Burned by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 12)

It’s spring break, and the pretty little liars are trading in Rosewood for a cruise vacation. They want nothing more than to sail into the tropical sunset and leave their troubles behind for one blissful week. But where Emily, Aria, Spencer, and Hanna go, A goes, too. From scuba diving to tanning on the upper deck, A is there, soaking up all their new secrets.

Emily is smooching a stowaway. Aria’s treasure-hunting partner is a little too interested in her booty. Spencer’s going overboard trying to land a new boy. And a blast – or rather, a crash – from Hanna’s past could mean rough waters ahead for everyone.

The liars better tighten their life jackets. A perfect storm is brewing, and if they aren't careful, A will bury them at sea…

First of all, I went into this book thinking it was the end of the series; it would be the last book, the story would be over, all the answers would finally be revealed. Nope. I was pissed when I got the end and found out that there is not only one more book being written, but two more books! What?!? I want to be done with this series! It should have stopped after book 8, which is where it was originally supposed to end, but they just keep tacking on book after book after book…WHEN WILL IT END?! Whew – let me take a quick breather…

…Okay, I think I’m good to continue.

The only reason I keep reading these books is because I’m so far in that I have to finish it out. I wish I could just walk away…damn it, I wish I could…but I can’t. This series started out as 4 girls getting blackmailed for relatively harmless acts; there was no doubt that they were innocent victims. Well, those girls are gone and have been replaced with actual criminals; for real. They commit actual crimes, and can’t believe A is still blackmailing them. Really? I mean, really? Y’all are criminals and A has blackmailed you for much less; how the hell are you surprised that they’re still hanging around? *facepalm*

In a nutshell – they go on a cruise for Spring Break, and of course, A happens to be on the cruise with them. Aria befriends a dude named Graham and after finding out who his ex-girlfriend is, the girls start to question his motives. Hanna and Naomi get paired as roommates and while Naomi appears to be repairing their friendship, Hanna finds out Naomi is related to someone Hanna royally fucked, and you guessed it…the girls start to question her motives. Emily gets all lovey-dovey with a fugitive stowaway on the boat who tries to convince her to run away to Thailand with her. Yeah; and that’s not even the worst part. Emily actually considers it! Because it’s always a good idea to flee to a foreign country with only a freaking knapsack and someone you’ve known for 4 days when you’re 18 years old. Christ on a cracker. Lastly, Spencer gets involved with Reefer, only to find out he was previously involved with someone she knows, and let’s all say this together now…they start to question this girl’s motives.

This series started out great, and has just taken a serious nosedive since book 9. The story lines don’t seem to flow, not to mention they are downright ridiculous and not remotely believable. The girls have lost pretty much all credibility in my book because they aren’t innocent victims anymore. And you know what happens when your main characters become the bad guys? I stop rooting for them. I stop caring if they get caught – nope, scratch that – I actually want them to get caught. I want A to turn them in. Sure, in this book they start to go grow consciences but it’s not because they want to give the families of the people they hurt some closure; it’s because they can’t handle A blackmailing them. It’s not because they are trying to do the right thing – they’ve just done so many wrong things that they are living in constant paranoia.

I hate that I have been severely disappointed in the last four books of this series, because the first 8 were pretty damn good. It just seems like they are grasping for straws to keep this series going, and it’s just getting run into the ground. I don’t really care for any of the girls anymore which bums me out. It seems like everyone is related or connected to each other somehow; I mean, I’ve heard of six degrees of separation but this is sooo far beyond that. It’s annoying. And for the love of all that is holy, we still don’t know what Aria did in Iceland. This “cliffhanger-esque” moment has been strung along for the past 4 books. At this point, I almost don’t even care what she did anymore. I’ve been strung along so long that I’ve lost interest. I understand not divulging it right away to keep the reader guessing, but making them read four books where it gets brought up but never explained?! Dumb…just plain dumb. I’m upsetting myself just talking about this, so I’m done. Another Pretty Little Liars novel, another Pretty Little disappointment.  

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Stunning by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 11)

In Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four stunningly beautiful girls are haunted by a very ugly past. Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily want nothing more than to forget Alison DiLaurentis, their former best friend who tried to ruin their lives. But someone refuses to let her memory die. A is still out there, lurking in the shadows and digging up the pretty little liars’ newest secrets.

Emily’s reconnecting with an old flame, one baby step at a time. But is she headed toward true love or another bundle of heartache? Spencer’s learning about the highs and lows of campus life on a trip to Princeton. Aria’s seeing a whole new side to Noel’s dad – and it could drive a wedge between her and Noel. And, for better or worse, Hanna’s getting in touch with her inner A.

Secret by secret, lie by lie, the girls get tangled in A’s dangerous web. A knows about everything, from their tiniest transgressions to the awful incident in Jamaica. Soon a will have enough ammunition to pull the trigger and end the pretty little liars, once and for all…

I don’t think I’ve ever felt relieved when I was so close to finishing a book series; usually I’m upset when I realize there is only one more book left to read. Guess how I felt after I finished Stunning? You guessed it; relieved. I guess there is a first for everything. I had such high hopes for this book series, which was brought on by my love of the show, Pretty Little Liars. The first 8 books were pretty good, but it has been a little brutal to finish the last three. I seriously sighed in relief when I hit the last page of Stunning. I don’t like that feeling!

The storylines are just taking an absurd turn. They have always been a little out there, but it almost feels like Sara Shepard is grasping at straws to come up with new issues for the four girls. “A” is still omnipresent and all knowing, and even though they have had quite a few suspects, none of their suspicions seem to pan out. Oh, and then you have Emily who is still convinced it is Ali. Granted, she may be right but it seems to me she just refuses to let Ali go. I will say though, I liked that we finally got to see Emily’s emotion and/or remorse towards the baby she gave away. My eyes got a little misty at the end when Emily sees her daughter with the family she gave her to; she seemed to really care that her daughter was loved, and I never got any of that from her in the previous two books. That being said, the way she gave the family the baby was f*cked up. I guess I can somewhat see why she did it, but really…? Hey Emily, your baby isn’t Harry Potter. You don’t just leave it on a doorstep with a note.

Hanna decides to start stalking her ex-boyfriend Mike, and his new girlfriend, Colleen. I think Hanna should have seen this backfiring on her considering the whole stalking idea was planted in her head by “A.” Either way, I have wanted Hanna and Mike back together for a while now and as nice as Colleen was, I was Team Hanna. I think she went a little overboard by wearing camouflage and using binoculars to spy on them in the mall, but what do I know? One aspect of Hanna’s storyline that I have really enjoyed is the new relationship she has with her step-sister, Kate. I like that they are finally getting along, and Kate seems surprisingly genuine to Hanna. Whether that’s actually here to stay or not, I guess we’ll find out in the final book.

Spencer’s storyline revolves around drugs again, and just how far she’ll go to get into an Eating Club at Princeton. While on a weekend stay, she meets Reefer (guess what his drug of choice is) and refuses to admit to herself that she could ever possibly be interested in someone like him. Well, maybe she should take his advice…”Don’t judge a book by its cover.” It turns out Reefer is more than just a pot-smoking hippie…

Aria’s big issue…is just ridiculous. She finds out Noel’s father is a cross dresser. That’s right; her boyfriend’s dad is a cross dresser. What the shit? Now, I’m not judging…you do what you do. It doesn’t affect me so live your life by doing whatever makes you happy. That being said, I think this storyline is beyond absurd. Of course “A” knows about it and threatens Aria: break up with Noel or everyone finds out his dad is a cross dresser. *facepalm*

I really, really wish I would have been able to enjoy this book, and the two prior, more than I did. I feel like my reviews might be getting repetitive when it comes to books 9-11, but it’s because none of them rock my socks off. Oh, and one final bone to pick: we still don’t know what Aria did in Iceland that is so terrible. It was brought up in Twisted, and after two more books, it’s still a mystery. This annoys me. How can you bring up something like that continually through three books, and not elaborate! I really hate to say this, but I am glad there is only one book left…and I’m glad the twelfth book, Burned, doesn’t come out for another three months. I need a break from Rosewood, Pennsylvania. 

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Ruthless by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 10)

For years, scandal has rocked Rosewood, Pennsylvania – and high school seniors Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer have always been at the center of the drama. They’ve lost friends, been targeted by a ruthless stalker named A, and narrowly escaped death. And it’s not over yet.

Aria’s love life is on the fritz. Emily’s exploring her wild side. Hanna’s kissing the enemy. And someone from Spencer’s past – someone she never thought she’d see again – is back to haunt her.

But none of that compares to what happened last spring break. It’s their darkest secret yet and guess who found out? Now A is determined to make them pay for their crime, and the only thing scarier than A is the fear that maybe, just maybe, they deserve what’s coming to them.

Once again, I’m left disappointed. I just want to go back to two weeks ago when I was contemplating reading the final four books and tell myself, “Don’t you f*cking do it! End it where it was originally supposed to end with Wanted.” The storylines seem to get more and more unbelievable…literally…they are not believable, and the likability of the girls seems to be in a steady decline. The book wasn’t downright awful, and there were a few redeeming factors but after I finished it, my eyes were sore from so much eye rolling. (Okay, not really…but I did roll my eyes an unhealthy amount of times.)

So, Spencer is hooked on drugs. Yes…you read that right. She got hooked on a pill called “Easy A” which is Adderall. She never comes out and says that, but the effects described for “Easy A” are exactly the same effects for Adderall. Anyway, she gets caught with them and blames everything on her friend, because her friend doesn’t have a future; well, not according to Spencer anyway. She’s the only one trying to get into an Ivy League school and if that means putting her friend in jail, then so be it. Nice Spence…real nice.

Hanna falls for a new guy unusually fast; so fast that she doesn’t even get the chance to find out who he really is before falling head of heels for the dude. I had a sneaking suspicion that there were something off about this guy…I guess it’s good to know my instincts are still finely tuned! But honestly, I felt bad for Hanna. Granted, she should probably learn to reel in her emotions a little at first…just stick your toe in the water to feel it out; don’t go diving in head first, girl! I just wish she would get back with Mike, because clearly every other guy she’s been with is a piece of crap.

Aria gets dumped by Noel for his exchange student, Klaudia. This girl Klaudia is a real “bunt cake” with C. I have wanted to punch that little trick since the conversation she had with Aria on the ski lift. Oh, but not to worry! Ezra comes back and Aria decides she wants to uproot her life and move to New York with him. Um…what? A quote from Stepbrothers comes to mind right about now: “YOU’RE F*CKING HIGH!!” I mean, really; I get that he isn’t a stranger but he’s been back in your life for 2 hours and you’re already looking for apartments in New York? Come on, homegirl…maybe you should make sure he doesn’t have a wandering eye first.

Then there’s Emily. I honestly don’t even know where to start. She got pregnant, hid it from her family and friends, had the baby and gave it away. Okay…for starters, the time span of her being pregnant was like 5 months. So she had her baby at 5 months? Something just doesn’t add up. Oh, and just a little question…where the f*ck is this baby?! There is literally nothing said about who adopted her, where they live, etc.  I have been liking Emily less and less, and this book didn’t help me change my opinion of her, especially when she tells Kelsey about what Spencer did to her. Look, I get it; you like the girl and what Spencer did was absolutely wrong, BUT that's not your place! You’re willing to turn your back on one of your best friends for some girl you just met? Yeah, I definitely want you in my core group of friends. *Shaking my head*

I’m riding out this series even though I have been disappointed in the last two books. I’m going to be real honest, the main reason I’m finishing the series is to find out what Aria did in Iceland. It was brought up in Twisted, but we still haven’t found out what she did that was just so beyond terrible. Ruthless wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t exactly good either. I guess all I can hope for at this point is that the last two books turn it around and finish the series strong. *Fingers crossed* 

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Twisted by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 9)

It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The pretty little liars have more secrets than ever – twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild.

Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little “too” cozy with her soon-to-be stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do “anything” to get a swim scholarship.

Worst of all: last spring break in Jamaica, they did something “unforgivable.” The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore…eventually.

The only major unanswered question at the end of Wanted was whether or not Alison survived the fire in the Poconos. All the other major loose ends were tied up in a nice, little bow; the four girls were all friends again, they had their lives back, we finally figured out who “A” really was and learned the real reason why she tortured the girls for so long. I would have been fine with the series ending after the chilling last line in Wanted. THAT BEING SAID…I was just too curious! I couldn’t just blow off the last four books; I just needed to know what could possibly happen after all this shit went down in Wanted.

Sadly, I was a little disappointed in Twisted. Now let me explain before you start send threatening messages to me signed with “-A.” (Yep, that was cheesy and I don’t even give a crap.) I just feel like the story has taken a ridiculous turn. Sure, there were plotlines that weren’t exactly believable in the prior 8 books but this one is a little too much. After we finally figure out the whole “Ali-Courtney-Real Ali” situation in Wanted, the “Real Ali” tries to kill the girls…once again…by burning down her family’s house in the Poconos while the girls are locked inside. Oh, and Spencer’s sister Melissa is locked in a closet in the house with…wait for it…Ian Thomas’s dead body. So yeah. The “Real Ali” was A from the beginning (with Mona’s help) and she’s the one who killed Ian, Jenna, and her twin sister Courtney…who everyone thought was Ali. Christ on a cracker, I can’t even explain that whole thing or we’ll be here all fucking day. If you want to know, read Wanted. Back on topic: the girls manage to escape the burning house and Ali burns inside the house. Or does she? They never find any remains and there are “Ali sightings” everywhere. So did she burn or is she still out there seeking revenge on the four little liars? THAT’S a badass ending to a series!

Then there’s Twisted. I was really hoping that maybe Sara would take the story in a different direction and she…did not. The girls do something terrible while on spring break in Jamaica; something they can never tell anyone. Well, someone finds out and like clockwork they start getting texts from “A” again. So, if Ali died in the fire…who is still out there threatening to ruin the girls’ lives by revealing what they did in Jamaica?

First of all, the whole Tabitha/Alison thing was just a little too ridiculous for me. Is Alison secretly a cat? Is she a fucking robot? Because those are the only explanations I can come up with as to how the hell she would ever still be alive; she has nine lives or she runs on batteries and can only be killed by ripping the main wire that leads to the central battery in her chest. Or she’s a vampire and needs to be staked. I digress. I’m a little over the girls constantly “seeing” Ali, especially Emily.

Emily has grated on me for the past few books and I’m just about fed up with her. The girl is still wetting her panties over Alison. Umm…excuse me? This crazy bitch tried to kill you in a fire not once, but twice, and has made your life a living hell for years! Move the fuck on. She still has Ali up on this pedestal and it drives me crazy. Oh, and Emily drops a BOMB of a secret. I can’t even really talk about it right now because I don’t even understand how it happened…and how in the world she could physically keep it a secret. I don’t buy it. Maybe there will be more answers in Ruthless…scratch that…there better be some answers in the next book.

Aria is dealing with the super-hot foreign exchange student living with Noel Kahn and his family…and by dealing with, I mean she’s crazy jealous of her. I feel like Aria gets shafted on the storylines; can she have one that doesn’t involve her love life going to complete shit?

Hanna apparently is big on trusting strangers…strange guys, to be more specific. Her father is running for Senator and because of her lack of judgment, there are now pictures of her out there that could damage her father’s campaign. That being said, I actually did feel bad for her. I get mad at her for being a snob every now and then, but at the end of the day she’s still my favorite character.

And then there’s Spencer; this is the first time I’ve really found myself annoyed with her. I guess I’m just a little confused as to why anyone would make a move on their soon-to-be stepbrother? Gross. I mean, I get that you’re not blood-related but come on, girl! You’re better than that! Their whole relationship is just weird and I can’t say I’m a big fan of Zach.

This was my least favorite book of the series, but I am still going to finish it out and read the last three books. I think Sara Shepard wrote these final four books simply because of the popularity of the TV show, Pretty Little Liars, but I feel like they could continue the show without these last four books. The show follows the books loosely…and I mean loosely. There are so many differences; Caleb isn’t in the books but he and Hanna have been together on the show for a while now, Aria and Ezra went their separate ways a long time ago in the books and have never really been apart in the show, Toby was killed off in the second book but he’s still around and dating Spencer in the show, Jenna is killed in the books but in the show she gets her sight back and starts dating Noel Kahn…I could continue but I won’t. Now that you’ve spent your entire afternoon reading this review, I’ll sum it up by saying this: I really hope the last three books are better than Twisted or I’m going to regret not stopping at Wanted.

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Wanted by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 8)

In Rosewood, majestic estates sprawl for acres, and Tiffany toggle bracelets dangle from every girl’s wrist. But not all that glitters is gold and the town harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine – like the truth about what really happened the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing…

Back in middle school, Ali plucked Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer from obscurity and turned them into the beautiful, popular girls everyone wanted to be. Ali was the best friend they ever had. But she also made them do terrible things and taunted them with their worst secrets. Now, three years later, all their questions about Ali have finally been answered and they can put this awful chapter of their lives behind them. Or so they think.

Not every story has a happy ending, especially when four pretty little liars have done so many wicked things. In the dramatic conclusion of Sara Shepard’s bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer could get everything they’ve ever wanted – unless A has one more horrifying twist in store.

What a crazy, mind twisting, perfect end to the Pretty Little Liars series!! Now, I say end…however, there are four more books but I’m not positive if they follow the same storyline or not. I would imagine they have all new issues since the major mysteries in books 1-8 have been solved. Or have they? I feel like the way Wanted ended could go one of two ways: the mystery of “-A” and Alison’s murder are finally solved and the girls are finally able to move on…OR…someone escaped something and is still out there waiting for their chance to finally take out the liars for good. Either way, I was extremely happy with the way this series ended!

There are too many opportunities to reveal spoilers so I can’t really explain the plot into too much detail. However, remember when I said Sara dropped a cliffhanger in Killer and didn’t explain it in Heartless? Well, we finally get some answers in the final book. Who really was the girl they saw in the woods the night they were set on fire? Was it really Alison? Was it her ghost? Did they all just hallucinate seeing her? Well folks…the answer will rock your fucking socks off. Okay, maybe not rock them off…YET!

After it turns out that Billy Ford, the man in jail for the murders of Ian, Alison, and Jenna, has a solid alibi for the nights of the murders, they realize he is being framed by someone still walking the streets. The revelation will blow. your. fucking. mind. I had a little bit of a hint that something about someone was off, but I didn’t see the final twist coming at all! The new “-A” reveals their identity and all questions regarding the deaths of Ian, Jenna, and Ali are officially answered. Two words came to mind during the last 20 or so pages: Bitch Crazy! Brace yourself ladies…shit gets real in this book!!

I loved Wanted and the series as a whole was pretty good, but this was my favorite book by far. That being said, there were a couple storylines that seemed to be unanswered: Wilden’s whole Amish background and what really happened to his ex-girlfriend Leah, Is Emily totally done with Isaac even after he asked her to take him back…just to name a couple. Who knows, maybe those questions will be answered in the next four books if Sara chooses to follow this same storyline. If you like Pretty Little Liars the TV show, I would definitely recommend checking out this series but don’t expect it to mirror the show. The TV show follows the books loosely and as much as I hate to say it, I think I still like the TV show better. 

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Heartless by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 7)

Four gorgeous girls are telling very ugly stories. First Emily, Aria, Hanna, and Spencer claimed they found a dead body in the woods behind Spencer’s house, only to have it vanish without a trace. Then, when the same woods went up in flames, they swore they saw someone who’s supposed to be dead rise from the ashes. And even after all that, the pretty little liars are still playing with fire. Call me heartless, but it’s about time someone shut these liars up for good. After all, nobody likes a girl who cries wolf – least of all me…

I was torn between how many stars I should give this installment in the Pretty Little Liars series, but ultimately I just couldn't pull the trigger on the 4 star rating. Why? A couple of the girls' storylines just plain bored me. And man oh man, I had such high hopes for this book!! Keep in mind, I was still reeling from the cliffhanger in Killer and was hoping that there would be some explanation of it in Heartless. Well…there wasn’t so that was disappointing. I get that it’s adding to the mystery and everything but really?!? You’re going to drop a bomb like that and then not have it resolved in the next book?? I get impatient when I don’t get some answers about a cliffhanger within the first chapter of the next book. Here’s the cliffhanger from Killer, which is where Heartless picks up…

The girls barely escape the woods behind Spencer’s house after they were set on fire, and while they are trying to find their bearings, they realize there aren’t just four girls there; there are five. Aria rescued a girl from the burning woods without ever seeing her face and when the girls finally get a good look at her, they are certain of one thing…the girl standing in front of them is Alison. Yeah, that’s right; their BFF Alison who was supposedly killed four years ago. Crazy shit. (Well, don’t get too excited because you won’t find out what’s really going on with that whole storyline until the next book, Wanted.) Now, the girls already earned a reputation for lying when they said they found Ian Thomas’s body in the woods and then the body magically disappeared so when Emily tells police they just saw Alison…well…let’s just say it doesn’t go over well. 

So what else do the girls get into? Well, “-A” sends Emily to an Amish community in Lancaster, which seemed pretty dumb to me. I really didn’t see any point to this story until the day that she was leaving and finds out some juicy background gossip on one of the guys currently living in Rosewood. I was actually anxious to see where that plotline went, but it pretty much just fizzled a little and then died. 

Hanna’s dad sends her to The Preserve, a mental health facility, with the hopes that it will help her get her shit together and make her stop lying, I guess? It seems a bit extreme, but whatever. This place seems like the most plush mental health facility on the planet. The amount of times Hanna talks about getting a facial or a mani/pedi, you would think she’s on vacation at a fucking spa. Oh, and her roommate Iris adds a nice little twist to the story. I’m hoping we haven’t seen the last of her! 

Aria really isn’t doing anything. Besides her new romance with Noel Kahn, the only significant thing she did in this book was call a medium to the spot where Ali was buried in an attempt to talk to her ghost. For real, that’s it. 

Spencer’s chapters were absolutely the best. Her parents finally come clean about whether or not she’s adopted but that’s not even the best part. She finds out shocking information about her dad, which leads her to a new revelation: she has a closer relationship with one of her friends than she thought. That’s all I can say without giving too much away. Spence’s chapters always seem to have the most depth, and are the most realistic storylines in my opinion. 

Beyond that, we find out who the new “-A” is, get a new suspect for Alison’s murder, and another young girl turns up dead. I wasn’t happy with who the new “-A” was…at all. It just seemed too random. Maybe there’s another twist coming?! All in all, it was good but not great, which seems to be my opinion on all of the books so far. This is a first, but I actually prefer the TV show over the books. This has never happened, people! I just love the dark, creepy shit on the show and the books just aren’t giving me that. Not to mention, the relationships on the show are fucking phenomenal! I mean, I got legitimately mad when Caleb and Hanna broke up, and when Spencer was constantly lying to Toby I just kept thinking “please don’t break up with her, please don’t break up with her! She’ll explain everything later, homie!” I don’t get that kind of emotion for any of the relationships in the books…I wish I did. 

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Killer by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 6)

In picture-perfect Rosewood, Pennsylvania, ash-blond highlights gleam in the winter sun and frozen lakes sparkle like Swarovski crystals. But pictures often lie – and so do Rosewood’s four prettiest girls. Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily have been lying ever since they became friends with beautiful Alison DiLaurentis. Ali made them do terrible things – things they had to keep secret for years. And even though Ali was killed at the end of seventh grade, their bad-girl ways didn’t die with her. Hanna’s on a mission to corrupt Rosewood’s youth, starting with a very attractive sophomore. Aria’s snooping into her boyfriend’s past. Spencer’s stealing – from her family. And pure little Emily’s abstaining from abstinence.

The girls should be careful, though. They thought they were safe when Ali’s killer was arrested and A’s true identity was finally revealed. But now there’s a new A in town turning up the heat. And this time Rosewood is going to burn.

While this isn’t my least favorite book of the series so far, it’s not my favorite either. I found myself getting a little annoyed with the girls in this book, mainly because I feel like there is a lot of repetition. The main factors that kept this from plunging to a 2 star were…well, I’ll tell you later. Let’s start from the beginning.

Killer picks up with the girls finding Ian Thomas’s dead body in the woods behind Spencer’s house, only when they bring Officer Wilden to the scene of the crime…his body is gone. There is no trace that he was ever there. Was he not really dead? Was it a dummy? If he wasn’t dead, where did he go? The police are convinced the girls were simply crying wolf to get attention and a manhunt ensues to find Ian, who is still being charged with Alison’s murder. On top of the town of Rosewood branding them all liars, they are also dealing with their own issues.

Hanna is battling her conniving soon-to-be stepsister, Kate, for the role of “Queen Bee” at Rosewood Day…which is what she was doing basically the entire last book as well. Her whole attitude in this book was a little annoying, which sucks because Hanna is my favorite character. Now I feel like she doesn’t care about anyone else but herself, and if something doesn’t involve one-upping Kate, she isn’t interested. Lame. I do actually like her romantic interest in Mike, even though it’s once again just a competition with Kate to see who can win him over. I hope they stay together, but I’m not holding my breath.

Aria finally decides to do something about her crush on Ali’s older brother, Jason. Her storyline seems to get a little repetitive too; she is always dating/wanting to date the wrong guy. First it was Ezra, then Xavier, and now Jason. The issue of her living with her dad and his new fiancée wasn’t really brought up, and the Xavier/Aria awkwardness was barely touched on.

Spencer is now convinced she was adopted, and signed up for an online site where kids can find their biological parents. As expected, she finds someone claiming to be her birth mother who “just can’t wait to meet her!” This turn of events with the birth mother was extremely predictable, in my opinion. I didn’t necessarily foresee what issue would be presented, but I knew the whole situation was just too good to be true. Meanwhile, her parents are pretty much downright awful to her. I mean, they sold her car back to the dealership without even warning her…yeah…sold her freaking car and didn’t tell her. A-holes.

Emily and Isaac turned up the heat in their relationship, but it turns out someone has a fire extinguisher ready…his mother. I actually feel really bad for Emily, because his mom is a reeeeal piece of work.  

With Ian swearing he’s not the one who killed Ali, the girls begin to think that he just might be telling the truth and turn their attention to a couple of guys in Rosewood who have been acting a big out of the ordinary. Is it possible they had it wrong all along with Ian? Are the police really covering something up? There are a lot of unanswered questions at the end of this book and holy shiitake mushrooms, the cliffhanger is something fierce!

The last three or four chapters and the crazy cliffhanger are what really saved the book from being a 2 star in my opinion. (See, I told you I’d tell you about it later!) The mystery aspect is great and it constantly keeps me on my toes, but I just wish it would lose some of the repetitiveness with the girls’ individual issues. Oh…and the whole thing with the Time Capsule flag? I’m over it. I think I have read the exact same scene with the girls in Ali’s backyard and Jason storming out of the house about 5 or 6 times within the past two books. (Once again, repetitiveness.) That being said, it’s still a good read and I’m ready to dive right into Heartless.

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Wicked by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 5)

In idyllic Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four very pretty girls just can’t help but be bad…

Hanna will do anything to be Rosewood’s queen bee. Spencer’s digging up her family’s secrets. Emily can’t stop thinking about her new boyfriend. And Aria approves a little too strongly of her mom’s taste in men.

Now that Ali’s killer is finally behind bars, the girls think they’re safe. But those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. And they should know by now that I’m always watching…

This was my favorite book of the series so far and I’m a lot more amped to read the rest of the series than I was the first four books. Why, you ask? Well, because I watch the show which so far has followed the first five books. The first four books were good, but the mystery wasn’t really there for me since I knew what was going to happen; now I’m finally at the place where I can try and figure out who the new “-A” is and not already know! Bomb dotcom.

The girls are still coping with two major things concerning Mona: 1) she was “-A” and 2) she’s dead. Hanna has not only lost her best friend, but she is trying to decipher why Mona would torture her for months and threaten to reveal all her secrets. Was she never really her friend at all? As if that’s not enough on Hanna’s plate, her father, and soon-to-be stepmother and stepsister are now living with her while her mom is away in Singapore. Kate tells Hanna a deep secret of her own, which leads Hanna to believe maybe she really does want to be friends with her after all. Ohh, Hanna…you’re so gullible.

Spencer has uncovered a family secret that has the potential to turn her entire world upside down, Aria is just a little too close to her mom’s new boyfriend, and Emily has a new boyfriend. Yep, that’s right…a boyfriend. I guess maybe she’s bi? Who knows; regardless, I like Isaac way more than I do Maya so go get you some, girl! Oh, and Spencer finally has some sparks fly with Andrew Campbell. It was a little predictable, but it’s about time that girl had a love interest!

Sure, they all still have issues to work through, but with the death of Mona and Ian Thomas locked up in jail awaiting trial for the murder of Alison, the girls finally feel safe. No more “-A”, no more Rosewood stalker, no more killer wandering the streets of Rosewood. But when Ian is released on bail to visit his dying mother, the mysterious texts start up again…and this time, they’re even worse. The new “-A” doesn’t just send threatening text messages; they have incriminating pictures that could tear some of the girls’ families apart. Just when the girls are so sure that Ian is behind the texts, they discover something. Something that means there is no possible way Ian is the new “-A.” Now they are back at square one, trying to figure out who wants to make sure Mona’s torture of them continues…and that means they also have to figure out who else in Rosewood knows all their secrets.

I liked the first four books in the series, but this is the first one that I really found myself enthralled with. I know a lot of that has to do with the fact that I knew who the original “-A” was, but now I’m in the dark just as much as the girls. Sara Shepard does a fantastic job of making you think you have finally caught on enough to figure out the mystery, then she pulls the rug out from under you and makes you realize you have no idea who “-A” is…or if Ian is really Alison’s killer. Wicked ends with a wicked huge cliffhanger (see what I did there..?) so I would recommend having the next book, Killer, ready to rock. Sh*t is about to get real…

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Unbelievable by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 4)

Behind Rosewood’s grand facades, where the air smells like apples and Chanel No. 5 and infinity pools sparkle in landscaped backyards, nothing is as it seems. It was here, back in seventh grade, that five best friends shared everything – Seven jeans, MAC makeup, and their deepest darkest secrets. For Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily, it was a dream come true…until Alison, the most beautiful of them all, suddenly vanished.

Now someone named A has turned their charmed lives into a living nightmare. Emily has been shipped off to her hyper-conservative cousins in Iowa. Aria is stuck living with her dad and his home-wrecker girlfriend. And Spencer fears she had something to do with Alison’s murder. But Hanna’s fate is far worse than all of that – she’s clinging to life in the hospital, because “she knew too much.”

With A’s threats turning dangerous and Ali’s killer still on the loose, the girls must uncover the truth – about A, about Ali, and about what happened to Hanna – before they become A’s next victims. But as they unravel Rosewood’s mysteries and secrets, will it bring an end to the horror…or is this just the beginning?

While this book was fairly predictable, I did still enjoy it. It sounds bad, but I’m actually glad I’m done with the first four books, only because seasons 1 & 2 of Pretty Little Liars follow books 1-4, and the beginning of season 3 does as well. I’m ready to read without knowing what’s coming! Granted, the show follows the books loosely, but the main issues are consistent…the major one being the revealing of “-A,” which is finally done in this book.

Let’s see what the girls have gotten themselves into now:

We were left with the cliffhanger of Hanna realizing who “-A” is…and when she’s running across the parking lot to tell her friends, she gets mowed down by an SUV. Awesome. After coming out of a coma, she can’t remember the night of the accident. At all. She has no recollection of who “-A” is or how she even figured it out in the first place. She has also managed to forget how Mona humiliated her at her birthday party, which Mona takes full advantage of…because she sucks a big one. I’ve never been a fan of Mona and after what she did to Hanna at her birthday party, I pretty much despised her. Oh, and Hanna is also in a tug-of-war with her feelings towards Lucas; he’s a sweet guy but he’s not popular and Mona constantly rags on him…once again, because she sucks a big one.

Spencer is still hiding the fact that she plagiarized her sister’s paper for her econ class, which consequently was nominated for a Golden Orchid award and she just so happens to be one of the finalists. Rather than deal with the public humiliation of their daughter being known as a cheater, her parents have decided to bury her secret and have her go along with the notion that she actually did write paper. Superb parenting, by the way. While keeping this secret from everyone outside her family, she is also still trying to wrap her head around her blackouts, and remember anything from the night Ali went missing that will convince her she wasn’t the one who killed Ali.

Emily was shipped off to Iowa after she refused to complete Tree Top, the “reform” program that “fixes” homosexuality. Her first night, she sneaks out with her cousins and meets, Trisha, a bisexual girl who I actually really liked. She was kind of carefree and fun, which seems like the opposite of Maya (I’ve never been a big Maya fan, either.) When her aunt & uncle find out they snuck out, the cousins all blame Emily and she gets shipped back to Rosewood. I kind of saw this coming…

Lastly, Aria just got her world rocked. Her mom kicked her out, her boyfriend found out she was messing around with Ezra, and called the cops resulting in Ezra’s arrest, and she’s now living with her dad and his new girlfriend, Meredith. She also finds out some interesting information about the night Jenna Cavanaugh was blinded that makes her and the other girls see how much Ali was really hiding from them. Now…the most important question: With Ezra out of jail and no one pressing charges, can he and Aria finally make their relationship work?

Okay, take a second to breathe. On top of all that mess, we finally find out who “-A” is and the police take a suspect into custody for the murder of Alison. I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. Most of the storylines were rather predictable and would have been even if I didn’t have knowledge from watching the show. As much as I like this series so far, I can’t say that I love it. I actually prefer the TV show, which is probably a first. I wish Toby was still around and had the storyline he does in the show, and I wish Caleb and Hanna were together…or that he was in the books at all, which maybe he is later. Correction: I hope he is later. That being said, I’m anxious to continue the series since I’m getting to the point in the books that hasn’t been covered in the show yet. Bring it.

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Perfect by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 3)

In Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four perfect-looking girls aren’t nearly as perfect as they seem. Aria can’t resist her forbidden ex. Hanna is on the verge of losing her BFF. Emily is freaking out over a simple kiss. And Spencer can’t keep her hands off anything that belongs to her sister.

Lucky me. I know these pretty little liars better than they know themselves. But it’s hard keeping all of their secrets to myself. They better do as I say…or else!

After finishing the third book in this series, I think it’s safe to say that each book gets a little better, a little creepier, and a lot more destructive. Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily thought they had it figured out when all signs pointed to Toby Cavanaugh being Ali’s killer and the mysterious, all-knowing “-A.” Well, that is until he turns up dead from an apparent pill overdose and leaves behind a suicide note; a note that explains his secret that he was so ashamed of…and it had nothing to do with Ali’s murder. They are now back at square one trying to figure out who could have wanted Alison dead, and there is now a Rosewood Stalker lurking around their town. With all that going on, it does seem the girls have one positive thing going for them: they haven’t heard from “-A” in weeks, and they start to think that maybe they can finally breathe again knowing their secrets are safe…but are they really?

Aria is dealing with the fallout of her mom finding out that her dad was cheating on her before they moved to Iceland…and then resumed the affair when they moved back to Rosewood. So, her mom has every right to be pissed. Cheating isn’t cool and adultery is way less cool. HOWEVER, her mom’s attitude towards Aria is incredibly uncalled for. Granted, Aria knew about her father’s infidelity but a child should never be put in the middle of that kind of situation. Her dad should have never asked her to keep the secret in the first place, but her mom shouldn’t be a raging bitch to her for not telling her either. It’s not her place to tell her mom that…she’s not the one cheating! For real y’all…her mom blows this sh*t way out of proportion and after Aria tells her mom what she did to Meredith in an attempt to get her out of her dad’s life, her mom kicks her out of the house. SHE KICKS HER DAUGHTER OUT OF THE HOUSE! B*tch is unstable. It made me really dislike her mom…even more so than her dad and he’s the one that cheated! As if that isn’t enough to deal with, Aria is getting heat from Hanna for dating her ex-boyfriend and she still has serious feelings for her English teacher, Ezra. I’ll say this…you will never expect how that whole sitch ends. Sh*t gets real.

Emily’s family finds out she is a lesbian and I’m fairly certain her mom almost has a mental breakdown. They try to rectify the situation by sending her to Tree Tops, a “reform” program that will “fix” her homosexual feelings. If she doesn’t complete the program successfully, they’re shipping her off to live on a farm with her aunt and uncle in Iowa. Yeah…this is going to work out wonderfully… *eye roll*

Hanna is probably my favorite of all four girls, and she just can’t seem to catch a break. I just really feel for her because I think she really is a good person, she just let herself get caught up in looking perfect and maintaining her huge popularity. Unfortunately, it looks like she’s taking a huge fall from grace. She has lost her boyfriend to Aria, she lost her father to his new fiancé and soon-to-be stepdaughter, and now she’s losing her best friend Mona to a new group of girls. I actually got a little teary-eyed during Hanna’s whole fiasco at Mona’s birthday party…I just felt awful for her.

Lastly, Spencer; she stole more than just her sister’s fiancé and when her parents and sister find out what she did, sh*t hits the fan. Or hits the stairs…hard. She is also trying to remember the night of Alison’s disappearance because she is starting to feel like there are chunks of memory completely gone from that night…which all makes sense when her mom reveals something about Spencer that even she wasn’t aware of.

“-A” comes storming back into the girls’ lives and stirs up some serious sh*t…that is until “-A” gets sloppy. Instead of texting with an unknown number, they screw up and text from a local Rosewood phone number…and Hanna thinks the number looks a little too familiar. The other three girls come to their own conclusions and end up pointing the finger at one of the four of them…but could one of girls really be capable of killing Alison?

Once again, I feel like the books each get a little better than the last one. The mystery steps it up a notch, relationships fall apart and new love blossoms, and “-A” will clearly do anything to keep the girls from finding out who is behind the mysterious texts and emails. Oh, oh, oh!! And I can’t freaking wait to find out what happens to Ezra and Aria!!! Can’t. Freaking. Wait!! In the words of Jay-Z: “On to the next one…”

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Flawless by Sara Shepard

(Pretty Little Liars series, book 2)

In the exclusive town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, where the sweetest smiles hide the darkest secrets, four pretty little liars – Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna – have been very bad girls…

Spencer stole her sister’s boyfriend. Aria is brokenhearted over her English teacher. Emily likes her new friend Maya…as much more than a friend. And Hanna’s obsession with looking flawless is literally making her sick. But the most horrible secret of all is something so scandalous it could destroy their perfect little lives.

And someone named “A” is threatening to do just that.

At first they thought A was Alison, their friend who vanished three years ago…but then Alison turned up dead. So could A be Melissa, Spencer’s ultracompetitive sister? Or Maya, who wants Emily all to herself? What about Toby, the mysterious guy who left town right after Alison went missing?

One thing’s for certain: A’s got the dirt to bury them all alive, and with every crumpled note, wicked IM, and vindictive text message A sends, the girls get a little closer to losing it all.

“Don’t get too comfortable. It’s not over until I say it is.” –A

Well, let’s catch up with the liars real quick, shall we? We’re picking up where we left off with Pretty Little Liars; it’s been three years since Alison went missing, but after receiving texts from “-A” that threatened to reveal secrets that only Alison knew about, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily were beginning to wonder if maybe Ali was finally back. Well, that is until her body is found buried in her backyard. Now the girls are left wondering who killed Ali…and if Alison isn’t “-A”, then who else knows all their secrets and why are they hell bent on exposing the girls’ dirty laundry?

Alison’s funeral, along with the texts from the mysterious “-A”, has seemed to bring the four girls back together but they still find themselves unwilling to share their dirty little secrets with each other. Emily is dealing with the realization that she may have romantic feelings towards her new friend, Maya, but then begins to doubt herself when she meets hot, mysterious Toby Cavanaugh, who also happens to be Jenna’s stepbrother and has quite the reputation around Rosewood. Aria is trying to get over her English teacher, Ezra, after her broke it off with her thinking she was telling everyone about their relationship…all thanks to “-A”. Don’t worry though, Hanna’s ex-boyfriend has his eye on Aria and she doesn’t seem to be pushing him away. (Come on girl, you know better than to date your friend’s ex-boyfriend!) Spencer gets caught making out with her sister’s fiancé, Wren, and as if her family telling her she was never allowed to see him wasn’t enough, they have completely shut her out. Does she listen? Of course not…but just how long can they make their secret relationship last? Now onto Hanna; I feel so bad for this freakin’ girl. She wrecked her boyfriend’s car drunk driving after he refused to have sex with her and now has to work at a burn clinic for her community service punishment. Her boyfriend, Sean, broke up with her and she later finds out he and Aria are somewhat of an item, and “-A” forces her to humiliate herself by admitting to people what really happened between her and Sean…and just how she really manages to stay so perfectly thin. As if all that wasn’t enough…her perfect soon-to-be stepsister gains her trust and uses it against her in f*cked up way. She just can’t catch a damn break!

While the girls all seem to be pointing the finger at the same person for Ali’s death and the “-A” text messages, their theory begins to crumble when another body turns up in the woods behind Emily’s house. Just when they thought they had it all figured out, they realize they aren’t even close to putting the pieces together, and they all start to see just how manipulative Alison really was…and Spencer reveals a secret that she's been keeping from the girls since the night of The Jenna Thing.

There is quite a bit to take in in this book, but I actually liked it better than the first book, Pretty Little Liars. “-A” is really starting to shake things up for the girls in Flawless, and they start to delve into the mystery of who killed Alison…and why? The “who-done-it” factor in these books will get you hooked, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll blaze through a book a day! One other reason I like these books (and the TV show) so much is because Sara Shepard weaves real issues in with the suspense and mystery; confused sexuality, eating disorders, divorce, drug abuse, etc. Those are the things that make you really attach to these characters because maybe you can relate to them and the issues they are going through…or have gone through in the past. That being said, there is one aspect that I didn’t like: the Toby storyline. I like his storyline in the TV show a thousand times more than in the book, but that’s all I’m going to say because I don’t to give anything away! (Hey…I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it!) In short: if you liked Pretty Little Liars, you’ll dig Flawless.

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