.
I won’t say any more as I don’t want to give anything away…
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Is There a Special Edition of We Fell Apart?
Yes – there will be a special edition of We Fell Apart, apparently a gorgeous edition with an exclusive foil-stamped case and illustrated endpapers has been confirmed by the publisher for Barnes & Noble. Collectors of the earlier We Were Liars hardbacks will definitely want this matching copy for their shelves. Fingers crossed we get something here across the pond!
FAQs
Is We Fell Apart a standalone?
Technically yes – it can be read as a standalone, but the emotional impact deepens if you’ve read the first book, We Were Liars, and its prequel Family of Liars. Plus you’ll read some spoilers for those books in this one too, so I’d approach it as a standalone with caution.
Where is We Fell Apart set?
The story takes place around Hidden Beach, across the bay from Beechwood Island – a seaside home of art studios and ruined luxury that captures that beachy gothic atmosphere.
Who are the main characters in We Fell Apart?
Matilda Klein (the narrator), her absent father (legendary artist Kingsley Cello), her open-hearted brother, newly discovered (he’s Matilda’s half-brother), and the enigmatic wild Tatum who complicates everything. It’s a novel of familial tension, and that becomes more and more apparent as you get to know each of the main characters.
What age is We Fell Apart for?
Primarily young adults, but like Lockhart’s earlier books, it appeals to older readers who enjoy YA that’s intelligent, dark and emotionally complex.
Will there be another book after We Fell Apart?
Nothing official yet from Random House Children’s Books, but fans will be hoping! The very last page rounds things up nicely, but you never know.
Should I read We Fell Apart?
We Fell Apart isn’t just another YA sequel; it’s a thought-provoking read that reminds us why Lockhart continues to dominate New York Times bestseller lists. It has that same distinct sense of melancholy and mystery you find in Genuine Fraud and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, but with more maturity and emotional depth.
If you like family intrigue, psychological thrillers, and stories that explore how privilege and guilt intertwine beneath a sun-drenched facade, this belongs on your TBR.
And if you enjoy authors like Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Inheritance Games) or Lauren Myracle, this has a similar mix of mystery and emotion but with Lockhart’s own poetic voice.
