Pretty Little Liars

[ink_impressions]

By: Sara Shepard
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Series: Pretty Little Liars (#1)
Summary: n the exclusive Philadelphia suburb of Rosewood, Alison is the Queen Bee of her elite seventh grade hive. BFs Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily vie for her attention, even as each of them hides a hideous secret only Alison knows. So when Alison goes missing after a slumber party, never to be seen again, each girl is heartbroken, but also a little relieved. Now it is three years later, and though the four girls have grown apart, they are each still hiding something. Artsy Aria is carrying on an affair with one of her teachers, fashionista Hanna shoplifts to accessorize her trendy outfits, blue-blood Spencer is sleeping with her older sister’s boyfriend, while straight-A Emily is trying to ignore her attraction to a new female classmate. When the girls begin receiving threatening text messages and emails that from someone known only as "A," they must confront the fact that against all odds, it appears Alison is back. Could Alison still be alive? And if so, why is she so determined to uncover all their dirty little secrets?

Debut author Sara Shepard's shamelessly addictive blend of Desperate Housewives and I Know What You Did Last Summer is absolutely delicious. Her infusion of mystery and murder breathes new life into the tired genre of high society chick lit, and will give fans of Gossip Girl and The A-List something new to dig their French-manicured nails into. A cliff-hanging ending will leave readers craving the second title in the planned four-part series. --Jennifer Hubert



Review: A slumber party goes horribly wrong one night for Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna when their best friend, Alison, disappears. Because of their devastating loss, the four girls drift apart, leading separate lives. Aria goes to Iceland, Spencer does extracurriculars, Emily swims, and Hanna becomes popular at Rosewood Day. Three years later, they receive ominous text messages from someone named A, who threatens to reveal secrets that only Alison knows.

This book’s premise is its best feature. This could have been a great read if the author had done a good job of handling every part of the story, except the mystery. The characters in the story are shallow, and the author emphasizes their appearance, especially their clothing. I find the messages to be appallingly unhealthy. It showed the love between Aria and her English teacher as real, not wrong, considering their power dynamic. Wearing designer labels, being thin, and being wealthy are also implied messages.

Despite a mild interest in learning who A is, I will not continue reading the series. I'm intrigued by the mystery, but the characters and writing aren't captivating. You’ll probably enjoy this if you liked Gossip Girl.