---
title: "We Were Liars review"
description: "Style over substance. The duology was vague and relied on shock value, leaving me frustrated rather than moved."
canonical: "https://bellabugsbooks.com/reviews/we-were-liars-and-family-of-liars"
url: "https://bellabugsbooks.com/reviews/we-were-liars-and-family-of-liars.md"
author: "Amy — Bella Bugs Books"
locale: "en-IE"
type: "review"
date_modified: "2026-07-29"
---

# We Were Liars & Family of Liars

## At a glance
- Book: We Were Liars
- Author: E. Lockhart
- Series: We Were Liars
- Genre: YA
- Rating: 1/5
- Tags: YA, Family Drama, Twist, Low Rating, Disappointing

> Style over substance. The duology was vague and relied on shock value, leaving me frustrated rather than moved.

Disappointing After All the Hype

I really wanted to love ‘We Were Liars’ and its prequel ‘Family of Liars’, especially given all the buzz and beautifully written quotes circulating online.

The premise had so much potential. A wealthy, fractured family, dark secrets, and emotional twists. But in the end, both books just didn’t deliver for me

The writing style, while poetic at times, often felt overly vague, making it hard to connect with the characters.

Cadence’s narration in We Were Liars was confusing and sometimes overly dramatic, and while the twist was surprising, it felt like it relied too heavily on shock value rather than meaningful storytelling

Family of Liars felt slow and a bit unnecessary. It lacked the emotional punch and urgency that a prequel should have. By the end, I wasn’t left with much insight or empathy, just frustration

I can appreciate what E. Lockhart was aiming for, but for me, this duology leaned more into style over substance. If you enjoy lyrical prose and family drama with a twist, you might enjoy it, but if you’re looking for rich character development and a satisfying plot, this may not be the series for you

_Spoiler sections from the page are omitted from this markdown mirror._

---

_Every book recommended here is read in full and reviewed by Amy. No sponsorships, no gifted-book obligations, spoilers always marked._

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