We Fell Apart

By E. Lockhart

Reviewed by Alison McCaffrey

On a sleepy road on Martha’s Vineyard, there’s a house that looks like a castle, with a private beach at the bottom of a cliff. The castle-house belongs to reclusive, world-famous artist Kingsley Cello, and no one knows he lives there except the family that lives with him. And now Matilda.

Matilda has been dragged around the world by her flighty, attention-seeking muse/groupie mother her entire life. Just turned 18, she lives in California with her mum’s ex-boyfriend, working for the summer before college. Then she gets an email from Kingsley Cello inviting her to visit his house because he has a painting to give her. Because he’s her father.

What follows is a strange, blurry summer of chaos at the castle-house with Matilda’s newly discovered half-brother Meer, recovering addict and former child-actor Brock, and lonely but stoic Tatum, while Kingsley’s longtime partner June makes the rules. But there’s no sign of Kingsley. So Matilda waits to meet her father and settles into their weird lives. Getting to know the three boys, becoming part of the unusual highwire act they’re living, the balance begins to wobble and sway. Have they been living too high for too long? Has the wind changed with the season? Or is it Matilda – is she the bringer of madness about to blow them down?

A new book in the Liars universe, We Fell Apart tells a story of family, abandonment, love, anger and devotion. Bestselling American author E. Lockhart shows us that no matter how messed up you think your family is, there’s always something a little stranger going on somewhere. And beneath the strange, love and blood run thick and strong. Equipped with a strong and slightly naïve main character, a light-hearted and slightly delusional sibling, secrets and misdirection and clues that maybe aren’t, We Fell Apart will drag you down and hold you there, so take a deep breath before you begin. Snippets of verse help maintain a steady downhill pace, while Matilda’s fiery anger tries to dig into the dirt and slow the ride down.

Anyone who enjoys mystery, intrigue, and dark family stories, this book’s for you. But reader be warned: We Fell Apart  has spoilers for We Were Liars, so if you haven’t read that yet, tread carefully.

A & U Children 2025

E Lockhart