What do you think?
Rate this book
Pretty Little Liars #1
Pretty Little Liars
EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE - ESPECIALLY HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS SPENCER, ARIA, EMILY, AND HANNA
Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful. But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.
How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling.
Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful. But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.
How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling.
286 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2006
7,537 people are currently reading
116k people want to read
About the author
Sara Shepard
130听books14.6k听followersSara Shepard graduated from NYU and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. She has lived in New York City, Brooklyn, Tucson, Arizona, Philadelphia, and now lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Sara's Pretty Little Liars novels were inspired by her upbringing in Philadelphia's Main Line.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 11,491 reviews
January 6, 2011
"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead."
-Benjamin Franklin.
The first book in the series, Pretty Little Liars, is about five best friends - Emily, Aria, Hanna, Spencer and Alison. Alison is the girl everyone loves, but secretly hates because they鈥檙e envious. She is what you could call the secret keeper of the clique, the one that holds the deepest and darkest secrets of each of the girls that nobody else knows and that they wouldn't dare share with another person. During a sleepover in seventh grade, something happens, Alison has walked out the door after a fight and their best friend has disappeared. Rosewood doesn鈥檛 seem so picture perfect anymore鈥�
Fast forward a few years later and the four girls are now juniors in high school at Rosewood Day. They have different social groups and none of them have talked since the disappearance of Alison. What brings them together again? Nothing they would have ever guessed. They're all receiving secret messages from an anonymous sender who goes by -A. Not just any messages though - but their secrets that vanished with their best friend and things that are going on in their lives today that they would rather keep hidden.
Emily is testing the bounds of her new friendship with Maya, Aria is doing a little extra credit for English with her teacher, Hanna had vanity insanity and went too far for perfection and old habits are hard to break, and Spencer is getting a little too close to what isn't hers which is her sister's boyfriend. Unless the girls do exactly what -A says, their secrets will become everyone鈥檚 news. Who is -A? Why are they doing this? Did their best friend, Alison, come back? What exactly is the big Jenna secret? These are all of the things that are itching to be answered. Read and find out.
This series is for teenage girls and found in the YA section, but I鈥檓 out of my teens and still enjoy them a lot. It's a light, fun and easy read that you can definitely read in one sitting because you don't want to put it down until you've found everything out to tie up all the loose ends of the story. Pretty Little Liars has drama and cliffhangers that keep you on your toes and at the edge of your seat.
Next book is Flawless.
-Benjamin Franklin.
The first book in the series, Pretty Little Liars, is about five best friends - Emily, Aria, Hanna, Spencer and Alison. Alison is the girl everyone loves, but secretly hates because they鈥檙e envious. She is what you could call the secret keeper of the clique, the one that holds the deepest and darkest secrets of each of the girls that nobody else knows and that they wouldn't dare share with another person. During a sleepover in seventh grade, something happens, Alison has walked out the door after a fight and their best friend has disappeared. Rosewood doesn鈥檛 seem so picture perfect anymore鈥�
Fast forward a few years later and the four girls are now juniors in high school at Rosewood Day. They have different social groups and none of them have talked since the disappearance of Alison. What brings them together again? Nothing they would have ever guessed. They're all receiving secret messages from an anonymous sender who goes by -A. Not just any messages though - but their secrets that vanished with their best friend and things that are going on in their lives today that they would rather keep hidden.
Emily is testing the bounds of her new friendship with Maya, Aria is doing a little extra credit for English with her teacher, Hanna had vanity insanity and went too far for perfection and old habits are hard to break, and Spencer is getting a little too close to what isn't hers which is her sister's boyfriend. Unless the girls do exactly what -A says, their secrets will become everyone鈥檚 news. Who is -A? Why are they doing this? Did their best friend, Alison, come back? What exactly is the big Jenna secret? These are all of the things that are itching to be answered. Read and find out.
This series is for teenage girls and found in the YA section, but I鈥檓 out of my teens and still enjoy them a lot. It's a light, fun and easy read that you can definitely read in one sitting because you don't want to put it down until you've found everything out to tie up all the loose ends of the story. Pretty Little Liars has drama and cliffhangers that keep you on your toes and at the edge of your seat.
Next book is Flawless.
May 24, 2022
Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars #1), Sara Shepard
Pretty Little Liars is a series of young adult novels by American author Sara Shepard. Beginning with 2006's initial novel of the same name, the series follows the lives of four girls: Spencer Hastings, Hanna Marin, Aria Montgomery and Emily Fields.
Three years ago, Alison disappeared after a slumber party, not to be seen since. Her friends at the elite Pennsylvania school mourned her, but they also breathed secret sighs of relief. Each of them guarded a secret that only Alison had known. Now they have other dirty little secrets, secrets that could sink them in their gossip-hungry world. When each of them begins receiving anonymous emails and text messages, panic sets in.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 倬賳噩賲 賲丕賴 噩賵賱丕蹖 爻丕賱2016賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 丿乇賵睾诏賵蹖丕賳 夭蹖亘丕乇賵蹖 讴賵趩讴 讴鬲丕亘 賳禺爻鬲 丕夭 爻乇蹖 亘賴 賴賲蹖賳 賳丕賲貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 爻丕乇丕 卮倬乇丿貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 - 爻丿賴21賲
卮乇丨 賲丕噩乇丕蹖 夭賳丿诏蹖 趩賴丕乇 丿禺鬲乇 噩賵丕賳 亘丕賯蹖賲丕賳丿賴 亘賴 賳丕賲賴丕蹖 芦丕爻倬賳爻乇 賴丕爻鬲蹖賳诏夭禄貙 芦賴丕賳丕 賲丕乇蹖賳禄貙 芦丌乇蹖丕 賲賵賳鬲诏賵賲乇蹖禄 賵 芦丕賲蹖賱蹖 賮蹖賱丿夭禄 丕爻鬲貨 丕夭 丕蹖賳 爻乇蹖 賲噩賲賵毓賴 蹖 鬲賱賵蹖夭蹖賵賳蹖 賳蹖夭 爻丕禺鬲賴 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲貨 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕 丿乇 芦乇夭賵賵丿 倬賳爻蹖賱賵丕賳蹖丕禄 賵 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 倬賳噩 丿禺鬲乇 丿乇賵睾诏賵爻鬲貙 讴賴 诏乇賵賴 讴賵趩讴蹖 乇丕 卮讴賱 丿丕丿賴 丕賳丿 賵 亘丕 诏賲 卮丿賳 芦丌賱蹖爻賵賳禄 賴賲賴 趩蹖夭 亘賴 賴賲 賲蹖乇蹖夭丿貨 趩賴丕乇 鬲賳 亘丕賯蹖賲丕賳丿賴 丕夭 賮乇丿蹖 亘賴 賳丕賲 芦丌禄 倬蹖丕賲賴丕蹖 毓噩蹖亘 丿乇蹖丕賮鬲 讴賴 丌賳賴丕 乇丕 亘賴 賮丕卮 讴乇丿賳 丿乇賵睾賴丕蹖卮丕賳 鬲賴丿蹖丿 賲蹖讴賳丿貙 乇丕夭賴丕 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 禺蹖丕賳鬲貙 禺卮賵賳鬲貙 賲乇诏貙 毓卮賯 賵 鬲乇爻 賴爻鬲賳丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 09/04/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 02/03/1401賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Pretty Little Liars is a series of young adult novels by American author Sara Shepard. Beginning with 2006's initial novel of the same name, the series follows the lives of four girls: Spencer Hastings, Hanna Marin, Aria Montgomery and Emily Fields.
Three years ago, Alison disappeared after a slumber party, not to be seen since. Her friends at the elite Pennsylvania school mourned her, but they also breathed secret sighs of relief. Each of them guarded a secret that only Alison had known. Now they have other dirty little secrets, secrets that could sink them in their gossip-hungry world. When each of them begins receiving anonymous emails and text messages, panic sets in.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 亘蹖爻鬲 賵 倬賳噩賲 賲丕賴 噩賵賱丕蹖 爻丕賱2016賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 丿乇賵睾诏賵蹖丕賳 夭蹖亘丕乇賵蹖 讴賵趩讴 讴鬲丕亘 賳禺爻鬲 丕夭 爻乇蹖 亘賴 賴賲蹖賳 賳丕賲貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 爻丕乇丕 卮倬乇丿貨 賲賵囟賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕蹖 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 - 爻丿賴21賲
卮乇丨 賲丕噩乇丕蹖 夭賳丿诏蹖 趩賴丕乇 丿禺鬲乇 噩賵丕賳 亘丕賯蹖賲丕賳丿賴 亘賴 賳丕賲賴丕蹖 芦丕爻倬賳爻乇 賴丕爻鬲蹖賳诏夭禄貙 芦賴丕賳丕 賲丕乇蹖賳禄貙 芦丌乇蹖丕 賲賵賳鬲诏賵賲乇蹖禄 賵 芦丕賲蹖賱蹖 賮蹖賱丿夭禄 丕爻鬲貨 丕夭 丕蹖賳 爻乇蹖 賲噩賲賵毓賴 蹖 鬲賱賵蹖夭蹖賵賳蹖 賳蹖夭 爻丕禺鬲賴 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲貨 丿丕爻鬲丕賳賴丕 丿乇 芦乇夭賵賵丿 倬賳爻蹖賱賵丕賳蹖丕禄 賵 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 倬賳噩 丿禺鬲乇 丿乇賵睾诏賵爻鬲貙 讴賴 诏乇賵賴 讴賵趩讴蹖 乇丕 卮讴賱 丿丕丿賴 丕賳丿 賵 亘丕 诏賲 卮丿賳 芦丌賱蹖爻賵賳禄 賴賲賴 趩蹖夭 亘賴 賴賲 賲蹖乇蹖夭丿貨 趩賴丕乇 鬲賳 亘丕賯蹖賲丕賳丿賴 丕夭 賮乇丿蹖 亘賴 賳丕賲 芦丌禄 倬蹖丕賲賴丕蹖 毓噩蹖亘 丿乇蹖丕賮鬲 讴賴 丌賳賴丕 乇丕 亘賴 賮丕卮 讴乇丿賳 丿乇賵睾賴丕蹖卮丕賳 鬲賴丿蹖丿 賲蹖讴賳丿貙 乇丕夭賴丕 丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 禺蹖丕賳鬲貙 禺卮賵賳鬲貙 賲乇诏貙 毓卮賯 賵 鬲乇爻 賴爻鬲賳丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 09/04/1399賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 02/03/1401賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
October 4, 2012
Before I being, I would like to admit that by choosing to read this book of my own free will, without compulsion or obligation, I made a rod for my own back and have no right to complain about any suffering that followed. Nonetheless, I am going to do so:-
The previous holder of my 鈥渕ost unappealing first sentence of a book series鈥� award was the awe-inspiringly stupid , on grounds of grammar alone, for 鈥檚 鈥淚鈥檇 been waiting for the vampire for years when he walked into the bar鈥�. However this did at least have the decency , as you have no doubt noticed, to mention a vampire. effortlessly breaks this record with the following:
I very nearly stopped reading immediately. This book is clearly not aimed at me. It鈥檚 apparently for horrifyingly vain and privileged US 15/16yr olds who are unable to describe someone of a tanned appearance with any grammatical accuracy. However once I got over the shock I reflected that if someone six years older than me feels justified in writing this and aiming it at the delicate minds of teenagers, then surely I鈥檓 justified in criticising it as I see fit? And even if not, who鈥檚 going to stop me? To that end, I would like to say that any teenager whose first reaction upon seeing the picture of a missing young girl is to rate her cuteness in relation to their own is in need of urgent psychological help in order to amend the way in which she interacts with the world.
No I didn鈥檛. Where the hell would I get that idea from? The only thing I can even vaguely connect with this is JonBen茅t Ramsay, and I don鈥檛 believe she was missing long enough to be cartonised. Not unless US milk production works a lot faster than I was aware. I guess I just don鈥檛 naturally connect kidnapping and popularity contests the way you do, Sara Shepard.
Least Appropriate Item of Clothing for a 13-Year-Old
An 鈥淚RISH GIRLS DO IT BETTER baby tee鈥�.
Which I think is a tiny t-shirt? At any rate, not being allowed to wear this by your parents does not make me feel any great sympathy for your strict upbringing. If being disallowed from wearing this is considered a harsh rule, then god knows what the other girls look like.
Most Air-Headed Metaphor
Worst Names
Spencer Hastings (female)
Mona Vanderwaal
Chassey Bledsoe (female)
Phi Templeton (female)
Maya St.Germain
Byron Montgomery
Michelangelo Montgomery
Wren Kim (male)
Ezra Fitz
Casey Kirschner (male)
Alyssa Pennypacker
Devon Arliss (female)
Mason Byers (m)
Most Mysterious Statement
Is this some type of slang term I鈥檓 unfamiliar with? It later reoccurs on a magnet in the following form:
Which I can only take to be code of some type.
Least Flattering Assessment of a Nationality
Most Unoriginal 鈥淩elevant鈥� Background Song
鈥淥ops I Did it Again鈥� whilst Hanna steals some Tiffany diamonds. Again.
Oddest Response to a One Night Stand
Texting him a haiku at 2:30am.
Most Childish Response to a Medical Conversation
Most Oxymoronic Description
Overall, the book reads like a collection of teen problem pages have come to life and just happen to live in the single most unrealistic and unidentifiably elite town possible. The simplification of every example of teen angst and misery Shepard can come up with into a TV-ready series of vignettes featuring unattainably beautiful and rich heroines who are simultaneously incredibly academic and total airheads and whose lives revolve around brands and boys frankly leaves a very sour taste in the mouth. By making her creations so ridiculously fantastic the author has ensured that not only can a teen reader have no chance of seeing herself in the pages and taking comfort in relation to her own problems, but she is also presented with an unattainable standard of victimhood. What this book tells you is that not only is it fashionable and exciting to have problems like bulimia, self-harm, a tendency to drive drunk and an older man preying on you sexually, but that there鈥檚 no excuse to not have the body, wardrobe and hair of a Barbie doll whilst you鈥檙e attractively suffering.
The previous holder of my 鈥渕ost unappealing first sentence of a book series鈥� award was the awe-inspiringly stupid , on grounds of grammar alone, for 鈥檚 鈥淚鈥檇 been waiting for the vampire for years when he walked into the bar鈥�. However this did at least have the decency , as you have no doubt noticed, to mention a vampire. effortlessly breaks this record with the following:
"Imagine it鈥檚 a couple of years ago, the summer between seventh and eighth grade. You鈥檙e tan from lying out next to your rock-lined pool, you鈥檝e got on your new Juicy sweats (remember when everybody wore those?), and your mind鈥檚 on your crush, the boy who goes to that other prep school whose name we won鈥檛 mention and who folds jeans at Abercrombie in the mall.鈥�
I very nearly stopped reading immediately. This book is clearly not aimed at me. It鈥檚 apparently for horrifyingly vain and privileged US 15/16yr olds who are unable to describe someone of a tanned appearance with any grammatical accuracy. However once I got over the shock I reflected that if someone six years older than me feels justified in writing this and aiming it at the delicate minds of teenagers, then surely I鈥檓 justified in criticising it as I see fit? And even if not, who鈥檚 going to stop me? To that end, I would like to say that any teenager whose first reaction upon seeing the picture of a missing young girl is to rate her cuteness in relation to their own is in need of urgent psychological help in order to amend the way in which she interacts with the world.
As the book opens we are introduced to five vile, spoilt bitches. Their leader is Alison, (鈥渟ignature鈥� phrase 鈥淚鈥檓 Ali and I鈥檓 fabulous.鈥�, who is perfect and adored by everyone as well as the kind of girl who enjoys mocking 鈥渄orks鈥� to their face and calling her friends fat or a slag. The whole group are not only rich, they are the sort of rich people who snub the nouveau-riche for having the wrong type of mansions and pride themselves on their 鈥渘oble bloodlines鈥�. They are also absolutely obsessed with Abercrombie (which I believe to be a chain of clothes stores aimed at Sloane Ranger types and given to oppressing minorities and women) and inappropriately sexualised for their age, blushing at older boys and admiring their 鈥渢otally grope-worthy stomach muscles鈥�, running about naked in cornfields for fun and playing a game called 鈥淥lympian Sex Goddesses鈥�. (Having said that, 3陆 years later one of them is embarrassed by thinking the term 鈥渂oob parts鈥� in reference to a bra. So maybe they鈥檙e not as mature about sexual matters as they think). Their inane nothings are interrupted when 13-year-old Alison mercifully goes missing, a fact which is reported to the police a mere 36 hours later.
Nobody is particularly bothered by this disappearance, and we move on 3陆 years to Alison鈥檚 parents throwing all her belongings onto the pavement and leaving, opening the way for a new girl from 鈥淪an Fran鈥� to move into the neighbourhood and Alison鈥檚 bedroom. Thirty seconds later, peer pressure from this new girl with awful taste in music has led Emily to smoking pot, in a scene difficult to take seriously as no one has ever actually offered anyone a joint with the words 鈥淲ant a hit?鈥� At exactly the same time Aria moves back from Iceland, where she has become a vain Hipster, and immediately commences swanning about driving without a license (on the advice of her mum), whining about how much better European beer is, misusing the word 鈥渋rony鈥� and sleeping with a stranger in a pub toilet. Will that come back to bite her? Yes, it almost immediately will. Meanwhile fat friend Hanna has developed into an uber-popular bulimic flasher and become best friends with the previously uncool Mona, now an attention-seeking poor-little-rich-girl shoplifter. Finally our fourth heroine Spencer is occupied being jealous of her sister and planning to steal her current boyfriend, the stupidly named English-Korean Wren, as well as talking about such mysterious acronyms as Aps, GPAs, VPs & JVs.
Once everyone鈥檚 teen-drama problems are set up (glamorous issues only, none of them ever has a 鈥減imple鈥� or anything dirty like that) they meander about mentioning products, brands and shops every 4th line, most of which I am unaware of and/or not interested in. Suffice to say, they all have an obscene amount of labelled clothes and expensive jewellery to wear whilst they shag their teachers, drink red wine, incongruously quote Sartre and have glamorous panic attacks at the thought of their 鈥渄ead鈥� friend Alison. The only interruption to this is some vaguely sarky but strangely apposite texts messages and notes each of them receive at inopportune moments, signed 鈥楢.鈥� Who could it be?
Various cheesy seductions occur (the kiss-on-the-cheek between female friends that goes a little too far, the hot-tub massage on spurious medical grounds) and a seemingly endless parade of fashion designers are mentioned as we hear far too many details of the girls鈥� wardrobes. Characters worry about such difficult to sympathise with issues as how calorie-laden vodka and lemonade is. The girl Emily fancies repetitively mentions how great everything was back in 鈥淐ali鈥� once every two minutes and reminisces about cutting herself in order to tick another box on the 鈥渢een issues鈥� chart. Spencer continues to encourage the inappropriate behaviour of her sister鈥檚 boyfriend, even though he seems somewhat of a stalker-pervert type. During a traditional teen horror movie dream sequence Aria鈥檚 doorbell rings to the tune of 鈥淎merican Idiot鈥� by Greenday, which brings a much-needed note of mockery to proceedings. Unfortunately it鈥檚 only one note against the symphony of logomania and status obsession. Hanna experiences the kind of drink related total memory loss that only happens on TV even though a car crash is exactly the type of thing that normally leaves a couple of memories, particularly in someone who wasn鈥檛 even acting more than mildly tipsy. In summary, a lot of people do stupid things.
The d茅nouement is the finding of Alison鈥檚 body, which turns out to have been buried in a large hole in her own garden, which was filled in for no reason by suspicious builders just after she disappeared. There is no mention of either the builders or her family being questioned regarding this, nor of an internal investigation into what the hell the police were doing totally failing to consider this possibility until the new owners of the house decided to dig up the garden for a new tennis court. This bring our 4 heroines to the same location, namely the memorial service, where they eventually discuss the matter of their knowledgeable stalker. No one actually learns anything, except that all four of them are too stupid to think to turn their phones off at a funeral. The stalker remain unidentified. Their silly dramas drag on. The secret of what exactly they did to their unfortunate victim 鈥淛enna鈥� remains hidden. And everyone wanders off to wait for the next book.
Most Random Accusation Directed at the Reader
鈥淵ou thought only girls who entered beauty
pageants ended up on the sides of milk cartons.鈥�
No I didn鈥檛. Where the hell would I get that idea from? The only thing I can even vaguely connect with this is JonBen茅t Ramsay, and I don鈥檛 believe she was missing long enough to be cartonised. Not unless US milk production works a lot faster than I was aware. I guess I just don鈥檛 naturally connect kidnapping and popularity contests the way you do, Sara Shepard.
Least Appropriate Item of Clothing for a 13-Year-Old
An 鈥淚RISH GIRLS DO IT BETTER baby tee鈥�.
Which I think is a tiny t-shirt? At any rate, not being allowed to wear this by your parents does not make me feel any great sympathy for your strict upbringing. If being disallowed from wearing this is considered a harsh rule, then god knows what the other girls look like.
Most Air-Headed Metaphor
鈥淏efore Ali, the girls had felt like pleated, high-waisted mom jeans鈥ut then Ali made them feel like the most perfect-fitting Stella McCartneys that no one could afford.鈥�
Worst Names
Spencer Hastings (female)
Mona Vanderwaal
Chassey Bledsoe (female)
Phi Templeton (female)
Maya St.Germain
Byron Montgomery
Michelangelo Montgomery
Wren Kim (male)
Ezra Fitz
Casey Kirschner (male)
Alyssa Pennypacker
Devon Arliss (female)
Mason Byers (m)
Most Mysterious Statement
鈥淪he was a nearly straight-A, four-time state champion butterflyer鈥�
Is this some type of slang term I鈥檓 unfamiliar with? It later reoccurs on a magnet in the following form:
鈥淐OED NAKED BUTTERFLY鈥�
Which I can only take to be code of some type.
Least Flattering Assessment of a Nationality
鈥渉e claimed that all Icelandic boys were 鈥榩ussies who rode small, gay horses鈥欌€�
Most Unoriginal 鈥淩elevant鈥� Background Song
鈥淥ops I Did it Again鈥� whilst Hanna steals some Tiffany diamonds. Again.
Oddest Response to a One Night Stand
Texting him a haiku at 2:30am.
Most Childish Response to a Medical Conversation
鈥淪pencer tried not to giggle at the word sac.鈥�
Most Oxymoronic Description
Doringbell Friends, the ultra-hip Quakerschool
Overall, the book reads like a collection of teen problem pages have come to life and just happen to live in the single most unrealistic and unidentifiably elite town possible. The simplification of every example of teen angst and misery Shepard can come up with into a TV-ready series of vignettes featuring unattainably beautiful and rich heroines who are simultaneously incredibly academic and total airheads and whose lives revolve around brands and boys frankly leaves a very sour taste in the mouth. By making her creations so ridiculously fantastic the author has ensured that not only can a teen reader have no chance of seeing herself in the pages and taking comfort in relation to her own problems, but she is also presented with an unattainable standard of victimhood. What this book tells you is that not only is it fashionable and exciting to have problems like bulimia, self-harm, a tendency to drive drunk and an older man preying on you sexually, but that there鈥檚 no excuse to not have the body, wardrobe and hair of a Barbie doll whilst you鈥檙e attractively suffering.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2023
Teenage girls with secrets, getting into trouble, a missing friend and a mystery stalker. I used to work with someone who was obsessed with Pretty Little Liars, the books and TV show. I made a promise (all those years ago) that I would give it a go. Not my usual kind of read at all, but it was fast-paced, entertaining and fun, and I was surprised by how compulsive it was!
November 19, 2011
This series feels like it'll be a total guilty pleasure. It really reminded me of some of the and books that I read as a teen, and that's definitely a good thing. It's not literary genius but it's fun and easy to read. I started watching the TV show based on this series and I wanted to find out more because the episodes weren't coming out fast enough for me. I didn't feel like reading and watching the same series was redundant, it felt more like they complimented each other. I have to say though, that I didn't get enough answers with this one, I'll definitely be checking out the next book.
This series follows a group of four girls that fell out of touch after the disappearance of their mutual friend. They've all gone their separate ways but something is bringing the girls back together: ominous notes and texts that hint at a secret that only the girl that disappeared would know. Is she watching from the shadows, or, from the grave?
I was surprised at some of the topics this book touched on: death, homosexuality, cutting, drug and alcohol use among minors, improper teacher-student relationships, and bulimia, to name a few. Obviously I'm old enough to read about these things so it didn't bother me, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. I actually really liked how the author threw in these controversial topics; it really added a real feeling to the otherwise absurd plot (absurd in a good way though! Really!)
I can't wait until I can read the next book and find out some more of the puzzle. I am definitely intrigued and I will continue to watch the TV show as well.
This series follows a group of four girls that fell out of touch after the disappearance of their mutual friend. They've all gone their separate ways but something is bringing the girls back together: ominous notes and texts that hint at a secret that only the girl that disappeared would know. Is she watching from the shadows, or, from the grave?
I was surprised at some of the topics this book touched on: death, homosexuality, cutting, drug and alcohol use among minors, improper teacher-student relationships, and bulimia, to name a few. Obviously I'm old enough to read about these things so it didn't bother me, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. I actually really liked how the author threw in these controversial topics; it really added a real feeling to the otherwise absurd plot (absurd in a good way though! Really!)
I can't wait until I can read the next book and find out some more of the puzzle. I am definitely intrigued and I will continue to watch the TV show as well.
August 27, 2021
hi my name is emma and a fun fact about me is that the fictional town from pretty little liars is set like 10 minutes from where i grew up.
my tiny town and the surrounding tiny towns get name checked in this series, and it's for this reason that i feel: my high school experience should have been significantly more exciting.
murder count: 0. blackmail count: 0. stalking: 0. mistaken identity-based plot twists: 0. creepy teachers: okay not 0.
still. the most dramatic thing to occur at my school was the race for biggest teacher's pet, and seeing as we weren't even allowed to know class rank due to our sheer competitiveness being unsafe, that could only do so much.
anyway. these books are so fun, this show was a cultural touchstone, and i will never read or watch or think about either ever again.
part of ye olde i review books i read a long time ago series
my tiny town and the surrounding tiny towns get name checked in this series, and it's for this reason that i feel: my high school experience should have been significantly more exciting.
murder count: 0. blackmail count: 0. stalking: 0. mistaken identity-based plot twists: 0. creepy teachers: okay not 0.
still. the most dramatic thing to occur at my school was the race for biggest teacher's pet, and seeing as we weren't even allowed to know class rank due to our sheer competitiveness being unsafe, that could only do so much.
anyway. these books are so fun, this show was a cultural touchstone, and i will never read or watch or think about either ever again.
part of ye olde i review books i read a long time ago series
August 15, 2024
|| 3.5 stars ||
Everyone always says that the books are really different from the TV show, so I thought it would be interesting to check this out. However, although I can see that a lot of the relationships, for example, will turn out very unlike the TV show, this first book was extremely similar plot-wise to the first few episodes, so it was all a little predictable and repetitive for me.
That said, I think things will become completely separate later on in this series, so I might just keep at it to get to that point. Because I have to say I do find these books very entertaining. They鈥檙e a little trashy, but in a fun and addictive way.
Personally, my favourite chapters were definitely those by Spencer first, then Aria, then Emily, and then Hanna.
-Spencer is a character that is very realistic in how much pressure and loneliness she feels. She works so hard, but her parents will never truly acknowledge or love her, always favoring her sister over her, and that understandably breaks her heart. It鈥檚 why I kind of understood why she felt it was okay to steal her sister鈥檚 boyfriends the way she did鈥� Even though, of course, it shouldn鈥檛 be. Besides, her and Wren were honestly kind of cute, even though I actually want her with Andrew. I know he doesn鈥檛 have many scenes and he hardly even exists in the TV show, but still. He just seems so utterly adorable and his unrequited crush on Spencer is truly precious. I hope she will start to notice him in the next books, because I know he would be the sweetest boyfriend to her.
-Aria鈥檚 gentle and quirky yet confident personality was genuinely nice to read, and I personally like her best out of the four girls. I really want to find out what happens to her next: I hope she鈥檒l eventually dump creepy Ezra for good (who was honestly much worse here than in the TV show) and she鈥檒l find a good guy in the end. Maybe Noel has potential? Even though he seemed to be quite dumb so far.
-Emily is a sweetheart, but she鈥檚 a little too passive and therefore kind of boring. I want to care about her, but so far I don鈥檛 really. Her swimming is not something I care about, and her relationship with Maya hasn鈥檛 really sparked an interest in me yet either.
-With Hanna, I do feel pity and sympathy for her struggles and self-loathing, but I genuinely do not like the person she is right now. That said, Sean deserves to get kicked in the groin for what he said to her and he needs to be knocked off his high-horse so badly. I want to see that happen in the future!
Lastly, I just want to quickly mention that all of these parents are the literal worst. Emily鈥檚 parents are racist bigots, Aria鈥檚 father is a cheating groomer, Hanna鈥檚 mother is a distant workaholic, and Spencer鈥檚 parents are cold, unloving and abusive. They all made my blood boil.
'Pretty Little Liars' series:
1. Pretty Little Liars - 3.5 stars
2. Flawless - 3.5 stars
Everyone always says that the books are really different from the TV show, so I thought it would be interesting to check this out. However, although I can see that a lot of the relationships, for example, will turn out very unlike the TV show, this first book was extremely similar plot-wise to the first few episodes, so it was all a little predictable and repetitive for me.
That said, I think things will become completely separate later on in this series, so I might just keep at it to get to that point. Because I have to say I do find these books very entertaining. They鈥檙e a little trashy, but in a fun and addictive way.
Personally, my favourite chapters were definitely those by Spencer first, then Aria, then Emily, and then Hanna.
-Spencer is a character that is very realistic in how much pressure and loneliness she feels. She works so hard, but her parents will never truly acknowledge or love her, always favoring her sister over her, and that understandably breaks her heart. It鈥檚 why I kind of understood why she felt it was okay to steal her sister鈥檚 boyfriends the way she did鈥� Even though, of course, it shouldn鈥檛 be. Besides, her and Wren were honestly kind of cute, even though I actually want her with Andrew. I know he doesn鈥檛 have many scenes and he hardly even exists in the TV show, but still. He just seems so utterly adorable and his unrequited crush on Spencer is truly precious. I hope she will start to notice him in the next books, because I know he would be the sweetest boyfriend to her.
-Aria鈥檚 gentle and quirky yet confident personality was genuinely nice to read, and I personally like her best out of the four girls. I really want to find out what happens to her next: I hope she鈥檒l eventually dump creepy Ezra for good (who was honestly much worse here than in the TV show) and she鈥檒l find a good guy in the end. Maybe Noel has potential? Even though he seemed to be quite dumb so far.
-Emily is a sweetheart, but she鈥檚 a little too passive and therefore kind of boring. I want to care about her, but so far I don鈥檛 really. Her swimming is not something I care about, and her relationship with Maya hasn鈥檛 really sparked an interest in me yet either.
-With Hanna, I do feel pity and sympathy for her struggles and self-loathing, but I genuinely do not like the person she is right now. That said, Sean deserves to get kicked in the groin for what he said to her and he needs to be knocked off his high-horse so badly. I want to see that happen in the future!
Lastly, I just want to quickly mention that all of these parents are the literal worst. Emily鈥檚 parents are racist bigots, Aria鈥檚 father is a cheating groomer, Hanna鈥檚 mother is a distant workaholic, and Spencer鈥檚 parents are cold, unloving and abusive. They all made my blood boil.
'Pretty Little Liars' series:
1. Pretty Little Liars - 3.5 stars
2. Flawless - 3.5 stars
July 9, 2010
Okay, I'm hooked. I started watching the TV show when it first came out, and liked it well enough. So I decided to see how the book series would compare.
This book follows a former group of friends three years after their leader, Alison, went missing. Now they are getting mysterious text messages from a person known only as "A". "A" knows secrets only Alison knew and trust me, these girls have plenty of them. Despite being only 16, these girls have more skeletons in their closets than the cast of "Desperate Housewives". The girls have to confront secrets from their past while dealing with issues of their present.
I liked this book perhaps more than I'm willing to admit. Its a guilty pleasure read for sure. The girls are each different and have their own personalities. Aria is the "free spirit" who holds the secret of her dads affair, while trying to hide a tryst of her own. Emily is the demure jock who is questioning her sexuality and overall personality. Hanna is the new queen bee desperate to stay ahead. And Spencer is the competetive over-achiever who is fruitlessly trying to please her parents.
I liked all of the girls, despite their faults. But I did remain unattached from them through out the book. The plot is full of twists and turns and I have absolutely no idea what will happen next.
I'm not sure whether or not I like the TV show or book series more. While they obviously have similarities, they have their fair share of differences, and I think they might be going in different directions. So as of now, I like them both.
Next installment please!
This book follows a former group of friends three years after their leader, Alison, went missing. Now they are getting mysterious text messages from a person known only as "A". "A" knows secrets only Alison knew and trust me, these girls have plenty of them. Despite being only 16, these girls have more skeletons in their closets than the cast of "Desperate Housewives". The girls have to confront secrets from their past while dealing with issues of their present.
I liked this book perhaps more than I'm willing to admit. Its a guilty pleasure read for sure. The girls are each different and have their own personalities. Aria is the "free spirit" who holds the secret of her dads affair, while trying to hide a tryst of her own. Emily is the demure jock who is questioning her sexuality and overall personality. Hanna is the new queen bee desperate to stay ahead. And Spencer is the competetive over-achiever who is fruitlessly trying to please her parents.
I liked all of the girls, despite their faults. But I did remain unattached from them through out the book. The plot is full of twists and turns and I have absolutely no idea what will happen next.
I'm not sure whether or not I like the TV show or book series more. While they obviously have similarities, they have their fair share of differences, and I think they might be going in different directions. So as of now, I like them both.
Next installment please!
April 30, 2015
Find all of my reviews at:
A week or so ago one of my new friends on 欧宝娱乐 asked what was taking me so long to finish Pretty Little Liars. Truth is, I finished it in one day waaaaaaaaaaaay long ago, but my reaction was . . . .
so I never got around to writing a review. Want a sneak peak into the world of Mitchell and Kelly and how to tell if they didn鈥檛 like a book????
Yep. Not a note, not a highlight, not a comment, nada. This time the problem stems from one issue and one issue alone . . .
In case you don鈥檛 already know (since there are like eleventy trillion of these books and also a television series), Pretty Little Liars is the story of a group of girls whose frenemy, Alison, disappeared during a slumber party. Fast forward three years and each of the girls begins receiving notes/emails/texts threatening to divulge some dirty secrets. Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn.
Now, if I were able to jump in the way-back machine I would probably dig on this series. Not to mention the T.V. show. From my addiction to all things of the 90210 and Melrose Place varieties as a tween, I鈥檓 fairly certain I would just lap this shit up too. However, since I鈥檓 now 1,000 years old, reading/watching Pretty Little Liars makes me feel more than a bit like this . . .
So yeah. This one gets a low rating because I really just didn鈥檛 like it. The writing wasn鈥檛 great, the storyline was juvenile and read like middle-grade material, and it was just sooooooo predictable I can only muster up a 2 Star.
A week or so ago one of my new friends on 欧宝娱乐 asked what was taking me so long to finish Pretty Little Liars. Truth is, I finished it in one day waaaaaaaaaaaay long ago, but my reaction was . . . .
so I never got around to writing a review. Want a sneak peak into the world of Mitchell and Kelly and how to tell if they didn鈥檛 like a book????
Yep. Not a note, not a highlight, not a comment, nada. This time the problem stems from one issue and one issue alone . . .
In case you don鈥檛 already know (since there are like eleventy trillion of these books and also a television series), Pretty Little Liars is the story of a group of girls whose frenemy, Alison, disappeared during a slumber party. Fast forward three years and each of the girls begins receiving notes/emails/texts threatening to divulge some dirty secrets. Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn.
Now, if I were able to jump in the way-back machine I would probably dig on this series. Not to mention the T.V. show. From my addiction to all things of the 90210 and Melrose Place varieties as a tween, I鈥檓 fairly certain I would just lap this shit up too. However, since I鈥檓 now 1,000 years old, reading/watching Pretty Little Liars makes me feel more than a bit like this . . .
So yeah. This one gets a low rating because I really just didn鈥檛 like it. The writing wasn鈥檛 great, the storyline was juvenile and read like middle-grade material, and it was just sooooooo predictable I can only muster up a 2 Star.
February 25, 2013
I'm ashamed to admit I've read this book, and the only reason I'm copping to it is because I need it for my reading challenge. Pretty Little Liars is not the type of book I usually read, but after a friend admitted the show was one of her guilty pleasures, I decided to check out the book. Unfortunately, I got no pleasure from reading this, only guilt and frustration.
Pretty Little Liars tells the story of Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna, four girls whose best friend, Alison, disappears one night during a slumber party. After their devastating loss the four girls drift apart, leading their own separate lives. Aria spends two years abroad in Iceland, Spencer immerses herself in her academic and extracurricular actives, Emily focuses on swimming, and Hanna loses weight and becomes the new "it" girl at their posh private school, Rosewood Day. Three years later, each of them begin receiving ominous text messages from someone named A, who threatens to expose their secrets鈥攕ecrets only Alison knows.
The best thing about this book is the premise. In the hands of a good writer, this could have been an engaging read, but there is not one aspect of the story, other than the mystery, that was handled well. The characters are vapid and shallow, and an extraordinary amount of time is spent describing their appearance, in particular their designer clothing. The messages are appallingly unhealthy. One of the main romances is between Aria and her English teacher, which is presented as "true love" rather than an inappropriate affair between a young girl and a much older man, who as her teacher holds a lot of power over her. There are also implied messages about the importance of being thin, wealthy, and wearing designer labels.
The writing was very clunky and unpolished. The dialogue was unrealistic, particularly when it came to the parents. There was an excessive use of dialogue tags and an excessive use of words other than "said." Characters "squeaked," "whispered," "spat," "murmured," and "threw in" all on one page, in the course of one conversation. While I'm hardly a stickler for the "only use said" rule, I found it very distracting here. Instead of relying on the dialogue itself to show how the characters are speaking, the dialogue tags tell us how the lines are being delivered. Shepard also tends to abuse adverbs throughout the text. Most times they were unnecessary, and sometimes they were downright awkward. In one example, a boy "messily dribbled" beer down his chin. The word "messily" is unneeded because it's implied by the situation.
I won't be reading on in the series, although I'm mildly interested to know who A is. The mystery is intriguing, but I don't care what happens to any of the characters, and I can't suffer through glorified student/teacher relationships, or poor writing to satisfy my curiosity. Those who enjoyed the Gossip Girl series will probably enjoy this one.
Pretty Little Liars tells the story of Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna, four girls whose best friend, Alison, disappears one night during a slumber party. After their devastating loss the four girls drift apart, leading their own separate lives. Aria spends two years abroad in Iceland, Spencer immerses herself in her academic and extracurricular actives, Emily focuses on swimming, and Hanna loses weight and becomes the new "it" girl at their posh private school, Rosewood Day. Three years later, each of them begin receiving ominous text messages from someone named A, who threatens to expose their secrets鈥攕ecrets only Alison knows.
The best thing about this book is the premise. In the hands of a good writer, this could have been an engaging read, but there is not one aspect of the story, other than the mystery, that was handled well. The characters are vapid and shallow, and an extraordinary amount of time is spent describing their appearance, in particular their designer clothing. The messages are appallingly unhealthy. One of the main romances is between Aria and her English teacher, which is presented as "true love" rather than an inappropriate affair between a young girl and a much older man, who as her teacher holds a lot of power over her. There are also implied messages about the importance of being thin, wealthy, and wearing designer labels.
The writing was very clunky and unpolished. The dialogue was unrealistic, particularly when it came to the parents. There was an excessive use of dialogue tags and an excessive use of words other than "said." Characters "squeaked," "whispered," "spat," "murmured," and "threw in" all on one page, in the course of one conversation. While I'm hardly a stickler for the "only use said" rule, I found it very distracting here. Instead of relying on the dialogue itself to show how the characters are speaking, the dialogue tags tell us how the lines are being delivered. Shepard also tends to abuse adverbs throughout the text. Most times they were unnecessary, and sometimes they were downright awkward. In one example, a boy "messily dribbled" beer down his chin. The word "messily" is unneeded because it's implied by the situation.
I won't be reading on in the series, although I'm mildly interested to know who A is. The mystery is intriguing, but I don't care what happens to any of the characters, and I can't suffer through glorified student/teacher relationships, or poor writing to satisfy my curiosity. Those who enjoyed the Gossip Girl series will probably enjoy this one.
Read
September 8, 2023this was so much fun omfggggg. i鈥檓 not rating it because it was written so long ago it just doesn鈥檛 feel right? (i would give it 4 stars). this was my first time reading it and i had a BALL ngl, im reading it for a vlog so be on the look out for that and more of my thoughts.
March 3, 2025
I read this years ago and wanted to re-read it for the shits and giggles. I'm glad I did. lol
鈥撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌�
This book follows four high school juniors: Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily. They all have something to hide and now they have to work harder to hide it after they begin to receive messages from someone named A.
Their fifth best friend, Alison DiLaurentis, went missing and she was found in her former backyard, deceased, but A is now threatening to reveal the four girls' deepest, darkest secrets that only Ali knew. It could ruin their lives and we don't want that...right?
鈥撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌�
I'm guessing Sara updated this book because there are references to artists, TV shows, and films that weren't popular or even exist when this book was originally published. Not that I'm complaining or anything.
I think this is really the only book I read years ago that I still enjoy in adulthood. Nine times out of ten, I'm scratching my head and wondering what I liked about the book enough that I called it a favorite. This book appears to be an exception.
I can't wait to figure out what happens to the girls since the last time I paid any attention to this series, there were only 12 books out. I know, I'm dating myself. lol I don't really care, though. I'll say it - I'm in my mid-30s. Bite me. lol
This book is outside of the genre of books I normally stick toward day to day but I do stray from time to time. I did enjoy this book for the simple reason that I enjoy not knowing what's going to happen next. It has been so long since I read this book last that I can't remember anything. Oops?
I think I relate the most to Emily's struggle with her sexual identity since I struggled with mine for years. I'm cringing at the reaction I know her parents are going to have when they find out about her kiss with Maya. Yikes!
I also feel bad for Spencer since I know she didn't mean for the scene with Wren to happen, let alone for her sister to see it. I find Melissa to be a total bitch and the fact that her parents sided with Melissa made my blood boil. It was so gross!
I would recommend this book, for sure, if you like a good thriller. It reminds me a lot of a good James Patterson novel, in that every time you think you know who A is, it turns out you're wrong. I stopped trying to figure it out at one point and so should you. lol
鈥撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌�
This book follows four high school juniors: Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily. They all have something to hide and now they have to work harder to hide it after they begin to receive messages from someone named A.
Their fifth best friend, Alison DiLaurentis, went missing and she was found in her former backyard, deceased, but A is now threatening to reveal the four girls' deepest, darkest secrets that only Ali knew. It could ruin their lives and we don't want that...right?
鈥撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌撯赌�
I'm guessing Sara updated this book because there are references to artists, TV shows, and films that weren't popular or even exist when this book was originally published. Not that I'm complaining or anything.
I think this is really the only book I read years ago that I still enjoy in adulthood. Nine times out of ten, I'm scratching my head and wondering what I liked about the book enough that I called it a favorite. This book appears to be an exception.
I can't wait to figure out what happens to the girls since the last time I paid any attention to this series, there were only 12 books out. I know, I'm dating myself. lol I don't really care, though. I'll say it - I'm in my mid-30s. Bite me. lol
This book is outside of the genre of books I normally stick toward day to day but I do stray from time to time. I did enjoy this book for the simple reason that I enjoy not knowing what's going to happen next. It has been so long since I read this book last that I can't remember anything. Oops?
I think I relate the most to Emily's struggle with her sexual identity since I struggled with mine for years. I'm cringing at the reaction I know her parents are going to have when they find out about her kiss with Maya. Yikes!
I also feel bad for Spencer since I know she didn't mean for the scene with Wren to happen, let alone for her sister to see it. I find Melissa to be a total bitch and the fact that her parents sided with Melissa made my blood boil. It was so gross!
I would recommend this book, for sure, if you like a good thriller. It reminds me a lot of a good James Patterson novel, in that every time you think you know who A is, it turns out you're wrong. I stopped trying to figure it out at one point and so should you. lol
January 8, 2019
Ognuno ha i suoi guilty pleasure.
Videorecensione:
Videorecensione:
January 31, 2008
Pretty Little Liars has been my favorite book I have read so far. It is filled with drama, suspense and mystery, but it also brings together friendship and bravery. Four best friends, Aria, Hanna, Emily and Spencer, are separated by the death of their friend Alison DeLaurentis, as she has mysteriously disappeared. They each shared secrets with Alison and one very important one that nobody could find out: the Jenna secret. All four friends soon drifted apart, but were brought back together when they start receiving mysterious text messages from A. Could A. be Alison? Were all of their secrets about to become secret no more? They must work together to find out who it is soon, because all the information Alison kept confidential is no longer safe.
Aria Montgomery is a free spirit; she became best friends with Alison, Spencer, Emily and Hanna and made documentaries about their friendship. She is crushing on her English teacher and she used to live in Iceland. When she returns home and learns that her friends have all separated, she is shocked to find mysterious texts from A. Now she learns that she must work together with her old friends to find out who A. is, before they tell their old secrets and ruin their lives.
Hanna Marin is the most popular girl in school. She is dating Sean Ackard, the hottest guy in school and she is also best friends with Mona Vanderwahl, together they are the elite clique of the school and they are totally gorgeous, rich and popular, they never used to be though. In the seventh grade, Hanna was chubby, ugly and totally self-conscious about how she looked, and Mona was completely weird, clingy and she desperately wanted to be popular. They both decided that in the summer of seventh they would transform themselves into glamorous, beautiful and totally popular people and they would be best friends for life. They showed up freshman year looking totally hot, and nobody cared about the dirty secrets they used to stay beautiful, nobody that is, until now. Hanna starts receiving terrifying messages from A. that could ruin her perfect reputation and send her life spiraling out-of-control!
Emily is a pale-skinned, redheaded, swim jock. She is the un-girlish of all of her friends and she is constantly attending swim practice and striving to get a swimming scholarship and go to a good school like her sister Carolyn. Emily soon finds out that she is attracted to girls, and when a mysterious text message she receives from A. threatens to display this horrible secret, Emily is forced to stay away from the new girl and her new crush Maya. Will A. tell her deep dark secret? Only time will tell.
Spencer Hastings is your average over-achieving, well-rounded, athletic, smart, beautiful, rich teenage girl. She plays field hockey, does extremely well in school and lives in an amazing house, she has a picture-perfect life, except for one tiny flaw, her menacing older sister, Melissa. Spencer is always trying to live up to Melissa's greatness, be more successful then her, have a cuter boyfriend then her, but when Melissa catches her boyfriend and Spencer making out, Spencer's life is plummeted downhill fast. Then when mysterious text messages from A. start coming, it seems like Spencer's life couldn't get any worse, or can it? Read this totally awesome, action-packed book to find out!
Aria Montgomery is a free spirit; she became best friends with Alison, Spencer, Emily and Hanna and made documentaries about their friendship. She is crushing on her English teacher and she used to live in Iceland. When she returns home and learns that her friends have all separated, she is shocked to find mysterious texts from A. Now she learns that she must work together with her old friends to find out who A. is, before they tell their old secrets and ruin their lives.
Hanna Marin is the most popular girl in school. She is dating Sean Ackard, the hottest guy in school and she is also best friends with Mona Vanderwahl, together they are the elite clique of the school and they are totally gorgeous, rich and popular, they never used to be though. In the seventh grade, Hanna was chubby, ugly and totally self-conscious about how she looked, and Mona was completely weird, clingy and she desperately wanted to be popular. They both decided that in the summer of seventh they would transform themselves into glamorous, beautiful and totally popular people and they would be best friends for life. They showed up freshman year looking totally hot, and nobody cared about the dirty secrets they used to stay beautiful, nobody that is, until now. Hanna starts receiving terrifying messages from A. that could ruin her perfect reputation and send her life spiraling out-of-control!
Emily is a pale-skinned, redheaded, swim jock. She is the un-girlish of all of her friends and she is constantly attending swim practice and striving to get a swimming scholarship and go to a good school like her sister Carolyn. Emily soon finds out that she is attracted to girls, and when a mysterious text message she receives from A. threatens to display this horrible secret, Emily is forced to stay away from the new girl and her new crush Maya. Will A. tell her deep dark secret? Only time will tell.
Spencer Hastings is your average over-achieving, well-rounded, athletic, smart, beautiful, rich teenage girl. She plays field hockey, does extremely well in school and lives in an amazing house, she has a picture-perfect life, except for one tiny flaw, her menacing older sister, Melissa. Spencer is always trying to live up to Melissa's greatness, be more successful then her, have a cuter boyfriend then her, but when Melissa catches her boyfriend and Spencer making out, Spencer's life is plummeted downhill fast. Then when mysterious text messages from A. start coming, it seems like Spencer's life couldn't get any worse, or can it? Read this totally awesome, action-packed book to find out!
November 18, 2024
finished nov 18 5.20ish pm!
LOVE THE DRAMAAAAAAA. I gobbled this up 馃構
one down, 15 to go!
pre-read
finally gonna try to tackle this 16 book long series 馃 馃ゲ
LOVE THE DRAMAAAAAAA. I gobbled this up 馃構
one down, 15 to go!
pre-read
finally gonna try to tackle this 16 book long series 馃 馃ゲ
April 1, 2015
I've been a long-time fan of the tv show so I thought I'd give this book series a try.
I don't know if it was because I've seen all those things happening in the tv series, in a much more lengthening and stretching way but this book lacked the thrill the tv show sometimes gives me. I was no surprised at all by anything happening in the book and I expected that there wouldn't be anything that would blow my mind away but I was disappointed by the fact that the characters in the book are a far-cry from those of the tv series. The only character that the book and the character have that is somewhat the same, is Aria. I don't mean they're different looking, they're different characters, different personalities and that was what mainly let me down..
The plot was unraveling fast enough and that's the only good thing, although that was practically the first episode of the tv show, as far as the mystery goes. The writing was mediocre and I thought Mrs. Shepard would be a better author than this. Her characters are swallow (I much prefer those of the tv show) and the writing is a tad bit sloppy and it left me completely indifferent.
My point with this review isn't to compare the tv show to the book but just clarify the major differences between the two. I'm most definitely sure that even if I had read this before watching the tv series I would have still given it three stars.
If you're a fan of the tv series then I don't recommend you read this, I'd say stick with the tv show, instead. If then again, you're interested in or looking for some contemporary ya with shreds of mystery in it and have never heard of the tv show then go ahead and read this, you may actually end up enjoying this.
I don't know if it was because I've seen all those things happening in the tv series, in a much more lengthening and stretching way but this book lacked the thrill the tv show sometimes gives me. I was no surprised at all by anything happening in the book and I expected that there wouldn't be anything that would blow my mind away but I was disappointed by the fact that the characters in the book are a far-cry from those of the tv series. The only character that the book and the character have that is somewhat the same, is Aria. I don't mean they're different looking, they're different characters, different personalities and that was what mainly let me down..
The plot was unraveling fast enough and that's the only good thing, although that was practically the first episode of the tv show, as far as the mystery goes. The writing was mediocre and I thought Mrs. Shepard would be a better author than this. Her characters are swallow (I much prefer those of the tv show) and the writing is a tad bit sloppy and it left me completely indifferent.
My point with this review isn't to compare the tv show to the book but just clarify the major differences between the two. I'm most definitely sure that even if I had read this before watching the tv series I would have still given it three stars.
If you're a fan of the tv series then I don't recommend you read this, I'd say stick with the tv show, instead. If then again, you're interested in or looking for some contemporary ya with shreds of mystery in it and have never heard of the tv show then go ahead and read this, you may actually end up enjoying this.
May 4, 2023
The nostalgia is real with this one. I hate all of the parents, and the characters make such bad choices, but I love them all. You can definitely tell this was written during the trash years of YA though since every piece of clothing or jewellery is called by its full name, brand and everything. Also, there is a lot of shit that's said that wouldn't fly today unless there was a strong character arc of learning and acceptance attached. I haven't read past the ninth book or so yet, so I'm not 100% sure if that ever happens for the shitty characters, but I hope it does.
April 7, 2024
Nobody is more surprised than me about how much I enjoyed this
February 8, 2012
鈥淚'm still here, b!tches. And I know everything."
Once upon a time, five girls were friends: Alison, the ringleader, Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer. Then one day, Alison just up and disappears.
Three years later, the girls begin to receive threatening texts, IMs, and notes about their secrets, past and present. Aria is flirting with the English Teacher; Emily is hanging out more with the new neighbor girl, Hanna has a dirty way of keeping thin, and Spencer is out for her perfect sister's boyfriend. What happened to "A"? And will she ruin their lives?
Contemporary teen lit typically isn't my thing. I'm 28 years old, and I read a bunch of contemporary teen lit back in the day. But "Pretty Little Liars" has always stared at me, wanting me to read it. So one day, I broke down and bought the first book. I started reading...and suddenly, I was finished!
And the verdict? Not that bad!
First off, I want to repeat that I am 28 years old. I can't imagine kids younger than 16 (unless they are exceptionally mature) reading this. It has drugs. It has sex. It has foul language. It has underage drinking. It has stealing, infidelity, lying, figuring out your sexual orientation, some violence, reckless behavior, and other sorts of vices and teenaged problems that just aren't suitable for the younger set. So parents: You have been warned.
Now, if that isn't a problem for you, I think you will find a nifty little book. I was impressed with the writing: clear, easy on the eyes, yet I didn't feel that it was dumbed down. I whipped through this book in a few days (and only that because I had to work, eat, sleep, and drive). I definitely find the writing an improvement on other teen lit (namely the Twilight series).
At the beginning, I had a hard time differentiating the characters from each other, but as I got further into the book, the characters became more and more alive. My favorite was Spencer. She was nerdy (like me), and that is probably where our similarities begin and end. I really felt bad for her, being overshadowed by her older sister, clamoring for her parents to see her and pay attention to her. Aria left to live in Iceland for three years and came back to Rosewood. I can totally feel the trauma of moving--I myself moved when I was 14 and it was rough. Hanna's story pulled at my heartstrings. I know what it's like to be pudgy, and I can understand her desire to be perfect and thin. Lastly, we have Emily, probably my least favorite, but still well done. Emily is the goody-two-shoes--she does everything her parents say and doesn't complain. But secretly, she wants to give up swimming and figure out how she feels about the neighbor girl, Maya. I thought the exploration of her sexuality was well-done. No over the top drama.
The other characters--the various family members and classmates--are seen through the eyes of these girls, and they are pretty well developed too (for secondary characters). I loved Mona's transformation from Outsider to Popular girl; Andrew was sweet (even if he seemed a creepy stalker); Maya was fascinating.
I want to take a moment away and talk about one other thing. A lot of people tend to assume, because you are wealthy, because you have parents and a house and go to school, that you are perfect and put together. And that any conflict you have isn't nearly as bad as, say, that student with leukemia or that teenager from the inner city (not saying that they have it easy BTW). It just frustrates me to no end to see one person's conflict undermined for another person's "more justifiable" conflict. The fact is, life is conflict, life is harsh and filled with trials, whether we live on Park Ave or Haiti. Each person has to work through their inner and outer demons, whether they are struggling with a divorcing parent, fighting an eating disorder, trying to get to school, or whatever.
Some people may brush off the conflicts these girls have because they are "rich girls". They don't have real troubles, just invented ones. While that may be true to some extent, just because the girls' parents are wealthy doesn't make their situations less valid. Just because these girls aren't trying to make ends meet AND go to school or keep a stiff upper lip when they have a terminal illness doesn't mean that their stories can't tell us anything--or that our own conflicts are less important.
*gets off soapbox*
When I first read the back, I was glancing over each girl's "problem" and rolling my eyes. It sounded a lot like the teen novels I had read when I was a kid--only the novels I read never had the main protagonist be afflicted with them. I figured that I would always be an observer, a voyeur, watching these girls but never being involved in their situations.
I was wrong.
The story does suck you in and make you interested in what happens to each girl. Instead of being aloof and unmoving, I found myself drawing closer to these characters and wondering what happened next, frantically turning pages. As for the texts from the mysterious "A"--yeah, that creeped me the hell out.
The book ends on not-quite a cliffhanger. It's a fairly well contained story with an obvious series bait/sequel hook.
And the question I know is on your mind: will I read book 2? Yup, I will. While I love intricate novels, novels that make you think and challenge your perception of the world, I also love books that are just fun, that don't ask more of you than to tune in and listen. And that is what this book was: it was enjoyable time-waster, something to watch at the end of a long day when you don't really want to use your brains too much. If you can get past the language, drugs, alcohol, and sex, then these aren't that bad of books.
Once upon a time, five girls were friends: Alison, the ringleader, Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer. Then one day, Alison just up and disappears.
Three years later, the girls begin to receive threatening texts, IMs, and notes about their secrets, past and present. Aria is flirting with the English Teacher; Emily is hanging out more with the new neighbor girl, Hanna has a dirty way of keeping thin, and Spencer is out for her perfect sister's boyfriend. What happened to "A"? And will she ruin their lives?
Contemporary teen lit typically isn't my thing. I'm 28 years old, and I read a bunch of contemporary teen lit back in the day. But "Pretty Little Liars" has always stared at me, wanting me to read it. So one day, I broke down and bought the first book. I started reading...and suddenly, I was finished!
And the verdict? Not that bad!
First off, I want to repeat that I am 28 years old. I can't imagine kids younger than 16 (unless they are exceptionally mature) reading this. It has drugs. It has sex. It has foul language. It has underage drinking. It has stealing, infidelity, lying, figuring out your sexual orientation, some violence, reckless behavior, and other sorts of vices and teenaged problems that just aren't suitable for the younger set. So parents: You have been warned.
Now, if that isn't a problem for you, I think you will find a nifty little book. I was impressed with the writing: clear, easy on the eyes, yet I didn't feel that it was dumbed down. I whipped through this book in a few days (and only that because I had to work, eat, sleep, and drive). I definitely find the writing an improvement on other teen lit (namely the Twilight series).
At the beginning, I had a hard time differentiating the characters from each other, but as I got further into the book, the characters became more and more alive. My favorite was Spencer. She was nerdy (like me), and that is probably where our similarities begin and end. I really felt bad for her, being overshadowed by her older sister, clamoring for her parents to see her and pay attention to her. Aria left to live in Iceland for three years and came back to Rosewood. I can totally feel the trauma of moving--I myself moved when I was 14 and it was rough. Hanna's story pulled at my heartstrings. I know what it's like to be pudgy, and I can understand her desire to be perfect and thin. Lastly, we have Emily, probably my least favorite, but still well done. Emily is the goody-two-shoes--she does everything her parents say and doesn't complain. But secretly, she wants to give up swimming and figure out how she feels about the neighbor girl, Maya. I thought the exploration of her sexuality was well-done. No over the top drama.
The other characters--the various family members and classmates--are seen through the eyes of these girls, and they are pretty well developed too (for secondary characters). I loved Mona's transformation from Outsider to Popular girl; Andrew was sweet (even if he seemed a creepy stalker); Maya was fascinating.
I want to take a moment away and talk about one other thing. A lot of people tend to assume, because you are wealthy, because you have parents and a house and go to school, that you are perfect and put together. And that any conflict you have isn't nearly as bad as, say, that student with leukemia or that teenager from the inner city (not saying that they have it easy BTW). It just frustrates me to no end to see one person's conflict undermined for another person's "more justifiable" conflict. The fact is, life is conflict, life is harsh and filled with trials, whether we live on Park Ave or Haiti. Each person has to work through their inner and outer demons, whether they are struggling with a divorcing parent, fighting an eating disorder, trying to get to school, or whatever.
Some people may brush off the conflicts these girls have because they are "rich girls". They don't have real troubles, just invented ones. While that may be true to some extent, just because the girls' parents are wealthy doesn't make their situations less valid. Just because these girls aren't trying to make ends meet AND go to school or keep a stiff upper lip when they have a terminal illness doesn't mean that their stories can't tell us anything--or that our own conflicts are less important.
*gets off soapbox*
When I first read the back, I was glancing over each girl's "problem" and rolling my eyes. It sounded a lot like the teen novels I had read when I was a kid--only the novels I read never had the main protagonist be afflicted with them. I figured that I would always be an observer, a voyeur, watching these girls but never being involved in their situations.
I was wrong.
The story does suck you in and make you interested in what happens to each girl. Instead of being aloof and unmoving, I found myself drawing closer to these characters and wondering what happened next, frantically turning pages. As for the texts from the mysterious "A"--yeah, that creeped me the hell out.
The book ends on not-quite a cliffhanger. It's a fairly well contained story with an obvious series bait/sequel hook.
And the question I know is on your mind: will I read book 2? Yup, I will. While I love intricate novels, novels that make you think and challenge your perception of the world, I also love books that are just fun, that don't ask more of you than to tune in and listen. And that is what this book was: it was enjoyable time-waster, something to watch at the end of a long day when you don't really want to use your brains too much. If you can get past the language, drugs, alcohol, and sex, then these aren't that bad of books.
October 14, 2020
Who is the bored bitch who decided to read this series after watching it TWICE before?
鉂栤潠鉂栤潠鉂栤潠鉂栤潠
So anyway, the book follows the lives of 5 former best friends- Emily, Spencer, Aria, Hanna and Allison. Allison is a queen bee, popular smart and wanted. When Allison first befriends them in 7th grade, the girl's are dazzled to say the least and follow everything she says like a holy grail. But over the years, they realise that many of what Ali says and does is wrong but no one can back out from their friendship now because Ali knows all their secrets. Every little lie they ever told, Ali knows them all.
The books gets off on an interesting start by showing us their friendship and then Ali's disappearance, and then, the disintegration of the friendship of the others.
Hanna, Aria, Spencer and Emily were all very intriguing and realistic characters going through their own troubles. They all had their own secrets that they wanted to hide, but would they go as far as murder?
A
鉂栤潠鉂栤潠鉂栤潠鉂栤潠
So anyway, the book follows the lives of 5 former best friends- Emily, Spencer, Aria, Hanna and Allison. Allison is a queen bee, popular smart and wanted. When Allison first befriends them in 7th grade, the girl's are dazzled to say the least and follow everything she says like a holy grail. But over the years, they realise that many of what Ali says and does is wrong but no one can back out from their friendship now because Ali knows all their secrets. Every little lie they ever told, Ali knows them all.
The books gets off on an interesting start by showing us their friendship and then Ali's disappearance, and then, the disintegration of the friendship of the others.
Hanna, Aria, Spencer and Emily were all very intriguing and realistic characters going through their own troubles. They all had their own secrets that they wanted to hide, but would they go as far as murder?
A
March 26, 2017
Muy entretenido para una lectura ligera, imperdibles.
November 29, 2011
I've really enjoyed the TV series, and I'm anxious to know who A is (DON'T TELL ME). So I thought I'd try reading the Pretty Little Liars book series, by Sara Shepard. There's supposed to be 12 in total, but after reading the first one, I don't think I could take 11 more.
The TV show has good writers. I was not impressed by the writing in the book. The TV versions of the characters are generally flawed but likable. The characters in the book are slutty or unpleasant in other ways or one dimensional. TV Ezra is misguided but lovable, book Ezra is just a jerk with poor self control. All the hair colors are changed, which is good, because nearly everyone in the book is blonde or some shade of blonde or has blonde highlights or blonde tones...yeah.
There were a lot of references to classic literature and music, which seemed inserted to let us know the characters were better educated than they let on. Maybe it was Shepard's attempt to get her readers to read more. They were far out weighed by the brand name dropping. I'm not big on designers or labels, but I'm pretty sure everyone is mentioned in the book somewhere. For giggly girls who spend their afternoons flipping through Teen Vogue and Seventeen, it probably connects to them, but I got rather bored with it.
The TV show has good writers. I was not impressed by the writing in the book. The TV versions of the characters are generally flawed but likable. The characters in the book are slutty or unpleasant in other ways or one dimensional. TV Ezra is misguided but lovable, book Ezra is just a jerk with poor self control. All the hair colors are changed, which is good, because nearly everyone in the book is blonde or some shade of blonde or has blonde highlights or blonde tones...yeah.
There were a lot of references to classic literature and music, which seemed inserted to let us know the characters were better educated than they let on. Maybe it was Shepard's attempt to get her readers to read more. They were far out weighed by the brand name dropping. I'm not big on designers or labels, but I'm pretty sure everyone is mentioned in the book somewhere. For giggly girls who spend their afternoons flipping through Teen Vogue and Seventeen, it probably connects to them, but I got rather bored with it.
July 17, 2010
Overall a cute, quick read. I think (if we were able) I'd give it 3.5 stars.
I wouldn't say it was absolutely enthralling and sucked me into its plot, or that it left me thinking and that the characters were multi-dimensional and had some depth to them. But nonetheless I did enjoy this book.
Pretty Little Liars is the story of four ex-best friends slowly coming together in the wake of being terrorized by the mysterious "A" after the disappearance of their friend Alison years earlier that effectively split up their friendships.
All the girls have secrets of their own, that the others (with the exception of Ali) knew about - Aria is hiding from her mother that her father is cheating, Spencer is in constant competition with her older sister (right down to competing for boyfriends), Emily struggles with her sexual orientation and Hanna is body dysmorphic.
Can they uncover who the mysterious "A" is? Can they still hide their secrets from each other and from everybody else? Can they try to salvage their long-damaged friendships with one another?
Reread: November 2012
I wouldn't say it was absolutely enthralling and sucked me into its plot, or that it left me thinking and that the characters were multi-dimensional and had some depth to them. But nonetheless I did enjoy this book.
Pretty Little Liars is the story of four ex-best friends slowly coming together in the wake of being terrorized by the mysterious "A" after the disappearance of their friend Alison years earlier that effectively split up their friendships.
All the girls have secrets of their own, that the others (with the exception of Ali) knew about - Aria is hiding from her mother that her father is cheating, Spencer is in constant competition with her older sister (right down to competing for boyfriends), Emily struggles with her sexual orientation and Hanna is body dysmorphic.
Can they uncover who the mysterious "A" is? Can they still hide their secrets from each other and from everybody else? Can they try to salvage their long-damaged friendships with one another?
Reread: November 2012
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2025
During COVID, my mom had suddenly died of a cancer none of us knew she had (including herself), and I was under a great deal of stress living with my dad by myself (my brothers were too far away to help). I'd lived alone for 30 years, and suddenly I had a very difficult roommate, on top of which I was experiencing what psychologists call complicated grief. I was going through a major existential crisis. I needed to numb - a lot. I needed to turn off my brain and my heart. Otherwise, I sat there stuffing my face and wondering what the point was in living at all. My solution was to numb with TV and food. I wondered what it would take to switch careers and become a professional TV critic. I spent almost all my nonworking time in front of the TV, and even more so after my dad was killed. The amount of TV I watched is embarrassing. In this case, I watched all seven seasons of this show in a matter of days.
Now that I'm off TV (I take this as a sign of progress), I'm more engaged with the world. But I'm still escaping, which is different than numbing. Now I escape in my books, and I was really curious what this series would be like to read. The TV show was mysterious, salacious, and easy to watch. The book started out so annoying that I started to wonder if I only watched it because it was something to watch. But then I started remembering the storyline and realized the show followed the book pretty well. Before I knew it, the first book was over. I didn't think I was going to want to continue with the second book, but I've already got a hold on it at the library. LOL.
I think what makes this book uncomfortably fun is that it's a teen soap opera. These are children acting as adults, and a lot of it is inappropriate for that age group. (Or at least I think it is - maybe I'm a bit out of touch and this is actually quite normal for them? Gosh I hope not - kids need a chance to be kids!)
3.5, rounding up to 4.
Now that I'm off TV (I take this as a sign of progress), I'm more engaged with the world. But I'm still escaping, which is different than numbing. Now I escape in my books, and I was really curious what this series would be like to read. The TV show was mysterious, salacious, and easy to watch. The book started out so annoying that I started to wonder if I only watched it because it was something to watch. But then I started remembering the storyline and realized the show followed the book pretty well. Before I knew it, the first book was over. I didn't think I was going to want to continue with the second book, but I've already got a hold on it at the library. LOL.
I think what makes this book uncomfortably fun is that it's a teen soap opera. These are children acting as adults, and a lot of it is inappropriate for that age group. (Or at least I think it is - maybe I'm a bit out of touch and this is actually quite normal for them? Gosh I hope not - kids need a chance to be kids!)
3.5, rounding up to 4.
May 29, 2011
Who would want to read a book with a doll on the cover? I mean, isn鈥檛 that for like middle graders? WRONG. Pretty Little Liars might start off with the characters in their middle grade years, but before long, they鈥檝e already bloomed into full fledged high school students with personalities of their own.
Hanna, Spencer, Aria and Emily were all nobodies, until Allison found them. Together, they built a friendship, but it was all based on secrets. The only secret the girls didn鈥檛 realize was that Allison was the only reason they became friends in the first place. She was their glue; the only thing holding the girls together. Without her, the girls have nothing in common. So what happens without Ali in their lives? They all go their separate routes.
Hanna is the school鈥檚 tease. After losing weight, she and Mona have become the best of friends. Emily pays more attention to swimming. She now hangs out with the swim team, and her boyfriend, who just so happens to also be on the swim team. Spencer is still the 鈥渂est鈥� at everything and her sister鈥檚 boyfriends continue to flirt with her. Aria, the unique one of the group, has just returned from Iceland. Her family moved out of the country for two years. Each girl was finally able to find a place in the world, since they are no longer in Ali鈥檚 shadow.
So what more do they have in common? Could it be those random texts they鈥檝e been getting from A? But who is A? No one knows. It couldn鈥檛 be Alison though could it? I mean she鈥檚 gone, right? Whoever A is, she鈥檚 definitely someone who clearly knows all the girls鈥� secrets.
The plot is very intriguing and it just keeps the reader wanting more. After reading this book, you are left with an abundance of questions. You just can鈥檛 wait until you get your hands on its sequel, Flawless. Pretty Little Liars is a perfect example of a cliffhanger ending, and I loved every minute of it.
Hanna, Spencer, Aria and Emily were all nobodies, until Allison found them. Together, they built a friendship, but it was all based on secrets. The only secret the girls didn鈥檛 realize was that Allison was the only reason they became friends in the first place. She was their glue; the only thing holding the girls together. Without her, the girls have nothing in common. So what happens without Ali in their lives? They all go their separate routes.
Hanna is the school鈥檚 tease. After losing weight, she and Mona have become the best of friends. Emily pays more attention to swimming. She now hangs out with the swim team, and her boyfriend, who just so happens to also be on the swim team. Spencer is still the 鈥渂est鈥� at everything and her sister鈥檚 boyfriends continue to flirt with her. Aria, the unique one of the group, has just returned from Iceland. Her family moved out of the country for two years. Each girl was finally able to find a place in the world, since they are no longer in Ali鈥檚 shadow.
So what more do they have in common? Could it be those random texts they鈥檝e been getting from A? But who is A? No one knows. It couldn鈥檛 be Alison though could it? I mean she鈥檚 gone, right? Whoever A is, she鈥檚 definitely someone who clearly knows all the girls鈥� secrets.
The plot is very intriguing and it just keeps the reader wanting more. After reading this book, you are left with an abundance of questions. You just can鈥檛 wait until you get your hands on its sequel, Flawless. Pretty Little Liars is a perfect example of a cliffhanger ending, and I loved every minute of it.
January 23, 2012
Hmmmm. Lots of readers love this series. But to me it read more like a shopping list than a novel: "He rubbed his fingers over the cuff of a hung-up pair of Joseph trousers. She slid her Tiffany Elsa Peretti heart ring up and down her finger . . . Spencer's Sidekick vibrated . . . Emily struggled to operate her Nokia." Even when a body is identified by a ring, it's not just any ring: "She remembered Ali's white-gold initialed ring. Ali's parents had gotten it for her at Tiffany's . . ." As a memorial to the dear departed, there's "a smiling picture of Alison in a tight blue Von Dutch T-shirt and spanking new Sevens." For heaven's sake! Some of the issues faced by the four teen girls (the "liars") are handled well. Emily's questions about her sexual identity, Aria's infatuation with a teacher, Spencer's attraction to her older sister's boyfriend--such issues are all eminently worthy of serious fictional consideration. But those brand names dropped onto every page . . . from Pottery Barn to Eternity anyone?
July 23, 2017
I was a huge fan of the show...that being said there are differences in the book. the characters looking different is the main one. it was a quick read and i really enjoyed it
February 9, 2019
(Source: I own a copy of this book.)
3 years ago, Alison went missing. Nobody knows what happened to her, but now 3 years later, her 4 closest friends start receiving strange messages. Messages that say things that only Alison would know, messages that are signed simply A.
Is Alison really back? Who else could the messages really be from? And if Alison really is back, what does she want?
I watched the first season of this as a TV show and really liked it, but never got around to reading the books. I鈥檓 so glad I read this one now though 鈥榗ause it was awesome!
I always think it鈥檚 a bit of a gamble reading a book that has been turned into a movie or TV series, as often one will leave you disappointed. Thankfully this wasn鈥檛 one of those books!
Firstly I liked the writing in this book, and it seemed really similar to the TV show, so whoever did the crossover for the show did a really good job. I kinda felt like I already knew the characters as I had seen the TV show, and I think this actually made me like the book even more than I perhaps would have done, as I could imagine what was going on a lot better.
The characters all seemed really similar to those in the TV show, although I did think that they seemed maybe a little more friendlier in the TV show than in the book. I also thought that the book maybe didn鈥檛 cover as much ground as the first season of the show? But I really can鈥檛 remember so I could be miles off here.
I liked the storyline. I thought the mystery over who A. really was really compelling, and I loved trying to guess what would happen next. I couldn鈥檛 really remember much about the TV show, but as I was reading through this book, something would happen and I would think 鈥業 remember that now!鈥� but because I couldn鈥檛 remember it initially, this helped keep the mystery in the story.
I have to say that I was quite shocked by what the girls got up to in this story though. We had shoplifting, drinking, affairs with teachers, and all sorts of other stuff, which was pretty crazy, but at the same time really good!
I thought that this book did end in a good place, but there were still so many questions and mysteries unanswered that I really just want to dive into the next one straight away!
Overall; a great YA contemporary mystery.
9 out of 10.
3 years ago, Alison went missing. Nobody knows what happened to her, but now 3 years later, her 4 closest friends start receiving strange messages. Messages that say things that only Alison would know, messages that are signed simply A.
Is Alison really back? Who else could the messages really be from? And if Alison really is back, what does she want?
I watched the first season of this as a TV show and really liked it, but never got around to reading the books. I鈥檓 so glad I read this one now though 鈥榗ause it was awesome!
I always think it鈥檚 a bit of a gamble reading a book that has been turned into a movie or TV series, as often one will leave you disappointed. Thankfully this wasn鈥檛 one of those books!
Firstly I liked the writing in this book, and it seemed really similar to the TV show, so whoever did the crossover for the show did a really good job. I kinda felt like I already knew the characters as I had seen the TV show, and I think this actually made me like the book even more than I perhaps would have done, as I could imagine what was going on a lot better.
The characters all seemed really similar to those in the TV show, although I did think that they seemed maybe a little more friendlier in the TV show than in the book. I also thought that the book maybe didn鈥檛 cover as much ground as the first season of the show? But I really can鈥檛 remember so I could be miles off here.
I liked the storyline. I thought the mystery over who A. really was really compelling, and I loved trying to guess what would happen next. I couldn鈥檛 really remember much about the TV show, but as I was reading through this book, something would happen and I would think 鈥業 remember that now!鈥� but because I couldn鈥檛 remember it initially, this helped keep the mystery in the story.
I have to say that I was quite shocked by what the girls got up to in this story though. We had shoplifting, drinking, affairs with teachers, and all sorts of other stuff, which was pretty crazy, but at the same time really good!
I thought that this book did end in a good place, but there were still so many questions and mysteries unanswered that I really just want to dive into the next one straight away!
Overall; a great YA contemporary mystery.
9 out of 10.
July 27, 2009
Okay, this series? Like a drug! I picked the first one up on a whim while at Target (more proof that if I go anywhere that sells books, you'll find me picking up one. or twelve.) and bam! I'm totally hooked. I'm hoping to read the rest of the books that are currently out while I'm on vacation.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 11,491 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.