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vanessa177's review against another edition
1.0
The series should have ended with the eighth book. There is no suspense in this novel. There are so many flashbacks, which reveal so much information, it is almost impossible for the reader to be surprised about the revelation at the end. It feels like the earlier books, only really really bad. The girls spend most of the time denying that A's back, even though they are receiving texts, letters, and pictures. This A is much less active than the last one, because A doesn't really do a whole lot. In this book, it is entirely the girls making bad decisions that drive the plot. A pretty much just sits back and points out the ways that they are making messes of their own lives.
The plot is bad. If you've read any of the later Gossip Girl books, you'll remember how it seemed like the author was just pulling dramatic plots out of a hat to assign them to characters. That's what this book is. Aria's chapters center on a bizarre foreign exchange student. Hanna's dead is suddenly a politician. Spencer's mom is super serious with some guy she didn't bother to introduce her kids to. Emily makes a friend and is being molested by her friend's dad. There's more randomness involved in Emily's plot, but technically that would be a "spoiler."
Characterization was never one of the stronger parts of this series. All of the supporting characters changed personalities and motivations constantly. Of course, Spencer's mother and Hanna's father got new personalities in time for this book. That isn't too surprising, as they were two of the more random characters. Again, the author introduces tons of new characters just to keep the narrative going. Once major characters are reduced to just one or two mentions, and they have lost most of what made them interesting when the books were better. Noah is pretty much the only character from earlier that makes much of an appearance. Emily's story, again, revolves around entirely new characters. Mike disappears after the first half. Melissa and Darrin are barely in it. Maya, Isaac, Ezra, Jason, Mr. Hastings, Hanna's mom, Seth, Riley, Naomi, Aria's parents, Meredith, Olivia, Emily's parents, and Carolyn are practically forgotten.
But this is the first time that this has happened to the main girls. Seemingly, nothing of interest has happened to Aria and Hanna between books. They still managed to become completely different people. While we don't hear much about Hanna's popularity at school, she still regressed from the previous book. She ditches Mike early in the book, because, despite being realistically immature, he's too good at keeping the girls from acting stupid. Aria's still dating Noel. Despite spending lots of time with his friends, she has become so judgmental that it is her main character trait. All of the stuff about her being in love with Noel for forever and being jealous of other girls, which came pretty much out of nowhere for Book #8, is also cranked up to 11.
The only two that are acknowledged to have changed between books are Spencer and Emily, and it is not for the better. Spencer, despite already having a gay BFF, is on the market for a stereotypical pet gay. I am not sure if this is supposed to be her being offensive. Andrew turned into a jerk between books, so he's gone. She apparently has turned into a complete crazy person between books, so he might just have made his escape. It's implied that she has done all kind of backstabbing to get back to the top of Rosewood Day's class rankings. She's become more shallow than before.
Emily's transformation makes even less sense. While Emily was always kind of lonely, she is now entirely friendless. She also gets one of the "shocking" twists for this book, and it makes no sense in terms of timeline.
The plot is bad. If you've read any of the later Gossip Girl books, you'll remember how it seemed like the author was just pulling dramatic plots out of a hat to assign them to characters. That's what this book is. Aria's chapters center on a bizarre foreign exchange student. Hanna's dead is suddenly a politician. Spencer's mom is super serious with some guy she didn't bother to introduce her kids to. Emily makes a friend and is being molested by her friend's dad. There's more randomness involved in Emily's plot, but technically that would be a "spoiler."
Characterization was never one of the stronger parts of this series. All of the supporting characters changed personalities and motivations constantly. Of course, Spencer's mother and Hanna's father got new personalities in time for this book. That isn't too surprising, as they were two of the more random characters. Again, the author introduces tons of new characters just to keep the narrative going. Once major characters are reduced to just one or two mentions, and they have lost most of what made them interesting when the books were better. Noah is pretty much the only character from earlier that makes much of an appearance. Emily's story, again, revolves around entirely new characters. Mike disappears after the first half. Melissa and Darrin are barely in it. Maya, Isaac, Ezra, Jason, Mr. Hastings, Hanna's mom, Seth, Riley, Naomi, Aria's parents, Meredith, Olivia, Emily's parents, and Carolyn are practically forgotten.
But this is the first time that this has happened to the main girls. Seemingly, nothing of interest has happened to Aria and Hanna between books. They still managed to become completely different people. While we don't hear much about Hanna's popularity at school, she still regressed from the previous book. She ditches Mike early in the book, because, despite being realistically immature, he's too good at keeping the girls from acting stupid. Aria's still dating Noel. Despite spending lots of time with his friends, she has become so judgmental that it is her main character trait. All of the stuff about her being in love with Noel for forever and being jealous of other girls, which came pretty much out of nowhere for Book #8, is also cranked up to 11.
The only two that are acknowledged to have changed between books are Spencer and Emily, and it is not for the better. Spencer, despite already having a gay BFF, is on the market for a stereotypical pet gay. I am not sure if this is supposed to be her being offensive. Andrew turned into a jerk between books, so he's gone. She apparently has turned into a complete crazy person between books, so he might just have made his escape. It's implied that she has done all kind of backstabbing to get back to the top of Rosewood Day's class rankings. She's become more shallow than before.
Emily's transformation makes even less sense. While Emily was always kind of lonely, she is now entirely friendless. She also gets one of the "shocking" twists for this book, and it makes no sense in terms of timeline.
andwonderlandd's review against another edition
mysterious
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
3.0
lelemontgomery's review against another edition
1.0
Pretty Little Liars: Twisted by Sara Shepard - A Dark and Intriguing Sequel
Pretty Little Liars: Twisted is the ninth novel in the popular YA mystery-thriller series by Sara Shepard that inspired the hit TV show of the same name. It continues the twisty and suspenseful story of four former best friends from a small town in Pennsylvania who are haunted by a mysterious and dangerous nemesis known as "A." In this installment, the girls have graduated from high school and started their college lives, but their troubles persist as they try to unravel the ever-complicated web of lies, secrets, and manipulations that surround them.
The book starts with a prologue that revisits the infamous night when Alison DiLaurentis, the charismatic and cruel leader of the clique, disappeared, leaving her friends Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin, and Emily Fields with a mix of guilt, fear, and suspicion towards each other. This prologue is a clever way to evoke the central theme of the series, which is the past that refuses to stay buried and the secrets that have a way of resurfacing and causing chaos. It also sets up the mystery of the new plot, which involves a disturbing and elusive stalker who sends threatening messages to each of the girls, promising to reveal their darkest secrets and destroy their lives.
One of the strengths of Twisted, and the series as a whole, is its ability to weave multiple plotlines and subplots that intersect and create a web of tension and uncertainty. Each of the girls has her own story arc and conflicts, but they are also linked to each other and to the overarching mystery of "A." For example, Spencer, the brilliant and competitive overachiever with family issues, is struggling with her relationship with her boyfriend Wren and her attraction to her sister's fiancé Ian. Aria, the artistic and independent rebel with a secret relationship with her English teacher Ezra, is torn between her loyalty to him and her desire to explore other options. Hanna, the stylish and bubbly queen bee who has transformed herself from a bullied girl into a popular socialite, is dealing with her shoplifting addiction and her fear of being exposed. Emily, the sporty and sensitive lesbian who has come out to her conservative family, is facing prejudice and rejection from some of her peers and relatives. These subplots are not just filler or distractions, but integral parts of the larger story that reveal the personalities, motivations, and vulnerabilities of the characters, and create a sense of realism and depth.
Another strength of Twisted, and the series, is its portrayal of the dynamics of friendship, especially the fragility, complexity, and intimacy of teenage friendships. The four girls have a long and complicated history with each other, full of betrayals, rivalries, and secrets, but also of loyalty, forgiveness, and love. Their relationship with each other is both a source of strength and weakness, as they need each other to survive and thrive, but also struggle to trust and communicate with each other. This theme of friendship is what distinguishes Pretty Little Liars from other YA thrillers that focus more on individual heroines or anti-heroines, and elevates it to a more empathetic and relatable level.
The suspense and mystery of Twisted are also well-executed, as Shepard keeps the readers guessing and doubting the identities and motives of "A" and some of the other suspects. The clues and red herrings are cleverly planted and twisted, and the reveals and twists at the end are satisfying and shocking at the same time. The pacing is tight and fast, with short and snappy chapters that switch between the points of view of the girls and some of the other characters. The dialogue is snappy and ironic, with a dash of humor and self-awareness that prevents the book from being too grim or melodramatic.
However, Twisted is not without some flaws or drawbacks. One of them is its reliance on some clichés or tropes of the genre, such as the love triangles or squares that add some romantic tension but also distract from the larger plot. Another is its occasional tendency to overload the plot with too many characters, subplots, or twists, which can make the book feel overcrowded or confusing at times. Moreover, some readers may find the behavior or decisions of the characters unrealistic or frustrating, especially when it comes to their repeated mistakes or lack of caution. However, these flaws are not major enough to ruin the enjoyment of the book or the series as a whole.
In summary, Pretty Little Liars: Twisted is a dark and intriguing sequel that delivers on the promises of the series and adds new layers of suspense, drama, and emotion. It explores the themes of the past, secrets, and friendship with depth and complexity, and keeps the readers hooked with its mystery and reveals. If you are a fan of YA thriller, mystery, or drama, or if you are curious about the source material of the TV show, Twisted is a must-read.
ihateprozac's review against another edition
5.0
Some people mentioned in their reviews of Twisted that the story is far-fetched, and my response to that is twofold: a) This is Pretty Little Liars we're talking about, what part of the evil twin switcharoo wasn't far-fetched? And b) I don't care, because I really really really enjoy this far-fetched nonsense. :D
Some people have also expressed concern over how and why Shepard would continue the series beyond the 8th book. Yes, it appears to be a ploy for money and capitalising on the success of the TV show, but Wanted left the door open for Ali to continue to plague others. The secrets were revealed, but Ali's "death" was deliberately left open-ended.
I'm glad Shepard's continued the series so I can continue to get my fix of A, and the series finale was open to the point where it wouldn't be overly strange to continue the tale - unlike [a:L.J. Smith|50873|L.J. Smith|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1266517290p2/50873.jpg]'s Vampire Diaries series, which was (badly) resurrected 12 years after the plot arc finished and is an obvious grab for money.
Ranty rant aside, now onto the review!
***TL;DR SPOILERY PLOT OVERVIEW***
It's been a year since the fiery showdown with Ali/Courtney/whoevenknowsanymore in the Poconos, and the Pretty Little Liars girls are struggling to get on with their lives. This is Pretty Little Liars though, so of course Sara Shepard isn't going to let that happen! Aria is threatened by a boyfriend-stealing conniving Finnish exchange student; Spencer has a new step-family, who hate her after revealing their son is gay; Hanna was conned into taking raunchy photos that could ruin her dad's political campaign; and Emily is not only hiding the fact that she had a baby over the summer, but is being groped by her new friend's father.
And if that wasn't enough to contend with, the girls begin to receive new notes from A. Although Ali didn't die in the fire, the girls thought they'd seen the last of her after an ill-fated trip to Jamaica. The girls are introduced to Tabitha, a blonde girl covered in burn scars who mimics Ali's every mannerism and appears to know their deepest darkest secrets. They're locked in a struggle when Tabitha lures them to a rooftop bar, where Aria pushes her off the cliff and kills her.
....Or so we're led to believe. The girls are convinced she was Ali, until they begin to receive notes from A and experience haunting traces of Ali everywhere. The big cliffhanger then comes in the form of a news bulletin: the body of a young girl has been discovered in Jamaican seaside caves and identified by her parents as the body of Tabitha. This sends the girls reeling: they killed an innocent girl.
****END SPOILERY PLOT OVERVIEW****
The storyline may be ridiculously far-fetched, but I don't love it any less. I love how there are always 3 layers to the PLL story: the girls not only have to deal with notes from A, but A may or not be Ali who is trying to kill them. Then they also have to deal with crazy individual drama that threatens to destroy their lives and that they can't tell anyone about. My own life isn't half as riveting or terrifying, so I was constantly on the edge of my seat!
I really felt for each girl, my heart sinking along with theirs. I predicted that Klaudia spoke perfect English and was secretly an evil bitch, but I wasn't any less horrified when she confronted Aria with her plan. I figured the photographer would be a creep, but I felt Hanna's stress in trying to shut him up. I was even more stressed over Emily, who not only has to deal with the advances by her friend's father, but also might lose everything if said friend chooses to reveal Emily's extracurricular activities during the Summer.
I felt the most for Spencer, she can never get a break when it comes to family! Her biological family treats her like absolute shit, then they break up. She gets a new step family with a super hot charismatic stepbrother, but accidentally "outs" him when he's beaten by his abusive father. Now both stepfather and stepbrother hate her with every fibre of their being, right when they're about to move in to the Hastings House.
I really loved the whole "Jamaica Thing" which was not unlike The Jenna Thing. From the beginning I predicted that the girls had accidentally killed someone on their holiday, because it was the only thing that could've driven them apart so quickly. Sara Shepard is a cruel mistress though, feeding the reader only the tiniest snippets until she's ready for them to know the whole story. Though I knew the basics of what had happened, I couldn't stop reading until I knew the details.
And now that I know, I really don't know what to think! Before the discovery of Tabitha's body I'd figured that Ali was just one of those crazy horror movie psychos that refuses to die. Then the body was discovered, positively identified, and I'm back to square one. The only explanation I have now is the most far-fetched one yet: Ali befriended Tabitha, killed her, and got reconstructive surgery to look like her somewhere along the line. And now she's one of those horror movie psychos who refuses to die. Hey, I told you it was far-fetched!
Overall: If you're annoyed that Sara Shepard continued the series or don't see how she could've, just suspend all disbelief and roll with it. The story is incredibly far-fetched, but hey, so was the Ali/Courtney evil twin switcharoo! Fans of the series will enjoy hearing from the girls and A again, and the drama is as juicy as always. There are twists and turns and when you finish the book you won't know which way is up.
Some people have also expressed concern over how and why Shepard would continue the series beyond the 8th book. Yes, it appears to be a ploy for money and capitalising on the success of the TV show, but Wanted left the door open for Ali to continue to plague others. The secrets were revealed, but Ali's "death" was deliberately left open-ended.
I'm glad Shepard's continued the series so I can continue to get my fix of A, and the series finale was open to the point where it wouldn't be overly strange to continue the tale - unlike [a:L.J. Smith|50873|L.J. Smith|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1266517290p2/50873.jpg]'s Vampire Diaries series, which was (badly) resurrected 12 years after the plot arc finished and is an obvious grab for money.
Ranty rant aside, now onto the review!
***TL;DR SPOILERY PLOT OVERVIEW***
It's been a year since the fiery showdown with Ali/Courtney/whoevenknowsanymore in the Poconos, and the Pretty Little Liars girls are struggling to get on with their lives. This is Pretty Little Liars though, so of course Sara Shepard isn't going to let that happen! Aria is threatened by a boyfriend-stealing conniving Finnish exchange student; Spencer has a new step-family, who hate her after revealing their son is gay; Hanna was conned into taking raunchy photos that could ruin her dad's political campaign; and Emily is not only hiding the fact that she had a baby over the summer, but is being groped by her new friend's father.
And if that wasn't enough to contend with, the girls begin to receive new notes from A. Although Ali didn't die in the fire, the girls thought they'd seen the last of her after an ill-fated trip to Jamaica. The girls are introduced to Tabitha, a blonde girl covered in burn scars who mimics Ali's every mannerism and appears to know their deepest darkest secrets. They're locked in a struggle when Tabitha lures them to a rooftop bar, where Aria pushes her off the cliff and kills her.
....Or so we're led to believe. The girls are convinced she was Ali, until they begin to receive notes from A and experience haunting traces of Ali everywhere. The big cliffhanger then comes in the form of a news bulletin: the body of a young girl has been discovered in Jamaican seaside caves and identified by her parents as the body of Tabitha. This sends the girls reeling: they killed an innocent girl.
****END SPOILERY PLOT OVERVIEW****
The storyline may be ridiculously far-fetched, but I don't love it any less. I love how there are always 3 layers to the PLL story: the girls not only have to deal with notes from A, but A may or not be Ali who is trying to kill them. Then they also have to deal with crazy individual drama that threatens to destroy their lives and that they can't tell anyone about. My own life isn't half as riveting or terrifying, so I was constantly on the edge of my seat!
I really felt for each girl, my heart sinking along with theirs. I predicted that Klaudia spoke perfect English and was secretly an evil bitch, but I wasn't any less horrified when she confronted Aria with her plan. I figured the photographer would be a creep, but I felt Hanna's stress in trying to shut him up. I was even more stressed over Emily, who not only has to deal with the advances by her friend's father, but also might lose everything if said friend chooses to reveal Emily's extracurricular activities during the Summer.
I felt the most for Spencer, she can never get a break when it comes to family! Her biological family treats her like absolute shit, then they break up. She gets a new step family with a super hot charismatic stepbrother, but accidentally "outs" him when he's beaten by his abusive father. Now both stepfather and stepbrother hate her with every fibre of their being, right when they're about to move in to the Hastings House.
I really loved the whole "Jamaica Thing" which was not unlike The Jenna Thing. From the beginning I predicted that the girls had accidentally killed someone on their holiday, because it was the only thing that could've driven them apart so quickly. Sara Shepard is a cruel mistress though, feeding the reader only the tiniest snippets until she's ready for them to know the whole story. Though I knew the basics of what had happened, I couldn't stop reading until I knew the details.
And now that I know, I really don't know what to think! Before the discovery of Tabitha's body I'd figured that Ali was just one of those crazy horror movie psychos that refuses to die. Then the body was discovered, positively identified, and I'm back to square one. The only explanation I have now is the most far-fetched one yet: Ali befriended Tabitha, killed her, and got reconstructive surgery to look like her somewhere along the line. And now she's one of those horror movie psychos who refuses to die. Hey, I told you it was far-fetched!
Overall: If you're annoyed that Sara Shepard continued the series or don't see how she could've, just suspend all disbelief and roll with it. The story is incredibly far-fetched, but hey, so was the Ali/Courtney evil twin switcharoo! Fans of the series will enjoy hearing from the girls and A again, and the drama is as juicy as always. There are twists and turns and when you finish the book you won't know which way is up.
lovemydolphins's review against another edition
3.0
The start of the decline of PLL. This one was just too cookie-cutter, with the same old things happening and same old secrets and blah blah blah. I feel like Jamaica was added just to have the girls have another "bad deed" on their sins list. Also, each girl's storyline seemed typical for them. Spencer getting with a boy she's not supposed to be with, then gets him in trouble? Old.
I have to admit, I still liked it though. :)
I have to admit, I still liked it though. :)
irissophie's review against another edition
3.0
First, in the previous book the author said it was the last one. And now the series continue? I thought the way Alison came back in the book was far fetched. The other thing I didn't like, and didn't realize earlier, is that the author doesn't have knowledge about some things. About the Finnish exchange student that came in the book. A lot of 'typical' Finnish things weren't that typical for Finland, but for other Scandinavian countries. Common, the Finnish language has a lot of ø's? No, that's Norwegian. There also wasn't a real clue or something.
But still three stars. It's still easy and nice to read, I like the writing style of Sara Shephard. Also, I like the characters a lot.
But still three stars. It's still easy and nice to read, I like the writing style of Sara Shephard. Also, I like the characters a lot.
lillyturmel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Is this continuation of the series a cash grab? Probably.
But, PLL is such a fun read. A fun palette cleanser. The Gossip-Girl style narration always seems to pull me in.
But, PLL is such a fun read. A fun palette cleanser. The Gossip-Girl style narration always seems to pull me in.
sharonsm_28's review against another edition
4.0
I gave this one a 4/5. It takes a place a year later since the last book. I thought this was an good read but not great because there were a lot of things that I wasn't sure about. The character development is great; however, the plot seems to be lacking for me. The ending was great and surprising. I'm curious to know who A is in the book? It was good, but it could have been better. I would like to learn more background information about the new character brought into the series.
laineylikestoread's review against another edition
1.0
light spoilers, but i don’t recommend the read anyways. not worth the whiplash. chat, we have lost the fkn plot. while all of the books so far have been far-fetched and exemplified four characters with absolutely no redeeming qualities, self-awareness, or character development, i was admittedly having a lot of fun with the series as a long time fan of the show. the last book should’ve been the finale as every page of this one was complete and utter garbage. the story had concluded naturally and there were no real unanswered questions so why are we still digging?? generally the four main girls could not be more bratty and privileged than if they were raised by a wealthy dictator. they’re not making mistakes at this point but actively plotting their own downfalls and it is exhausting trying to make sense of the wreckage. not only does sara shepard seem to believe that homosexuality is a state you exist in only until you find the “right” heterosexual partner, a character is outted yet again in horrific circumstances. every issue they run into is completely outlandish and manufactured, everyone in this town is just insane frankly. further i was deeply uncomfortable with the plot points, there is a predatory adult male forcing himself on someone his daughters age (A MINOR) and YET ANOTHER relationship between step siblings that takes up the majority of the persons chapters. i guessed the ending in the literal prologue and somehow it was still not even remotely sensical. also apparently emily, our resident occasional lesbian, was pregnant during the time jump?? okay??? honestly, 85% of this book could be cut out and the general message would not change. there is no need for a full summary of the last chapter EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER. sure, these issues have been there throughout the entire series, but this was unbearable and un-pick-up-able. i just don’t even know wtf i just read. i will not be continuing to say the least.