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