Family of Liars: Deluxe Edition

Family of Liars is Cadence’s Aunt Carrie telling her story, so it is a prequel; however, it contains spoilers for the first book and should be read in publication order. There are several things that, as a reader, you know will happen from the moment a fourth sister, Rosemary, is introduced into the story. E. Lockhart does not make it easy to guess her plot twists, though, so it is still surprising that the dark past is not about Rosemary’s death, because that happens nearly immediately. It is also not surprising that she visits Carrie as a ghost because Carrie is bearing her truth to a different ghost in the form of this book.
I listened to the story partly with an audiobook. The narrator does an excellent job of capturing Carrie’s personality. Carrie grew up privileged and oblivious to the ways of the world. Her love affair with prescription painkillers, sleep aides, and alcohol began gradually, and the circumstances that trigger and intensify the addiction are believable. The narrator encapsulates Carrie's denial, self-delusion, and suffering in a way that, as the reader, we don’t reject her but take her faults and feel empathy for what she’s been through.
The events merge perfectly with the first book to explain the deep divide and toxic family loyalty that the sisters are experiencing, which their children can’t understand. In the first book, I felt little sympathy for the portrayal of the sisters’ bickering over their mother’s estate. It doesn’t make it right, but this book shows exactly the foundation that was laid to turn them into the bitter, long-suffering, emotionally impotent adults we meet in book one.
The tone of this story is full of regret and bittersweet loss of innocence. It is well structured with intriguing, complex characters and several plot twists. I enjoyed the first book more, although having read this, it makes for a richer, fuller experience where you want to reread the first book. Book one was propelled by the mystery of the truth, and this one is propelled by the sorrow of a character looking back on her past while grieving the unspeakable loss in her present. Overall, this book is perfect for fans of the series, plus those who love a great drama.