Series: Pretty Little Liars series
Genre: Contemporary
Age Group:Young Adult
Publisher: Hachette AU
Release Date: January 2011
Format: Paperback, 272 pages
ISBN-13: 9781907410871
RRP: $18.99 AUD
Source: Thank you to the publisher, who provided this book for an honest review, all opinions expressed are my own.
Cover love? This has the TV show cast on it, which is awesome, but the mud-makeup is a little extreme, I think.
Synopsis
Aria, Emily, Spencer, Hanna and Alison have been best friends since
the third grade. They go everywhere together, thinking no-one can come
between them. If anyone is the ringleader of the group it is Alison, and
the other girls cannot help but confide all their secrets to her.
One night, during a sleepover, Alison goes missing. Her body is never found. The girls mourn her death but move apart after time, assuming their secrets have disappeared with Alison too.
Three years later and Aria is having an affair with her teacher; Emily is questioning her sexuality; Hanna is a thief; and Spencer is flirting with her sister's fiance. They all think their secrets are safe, until they starting receiving messages from the mysterious A - who knows exactly what they are all up to, and is threatening to spill the beans . . .
One night, during a sleepover, Alison goes missing. Her body is never found. The girls mourn her death but move apart after time, assuming their secrets have disappeared with Alison too.
Three years later and Aria is having an affair with her teacher; Emily is questioning her sexuality; Hanna is a thief; and Spencer is flirting with her sister's fiance. They all think their secrets are safe, until they starting receiving messages from the mysterious A - who knows exactly what they are all up to, and is threatening to spill the beans . . .
Review
The minute I found and opened this in the mail, I began
reading it and didn’t stop until I had finished it. There’s just something so
enticing and juicy about this book that makes one hungry for more. In fact, Pretty Little Liars has been adapted
into a highly popular TV show in 2010, and is still in it’s first season as of
January 2011. I’ve been obsessively following the TV show on Go! On Mondays,
8:30pm in Australia ever since. Awesome
show.
The novel begins with Ali’s disappearance and within a
couple of pages, Sara Shepard’s cleverly
shows us the group’s dynamics, setting apart each character (despite
there being five main ones) and distinguishing them for their individual
traits. I love that throughout Pretty Little Liars, readers can easily get a
sense of who is who. They are each complex, and have their own dirty little
secrets.
This book wasn’t long either, but a lot happened, and it is
only to Sara Shepard’s credit that events weren’t confusing, although the
murder mystery is. Although the girls’ actions certainly are not showing their
best sides and, like all good television, is not role-model behaviour – that’s
what makes it such a fun read. “A” is a deadly opponent, not to mention a
creepy stalker with an agenda for these girls.
Pretty Little Liars
is Gossip Girl with a better plot a
dangerous villain and a murder mystery. Perfect for anyone looking for a saucy,
suspenseful read. There’s twists and turns in every scene, and I cannot wait to
see the angle Sara Shepard takes with Flawless, book 2 in the series.
Rating:
Links:
Pretty Little Liars Official Website | Pretty Little Liars at Hachette AUS | Goodreads
