A review by aliencatl0rd
Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
4.0
This is not something I'd typically read by far, as I find that teen novels are typically poorly written and quite shallow, lacking any true literary worth. I haven't seen the TV show which apparently is quite popular at the moment, but I finally caved into reading it after hearing plenty of adults rave about its high entertainment value.
Despite having a bad opinion about teen reads, I was quite impressed by this first book of the series. It's very well composed, lacking any plot holes from what I could tell. The wording is excellent and although each chapter is split between the girls, they flow nicely and you aren't left with any impression of missing something. Although it's an easy read, it doesn't feel like you're reading a 13 year old's book, which gives this first book (and probably the rest of this series) major points for me.
The plot itself isn't terribly original, but it's extremely well done. Again, most teen murder mysteries or ones involving rich, snobby little girls are usually quite an annoyance for the lack of maturity and actual important detail. However, regardless of how stereotypically trashy these girls are (drinking, smoking pot, and provocatively luring young adults into precarious, sexual situations) and how many designer names are thrown around (Chanel, Tiffany, Dior, etc etc), the drama surrounding them is not one of lowly, teenage intrigue. Even the trouble they get into from day to day is put across so eloquently that it doesn't make me scoff and roll my eyes. To be honest, it did at first, but it didn't take me long to discover the delicious prose of this little gem.
To be fair, I don't want to spoil anything for other readers who like me didn't know any real detail about the plot prior to picking it up. Just know that this is a genuinely spooky murder mystery and deserves to be tried out by everyone.
Despite having a bad opinion about teen reads, I was quite impressed by this first book of the series. It's very well composed, lacking any plot holes from what I could tell. The wording is excellent and although each chapter is split between the girls, they flow nicely and you aren't left with any impression of missing something. Although it's an easy read, it doesn't feel like you're reading a 13 year old's book, which gives this first book (and probably the rest of this series) major points for me.
The plot itself isn't terribly original, but it's extremely well done. Again, most teen murder mysteries or ones involving rich, snobby little girls are usually quite an annoyance for the lack of maturity and actual important detail. However, regardless of how stereotypically trashy these girls are (drinking, smoking pot, and provocatively luring young adults into precarious, sexual situations) and how many designer names are thrown around (Chanel, Tiffany, Dior, etc etc), the drama surrounding them is not one of lowly, teenage intrigue. Even the trouble they get into from day to day is put across so eloquently that it doesn't make me scoff and roll my eyes. To be honest, it did at first, but it didn't take me long to discover the delicious prose of this little gem.
To be fair, I don't want to spoil anything for other readers who like me didn't know any real detail about the plot prior to picking it up. Just know that this is a genuinely spooky murder mystery and deserves to be tried out by everyone.