Pretty Little Liars

Author - Sara Shepard ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Library Binding Book item from HarperTeen was reviewed on 10-Dec-2008.

Search ISBN:0060887311 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. Pretty Little Liars Reference Book. Classifications : General Literature Children's Books Subjects Books General AAS Literature Children's Books Subjects Books Fiction Girls & Women People & Places Children's Books Subjects Books Fiction Friendship Socia . Click the following link to view the cover of Pretty Little Liars.

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1) Library Binding Book Pretty Little Liars by HarperTeen. First off, I want it to be known that this is not a book for younger readers. Much of the subject matter involves topics that are just too complicated for some younger readers. Now that doesn´t mean that some advanced younger readers won´t be able to read this maturely, but offhand I´d say that this book is best for readers who are 16 & above. Any parents that have kids that are interested in this series should read the books first & see if it´s right for their kids. (It´s a great series, so there is the danger of the parent swiping their kid´s copies before they can read them!)

The first book in the series introduces the characters of Spencer, Aria, Emily, & Hanna. These girls used to be the best of friends... until their friend Alison mysteriously dissapeared one night at a sleepover. After that disastrous night they all went their seperate ways for the next few years, only to once again reunite in high school. Each girl has secrets that they don´t want anyone to know. Spencer´s intense rivalry with her sister Melissa has her trying to beat her in every category- even in the boyfriend category. Aria is trying to forget everything in her past even as she seems doomed to repeat her father´s mistakes. Emily is trying to be the daughter her parents want... but how will they react when they discover that she´s a little *too* friendly with the girl next door? And the formerly chubby Hanna tries just a little too hard to be thin and popular- she´s willing to do anything to stay on top, even to the point of hurting herself. Now even with this powder keg of secrets, someone is watching and trying to push these girls beyond their limits. This mysterious person not only knows all of their sordid little secrets, but they also seem to share the first initial of a certain someone who went missing so many years ago...

I really didn´t know what to expect from this series. At best, I was expecting a "Gossip Girls" clone. At worst I was expecting another "Ooh, we´re rich, pretty, & biotchy. Love us!" type of book that really has no true reading value. I was incredibly shocked by the quality in this book. Not only are all the characters incredibly interesting, but the author manages to get one of the gold rings in literature: she makes her characters sympathetic & interesting even though each one is completely unlikable! That´s right, you can´t help but feel sorry for these girls even as you curl your lip at how despicable each one of them are.

Now some people have complained about the sexual situations in the series, but I have to say that the sex isn´t over the top or glamorized. In fact, the sex is often portrayed in a negative light. Rather than have these girls hooking up with someone for love, they hook up (or try to hook up) for power or to be liked. The result is that the girls look pathetic & weak, which is the author´s intent. Most teens over 16 will be able to detect the difference between someone hooking up for pathetic reasons & those doing it for lust, but younger readers may not be able to understand the difference. That´s why I´m again stressing that parents will want to preview this series for their younger readers & discuss the themes in the book. Not only will you appear that much cooler for knowing the series, but it´s a good way to discuss the more delicate topics such as sex, alcohol, & self-esteem without seeming preachy. (Plus the books are just really darn good!)

5/5¤

2) Library Binding Book Pretty Little Liars by HarperTeen. THIS IS THE PERFECT BOOK TO READ ALL IN ONE SITTING. BUT NOT RECOMENDED FOR CHILDREN. THESE ARE PERFECT FOR TEENS. MY FRIEND AND I LOVE THIS BOOK. YOU SOULDN´T SAY IT IS SO INAPROPRAITE IT IS NOT MENT FOR LITTLE KIDS BUT MOST OF MY FRIEND SAY THIS IS SUCH A GOOD BOOK AND ITS TRUE. I WOULD THINK IF ANY YOUNG CHILD WAS INTERESTED THEY COULD HAVE THEIR PARENTS READ IT. I BET YOU THEY WILL LOVE IT. YOU JUST CAN´T GO AROUND TRASHING A GREAT BOOK.¤

3) Library Binding Book Pretty Little Liars by HarperTeen. I haven´t the faintest idea of whether this book is good or bad. All I know is that my 12-year old granddaughter loves the series, and she has managed to be a teriffic kid despite it, and anything that gets her to read is a good thing.¤

4) Library Binding Book Pretty Little Liars by HarperTeen. Remember the first season of "Desperate Housewives"? This first installment is better than that! The first book of this highly addictive series starts with former BFFs Spencer, Aria, Hanna and Emily receiving disturbing e-mails and texts from someone called "A". "A" seems to know there deepest, darkest secrets from their past and their present. Could "A" be Allison, their former Queen Bee and frenemy who mysterious disappeared a few years ago without a trace? Unexpected twists, turns and the girls´ bond over an incident dubbed "The Jenna Thing" force them back together to solve the mystery of the person behind the mysterious texts while trying to keep "A" from exposing their damaging secrets. The subject matter (eating disorders, underage drinking, underage sex , homosexuality, shoplifting and cyberbullying), which seems to be the norm for most young adult series these days may seem off putting to sheltered teens and adults. Alternately, the mature subject matter can also provide opportunities for discussion, awareness and how peers and parental pressure contributes to these issues.¤

5) Library Binding Book Pretty Little Liars by HarperTeen. Oh my gosh. This book rocked. So much happens to the 4 friends right after "the jenna thing" and after alis disappearence that it is so suppensesful and just amazing at all the stuff going on with them. I´m just now working on the flawless but I´m not putting this series down until I find out who A is and Who Ali´s killer is but I think A is Ali´s killer but who knows.¤

6) Library Binding Book Pretty Little Liars by HarperTeen.

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 have shared since sixth grade—a secret they thought was safe forever.

Then the girls start receiving threatening messages signed by someone named "A." Could "A" be Alison, the ultra-popular girl who disappeared three 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.

7) Library Binding Book Pretty Little Liars by HarperTeen. In 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¤

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 7-Jan-2009, 00608873119780060887315, 110-540-890-190-710-070-8

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