Killer by Sara Shepard

Killer (Pretty Little Liars, #6)
By Sara Shepard
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2009
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Date Finished: 26/2/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age, Mystery, Chick Literature

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.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "What if, all of a sudden, you could remember every single second of your entire life?"

Review: The sixth installation in the Pretty Little Liars series was really intriguing. I immediately started the novel after I finished Wicked.

There was more mystery, which was (1) to be expected, and (2) greatly appreciated. The addition of mystery makes the characters behave in ways you would never in a million dreams imagine. Having said as much, I must add that you can never be oh-so-sure as to what shall occur next in books like these.

"A" is sending the girls all kinds of clues to help them find Ali's true killer. OMG! There is a shocker at the very end of the story (the last sentence matter of fact; I didn't post it because of the HUGE spoiler) that will make you hurry-scurry-hurry (hehe) down to the store or on your eReader and buy Heartless.

Overall, this novel was really ah-mazing; if you haven't began reading the PLL series yet, I honestly do NOT understand what you're waiting on! If you enjoy the TV show, you truly needto stick your nose in the books! :D

Wicked by Sara Shepard

Wicked (Pretty Little Liars, #5)
By Sara Shepard
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2009
Date Finished: 2/2/2011
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Coming of Age, Mystery

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. . . .
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "Wouldn't it be nice to know exactly what people are thinking?"
~Last Line: "He had to go."

***SPOILERS INCLUDED***

Review: The fifth installation of the Pretty Little Liars series was ah-mazing! Emily, Spencer, Hanna, and Aria are oh-so-sure that since Mona is dead, they are "A"-free. Unfortunately for them -- and luckily for those of us who love the series -- there's a new "A" in town . . . and they know all the girls' secrets, just like they never left. Then "A" starts blackmailing Ali's old friends to hurriedly figure out who killed their dead friend -- or else.

As far as action goes, there really wasn't any. No adventure, but the romance is always there. There was so much mystery in this novel. Since we have New "A," the suspense of who it could possibly be kills the girls as well as myself. The girls, contrasting to the TV show where they believe "A" is Noel Kahn, believe that "A" is Ian. I love that the main charries are so determined to find their former best friend's murderer.

Overall, this is an excellent novel, and it makes a great addition to the Pretty Little Liars series!



Quotes from the Book:

"Hanna had even received a few faux-A texts of her own, but they were obviously spam -- I know all your dirty secrets! And hey, wanna purchase three ringtones for a dollar? So lame."

"She had no idea what had happened in any of her classes today. Her peanut butter and jelly sandwich at lunch could've been made with sawdust and sardines, for all she noticed."

" 'Want to see the Mii Noel Kahn made of you?' Mike clicked back to the main screen, toossing Aria a someone still likes you look. Noel had had a thing for Aria back in the fall. 'He made one of himself, too. You guys could get it on in Wii-land.' "

Unbelievable by Sara Shepard

Unbelievable (Pretty Little Liars, #4)
By Sara Shepard
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2008
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Date Finished: 8/11/2010
Genres: Chick Literature, Young Adult, Mystery, Action, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age

First Line of Book: "Ever whish you could go back in time and undo your mistakes?"

Review: The fourth Pretty Little Liars novel was spectacular! There was barely any romance in Unbelievable, which actually was probably the only thing that disappointed me. Anyhoo, in this addition to the PLL series, you finally figure out who "A" is! You'll be totally floored when you find out who "A" has been all this time. But then ... something not-so-good happens to "A." Not exactly what the girls wanted. More action, more mixed feelings, and Hanna can't remember who she was last accusing right before her accident in Perfect. Could that be the key to what helped them find "A" even faster? You'll just have to read to read to see! Recommended to all :).

Rating:

Quotes from the Book:

"Allen drove at least fifteen miles under the speed limit -- even a frail old woman squinting over her steering wheel passed them."

"Once, Ali had tried to teach her field hockey, but she'd sopped the lesson about five minutes in because she said Aria ran like a pregnant gorilla."

"Of course if she told anyone about A, A would make sure that Emily really didn't exist."

"Her head hit the ground with a crack ... and her eyes fluttered shut."




--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Perfect by Sara Shepard

Perfect (Pretty Little Liars, #3)
By Sara Shepard
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2008
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Date Finished: 7/16/2010
Genres: Chick Literature, Coming of Age, Romance, Young Adult, Mystery, Realistic Fiction

First Line of Book: "Have you ever had a friend turn on you?"

Review: Perfect was shorter than Flawless, but had so much more drama and romance. The characters were getting into even more trouble, being careless about some things, and careful about others. As you can guess, they were always careful about the stuff that didn't matter. We actually get even closer to figuring out who "A" is! You won't believe who they're blaming now! And the mysterious suspect actually fits the clues :). Here's a non-spoiler summary of what went on:

~Spencer: She's going even farther in her quest to win the Golden Orchid. But will "A" ruin her chances of winning by revealing her secret to her sister Melissa?

~Aria: Her relationship with Ezra is even deeper, but will "A" succeed in ruining everything she cares about in life, including her family?

~Hanna: She's quitting V Club, and is finally over Sean. "A" is still watching her every move, though, threatening to reveal her secrets from before she was popular.

~Emily: Her parents aren't happy with her new friend. Then she is unwillingly forced to go public with the biggest secret of all. Can her life get any more terrible?

"A" is still out there, and they're determined to ruin these four girls' lives forever. Will they ever stop? If they do, it won't be anytime soon; that's for sure. . . .

Rating:

Quotes from the Book:

"Allen drove at least fifteen miles under the speed limit -- even a frail old woman squinting over her steering wheel passed them."

"Once, Ali had tried to teach her field hockey, but she'd stopped the lesson five minutes in because she said Aria ran like a pregnant gorilla."

"Of course if she told anyone about A, A would make sure that Emily really didn't exist."

"Her head hit the ground with a crack...and her eyes fluttered shut."


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Flawless by Sara Shepard

Flawless (Pretty Little Liars, #2)
By Sara Shepard
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2008
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Date Finished: 7/11/2010
Genres: Young Adult, Chick Literature, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Coming of Age

First Line of Book: "You know that boy who lives a few doors down from you who's just the creepiest person alive?"

Review: Flawless was even better than the series debut, Pretty Little Liars. Even more thrills, more romance and friend prob's, and mystery after mystery. Who is "A"? Could they alwys be right around the corner? Is their anyway to solve the girls' personal problems??

This book ... wow. That's basically the rest of that sentence. If you loved PLL, you're really going to kiss Flawless all over (Caution: if, like myself, you are reading an eBook, this might be a little difficult; please -- don't injure yourself).

I have to say, this took me a little less time to read than the first book, probably because there was always something that I wanted solved. Then: WAM! I finished the book. I immediately bought and started the next book.

Like I said before, Flawless gives readers more thrills that I think are the best I've ever read; a little more teen romance that keeps the ball of "hate" rolling; the constant gaining/losing friends cycle; and more mysteries that might lead directly to "A." You're always trying to figure out who knows what, if that means what you thin that means, why she's acting like a baby. Believe me, if you love drama, you gotta get into this series before it's too late!

Rating:


Quotes from the Book:

"One of Melissa's nerdy friends, Liana, had a crush on him, and once made Spencer deliver a secret admirer note to him at the espresso bar where he worked. Spencer recalled thinking that Darren had biceps the size of Chunky Soup cans."

"Sean had tucked her in. She'd blown snot on his shoulder. She'd wailed like an insane person. What better way to lose the guy you like than slobber all over him?"

"Back inside the tent, some of the boys were having a break-dancing contest. Noel Kahn was trying to do a kickworm, and Mason Byers was doing some sort of butt-spin. Wasn't this supposed to be a civilized function?"

"He swung into his car and put the siren on. If the neighbors didn't know he'd been there before, they sure did know."

"And then, ... she'd woken up here, in her bed. Someone must have carried her in, and Aria, who slept like the dead, hadn't noticed a thing."


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars, #1)

By Sara Shepard

Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2006

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Date Finished: 7/3/2010

Genres: Chick Literature, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Young Adult, Coming of Age

First Line of Book: "Imagine it's a couple of years ago, the summer between seventh and eighth grade."

Review: I started this series at the beginning of July because of the new TV series on ABC Family (check it out, Tuesdays at 7pm CST!). So far, the TV show is great, but back to the book:

Sara Shepard's done an awesome job to start off the series. This book was a good series opener. Thrilling, some action, and a little bit of romance. :).

There are four main characters. Actually five ... if you count the dead girl.

~Aria: She's just come back from Iceland for a year, and she has to get used to Rosewood again. On her first night back, she's started an affair with a surprising figure.

~Emily: She's a swimmer, and that's basically her life. It's what her parents expect her to do. But when the new girl moves into Alison's old house, her parents don't want her hanging out with her at all.

~Spencer: The smartest female at Rosewood Day. She's always battling it out with her sister, the nefarious Melissa, for the higher seat of honor. But then Melissa brings home her fiance. And the wall goes tumbling down.

~Hanna: She used to be a fat, unwanted dork. Now she and her best friend have changed themselves dramatically, and their the it girls at school. But she can't stay at the top if everyone finds out she's getting busted around every corner.

~Alison: She's dead. The last time any of her BFFs saw her was the last day of school. They were out in Spencer's barn, having their first welcome-summer sleepover. Now, she reappears after having "disappeared," in the backyard of her house ... buried under concrete.

The four still-living girls all have secrets to hide, and let me tell you, they're very juicy. And someone knows everything. Someone named "A." And they're threatening to tell everything to everyone in Rosewood. But who is "A"?

To make a long story short for eager readers, if you're either watching the new TV series, or you're into drama-filled Chick-Lit Mystery books, this is the book (and series) for you. Not only does Shepard keep you intrigued, always trying to figure out who "A" is, but she's made everything happen and everyone say something in such the perfect moments that the storyline isn't off-key at all. Every little word of the book had to have been paid close attention to so that everything would make sense in the end. A great read, and def a good mystery. :). I can't wait to find out who "A" is. Could it be you?

Rating:

Quotes from the Book:

"She tossed the key ring next to the car. It hit the pavement hard, and the alarm started wailing again.

Hanna quickly bent down and hit the deactivate button. The alarm stopped. 'Does it have to be so loud?' she complained.

'Totally.' Mona put her sunglasses back on. 'Sean's dad should really get that fixed.' "

"In tandem, the girls read their texts out loud. Each said the exact same thing:

I'm still here, b--ches. And I know everything. ---A"


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly