We Were Liars books in order
Cadence narrates the book, and she cannot fully remember the summer at its center, so the mystery sits inside her head.
- 1
We Were Liars
2014 · Prime Video series, season 1 (2025)Cadence cannot remember what happened to her during her fifteenth summer on her family's private island.
- 2
Family of Liars
2022 · Prime Video series: elements in season 1The 2022 prequel, set twenty-seven years before We Were Liars, with flashbacks to the late 1980s.
- 3
We Fell Apart
2025 · No adaptation announcedThe third book in the Liars series, which moves to a different corner of Martha's Vineyard.
We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you.
What the books give you
Only in the books
The novel is narrated by Cadence and built in five acts, with some pieces rearranged. Its prequel, Family of Liars, is set twenty-seven years earlier and follows the Sinclair sisters.
What the screen changes
TVLine calls season 1 a faithful adaptation with elements of Family of Liars throughout. Mackenzie says there were "a lot of difficult changes made" along the way.
Show differences (spoilers)
TVLine reports that Taft Sinclair Sheffield, Mirren's youngest sibling, did not make the cut. Julie Plec says there are things in the show that are not in the book.
Editions
- 1
We Were Liars, deluxe paperback
May 6, 2025; sprayed edges and new exclusive content
- 2
We Were Liars Deluxe Edition, hardcover
2017; extra letters and a hand-drawn map of Beechwood Island
More by E. Lockhart
- 1
The Boyfriend List
2005 · the first of the four Ruby Oliver novels
- 2
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
2008 · a sophomore is barred from a boys-only secret club
If you liked it
- 1
One of Us Is Lying
Karen M. McManus · 2017 · five students in detention, and a classmate who dies
- 2
The Secret History
Donna Tartt · 1992 · classics students at a Vermont college cluster around one professor
- 3
Thirteen Reasons Why
Jay Asher · 2007 · cassette tapes arrive after a classmate's death
Quick answers
Which book is each movie and series based on?
| Movie or series | Book |
|---|---|
| We Were Liars (2025, series) | We Were Liars (2014) · season 1 is a faithful adaptation of the 2014 novel |
In what order should I read We Were Liars?
Read We Were Liars (2014), then Family of Liars (2022) and We Fell Apart (2025), the three books of the Liars series by E. Lockhart. The Prime Video series We Were Liars (2025) adapts the first book.
What book is the Prime Video We Were Liars based on?
The series is based on E. Lockhart's 2014 novel We Were Liars. TVLine calls season 1 a faithful adaptation of it, with elements of the 2022 prequel Family of Liars added throughout the eight episodes.
How many We Were Liars books are there?
Three so far: We Were Liars (2014), the prequel Family of Liars (2022), and We Fell Apart (2025). The sources checked list these three titles as the Liars series, in that order.
When did the We Were Liars series premiere, and is there a season 2?
Season 1 premiered on Prime Video on June 18, 2025, with eight episodes. Prime Video renewed the series for season 2 on September 17, 2025, but the renewal gave no premiere date.