We Were Liars, one of the most popular young adult books of recent years, is a thrilling read, and this prequel is just as enthralling. Set on the same private island owned by the wealthy Sinclair family, this story takes one of the adult characters in We Were Liars and looks back to her teenage summers on the island and the simmering passions and tragedy that occurred during her 17th year. You don’t need to have read the first book, however, to enjoy this novel; it is fully self-contained.

The Sinclairs are beautiful, white and wealthy. They are also terribly unhappy, but well trained in appearing perfect and unassailable. There are three daughters – the eldest, Carrie, the narrator of the tale; Penny, the beautiful one; and Bess, now the youngest. Their younger sister died the previous summer but the family don’t like to speak about sad things. Only Carrie appears to be grieving still, but she is highly addicted to pain medication after undergoing surgery to make her jaw more ‘Sinclair-like’, which renders her days dream-like and hazy. She is also being visited by the ghost of her dead sister.

This summer the girls become distracted by three handsome boys who arrive uninvited, but are treated to a warm welcome. Good breeding requires good manners. Passions run high over the summer of glorious outdoor parties and scavenger hunts, but secrets that have been hidden for a long time will come to light and more tragedy lies just around the corner.

This is a compelling page-turner about the tragic lives of an ultra-wealthy family and the lies that are handed down like an inheritance through the generations. Highly recommended for readers ages 13 and up.

Angela Crocombe is a senior buyer at Readings