Flawless (Pretty Little Liars #2) by Sara Shepard

Title: Flawless

Author: Sara Shepard

Series: 2nd in Pretty Little Liars

Pages: 330

Published: Available now from Harper Teen

ISBN: 9780060887353

Source: Personal Copy

Description: Spencer stole her sister's boyfriend. Aria is brokenhearted over her English teacher. Emily likes her new friend Maya . . . as much more than a friend. Hanna's obsession with looking flawless is making her sick. And their most horrible secret yet is so scandalous that the truth would ruin them forever. And why shouldn't I tell? They deserve to lose it all. With every crumpled note, wicked IM, and vindictive text message I send, I'll be taking these pretty little liars down. Trust me, I've got enough dirt to bury them alive.

I Give This ...

I was really looking forward to this book.  I liked the first one.  It caught my attention with the mystery and the characters were great.  I also really enjoyed the first season of the TV show.

Sadly I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped.  It seemed like nothing happened for most of the story and then all of a sudden so much was happening at once.  But, I was also constantly comparing it to the TV show.  Things were the same, but then there was a lot different.  I couldn't figure out were the show was compared to what was happening in the book.  I know the ending of this one hasn't happened in the show (and it might not).

So it's strange to say, that I think I like the show more.  I still think I will read a few more of the series (especially since my library now has them).  I probably would have liked it more had I read before the TV show started. 

The Lying Game (The Lying Game #1) by Sara Shepard

Title: The Lying Game

Author: Sara Shepard

Series: 1st in The Lying Game

Pages: 307

Published: Available now from HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780061869709

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

 

Description: The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.  Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me—to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move? 

I Give This ...

 

Sara Shepard has a knack for writing characters you love to hate.  This one seems to be no exception.

I was immediately pulled into the story.  The idea of a long lost twin was intriguing, especially when we know right from the start that said twin is actually dead.   I felt sorry for Emma, but I also liked her.  She's had a hard life but she doesn't let it get her down.  She moves on to the next thing and tries to make the best of every situation.  I wasn't surprised that she was taken with the idea of the long lost twin and a family that might take her in.

I also really enjoyed the mystery.  As Sutton's story is laid out, you can't help but feel like she was a really awful person.  Not that any of it justifies murder, but you can see how one might be driven to do it.   Poor Emma having to step in and fill her shoes when she doesn't know a thing about her.  Plus, as she learns that her twin was really murdered, it was interesting watching her try to figure out who could have done it.  Plus I really liked the fact that she tried to tell people she wasn't really Sutton and nobody believed her.

Reading this one reminds me how much I need to finish the Pretty Little Liar series.  It has similar tones to that series.  So, bottom line is, if you liked that one, I'm pretty sure you will like this.  I did and can't wait to read the next installment!   

Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars, #1) by Sara Shepard

Title: Pretty Little Liars

Series: 1st in series

Author: Sara Shepard

Published: October 2006 by Harper Teen

Pages: 286

ISBN: 9780060887322

Source: personal copy

 

Description: 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. 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, the naughty girls they are, and all the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling. 

I Give This ...

  

I admit, I've had this book on my shelf for awhile now.  Then ABC Family decided to make it a television series.  My interest was caught, but I couldn't decide if I wanted to watch the series first or read the book (or the series).  I finally decided to read this one and go from there.   I'm so glad I did.  The rest of the series immediately went on my wishlist.

I think the setting is perfect for this time of story.  Rosewood reminds me of a very rich, and very snooty town.  It's the type of town were you keep your friends close but your enemies closer.  And this seems to apply just as much to the teenagers as it does the adults.  And these teens have plenty to hide.  The setting reminds me of the show The O.C.  Imagine what trouble these girls can cause!

The characters are devious and will stop and nothing to get what they want.  But, at the same time they are all afraid of having their deepest secrets devluged.  I felt sorry for Spencer is away.  She's always trying to get her share of the limelight.  Her sister seems like a royal pain in the a**.  I think I liked Aria the best.  She's not comfortable with being back in town and I think she's determined not to fall back into the stereotypes that labeled her before.  Hanna was the easiest to dislike.  For some reason, her personality and actions just didn't sit with me.  Emily seems like background character.  She's the follower and still not at ease with what happened before and what's happening now.

  The story is a guilty pleasure.  For teens, they sure have a lot to hide.  Quite a few secrets are laid out in this first book.  Each teen has something that A was keeping a secret from before she disappeared.  The new "A" also knows something that each teen has done in the present.  I was afraid some of these secrets might be over the top, but I think it's all within reasonable limits for teens.  There is some adult situations, but nothing that shocked me.  I really enjoyed the story.  I think it's an interesting setup for the rest of the series.  I will be looking forward to what the teens do in the next books and what other secrets can be uncovered!