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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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!
I’m probably biased because I watched the show when I was younger (and rewatched recently), but I loved reading this. It might not be the most inventive writing ever, but it’s engaging and mysterious and fun. I read it much faster than anticipated.. it’s been a long time since I got really excited to get home just to read, and I loved that this book did that for me!
This first book is sooo similar to the first couple episodes of the show (or maybe just the first one), but added a lot more and just gave you more time with each character alone before they all got together again.
Idk if I wanna recommend it because I have no idea if the book is actually good, I just really enjoyed it. So definitely read it if you liked the show, but also if you like YA and crime shows! And despite probably being YA it didn’t feel dumbed down.
Felt nostalgic and also new
One of the downsides to the book: why the FUUUUCK did they do a 2022 update of the book? Like the constant insert of TikTok, Billie Eilish and Timbory Chamalong felt so incredibly forced and ill-placed. I saw no reason for that being done other than pandering to 10 y/olds. But then again these new ‘references’ are gonna be just as “outdated” as the ones that got replaced in a few years so I don’t see the point. Oh and also, a person does not need to catch every single reference in a book to enjoy it. I can read a book from the 90s and look up references if it feels important, and I’ll still enjoy the book.
Wouldn’t have bought a newly printed book if I knew that.
Other than that, I only missed /more/ book honestly.. and a bit more depiction maybe. Like I feel like I half-picture the places from the show cause the book didn’t quite give enough, but it was still good <3
This first book is sooo similar to the first couple episodes of the show (or maybe just the first one), but added a lot more and just gave you more time with each character alone before they all got together again.
Idk if I wanna recommend it because I have no idea if the book is actually good, I just really enjoyed it. So definitely read it if you liked the show, but also if you like YA and crime shows! And despite probably being YA it didn’t feel dumbed down.
Felt nostalgic and also new
One of the downsides to the book: why the FUUUUCK did they do a 2022 update of the book? Like the constant insert of TikTok, Billie Eilish and Timbory Chamalong felt so incredibly forced and ill-placed. I saw no reason for that being done other than pandering to 10 y/olds. But then again these new ‘references’ are gonna be just as “outdated” as the ones that got replaced in a few years so I don’t see the point. Oh and also, a person does not need to catch every single reference in a book to enjoy it. I can read a book from the 90s and look up references if it feels important, and I’ll still enjoy the book.
Wouldn’t have bought a newly printed book if I knew that.
Other than that, I only missed /more/ book honestly.. and a bit more depiction maybe. Like I feel like I half-picture the places from the show cause the book didn’t quite give enough, but it was still good <3
Wouldn't change a thing about this book. I started watching the show when it first came out and became completely addicted. The books are a little bit different then the show, but they are still accurate and great.
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—secrets 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—secrets 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.
Toby' weird. Maybe i'll keep on reading, or watch the show idk
Who knew this book is literally just the first episode of the series
dark
mysterious
fast-paced