Pretty Little Liars (Book)

Plotline

 * In the exclusive Philadelphia suburb of Rosewood, Alison DiLaurentis is the Queen Bee of her elite seventh grade hive. BFFs Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin, Spencer Hastings, and Emily Fields vie for her attention, even as each of them hides a hideous secret only Alison knows. So when Alison goes missing after a slumber party, never to be seen again, each girl is heartbroken, but also a little relieved. Now it is three years later, and though the four girls have grown apart, they are each still hiding something. Artsy Aria is carrying on an affair with one of her teachers, fashionista Hanna shoplifts to accessorize her trendy outfits, blue-blood Spencer is sleeping with her older sister’s boyfriend, while straight-A Emily is trying to ignore her attraction to a new female classmate. When the girls begin receiving threatening text messages and emails that from someone known only as "A," they must confront the fact that against all odds, it appears Alison is back. Could Alison still be alive? And if so, why is she so determined to uncover all their dirty little secrets?

Reception

 * Jennifer Hubert of Amazon.com says, "Debut author Sara Shepard's shamelessly addictive blend of Desperate Housewives and I Know What You Did Last Summer is absolutely delicious. Her infusion of mystery and murder breathes new life into the tired genre of high society chick lit, and will give fans of Gossip Girl and The A-List something new to dig their French-manicured nails into. A cliff-hanging ending will leave readers craving the second title in the planned four-part series."
 * On Goodreads.com, based on 663 reviews, the book was given four stars, some saying that "they wouldn't let their teenage daughter read it."
 * Overall, the book got mostly mixed reviews.