Everyone has secrets. Rosewood, Pennsylvania is no different from any other town in that regard. Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna all have their own secrets that they'd prefer remain that way. These are secrets that only one person knew: their best friend, Alison, who vanished four years ago without a trace.

The girls, now high school juniors, have drifted apart. They're all living in the same perfect part of suburbia and going to the same school, but they've become very different people. Soon, though, something happens that rocks their world. All four of them are getting mysterious messages regarding their secrets, signed by the mysterious "A." Could that be "A" as in Alison, the only one who knew their darkest secrets? Of course not. She disappeared four years ago. She's gone. Right?

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS is a suspenseful, fairly well-written story that will have readers anxious for the next part of this four-book series, due out in the Spring of 2007. The story seems like it would work well on television—it leaves readers wanting more. The story is nothing profound or deep, simply entertaining. Still, it's enough to keep you occupied for an afternoon.

The characters sometimes seem rather two-dimensional, but that could be due to the number main characters to get to know. Written in third-person, the book would have benefited from an alternating a first-person point of view; but the way Sara Shepard chose to write the novel works well enough to keep the story flowing nicely. PRETTY LITTLE LIARS is something to look for if you want to be entertained for a few hours, but it's not going to win any awards.

Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce
10/20/2006

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