sissiya's review against another edition
4.0
Es un libro muy "salseante", que hace que te encariñes con las protagonistas y siempre te deja con ganas de más. Hacía tiempo que quería empezar la saga y ahora sé que tomé una buena decisión haciéndolo.
El final me ha parecido brutal, muy "wow".
La saga tiene 16 libros y no me puedo ni imaginar la de cosas que pueden pasar en tantas páginas. Creo que son unas lecturas perfectas para épocas en las que tenemos poco tiempo para leer ya que distraen muchísimo y en ningún momento se hacen pesadas.
Ahora debo decidir si leo toda la saga del tirón (siempre me lo propongo pero casi nunca leo más de dos libros seguidos de una misma colección) o si dejo pasar un poco el tiempo.
El final me ha parecido brutal, muy "wow".
La saga tiene 16 libros y no me puedo ni imaginar la de cosas que pueden pasar en tantas páginas. Creo que son unas lecturas perfectas para épocas en las que tenemos poco tiempo para leer ya que distraen muchísimo y en ningún momento se hacen pesadas.
Ahora debo decidir si leo toda la saga del tirón (siempre me lo propongo pero casi nunca leo más de dos libros seguidos de una misma colección) o si dejo pasar un poco el tiempo.
carissa15's review against another edition
4.0
This book was just what I needed! It was the perfect mix of drama, mystery, romance, and realistic fiction. It was such a rollercoaster and I am now hooked on the series. On to book two!!!
grace_reads13's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. I'm a sucker for young adult/high school murder mystery novels, so this was right up my alley!
The first book was unique compared to the first episode of the show, but I could still see many similarities between both adaptions. Like when Maya was the one to first tell Emily about Ali's body being found in the backyard. Spencer and Ali were neighbors in both. Aria and Ezra still had their affair, but it felt even more rushed and intense than the show(especially when Aria bit his hand and drew blood?). And I love how most of their struggles were carried between both adaptions but shined brighter in the book. And I feel it's only going to get deeper as the series continues.
Since Spencer is on the front of the cover, let's talk about her plotline first. Starting with the fact that I LOVE the adversity and conflicts with her family. ESPECIALLY her sister. She mentions multiple times(and how her chapters were written) that Melissa was always the star child, better, the golden goose in the Hastings, and their parents' most prized and favorite child(which I can relate to sometimes as someone with siblings lol). Spencer constantly felt like she was living in Melissa's shadow because no matter how hard she tried to live up to the expectations set by her sister, it didn't seem like it was enough until she got those PSATs scores in the mail when her family FINALLY noticed her. This shows that not everything is perfect behind closed doors when you see a wealthy or "picture perfect" family(because yes, Spencer's family does sound wealthy, from the brands of clothes she wears to the house she lives in and a HOUSEKEEPER?) Although, because of this with her family, I guess it kinda justifies her stealing Wren from her sister because it seems that someone chose Spencer over Melissa for once. BUT, that doesn't mean she should be stealing(or anyone really) her sister's boyfriend. Even if he was flirting with her the whole time and clearly was just at fault in that.
Next, I want to talk about Hanna because I really enjoyed her plotline in this too. I also really like how Sara Shepherd highlighted eating disorders in this and why people(b/c this can happen to boys too) would do the things they do with food and their bodies. For Hanna, it sounded like most stories one would hear. She saw herself as the fat girl in middle school and wanted to change that, so she did(obviously not the correct way. We do not encourage binging and purging or bulimia nervosa). The one plot point that was hit later in the book that also made an appearance in the show(for almost the exact same reasons, crime), was her mother hooking up with Wilden to keep quiet about the bad things Hanna got in trouble for. But I will finish off with this, and I did not like her character pressuring Sean(her bf in the book atm) into having sex with her when he literally said no, swore to wait till marriage, and was even honest with her that he didn't want to do it with her(and that she needed help with respecting herself, which is true).
The third is Emily. Like I saw on the show, she realizes she is into girls and not boys. The only difference is her family dynamic and conflicting feelings about swimming. I actually really liked that she didn't want to swim anymore because it didn't feel like Emily, as she said in the book. And all she wanted to do was be Emily. It was a nice and interesting dynamic between the show and the book, relieving, almost. Her family is also bigger than I thought. Three other siblings, I believe, if I remember correctly? Her father is actually present in the story and not in the military. But I didn't particularly appreciate that her parents were very racist toward Maya's family. Especially when her mom LITERALLY made a gift basket to welcome them into town. It was ridiculous, but I do love Emily and Maya's relationship. While reading Emily's chapters, it was clear that she feels different around Maya than she did with her atm bf, Ben. The only bad thing I would say about their relationship is that it felt rather insta-lovey, but insta-love is personally not my cup of tea(as what Wren would probably say b/c British, lol).
And finally, Aria. Sweet, sweet Aria, who was my favorite character for a bit but changed later as I got older(show wise). She and Ezra with the same meet-up place(kinda), the same predicament with the teacher-student trope, and the same secret she had to keep from her mom about Byron cheating with a student of his(*eyeroll*). What was relieving about Aria's plotline in this book was that she thought about talking to the other girls multiple times to ask what happened while she was gone. She actually talks to Hanna because of English class, and toward the end of the book, she talks to Emily more. I also really liked that she was trying to figure herself out at the beginning of the book. She was thinking about the different personalities and styles she's tried until one finally stuck with her and felt more like her(Icelandic Aria, lol). I don't personally enjoy her central conflict just trying to get Ezra when Noel Khan is literally over the moon for her(which she would've loved in middle school).
To finish off this review, I loved how the end of the book ended similarly to how the first episode of the show ended. Especially with Toby and Jenna being back(The Jenna Thing being mentioned multiple times within the story), which means we'll see more of that in book #2. I loved seeing all 4 of them try to interact with each other at the funeral and appear relieved or comfortable with each other b/c they don't feel alone. And the iconic "A" text message they all received in unison. I hope they continue to talk to each other and re-bond over this. I'm excited for book #2!
The first book was unique compared to the first episode of the show, but I could still see many similarities between both adaptions. Like when Maya was the one to first tell Emily about Ali's body being found in the backyard. Spencer and Ali were neighbors in both. Aria and Ezra still had their affair, but it felt even more rushed and intense than the show(especially when Aria bit his hand and drew blood?). And I love how most of their struggles were carried between both adaptions but shined brighter in the book. And I feel it's only going to get deeper as the series continues.
Since Spencer is on the front of the cover, let's talk about her plotline first. Starting with the fact that I LOVE the adversity and conflicts with her family. ESPECIALLY her sister. She mentions multiple times(and how her chapters were written) that Melissa was always the star child, better, the golden goose in the Hastings, and their parents' most prized and favorite child(which I can relate to sometimes as someone with siblings lol). Spencer constantly felt like she was living in Melissa's shadow because no matter how hard she tried to live up to the expectations set by her sister, it didn't seem like it was enough until she got those PSATs scores in the mail when her family FINALLY noticed her. This shows that not everything is perfect behind closed doors when you see a wealthy or "picture perfect" family(because yes, Spencer's family does sound wealthy, from the brands of clothes she wears to the house she lives in and a HOUSEKEEPER?) Although, because of this with her family, I guess it kinda justifies her stealing Wren from her sister because it seems that someone chose Spencer over Melissa for once. BUT, that doesn't mean she should be stealing(or anyone really) her sister's boyfriend. Even if he was flirting with her the whole time and clearly was just at fault in that.
Next, I want to talk about Hanna because I really enjoyed her plotline in this too. I also really like how Sara Shepherd highlighted eating disorders in this and why people(b/c this can happen to boys too) would do the things they do with food and their bodies. For Hanna, it sounded like most stories one would hear. She saw herself as the fat girl in middle school and wanted to change that, so she did(obviously not the correct way. We do not encourage binging and purging or bulimia nervosa). The one plot point that was hit later in the book that also made an appearance in the show(for almost the exact same reasons, crime), was her mother hooking up with Wilden to keep quiet about the bad things Hanna got in trouble for. But I will finish off with this, and I did not like her character pressuring Sean(her bf in the book atm) into having sex with her when he literally said no, swore to wait till marriage, and was even honest with her that he didn't want to do it with her(and that she needed help with respecting herself, which is true).
The third is Emily. Like I saw on the show, she realizes she is into girls and not boys. The only difference is her family dynamic and conflicting feelings about swimming. I actually really liked that she didn't want to swim anymore because it didn't feel like Emily, as she said in the book. And all she wanted to do was be Emily. It was a nice and interesting dynamic between the show and the book, relieving, almost. Her family is also bigger than I thought. Three other siblings, I believe, if I remember correctly? Her father is actually present in the story and not in the military. But I didn't particularly appreciate that her parents were very racist toward Maya's family. Especially when her mom LITERALLY made a gift basket to welcome them into town. It was ridiculous, but I do love Emily and Maya's relationship. While reading Emily's chapters, it was clear that she feels different around Maya than she did with her atm bf, Ben. The only bad thing I would say about their relationship is that it felt rather insta-lovey, but insta-love is personally not my cup of tea(as what Wren would probably say b/c British, lol).
And finally, Aria. Sweet, sweet Aria, who was my favorite character for a bit but changed later as I got older(show wise). She and Ezra with the same meet-up place(kinda), the same predicament with the teacher-student trope, and the same secret she had to keep from her mom about Byron cheating with a student of his(*eyeroll*). What was relieving about Aria's plotline in this book was that she thought about talking to the other girls multiple times to ask what happened while she was gone. She actually talks to Hanna because of English class, and toward the end of the book, she talks to Emily more. I also really liked that she was trying to figure herself out at the beginning of the book. She was thinking about the different personalities and styles she's tried until one finally stuck with her and felt more like her(Icelandic Aria, lol). I don't personally enjoy her central conflict just trying to get Ezra when Noel Khan is literally over the moon for her(which she would've loved in middle school).
To finish off this review, I loved how the end of the book ended similarly to how the first episode of the show ended. Especially with Toby and Jenna being back(The Jenna Thing being mentioned multiple times within the story), which means we'll see more of that in book #2. I loved seeing all 4 of them try to interact with each other at the funeral and appear relieved or comfortable with each other b/c they don't feel alone. And the iconic "A" text message they all received in unison. I hope they continue to talk to each other and re-bond over this. I'm excited for book #2!
kassandrajae's review against another edition
3.0
every character is like, constantly smoking a cigarette
laurensm_th's review against another edition
challenging
dark
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ellentje1997's review against another edition
4.0
This book is okay, it's a short book and reads easy and pretty fast. The action still has to come in the rest of the series obviously and I believe it'll take more than one book to really set up the whole environment since there's 4 main characters talking. I heard the next books will each have a different girl as first-person teller and I think it'll make things less confusing as they are now (if you haven't seen the TV show yet). It's a good start for the series, but I think I'm sticking to the TV show for now. It's not really my favorite type of books to read and I don't think I'll be putting this on top of my reading list, it's similar to the TV show and there's honestly so many other books that I want to read that kind of will get on my list first. If you haven't seen the TV show, please read the books, because the writing of Sara Shepard is incredibly good!
http://bookaddictedgirl.blogspot.be/2015/08/review-pretty-little-liars-by-sara.html
http://bookaddictedgirl.blogspot.be/2015/08/review-pretty-little-liars-by-sara.html
dianavinogradova's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
aubbu's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
serenitydemars's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
varishaasim's review against another edition
5.0
Woah. Woah woah woah. I did not sign up for this. (Well ya kinda did when you checked this book out.) First of all, I want to thank the author for successfully writing a book which contained multiple points of views and not make a certain characters point of view boring. I have read so many books with different points of view and 99.9% of the time there is that ONE CHARACTERS WHO's CHAPTER IS ENDLESS AND BORING AND YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP READNG CUZ IF YOU SKIP THE CHAPTER SOMETHING IMPORTANT MAY HAPPEN (nope.) AND THEN YOU'LL BE CONFUSED. #readerproblems Well not with this book. I enjoyed every single characters point of view and the book was always interesting. This book was just surprises after surprises overloading you with emotion. I just got the second book today. Not sure if I am ready for the rollercoaster that is about to begin.