Book Review: Pretty Little Liars

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (August 21, 2007)

Gossip thrives amid the Mercedes-Benzes, mega mansions, and perfectly manicured hedges in the exclusive town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania. Behind their big Gucci sunglasses, beneath their perfectly pressed Polos, everyone has something to hide, especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna. Spencer covets her sister's gorgeous new boyfriend. Aria is having an affair with her English teacher. Emily is infatuated with the new girl at school. And Hanna is using some ugly tricks to stay beautiful. Deeper and darker still is a horrible secret the girls shared since sixth grade-a secret they thought safe forever.

Then the girls start receiving threatening messages signed by someone named "A." Could "A" be Alison, the ultra popular girl who disappeared 3 years earlier? Alison was their best friend. She knew everything about them. But if Alison isn't "A," who is? And how could anyone else know so much about the bad girls they were and the bad girls they've become? Suddenly, their secrets-the big ones, the little ones, even the long-buried ones-no longer seem so secret. Suddenly nothing is safe in Rosewood.

When I first read the book description It immediately made me think of the movie Jawbreaker. You have an HBIC (that's Head Bitch in Charge FYI), the HBIC's lackeys, terrible secrets, etc. Really though, once I started reading I realized the similarities pretty much ended there.

Alison is the type of girl who has to be the best. She puts her friends down and makes them feel guilty to make herself seem like she is better than them. She is controlling and manipulative. How can these girls want to be her friend? Well, I have been friends with someone similar to her before. I look back now and see it as a toxic relationship. My excuse for being her friend? She is fun and popular...I am not. Pretty much the same answer Alison's friends give. When you get to the root of it insecurity is the underlying reason. Everyone of these girls has low self esteem and feels insecure about some aspect of their life which enable a person like Alison to do the things she did.

Finally, one of the girls (Spencer) stands up to Alison and Alison leaves the slumber party they were having that evening. That was the last time Alison was seen. Nobody knows what happened to her and although her friends are upset over the disappearance they are secretly relieved. Now Alison can't control them by using their secrets against them.

Cut to 3 years later. All the girls have grown apart. Aria had moved to Iceland but has just moved back. Hanna has transformed herself from chubby nerd to skinny and popular. Emily is finally discovering she is not happy with being the person her parents want her to be. And Spencer wants what her sister has (her parents attention and for them to be proud of her, oh, and her sister's boyfriend). Out of nowhere they start getting texts, notes, etc. from "A" who threatens to reveal their secrets (old and new). Each girl is cowed into doing what "A" tells them because they fear the truth getting out there, especially the "Jenna thing" (which I won't explain because I don't want give away too much of the story).

I had some trepidation about reading this book because it didn't seem like my type of book. I am so glad I joined the Pretty Little Liars Challenge or I never would have given this book a chance. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to read the rest of the series. The book doesn't really end. It just kind of leaves you hanging so in my opinion not reading the rest of the series just is NOT an option. I HAVE to know what happens!

My Rating: 4.5/5