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The newest edition in the Pretty Little Liars series continues with more of the same - which can be a good thing, or a bad thing.
After the fire in the Poconos in which the truth about A and Ali had been revealed, the girls take a trip to Jamaica where something happens to tear the four friends apart. Ten months later they're living their own lives. Spencer's mother has a new beau with an attractive son that Spencer finds herself drawn to, but can she be trusted to keep his secret when she's battling a few of her own? Emily has not only the secret from Jamaica troubling her, but another secret that pulled her out of swimming. Now she has to find a way to get a scholarship and her new friend Chloe's father might be the answer, if he can keep his hands to himself. Aria thinks things are going great between her and boyfriend Noel, but then the beautiful foreign exchange student enters the picture and we get to see how far Aria will go to keep her boyfriend. Finally, Hanna's father is starting his campaign for the Senate and Hanna's ambition and naivete might jeopardize it if she doesn't pull out some sneaky moves. If that wasn't enough for the girls to handle, "A" is back in their lives ready to cause trouble. But how can that be? It looks as if what happened in Jamaica isn't going to stay secret if A has anything to say about it...
The drama of A and these girls inability to stay out of trouble continues in the newest book in what is certain to be at least a set of four books. Some might groan and ask why can't A just die or the girls get a clue, while others might relish in the newest edition to this guilty pleasure. (I groaned but yet I just had to read the book to see where it went. I'll probably even pick up the next one because as tiresome as the antics sometimes get, the series is addicting.) The popularity of the TV show definitely has fueled the need for another book (it could have ended with the last one) and this one has added new twists to the girls' lives. Having it about a year after the fact helped continue the story with more options for the characters.
If you've been sucked into the drama of the Pretty Little Liars, you'll enjoy this book. It's more of the same but in a way that will quench your hunger until the next one comes out.
MMK
Showing posts with label pretty little liars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pretty little liars. Show all posts
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Twisted by Sara Shepard
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Wanted : A Pretty Little Liars Novel by Sara Shepard
Pretty Little Liars is finally wrapped up, although, of course, isn't not exactly a pretty little bow. I'm not going to really summarize the book because that will give it all away. All you need to know is a new character is introduced who is, you guessed it, too good to be true. While the creepy text messages have stopped, that doesn't mean their lives have returned to normal. In fact, maybe they were safer when their enemy was openly threatening them.
The book has extreme soap opera flair to the point I was going to throw the book out the window. I could not believe the author pulled one of the cheapest soap opera tricks there is. And what's worse, she didn't just use one cheesy soap opera ploy, but multiple! If she wanted flair and to go out with a bang, you could argue that she did (literally and figuratively). However, it also felt like a cop out. Until I got to the end I was extremely disappointed because I didn't feel like the girls grew or developed from this experience, but the last few chapters showed a little growth and maturity that made me feel a little bit better, even if it did seem too much like a pseudo-happily ever after for each character.
I'm glad the series is over. It started to drag and become unrealistic. Maybe if I read them all at once without waiting months for the next book to appear I would have had an easier time riding the suspense. I know that I definitely was sucked into the series at the beginning so I would recommend the series. Now that it's finished, maybe it'll flow better than long interludes between books.
MMK
The book has extreme soap opera flair to the point I was going to throw the book out the window. I could not believe the author pulled one of the cheapest soap opera tricks there is. And what's worse, she didn't just use one cheesy soap opera ploy, but multiple! If she wanted flair and to go out with a bang, you could argue that she did (literally and figuratively). However, it also felt like a cop out. Until I got to the end I was extremely disappointed because I didn't feel like the girls grew or developed from this experience, but the last few chapters showed a little growth and maturity that made me feel a little bit better, even if it did seem too much like a pseudo-happily ever after for each character.
I'm glad the series is over. It started to drag and become unrealistic. Maybe if I read them all at once without waiting months for the next book to appear I would have had an easier time riding the suspense. I know that I definitely was sucked into the series at the beginning so I would recommend the series. Now that it's finished, maybe it'll flow better than long interludes between books.
MMK
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Heartless: A Pretty Little Liars Novel by Sara Shepard
**SPOILER WARNING** This is book seven in the Pretty Little Liars series and will reference information from previous books. I won't give away too much from this novel, but the others might be spoiled. Read on with caution...
At the end of the last novel, a fire nearly kills all four girls and in the twist ending of that novel, the girls saw Ali alive! In this novel, when Emily admits this to the police, everyone gets fed up with the drama these girls are creating. Finally deemed in the press as the "Pretty Little Liars," Hanna, Spencer, Aria, and Emily are slowly becoming the prime suspects in Ali's murder. Fearing for Hanna's sanity, her father ships her off to a spa/rehab/mental institute. There she befriends her roommate who isn't as trustworthy as she seems. Aria, on the other hand, might be the one who needs to be committed as she tries to get in contact with the dead, thinking Ali might be trying to communicate with them from beyond. Emily, under "A"'s advice, dresses up as an Amish girl and heads to Lancaster where she meets a girl whose family has a mysterious past to Darren Wilden - whom they all at one point thought killed Ali. Things begin looking up for Spencer as her family apologizes for treating her like dirt, but that only lasts so long as she begins digging into her family's past and her parent's connections to Ali's family. All of this drama climaxes to the point the girls are all arrested and Ali's killer is identified.
Of course this isn't the last novel in the series as at least one more book remains. A huge part of me hopes the next book is the last. The series has run it's course and I think the story is just being dragged out. Why do the girls keep falling for A's tricks? You'd think by now they'd learn but no, each new text lead to a whole new soap opera storyline. True, the story does draw you in as you're eager to find out where it all leads but it's getting a little old. I think some of it has to do with the time between when books are released. I would almost recommend waiting until all of the books are out and reading them all together. That way your excitement for the story doesn't dwindle.
For what the story is, the novel is good. There are some interesting new leads and twists which makes you wonder what's really going on. But, overall, this storyline needs to come to a close. How much more can realistically be done to the girls before even the readers lose trust in them?
MMK
At the end of the last novel, a fire nearly kills all four girls and in the twist ending of that novel, the girls saw Ali alive! In this novel, when Emily admits this to the police, everyone gets fed up with the drama these girls are creating. Finally deemed in the press as the "Pretty Little Liars," Hanna, Spencer, Aria, and Emily are slowly becoming the prime suspects in Ali's murder. Fearing for Hanna's sanity, her father ships her off to a spa/rehab/mental institute. There she befriends her roommate who isn't as trustworthy as she seems. Aria, on the other hand, might be the one who needs to be committed as she tries to get in contact with the dead, thinking Ali might be trying to communicate with them from beyond. Emily, under "A"'s advice, dresses up as an Amish girl and heads to Lancaster where she meets a girl whose family has a mysterious past to Darren Wilden - whom they all at one point thought killed Ali. Things begin looking up for Spencer as her family apologizes for treating her like dirt, but that only lasts so long as she begins digging into her family's past and her parent's connections to Ali's family. All of this drama climaxes to the point the girls are all arrested and Ali's killer is identified.
Of course this isn't the last novel in the series as at least one more book remains. A huge part of me hopes the next book is the last. The series has run it's course and I think the story is just being dragged out. Why do the girls keep falling for A's tricks? You'd think by now they'd learn but no, each new text lead to a whole new soap opera storyline. True, the story does draw you in as you're eager to find out where it all leads but it's getting a little old. I think some of it has to do with the time between when books are released. I would almost recommend waiting until all of the books are out and reading them all together. That way your excitement for the story doesn't dwindle.
For what the story is, the novel is good. There are some interesting new leads and twists which makes you wonder what's really going on. But, overall, this storyline needs to come to a close. How much more can realistically be done to the girls before even the readers lose trust in them?
MMK
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Killer: A Pretty Little Liars novel by Sara Shepard
**SPOILER WARNING** This is book six in the Pretty Little Liars series and will reference information from previous books. I won't give away too much from this novel, but the others might spoiled. Read on with caution...
This is the sixth book and I think the storyline might be getting a little tired and a little bit like a soap opera. I mean, when it doubt of what to do next, bring a character back to life, which is exactly what this novel does. Now it's been a few months since I read the series, so maybe it's just lost some appeal, but I felt like the story is getting a little old.
The last novel ended with the girls finding Ian dead in the woods. They bring in Officer Wilden and when they reach the body, it's gone. A search ensues, but not until the next day, which has the girls wondering if something, besides a body, is being hidden. After a few days, though, the dead body is deemed a hoax and soon Spencer receives an IM from Ian, which has even the girls convinced he's not dead. In the meantime, Emily's progressing in her relationship with Issac, but is getting some negative vibes from his mother. Hanna hatches a plan to double cross her stepsister Kate by stealing the man she likes but Kate isn't that easily foiled. Spencer is still facing major neglect and attitude from her parents but has success finding her real mother, which gives her hope of an escape. And finally, Aria moves in with her dad to avoid her mother's creepy boyfriend and hopes to form a relationship with an unlikely candidate - Ali's brother Jason who, according to A, has a major secret. Speaking of A, she's been sending Emily and Spencer "Clues" to Ali's murder, which has them wondering whether this A is out to get them or help them. And what's up with Wilden who seems to be everywhere and acting a little odd.
So we've got A leaving them notes, but they're not so nasty this time around. In fact, most of the notes aren't even about taunting the girls which is an interesting turn of events. Come the end of the novel, though, one note isn't interpreted, but that's unimportant. What is worth noting, though, is that this series is kind of losing steam. Like I said before, it's becoming a bit of a soap opera. I mean, Ian is blue and bloated, obviously dead, and then he's not? I won't even mention the end of the novel which has daytime soap written all over it. Hanna and Kate are acting like total soap divas with the backstabbing and stealing boys and playing the victim to corrupt people. Isaac's psycho mom leaves me wanting to scream, "COME ON!" Spencer's parent's need to be slapped. I mean, how many parents hold that big of a grudge? And then Spencer's desperation to be loved is her own downfall, which is really sad. She was probably the only character that I felt bad for. She had it worst out of all the girls because she's asking for forgiveness and getting the raw end of the deal, which makes her desperate, but not in the nasty way Hanna is desperate. You can't help but sympathize with Spencer. One thing that I would have liked is a little bit more clarification of the previous novel. It has been months since I read it, so I completely forgot how characters landed where they were. There was some back story, but I would have liked a little more. Granted, if you're reading one novel right after the other, that might be annoying and unnecessary, but after a long hiatus, I felt lost at times.
The mystery of A remains, although the girls definitely seem to be zooming in on some key information that is either going to solve Ali's murder or maybe they're on yet another wild goose chase. That is still working for the novel, but the personal lives of the girls is getting just a little too dramatic and slightly hard to swallow. Maybe pull back the drama and add more mystery. After the surprise ending, though, I'm still looking forward to another novel and would recommend the series.
MMK
This is the sixth book and I think the storyline might be getting a little tired and a little bit like a soap opera. I mean, when it doubt of what to do next, bring a character back to life, which is exactly what this novel does. Now it's been a few months since I read the series, so maybe it's just lost some appeal, but I felt like the story is getting a little old.
The last novel ended with the girls finding Ian dead in the woods. They bring in Officer Wilden and when they reach the body, it's gone. A search ensues, but not until the next day, which has the girls wondering if something, besides a body, is being hidden. After a few days, though, the dead body is deemed a hoax and soon Spencer receives an IM from Ian, which has even the girls convinced he's not dead. In the meantime, Emily's progressing in her relationship with Issac, but is getting some negative vibes from his mother. Hanna hatches a plan to double cross her stepsister Kate by stealing the man she likes but Kate isn't that easily foiled. Spencer is still facing major neglect and attitude from her parents but has success finding her real mother, which gives her hope of an escape. And finally, Aria moves in with her dad to avoid her mother's creepy boyfriend and hopes to form a relationship with an unlikely candidate - Ali's brother Jason who, according to A, has a major secret. Speaking of A, she's been sending Emily and Spencer "Clues" to Ali's murder, which has them wondering whether this A is out to get them or help them. And what's up with Wilden who seems to be everywhere and acting a little odd.
So we've got A leaving them notes, but they're not so nasty this time around. In fact, most of the notes aren't even about taunting the girls which is an interesting turn of events. Come the end of the novel, though, one note isn't interpreted, but that's unimportant. What is worth noting, though, is that this series is kind of losing steam. Like I said before, it's becoming a bit of a soap opera. I mean, Ian is blue and bloated, obviously dead, and then he's not? I won't even mention the end of the novel which has daytime soap written all over it. Hanna and Kate are acting like total soap divas with the backstabbing and stealing boys and playing the victim to corrupt people. Isaac's psycho mom leaves me wanting to scream, "COME ON!" Spencer's parent's need to be slapped. I mean, how many parents hold that big of a grudge? And then Spencer's desperation to be loved is her own downfall, which is really sad. She was probably the only character that I felt bad for. She had it worst out of all the girls because she's asking for forgiveness and getting the raw end of the deal, which makes her desperate, but not in the nasty way Hanna is desperate. You can't help but sympathize with Spencer. One thing that I would have liked is a little bit more clarification of the previous novel. It has been months since I read it, so I completely forgot how characters landed where they were. There was some back story, but I would have liked a little more. Granted, if you're reading one novel right after the other, that might be annoying and unnecessary, but after a long hiatus, I felt lost at times.
The mystery of A remains, although the girls definitely seem to be zooming in on some key information that is either going to solve Ali's murder or maybe they're on yet another wild goose chase. That is still working for the novel, but the personal lives of the girls is getting just a little too dramatic and slightly hard to swallow. Maybe pull back the drama and add more mystery. After the surprise ending, though, I'm still looking forward to another novel and would recommend the series.
MMK
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Wicked: A Pretty Little Liars novel by Sara Shepard
Pretty Little Liars could have ended with the fourth book Unbelievable, but that would be too easy. Hanna, Emily, Aria, and Spencer return in this fifth book, trying to start over and learning that their problems have only just begun. Maybe this book is a little bit more of the same, but it's still an intriguing novel that has me waiting for the next novel.
Wicked begins with Ali's killer in jail, A dead (I'm not going to give away their identities for those readers who have not caught up) and the girls trying to restart their lives. Emily is even more sexually confused when she finds herself attracted to a boy. Hanna's soon to be step-sister Kate is working to becoming her BFF. Aria's mother is trying to date again and Aria finds herself attracted to this new man. And lastly, Spencer's family seems to have disinherited her after what happened with the Golden Orchid. As the girls try to sort out their lives, Ali's killer is released into house arrest due to his/her dying mother and the minute that person steps out, A reappears. Could they be one in the same? Will the four girls ever be able to live their dramatic lives in peace? How can one person honestly know everyone's secrets? The questions remain and more pop up as the pretty little liars continue to deal with their inner demons, coming in and out of friendships, all the while learning more and more about who they truly are.
The book starts out a little rocky. The first page threw me off with the repeated mention of high end merchandise brands. That, however, faded as the novel progressed. Just like the other four novels, it started with a flashback to a scenario when Ali was alive. This memory reappeared throughout the novel. After that, is still dragged because we needed to set up where all of the characters were now that their mysteries have been solved. Once each story picked up, the story really started to get interesting, especially when A reappeared. Come the end, just like all the others, the characters' lives are in complete disarray and what we all thought isn't so. Once again you're sucked into the story wondering what will happen to Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily. I really love the fact that the author gets the reader invested in every character.
While this novel at times feels like the same concept as all the others - Oh no, who's A? Why won't this person just leave me alone? - it still turned out to be an enjoyable novel. So much of it rides on the intriguing lives of these characters. A aside, I want to know where these characters are going and that bond between character and reader really keeps these novels alive. I look forward to number six and encourage teens to pick up this series. It is important, though, to read them in order. I don't think there's enough backtracking to pick up any novel and start. Plus, it's all worth the ride.
MMK
Wicked begins with Ali's killer in jail, A dead (I'm not going to give away their identities for those readers who have not caught up) and the girls trying to restart their lives. Emily is even more sexually confused when she finds herself attracted to a boy. Hanna's soon to be step-sister Kate is working to becoming her BFF. Aria's mother is trying to date again and Aria finds herself attracted to this new man. And lastly, Spencer's family seems to have disinherited her after what happened with the Golden Orchid. As the girls try to sort out their lives, Ali's killer is released into house arrest due to his/her dying mother and the minute that person steps out, A reappears. Could they be one in the same? Will the four girls ever be able to live their dramatic lives in peace? How can one person honestly know everyone's secrets? The questions remain and more pop up as the pretty little liars continue to deal with their inner demons, coming in and out of friendships, all the while learning more and more about who they truly are.
The book starts out a little rocky. The first page threw me off with the repeated mention of high end merchandise brands. That, however, faded as the novel progressed. Just like the other four novels, it started with a flashback to a scenario when Ali was alive. This memory reappeared throughout the novel. After that, is still dragged because we needed to set up where all of the characters were now that their mysteries have been solved. Once each story picked up, the story really started to get interesting, especially when A reappeared. Come the end, just like all the others, the characters' lives are in complete disarray and what we all thought isn't so. Once again you're sucked into the story wondering what will happen to Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily. I really love the fact that the author gets the reader invested in every character.
While this novel at times feels like the same concept as all the others - Oh no, who's A? Why won't this person just leave me alone? - it still turned out to be an enjoyable novel. So much of it rides on the intriguing lives of these characters. A aside, I want to know where these characters are going and that bond between character and reader really keeps these novels alive. I look forward to number six and encourage teens to pick up this series. It is important, though, to read them in order. I don't think there's enough backtracking to pick up any novel and start. Plus, it's all worth the ride.
MMK
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
Everyone has secrets and some are more devastating than others. With those big, gut wrenching secrets, it's nice to have someone to confide in. The trouble comes, though, when someone starts threatening you with that deep, dark past.
Alison was best friends with Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily. That is, of course, until the seventh grade when she suddenly disappeared. Now juniors in high school, the four remaining girls have grown apart and have started to live lives that they'd probably like to keep secret. Spencer realizes that she has a major crush on her snotty sister's boyfriend, Aria has fallen in love with a young English teacher, Hanna is stealing and dealing with image issues, and Emily might be falling in love with the new girl in town. As the girls struggle with these problems, all begin to receive messages from someone named A, referring to things they'd only shared with Alison. Could she have returned even though many believed her to be dead? If it wasn't Alison, then who could be contacting them? What would it mean if their secrets were revealed? Soon everything starts to unravel and the girls struggle to make sense of everything happening in their lives.
When I picked up this book, mainly to find out what all the hype was about, I expected to read a shallow, prep school, high society novel. It turns out, though, that this book has so much more to offer. Yes, these girls go to a ritzy school and shop at places like Tiffany's and yes, there's drinking and some sex, but this novel has so much more going on than just boyfriend stealing and backstabbing. Each character is developed and has her own complex story and struggles. I'll admit that it takes a little while to develop each character, but the wait is worth it. No one is more important than the other. At the same time, each story is different and, in a way, something the reader can relate to. That's not to say everyone is sleeping with their teacher, but I feel like these characters speak to complicated world some teens face. Then, besides the great struggles of each character, this novel has this amazing umbrella conflict of who A is and what does she want. On top of that, there's some "Jenna Thing" that haunts all four girls. The suspense and interesting story lines really makes this novel stand out.
So much about this book has me enthralled, but I think most of it comes from the fact that it didn't turn out like I expected. I like the characters and it has me intrigued to find out what happens. This novel is a great draw-in to a new series.
MMK
Alison was best friends with Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily. That is, of course, until the seventh grade when she suddenly disappeared. Now juniors in high school, the four remaining girls have grown apart and have started to live lives that they'd probably like to keep secret. Spencer realizes that she has a major crush on her snotty sister's boyfriend, Aria has fallen in love with a young English teacher, Hanna is stealing and dealing with image issues, and Emily might be falling in love with the new girl in town. As the girls struggle with these problems, all begin to receive messages from someone named A, referring to things they'd only shared with Alison. Could she have returned even though many believed her to be dead? If it wasn't Alison, then who could be contacting them? What would it mean if their secrets were revealed? Soon everything starts to unravel and the girls struggle to make sense of everything happening in their lives.
When I picked up this book, mainly to find out what all the hype was about, I expected to read a shallow, prep school, high society novel. It turns out, though, that this book has so much more to offer. Yes, these girls go to a ritzy school and shop at places like Tiffany's and yes, there's drinking and some sex, but this novel has so much more going on than just boyfriend stealing and backstabbing. Each character is developed and has her own complex story and struggles. I'll admit that it takes a little while to develop each character, but the wait is worth it. No one is more important than the other. At the same time, each story is different and, in a way, something the reader can relate to. That's not to say everyone is sleeping with their teacher, but I feel like these characters speak to complicated world some teens face. Then, besides the great struggles of each character, this novel has this amazing umbrella conflict of who A is and what does she want. On top of that, there's some "Jenna Thing" that haunts all four girls. The suspense and interesting story lines really makes this novel stand out.
So much about this book has me enthralled, but I think most of it comes from the fact that it didn't turn out like I expected. I like the characters and it has me intrigued to find out what happens. This novel is a great draw-in to a new series.
MMK
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