We Fell Apart is the new novel from much-loved Young Adult novelist E. Lockhart, who is best known for her bestseller We Were Liars, which was recently adapted for TV.

We Fell Apart is a tense and compelling novel set in the same world as We Were Liars but it can be read as standalone tale without missing anything. It’s the story of 18-year-old Matilda, who is at a crossroads in her life as her mother has left her to follow another love interest (of one week). Matilda has also been dumped by her boyfriend and has lost all her friendship group because of it. When an email comes through from a man claiming to be her father, she is curious and intrigued to follow it. He is a famous but reclusive painter and suggests she comes to visit him, which she does as she is keen to know him and discover the parts of herself she feels are missing.

She crosses the country to find quite a different scenario from the one she expected. Her father isn’t there to welcome her – he’s apparently in Italy and hasn’t left a return date. His house is a neglected castle and there are three boys rattling around, all of whom have stories of their own to discover. They are all about to find out that sometimes family isn’t just about blood relations.

I would recommend this novel for readers aged 14+ who love classic Young Adult novels. It is a tense thriller with loads of secrets and, of course, a simmering love interest.