What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedWe Were Liars
E. Lockhart · Book · 2021
If you loved We Were Liars, start with Pretty Little Liars (I. Marlene King, 2010) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to We Were Liars across media.
You were drawn to the way We Were Liars masks privilege, trauma, and devastating secrets behind a facade of summer perfection.
Films on the same thread
Us
Jordan Peele · Film · 2019
Explores: Dystopian Society, Identity Crisis, Class Warfare.
Like the Sinclair family in We Were Liars, the Wilson family discovers that their idyllic vacation setting cannot protect them from the haunting, violent emergence of buried truths.
People We Meet on Vacation
Film · 2026
Explores: opposites attract, long-distance friendship, emotional intimacy.
While much lighter than We Were Liars, this story mirrors your interest in the intense, long-term emotional intimacy and shared history that define formative summer relationships.
Suddenly, Last Summer
Joseph L. Mankiewicz · Film · 1959
Shares a thread with We Were Liars: Trauma.
This classic shares the core DNA of We Were Liars, focusing on a wealthy family desperate to suppress a traumatic truth through manipulation and psychological confinement.
Gone Girl
David Fincher · Film · 2014
Explores: Marriage Breakdown, Media Manipulation, False Accusation.
If the unreliable perspective and dark, calculated secrets of We Were Liars kept you reading, this exploration of a fractured marriage and public perception will fascinate you.
Series on the same thread
Pretty Little Liars
I. Marlene King · Series · 2010
Shares a thread with We Were Liars: Secrets.
The disappearance of a queen bee and the subsequent unraveling of a tight-knit clique directly parallel the toxic friendships and lingering mystery found in We Were Liars.
We Are Who We Are
Luca Guadagnino · Series · 2020
Explores: Identity Exploration, First Love, Adolescent Angst.
You will recognize the specific atmospheric tension of We Were Liars in this coming-of-age story that centers on the messy, high-stakes intensity of teenage identity and friendship.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Jenny Han · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with We Were Liars: Summer Romance.
This series captures the same nostalgic, sun-drenched aesthetic as We Were Liars, centered on a pivotal summer where family secrets finally begin to alter everything for the protagonist.
Big Little Lies
David E. Kelley · Series · 2017
Shares a thread with We Were Liars: Privilege.
Much like the Sinclair family in We Were Liars, these characters use their immense privilege to mask the rot beneath their lives until the truth inevitably results in destruction.
Podcasts on the same thread
We Can Do Hard Things
Treat Media and Glennon Doyle · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Vulnerability, Personal growth, Emotional support.
If you sought clarity after finishing We Were Liars, this podcast provides the raw, vulnerable space to process trauma and personal growth in a way that feels deeply authentic.
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
This series examines the foundational lies and hidden histories of a nation, mirroring the way We Were Liars exposes how systemic privilege functions through silence and carefully curated memory.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is We Were Liars a story about a family?
Yes, We Were Liars centers on a beautiful and distinguished family that spends their summers together on a private island off the coast of Massachusetts. The narrative follows a girl, her cousins, and a boy named Gat as their close bond evolves into a destructive and secret-filled experience.
What is the central conflict in We Were Liars?
The central conflict in We Were Liars revolves around a group of four friends known as the Liars. Their friendship becomes destructive following a mysterious accident and a revolution, leading to a complex web of lies that the protagonist must navigate to uncover the truth.
Does We Were Liars feature a romance?
Yes, We Were Liars includes a central romantic element involving the protagonist and a passionate, political boy named Gat. Their relationship develops during the summers spent on the private island, playing a significant role in the emotional tension and the eventual uncovering of the family secrets.
Is We Were Liars set on a private island?
Yes, the setting of We Were Liars is a private island located off the coast of Massachusetts. This isolated environment serves as the backdrop for the family gatherings, the developing friendship between the Liars, and the eventual unraveling of the secrets that define the story.