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wolvy's review against another edition
1.0
Poorly written with the same basic plot reused over and over. It's I know what you did Last summer Part 2 mixed with a tween soap opera. Nothing interesting happens except the Jamaican thing, someone has a secret baby, it's all so absurd
piamarie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
debdatta's review against another edition
1.0
I started on this series when I came across quite a number of fair reviews on it.
The novels revolve around the lives of 4 girls of Rosewood Day School -- Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily. They were almost nonentities in their school till Alison chose them to be a part of her posse. Together they became the most enviable group and suddenly the girls found themselves to be the center of attraction at Rosewood. Then, Allison went missing and the girls fell apart even though they were bound by a few secrets.
Alison is continuously described as the most popular girl at Rosewood Day school. She chose the other girls to be a part of her posse and thus giving them whole new identities. However, as the story progresses, we find that she was not very kind to her friends and often held their secrets on their heads. She emerges as this popular, unkind and manipulative girl with a hell lot of secrets of her own.
Aria is again maybe the most confused girl in the series. She is someone who wants to stand out and always feels misunderstood. She is connected with a lot of guys, including a teacher, her friend’s ex and even her mother’s boyfriend.
Hanna starts out as a chubby girl who wanted to be like Alison. Her fixation with becoming the “It” girl, leads her to developing Bulimia. She is prepared to give everything else up for becoming someone like Alison. So much so that even though she starts of as the girl obsessed with winning the love of her childhood crush, yet over the time she even gives up true love for her fixation of becoming the “it” girl.
Spencer is supposed to be a very talented academic, yet someone never seen to sit down with a book. Instead she cheats and lies her way through. She is very competitive with her elder sister Mellissa, another excellent academic person, but is shown to take it out only by going out with elder sister’s boyfriends. Later on she has problems with her identity crisis.
Emily is obsessed with Alison. As a person who is confused about her own sexuality, Emily is in love with Alison. She then proceeds to date both girls and boys in an attempt to understand herself.
To be frank, after reading the first three books, I wanted to dump the series. But I do not like leave things unfinished and so I toiled through the rest of the books. I was amazed to see how the central characters always focused on only boys and fashion while there were surrounded by murders, suicide and threats at any point of time. I could not relate to even one character in the book, whether it be a boy or a girl or even an animal!!! The girls were more concerned about what brand handbag was in fashion rather than the murders of their friends. While murder investigation was on or someone was on trial, all they could think of was who they could hook up with. And, then there are the parent-children relationships that were so appalling that made me wonder if my parents are abnormal!
The only positive thing about this series is that the title is appropriate for it as the characters are pro at 'lying, cheating and stealing'. I would not recommend anyone to read this series, unless they are interested in making a list of branded products or ways of committing infidelity & adultery.
allisonm22's review against another edition
3.0
This book was not as good as the first 8, which is sad to say because I thought they were amazing. I feel like the series should have ended with the 8th book and not have been dragged out any longer. I still plan to read the rest in the series should the author chooses to continue writing them.
janetl69's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. So absolutely none of this happened on the show (with the exception of a parent running for office and that was Spencer's mom, not Hanna's dad)!
I can't seem to find the words to get this review done, so I'll have to come back to it later.
I can't seem to find the words to get this review done, so I'll have to come back to it later.
kylahenry's review against another edition
4.0
It was good, but it was a lot slower than the others. The ending, once again, kept me on my toes and wanting more - keeping nervous about what might happen next! But I found that this book just wasn't as dark and sinister as the previous ones. The past eight all kept me looking behind me and not wanting to walk around my house at night. They made me fear someone was watching me and this one just didn't do that. Granted, I am older and it has been a while since I've read them, but there were so many twists in the last one, I hope Shepard will be able to keep us surprised!
taliac36's review against another edition
3.0
ALOT OF SPOILERS!!!
The book begins with the girls vacationing in Jamaica and Emily seeing a girl who she believes is Ali. Throughoutthe rest ofthe book,detailsaboutthat fateful vacation emerge. It turns out theypushed the girl they believed was Ali (who had been claiming her name was Tabitha Clark) off a building.
In the meantime, Noel, Aria's boyfriend,has an exchange student, from Finland, comes to live with him. Instead of being the nerdy boy, Klaudius, that Noel expected, the exchange student turns out to be a gorgeous blonde, Klaudia, who tries to steal Noel from Aria. Aria ends up accidentally pushing Klaudia off of a ski lift as an act of self defense, however Klaudia uses that information against Aria. By that point,Aria and Noel's relationship is shaky and uncertain. Also, Emily meets a new girl, Chloe, who moves intothe Cavanaugh's old house. They immediately become good friends, bonding over Chloe's baby sister, Grace.
Emily has now given up hope of getting a swim scholarship, her only option for college. Chloe's dad offers to help but also hits on Emily, even making sexual moves towards her. Chloe walks inonherdadkissingEmily,butthinks that it's Emily who is wrecking her family (her father had previously been cheating).
The girls start to get messages from a new "A", and believe it's Ali and that she somehow survived the fall from the building. Hanna's dad runs for senator of Pennsylvania. Patrick, somebody who's helping out at the set, offers Hanna a modeling job, but he takes some naughtypictures and threatens her with them, saying he will release them to the public and ruin her dads' chances of becoming senator, unless she gives him $10,000. Hanna steals money from her dad and frames Jeremiah, a mean man who is also working on set. Spencer's mom has begun to date with Nicholas Pennythistle, the fatherof snobby Amelia and her brother Zach, in whom Spencer develops a romantic interest.
When they go out dancing, she kisses him, only to find out Zach is gay. When the Hastings and Pennythistles travelto New York together, Spencer and Zach drunkenly fall asleep in the samebed. Duringthe night,Spencerhadkicked off her clothes because she was hot,leaving herinherblouse andunderwear. The next morning Mr. Pennythistle wakes them both up by entering the room. Their indecent clothing and close proximity leads Mr. Pennythistle to believe that they had slept together and acts violent.
Spencer tells him that Zach didn't touchherandthat he's gay,hopingtohelp, but Mr. Pennythistle becomes furiousandsends Zach tomilitaryschool.Zach and Spencer's friendship ends, Zach leaving Spencer with the words "Rot in hell, bitch".
In the end of the book, the news turns on and a teenage girl's dead body was found floating in the water in Jamaica. They identify this girl as Tabitha Clark from New Jersey. The cops believe her death was a tragic accident - not a murder. The girls realize they killed an innocent girl.
phaeley's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
miamariax's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0