Scan barcode
graciesreadings's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The books are better than the show ... i said it
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Eating disorder
Minor: Self harm
karahildebrand's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This series is an ideal lighthearted, immersive read. While the writing may be a little exposition heavy or sloppy at times, the conversational gossipy tone from the narrator gives the story so much personality that honestly is lacking in the show, even though i love the show too. The mystery and the characters and their struggles and flaws are incredibly compelling and finishing the book makes you immediately want to pick up the next one. This book certainly delivers on the juicy drama and the lies promised in the title, although the dramatic moments built up to in the plot of this first book are almost immediately revealed for consequences to ensue which is odd given the themes of burying secrets. The worst part was how much attention was given to Ezra and Aria’s relationship, which is just gross and creepy. Overall, the characters aren’t necessarily likeable but they’re not really supposed to be. They are interesting products of both Rosewood (which has far more dimension in the books that the show watered down significantly) and their individual home lives in ways that yield interesting and mostly plausible character flaws and bad habits. While the series may not be high art, it’s effective at what it does and is a really fun and fast read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Stalking
Moderate: Death, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Self harm
itsmeyseniab's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I realized I had never written a review for this book the first time I read it a year and a half ago, so here goes:
Positives: the "popcorn" read-ability - these are so quick and fun! I also enjoy the POV switches.
The not-so-great aspects: the writing is very juvenile (it reads more like a pre-teen book to me, and not reflective of the age of the characters, if that makes sense). this is DEFINITELY a product of its time: the way more serious topics are discussed so flippantly rubs me the wrong way at times (i.e. eating disorders, age-gap relationships)
Although my thoughts have remained the same, I am excited to see where this series goes!
Positives: the "popcorn" read-ability - these are so quick and fun! I also enjoy the POV switches.
The not-so-great aspects: the writing is very juvenile (it reads more like a pre-teen book to me, and not reflective of the age of the characters, if that makes sense). this is DEFINITELY a product of its time: the way more serious topics are discussed so flippantly rubs me the wrong way at times (i.e. eating disorders, age-gap relationships)
Although my thoughts have remained the same, I am excited to see where this series goes!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Stalking
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Oh wow. Okay. Where to start with THIS book.
I guess I’ll start by extending Shepard the benefit of the doubt. I think she was trying to write the most sensational, over-the-top, unrealistic and ridiculous teenagers ever. I think. I think this was on purpose and not bad writing. Right?
The next thing I’ll do it give Emily some props. Of all the characters in this nightmare of a novel, I think that Emily was the most… human? Her character is the only one here who I think could have had an actual, interesting, “doesn’t make me groan aloud and roll my eyes a lot” story. I more or less enjoyed the pieces from Emily’s POV, but she was not enough to save this book as a whole.
That aside. Wow. Pretty Little Liars is an absolute train wreck.
Lets make a list of some NOPEs, shall we?
- Elitism
- Fatphobia
- Bullying
- Adult/minor relationships
- Infidelity
- Homophobia
- Just… really terrible parents? And friends. And boyfriends. And characters in general.
I am almost 100% sure I missed something there, but those are some of the things that made me want to hurl the book across the room… only this was an audiobook and my phone is expensive. Pretty Little Liars came out when I was in high school, near the age of these girls, and I’m so grateful I didn’t pick it up at the time because I was impressionable and already really really conscious about my weight, and the Hannah storyline was hugely problematic and probably would have been impressionable on 16 y/o me. So many of the characters in this novel make the most dramatic, unkind, unhealthy decisions possible. It was more disturbing than “thrilling”, I guess, with particular emphasis toward Aria/Ezra being a big fat NOPE, Emily’s boyfriend’s behavior bringing me SO MUCH rage, and of course, Hannah’s storyline.
Okay that’s the characters. Lets talk about some other things.
The pacing on this book was slow. It feels like it should be quick, but between the four POVs, I honestly felt like nothing was happening. We went through each of the POVs once and each of the girls did A Thing. Then went went through them again, and the girls did more or less the same thing again. Then through again, seeing the discovery. Again, reacting. End of book. Nothing happened, and it took forever to get there.
I have issues with the realism of everything, but again, that falls into the arena of giving Shepard the benefit of the doubt on her choices here.
The writing as well was just… sort of icky. There’s this scene early in the book where Spencer decides to strip down to her sports bra, underwear, and knee-high field hockey socks and go into the hot tub. And for some reason that scene bothered me an extra lot. Like it had it’s own problematic bits, but I honestly just couldn’t get past the fact Spencer went into the hot tub with knee-high socks. Why? Socks are the best thing to take off at the end of the day, especially after practice. I’m pretty sure Shepard did it just to allow Spencer to be mortified at her lack of glamour when A BOY OMG OMG OMG OMG sees her. For whatever reason, it was this scene that stuck with me as an example of the overall drama and ridiculousness that was this book.
There was a point as I was listening to it when I realised, Oh no. I’m going to have to read a bunch to find out who A is. Because the underlying story was intriguing. It was just everything else about the book that I disliked. Then I remembered – the series was over and I could Google the answer. Thanks Internet, you beautiful spoiler machine! Now I know the end of this series and don’t have to read any more… and wow was it anti-climatic. I would have been annoyed to read sixteen books and have it end there. Goodbye and good riddance, Pretty Little Liars!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Racism
Moderate: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Stalking
Minor: Sexual content