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bibliorama's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Did I power through this in a matter of days? Yes.
It was a pretty fast read compared to my normal speed. I was curious about this book series after remembering that I never really got any satisfaction from the show about A. I'm hoping the books give me that, and beyond that I'm in the mood for some toxic drama.
If you see this review and are worried about my reading tastes, don't worry, so am I.
(My star rating is purely off of vibes and means nothing)
It was a pretty fast read compared to my normal speed. I was curious about this book series after remembering that I never really got any satisfaction from the show about A. I'm hoping the books give me that, and beyond that I'm in the mood for some toxic drama.
If you see this review and are worried about my reading tastes, don't worry, so am I.
(My star rating is purely off of vibes and means nothing)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Stalking, and Classism
Minor: Self harm and Sexual content
The book is pretty much about how horrible young teens can be to each other, and there are some pretty crappy adults thrown in as well. The writing didn't feel as if it was showing these themes to be a good thing and it felt like it was highlighting how messed up it all is. While also dealing with heavy themes with the main characters, thr writing built in a lot of empathy for the main 4. I especially felt for Hanna and Emily.wackzo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Stalking, Vomit, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Hate crime, and Toxic friendship
honben's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I'm a big fan of the show (completely aware that it is mostly garbage) and I wanted to give the books a shot and I am shockingly pleased. This book contains only what happens in episode 1 of the show (just a heads up) and when I realised I was thrilled. It gives you much more insight on the characters, and there are major differences with the show but I actually feel like I will like the books better (specially in the romance department) and though the writing style is very simplistic it makes it much easier to read.
Already started the second one.
P.S.: there is depiction of mental health struggles and there are moments when even the narrator is fatphobic, I remember a specific line from one of the last chapters. I attribute this to the year it was published, but obviously, it is not nice to read.
Already started the second one.
P.S.: there is depiction of mental health struggles and there are moments when even the narrator is fatphobic, I remember a specific line from one of the last chapters. I attribute this to the year it was published, but obviously, it is not nice to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Grief, and Homophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Classism, Gaslighting, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Death, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Car accident, Infidelity, and Murder
Slut Shaming isn't on the list of trigger warnings, but there is a ton of it on this book.grace7276's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcohol
sabbcm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Stalking
Minor: Racism and Self harm
fanboyriot's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the book where everything—for basically everyone—goes downhill. Relationships are broken and found—both friend wise and romantic, everything is upped in the dramatics taking simple this and making them a big deal. A lighthearted mystery in a way, then again it could be just because it’s a nostalgic read, however, it reminds me of a cozy mystery. Rosewood is a place where the kids act like adults and the adults act like teenagers. The world building is really good, it gives off the small town vibes really well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, and Body shaming
Minor: Murder and Toxic relationship
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Oh wow. Okay. Where to start with THIS book.
I guess I’ll start by extending Shepard the benefit of the doubt. I think she was trying to write the most sensational, over-the-top, unrealistic and ridiculous teenagers ever. I think. I think this was on purpose and not bad writing. Right?
The next thing I’ll do it give Emily some props. Of all the characters in this nightmare of a novel, I think that Emily was the most… human? Her character is the only one here who I think could have had an actual, interesting, “doesn’t make me groan aloud and roll my eyes a lot” story. I more or less enjoyed the pieces from Emily’s POV, but she was not enough to save this book as a whole.
That aside. Wow. Pretty Little Liars is an absolute train wreck.
Lets make a list of some NOPEs, shall we?
- Elitism
- Fatphobia
- Bullying
- Adult/minor relationships
- Infidelity
- Homophobia
- Just… really terrible parents? And friends. And boyfriends. And characters in general.
I am almost 100% sure I missed something there, but those are some of the things that made me want to hurl the book across the room… only this was an audiobook and my phone is expensive. Pretty Little Liars came out when I was in high school, near the age of these girls, and I’m so grateful I didn’t pick it up at the time because I was impressionable and already really really conscious about my weight, and the Hannah storyline was hugely problematic and probably would have been impressionable on 16 y/o me. So many of the characters in this novel make the most dramatic, unkind, unhealthy decisions possible. It was more disturbing than “thrilling”, I guess, with particular emphasis toward Aria/Ezra being a big fat NOPE, Emily’s boyfriend’s behavior bringing me SO MUCH rage, and of course, Hannah’s storyline.
Okay that’s the characters. Lets talk about some other things.
The pacing on this book was slow. It feels like it should be quick, but between the four POVs, I honestly felt like nothing was happening. We went through each of the POVs once and each of the girls did A Thing. Then went went through them again, and the girls did more or less the same thing again. Then through again, seeing the discovery. Again, reacting. End of book. Nothing happened, and it took forever to get there.
I have issues with the realism of everything, but again, that falls into the arena of giving Shepard the benefit of the doubt on her choices here.
The writing as well was just… sort of icky. There’s this scene early in the book where Spencer decides to strip down to her sports bra, underwear, and knee-high field hockey socks and go into the hot tub. And for some reason that scene bothered me an extra lot. Like it had it’s own problematic bits, but I honestly just couldn’t get past the fact Spencer went into the hot tub with knee-high socks. Why? Socks are the best thing to take off at the end of the day, especially after practice. I’m pretty sure Shepard did it just to allow Spencer to be mortified at her lack of glamour when A BOY OMG OMG OMG OMG sees her. For whatever reason, it was this scene that stuck with me as an example of the overall drama and ridiculousness that was this book.
There was a point as I was listening to it when I realised, Oh no. I’m going to have to read a bunch to find out who A is. Because the underlying story was intriguing. It was just everything else about the book that I disliked. Then I remembered – the series was over and I could Google the answer. Thanks Internet, you beautiful spoiler machine! Now I know the end of this series and don’t have to read any more… and wow was it anti-climatic. I would have been annoyed to read sixteen books and have it end there. Goodbye and good riddance, Pretty Little Liars!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Racism
Moderate: Drug use, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual content
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