Melissa's Bookshelf

Pretty Little Liars
By: Sara Shepard
Pages: 304
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers

   Everyone has something to hide—especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna.
   Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. And Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful.
   But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.
   How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were and the naughty girls they are now. And guess what? I'm telling.

   I bought this book because I saw the TV show and I really enjoyed it, but I think the book is better. The characters were more developed in the book than they were in the show. *SPOILER* The show avoided many of the not so happy details, such as how Hanna really did lose weight, and how Spencer's family treated her after the Wren thing. I wished they would have stayed more true to the book. *END OF SPOILER* Everything is so detailed, from the things they drink to the brand of clothes they are wearing. Shepard's great description made this book come to life.
   I really like this cover too! To me it represents that the girls are A's toys, but it also seems to represent that they are not true to themselves. You will notice many times in the book the girls put up a front so they could be what everyone else wants them to be. The cover was interesting, it kept drawing me in even after I stopped reading. But the cover wouldn't have been so interesting without the story inside.
   Unfortunately there is one thing that I disliked about this story. Pretty much everyone smoked and drank alcohol! A few of the girls drinking, I could understand, but all of them did it! That surprised me, but other than that this book was wonderful! A must read!
                I give it a four and a half out of five hearts :)