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Quick answer: If you loved We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, try Family of Liars by E. Lockhart, Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart, One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han and Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas.
We Were Liars is the story of Cadence Sinclair Eastman, a teenager from a wealthy, privileged family who spends every summer on a private island off Massachusetts with her cousins and a boy named Gat. After an accident during her fifteenth summer, Cadence can’t remember what happened, and as she returns to the island two years later, the truth comes back in pieces. E. Lockhart’s short, lyrical novel is famous for its twist, which readers still argue about. The picks below share its unreliable narrators, rich families with secrets and haunting endings. Most are YA.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love We Were Liars
Readers love We Were Liars because it’s short, beautiful and devastating. E. Lockhart writes in a poetic style, with fairy-tale interludes that hint at the family’s rot, and builds a mystery around Cadence’s memory loss and migraines. The setting, a private island with several houses, feels like a character, and the Sinclair family’s cruelty is quiet but sharp. The book is best read knowing as little as possible, and many readers finish it and immediately read it again.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about We Were Liars: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of Liars | E. Lockhart | YA thriller | The prequel |
| Genuine Fraud | E. Lockhart | YA thriller | Another Lockhart twist |
| One of Us Is Lying | Karen M. McManus | YA mystery | School secrets and suspects |
| Before I Fall | Lauren Oliver | YA fiction | Second chances and regrets |
| The Summer I Turned Pretty | Jenny Han | YA romance | Summer houses and love triangles |
| Dangerous Girls | Abigail Haas | YA thriller | Courtroom mysteries |
| The Cheerleaders | Kara Thomas | YA mystery | Cold cases |
| A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder | Holly Jackson | YA mystery | A great investigation |
| The Inheritance Games | Jennifer Lynn Barnes | YA mystery | Rich families with secrets |
| Turtles All the Way Down | John Green | YA fiction | Intense inner worlds |
| The Secret History | Donna Tartt | Literary thriller | Older readers who love elite secrets |
| Everything I Never Told You | Celeste Ng | Literary fiction | Family secrets |
| The Last Mrs. Parrish | Liv Constantine | Psychological thriller | Adult twist-lovers |
| Little Fires Everywhere | Celeste Ng | Literary fiction | Wealth and consequences |
| The Great Gatsby | F. Scott Fitzgerald | Classic | Rich worlds with dark cores |
1. Family of Liars by E. Lockhart
The earlier story of the Sinclair family’s summers on the island, told by Cadence’s aunt Carrie. It’s darker and sadder.
2. Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
A girl moves between identities, and the story is told backward. It’s clever and twisty.
3. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Five students enter detention and only four leave alive. Each has a secret.
4. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
A popular girl relives the last day of her life seven times. It’s emotional and thoughtful.
5. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Belly spends every summer at her mother’s best friend’s beach house, and this summer everything changes.
6. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
A girl is on trial for murder in Aruba, and the story shifts between the trial and the vacation. It’s tense.
7. The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
Five years after five cheerleaders died, a girl digs into the old case.
8. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Pip investigates a murder as her school project. It’s twisty and addictive.
9. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
A girl inherits a fortune from a stranger and must solve puzzles in his mansion.
10. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
A teen with anxiety investigates a missing billionaire. It’s thoughtful and moving. Content note: mental illness.
11. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A group of classics students at a Vermont college commit a terrible act. It’s dark and atmospheric.
12. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
When a teenage girl is found drowned, her family unravels. It’s an emotional story.
13. The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
A woman schemes her way into a wealthy couple’s life. It’s a twisty, glossy thriller.
14. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
A rule-following family and a mysterious artist collide. It’s thoughtful and emotional.
15. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A narrator watches the glittering, empty world of his neighbor Gatsby. It’s the classic story of wealth and illusion.
How to Pick Your Next Read After We Were Liars
- Want more Lockhart? Genuine Fraud and Family of Liars.
- Want a mystery? One of Us Is Lying and The Cheerleaders.
- Want summer settings? The Summer I Turned Pretty.
- Want emotional YA? Before I Fall.
- Want something classic? The Great Gatsby.
- Avoid spoilers. Read these books without looking up the endings.
A Spoiler-Free Note on the Ending
We Were Liars is famous for its ending, so most readers recommend going in blind and avoiding spoilers online. The book deals with grief, injury, family cruelty and a traumatic event, so it’s best for teens 14 and up. If you want a similar feeling with a different story, try Genuine Fraud or Family of Liars, the prequel that explores the family’s earlier generation and is darker in tone.
Related: what age We Were Liars is appropriate for and best mystery books for book clubs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What book is most like We Were Liars?
Genuine Fraud and Family of Liars by E. Lockhart are the closest matches, followed by One of Us Is Lying.
Is We Were Liars sad?
Yes. It has a tragic ending, and many readers cry.
What age is We Were Liars for?
It’s usually recommended for ages 14 and up.