The thrilling prequel to the TikTok phenomenon We Were Liars takes readers back to the summer that the Sinclair family’s lives changed forever. A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts. A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow. A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy. A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes. Twenty-seven years before the events of We Were Liars comes another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades—a story that is scandalous, tragic, and layered with mystery.Welcome back to the Sinclair family. They were always liars. #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The addictive prequel to the TikTok phenomenon We Were Liars: the story of another summer, another generation—and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come. "I anticipated that at some point a shocking twist would come. And, wow, does it ever." —The New York Times "A perfect beach read." —The Boston Globe