Book Reviews: Mash Up #4

If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin
Kindle Edition
Did Not Finish
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: The title of the novel was very intriguing, so I decided to give it a try. Whether or not I read the synopsis, I don't remember.

Review: I was really looking forward to this novel, hoping and thinking that it would be another Hate List or Before I Fall. And it might be, but it didn't grab me enough for me to feel like this was the right time to find out.

The main character, Autumn, was quite mislead in her love for Jamie and reading about it did nothing but sicken me and raise my blood pressure. To the point where I had to put the book my Kindle down because it was starting to depress me.

Maybe at some point in the future, maybe next year, I will remember this book and come back to it, but right now I feel as if it isn't doing anything for me.

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My Own Worst Frenemy (Langdon Prep, #1) by Kimberly Reid
Kindle Edition
Did Not Finish
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Chick Literature, Romance, Mystery
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: It just looked like a good Chick-Lit novel. Again, however, I can't remember if I read a synopsis or not. (Honestly, I'm not sure if this would even be considered Chick-Lit, but  it seemed like it to me.)

Review: The first book in the Langdon Prep series seemed much too slow for me. I felt like not enough was happening, and that made it harder for me to get into the story line and actually read it.

Also contributing to my dislike: the genre. I don't think it was the right time for me to be reading a Chick-Lit novel because it just seemed like an overloaded, very annoying amount of drama. Usually, with any other book in this genre, I would be intrigued and just had to know everything about everything. That didn't happen for me with Reid's novel, sadly. Hopefully it was just the timing that was off for me.

I hope that this novel, too, will run across my path again for another try.

Book Reviews: Mash-Up #1

So this is basically just going to be a combination of all the books I read in January that never got reviews. I'll leave the last one or two so I can write actual reviews for them. Below won't be a complete review, just kind of a paragraph of feelings, really.

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The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden (The Coincidence, #1) by Jessica Sorensen
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 6/1/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I saw this one somewhere, Goodreads I believe, and the cover intrigued me. I searched it in the Kindle Store, and it was only a dollar. People were also giving great reviews about it, so there was no way I couldn't buy it.

Review: I can't remember how I came about this book, but I'm glad it happened. It was truly captivating; I only wanted to read this book. It was as if reading another novel while in the middle of Coincidence would've been disrespectful or something. But either way, I couldn't put the book down.

Callie and Kayden have had a hard time growing up for sure, and the way they, especially Callie, were introverted was so interesting to read. The characters - all of them - found a way to entertain me. The main ones throughout the novel were developed really well; Seth had a great sense of humour that made me love him even more.

This is a really great book, and the sequel is seriously taking too long to get here. :)

Shelf-Worthy

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Until the End (Final Friends, #1-3) by Christopher Pike
846 pages, paperback
Finished on 13/1/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Action, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: All I have to say is: Christopher Pike.

Review: I mean, really though: what IS their to say? Besides "Christopher Pike has done it again," of course. The book was truly amazing.

The Final Friends series follows Jessica  Mark, Polly, Sara, and some of the other kids at their school through a "suicide," a disastrously-ending prom, and a sinking ship. What do all those things have to do with each other, you ask? Why darling, I can't tell you that....! Sorry (not really; buy the book lol).

Everything about this series was just really awesome. The characters were so funny (esp. Jessica & Sara) and realistic that you could totally imagine the scenes happening. The plot was set at both a good pace and a stressful one. The former due to the fact that it was well-balanced -- not too fast, not too dragging; the latter because you constantly want to know the next major thing that happens. However, much to our unliking, Pike builds the suspense by keeping us waiting. Not that I'm complaining. There's always a surprise with Pike.

Anyway, just get this book. Or any of Pike's books really. They're just so "perfectly" written. He is a definitely my favourite male author. For now, at least, anyway.

Shelf-Worthy

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Tall Cool One (The A-List, #4) by Zoey Dean
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 19/1/2013
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Chick-Lit
Goodreads page

Motivation to Read It: I've been wanting to get around to reading this book for quite a while. Finally plugged it into a challenge and put it (literally) at the top of the list to read.

Review: It's been a while since I've read one of Zoey Dean's books, but I don't think I'll ever stop liking them. They are always light reads and, for the most part, cheerful (which is a good little break from the constant Paranormal stuff). Tall Cool One didn't disappoint.

Anna ends up going on a trip to Mexico that was really the main contributor to the book's "fun" element. Sam is still having a hard time with Poppy (her new stepmother if you don't remember); you  kind of felt bad for the situation, but at the same time Same was just a little too harsh sometimes.

The characters overall really were great. I won't dwell into that much more because I'm sure I've expressed my love for them before. The plot was awesome, too. Like I said: light, funny, and a quick read. It's definitely a book to read if you want a break from the serious.

Satisfying eBook

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder & Interview w/Amy!!!!!!!

Today is officially the one-year anniversary of my blog!!!!!!! Woohoo!!!!! This week has been amazing so far! But we're not done yet!!!!!! Today we're welcoming Amy Holder and her debut, The Lipstick Laws, to BFWOL!!! :DD
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The Lipstick Laws
By Amy Holder
Publisher: Graphia, 2011
237 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 11/6/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Chick Lit

At Penford High School, Britney Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone's life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her. For April Bowers, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity. But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay?
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "Sitting near Darci Madison on the schoolbus is enough to put anyone with woman-sprout issues over the edge."
~Last Line: "And with that, I go to bed a proud Lipstick Lawbreaker and an ex-bra-stuffer."

Review: Talk about an awesome book! I really didn't expect it to be that good! It sort of showed me what high school could be like this upcoming year (I doubt it'll be anything like this book, but anything's possible, right? :D).

The main character, April Bowers, is a sophmore in high scool -- with no friends. Her best bud has moved away to Kansas, and somehow, on the first day, April manages to be accepted by the most popular girl in school. Things are amazing for her so far, even though her best friend warns her to stay away.

The plot was really awesome. You could tell that Amy seriously (maybe not too seriously) thought about the best way to write the characters and what happened throughout the 237 pages of the novel. Everything was just so teenish, and the reader can relate to April and her friends so weel. It all just sort of seems real!

The Lipstick Laws was most definitely an ahmazing book. I wish that it was a series, though. I've heard that they are thinking about making a tv series off of it. Hope that follows throught! :)

and a half :)

Quotes from the book:

"No girl wants to hear that she needs a makeover. I know I'm not a supermodel, but c'mon, I'm not a wilting weed in desperate need of Miracle-Gro, either."

" 'Ah, to be a teenager again . . . when noon is morning and midnight is going to bed early.' "

"I get the tortellini alfredo. It's to die for. Technically, I guess it really could be to die for . . . hence my father's nickname for it: heart attack on a plate. Regardless of its artery-clogging qualities, it's delicious."

"Mr. Stuart jumps in horror when he sees me. 'Holy smokes, April! What happened?'
'Tennis balls are hazardous weapons,' I respond cooly.
The class laughs. I'm happy that others find humor in my suffering."

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And now I have an awesome interview with Amy herself! :D Enjoy!

1. What made you want to be an author?
I've always loved to write, and I dreamed of being an author when I was little. However, it wasn’t until after college that I really started thinking about pursuing it professionally. I studied psychology in college and once I was out in the real world working in the field, I realized I wouldn’t feel completely fulfilled unless I was able to do something I truly adore. Writing is that something … and I feel very lucky to have accomplished my childhood dream.

2. What gave you the idea for The Lipstick Laws?
The idea for the book was very character driven. April, the main character, was the first aspect of the story that came to me. I always knew I wanted to write a fun story about the ups and downs of high school, but the whole plot evolved by free-writing in April's voice and putting her character into what-if scenarios.

3. Would you say that you’re a Lipstick Lawlord, or a Lipstick Lawbreaker?
I'm a Lipstick Lawbreaker through and through! I could never follow the Lipstick Laws... especially Lipstick Laws two, three and four!

4. What can we expect from you in the next couple of years?
In the next couple of years, I'm hoping to have another book or two out. Also, The Lipstick Laws was recently optioned for TV, so there's a chance that it may go to production at some point -- fingers crossed. There are still many steps that would have to happen before it gets to that point...but the possibility is exciting regardless.

5. Who are your favorite authors of all-time?
The authors who sparked my love of reading and writing at a young age will always have a soft spot in my heart. Those authors are: Shel Silverstein, Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary and Madeleine L'Engle. I also adore Sophie Kinsella, J.K. Rowling, and Charles Dickens. And I may be biased, but I think my fellow 2011 debut authors are pretty amazing as well!

6. Do you enjoy eating asparagus?
Haha! This may be one of the most random questions I've ever gotten in an interview.... but, yes, I do enjoy eating asparagus. Thanks for asking. :)

7. What are some of your hobbies when you’re not writing?
I love art, photography, anything that makes me laugh, baking, shopping, going to plays, spending time with family/friends...and I'm a huge animal lover, so I like spending time with my pets and/or getting involved with animal rescue groups.

8. What’s your favorite holiday of the year?
Christmas is by far my favorite holiday! In fact, I'd love to be a holiday elf - even just for a day. Preferably the day would be Christmas Eve....because dressing like a holiday elf in the middle of July would probably be a little creepy.

9. How can my followers and I stay in top of what’s happening with you and your books?
You can find me at the following links (please don't hesitate to say hi!):

Twitter: www.twitter.com/amyholderbooks
Website: www.amyholder.com
Blog: amyholderbooks.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amyholderbooks
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/amyholder

Also, if you'd like to meet me in person, check out my news and reviews page for information about upcoming events: amyholdernews.blogspot.com

Thanks so much for the interview, Zakiya!

Thank YOU, Amy, for participating!!! I really appreciate it :p

Killer by Sara Shepard

This book counts toward the following challenges:


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Killer (Pretty Little Liars, #6)
By Sara Shepard
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2009
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Date Finished: 26/2/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age, Mystery, Chick Literature

In picture-perfect Rosewood, Pennsylvania, ash-blond highlights gleam in the winter sun and frozen lakes sparkle like Swarovski crystals. But pictures often lie— and so do Rosewood's four prettiest girls.

Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily have been lying ever since they became friends with beautiful Alison DiLaurentis. Ali made them do terrible things—things they had to keep secret for years. And even though Ali was killed at the end of seventh grade, their bad-girl ways didn't die with her.

Hanna's on a mission to corrupt Rosewood's youth, starting with a very attractive sophomore. Aria's snooping into her boyfriend's past. Spencer's stealing— from her family. And pure little Emily's abstaining from abstinence.

The girls should be careful, though. They thought they were safe when Ali's killer was arrested and A's true identity was finally revealed. But now there's a new A in town turning up the heat. And this time Rosewood is going to burn.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "What if, all of a sudden, you could remember every single second of your entire life?"

Review: The sixth installation in the Pretty Little Liars series was really intriguing. I immediately started the novel after I finished Wicked.

There was more mystery, which was (1) to be expected, and (2) greatly appreciated. The addition of mystery makes the characters behave in ways you would never in a million dreams imagine. Having said as much, I must add that you can never be oh-so-sure as to what shall occur next in books like these.

"A" is sending the girls all kinds of clues to help them find Ali's true killer. OMG! There is a shocker at the very end of the story (the last sentence matter of fact; I didn't post it because of the HUGE spoiler) that will make you hurry-scurry-hurry (hehe) down to the store or on your eReader and buy Heartless.

Overall, this novel was really ah-mazing; if you haven't began reading the PLL series yet, I honestly do NOT understand what you're waiting on! If you enjoy the TV show, you truly needto stick your nose in the books! :D

Guest Review #3 - Leanne

Finally got another Guest Review coming to you! I have been really busy lately, so I wasn't able to get it together until now. This week, my beautifully-winged classmate Leanne :D. She has a book blog over @ Tales of the Mockingjay, and her life blog is @ Another Day In My 8th Grade Paradise.

Anyway, Leanne wants to tell you all a little bit about herself:

I love to dance and read books. I am also some one who lives life to the fullest, so I intend to go to college. I don't know where yet. So, I like writing reviews and things, but my life's hectic. Well, and I read reallly fast;) By the way, my name's Leanne.

Well, now that we know about her, let's enjoy her review of A Match Made In High School.

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I finished the book A Match Made In High School by Kristin Walker. It is a pretty interesting book. I would probably say it is an average Young Adult (YA) novel. It has a lot of "dirty" jokes in it, which I personally find hilarious. But, this book would definitely be rated 13+. It is about a girl who has to take a marriage-ed class. She is paired up with an obnoxious jock who helps her through out the way, compliments her, torments her, and, ultimately, is a good friend, you might say. She has ups and downs with every other charachter in this story. This novel also is good because it has love, secrecy, heartbreak, rude people, good friends, and understandable concepts. There aren't many stories like this out there, but for Kristin Walker's first book, I'd say she did a pretty good job! I would recomend it to people who like YA books who don't mind cursing, dirty jokes, and the real, true way teenagers think. I would rate it 4 wings.

Essay Reivew #1 - The Last Song

This is the first Essay Review I've ever done; just as the title replies, it is a review written in essay form. Yes, I wrote it like I would for school. I needed the practice :).

**SPOILERS INCLUDED**
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The Last Song
By Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2009
405 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 4/ 10/ 2010
Genres: Chick Literature, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

~First Line of Book: "Staring out the bedroom window, Ronnie wondered whether Pastor Harris was already at the church."
~Last Line of Book: " 'I love you, too, Will Blakelee,' she whispered, leaning in to kiss him again."

Review: Do you like to read? Or maybe you do read occasionally, but you're picky on the topic. I know a lot of people like this, yet if you know them well enough, you can find out exactly what they like to read. We all have a favorite book or magazine. My favorite novel is The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. The Last Song is my favorite novel because it has an exceleent plot; wonderful, unique characters; and a great life lesson.

First of all, The Last Song is my favorite book because Nicholas Sparks created an awesome plot. I'm going to assume that all of us have started reading or completely read a book with aplit we didn't like, This happens sometimes, but not with The Last Song. It is about a girl whose dad finds his wife cheating, and he leaves them. The daughter becaomes angry towards the father and doesn't speak to him for three years. This is definitely a plot that several teenagers can relate to. At the same time, The Last Song is a Young Adult romance novel. Ronnie, the main character, meets a young man named Will when she visits her dad in NOrth Carolina; yes, lkike most romance novels, Ronnie and Will fall in love. Again, this is something that some people can completely relate to. How everything fell together in The Last Song was marvelous. Nicholas Sparks' fabulous plot is an unquestionable reason as to why The Last Song is my favorite novel.

Next, Sparks had a magnificent characters, which helped make me love The Last Song even more. I was crying near the end of the book. I won't spoil the climax of the novel for you, but Ronnie's father gets an illness and is hospitalized. Let me just tell you that you will LOVE Steve, Ronnie's dad, by the tagivc realization of his illness. Will's character is any girl's dream, smart, handsome, dedicated, romantic. I really missed his character once he left for college. Marcus's character made me strongly, passionately dislike him, but I guess that's what Nicholas Sparks wanted. Overall, however, you can see that the people Sparks has created to narrate The Last Song are spectacular, which is another contributor to why I love this book and consider it a favorite.

Finally, I have honoured The Last Song as my favorite novel (well, really only one of my exceptionals) because Nicholas sparks included a wonderful life lesson in the midst of the story. To be honest, the majority og people who have read this book might not have even noticed this, and Sparks might not have intended to include a life lesson at all, but he did. What I gained from this book was that if your parents ot friends or any other family members split apart, it is okay to feel angered, but don't reject and ignore them, because when they are gone and cannot come back ot reply to your messages and letters, that is when you will really and truly miss them. We must all cherish our loved ones while they are here with us still. Any moment could be the last moment that we have with the,. "Appreciate and cherish the loved ones you have now, for they are not promised to you tomorrow." I believe this quote to the deepest depth of my soul, and it is my6 opinion that Nicholas Sparks, by writing The Last Song, has given us a perfect example of what the quoataion above means. Sparks' hidden life lesson goes without speaking as ont of my favorite things about my favorite work, The Last Song.

As you can see, Nicholas Sparks has done a completely wonderful, spectacular, and all together outstanding job of writing The Last Song. The book included an excellent plot, several unique characters, and a fabulous, but somewhat hidden, life lesson. In casr you didn't know, The Last Song has recently been made into a movie, in about mid-2010. I myself have not yet gotten a chance to see the movie, but I plan to soon. I have run across a plethora of books that were close to being on my favorites list, but The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks, is probably the best of the best so far. As I said earlier, all of us have a favorite book; or maybe it's a magazine, but there is something we all love reading. For myself, this would be The Last Song, but I wonder: what's yours?

Rating:


Quotes from the Book:

" 'Mom says it's because she has PMS.'
Steve almost choked but composed himself quickly. 'Do you even know what that means?'
Jonah oushed his glasses up. 'I'm not a little kid anymore. It means pissed-at-men syndrome.' "

"He continued to stare at Ashley as he answered. No surprise there. Everyone always notice Ashley. She was like a flashing neon sign for anyone with an ounce of testosterone."

"His dad always wanted the place to look as though the floor had been waxed and the place just opened for business. Unfortunately, air-conditioning hadn't been quite so important to him, and in the summer, the temperature was somewhere between the Mojave and the Sahara."

"In her mind, haveing a Baptist pastor teach him the piano was akin to playing hopscotch with the devil."

Unbelievable by Sara Shepard

Unbelievable (Pretty Little Liars, #4)
By Sara Shepard
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2008
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Date Finished: 8/11/2010
Genres: Chick Literature, Young Adult, Mystery, Action, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age

First Line of Book: "Ever whish you could go back in time and undo your mistakes?"

Review: The fourth Pretty Little Liars novel was spectacular! There was barely any romance in Unbelievable, which actually was probably the only thing that disappointed me. Anyhoo, in this addition to the PLL series, you finally figure out who "A" is! You'll be totally floored when you find out who "A" has been all this time. But then ... something not-so-good happens to "A." Not exactly what the girls wanted. More action, more mixed feelings, and Hanna can't remember who she was last accusing right before her accident in Perfect. Could that be the key to what helped them find "A" even faster? You'll just have to read to read to see! Recommended to all :).

Rating:

Quotes from the Book:

"Allen drove at least fifteen miles under the speed limit -- even a frail old woman squinting over her steering wheel passed them."

"Once, Ali had tried to teach her field hockey, but she'd sopped the lesson about five minutes in because she said Aria ran like a pregnant gorilla."

"Of course if she told anyone about A, A would make sure that Emily really didn't exist."

"Her head hit the ground with a crack ... and her eyes fluttered shut."




--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Perfect by Sara Shepard

Perfect (Pretty Little Liars, #3)
By Sara Shepard
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2008
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Date Finished: 7/16/2010
Genres: Chick Literature, Coming of Age, Romance, Young Adult, Mystery, Realistic Fiction

First Line of Book: "Have you ever had a friend turn on you?"

Review: Perfect was shorter than Flawless, but had so much more drama and romance. The characters were getting into even more trouble, being careless about some things, and careful about others. As you can guess, they werea lways careful aboutt he stuff that didn't matter. We actually get even closer to figuring out who "A" is! You won't believe who they're blaming now! And the mysterious suspect actually fits the clues :). Here's a non-spoiler summary of what went on:

~Spencer: She's going even farther in her quest to win the Golden Orchid. But will "A" ruin her chances of winning by revealing her secret to her sister Melissa?

~Aria: Her relationship with Ezra is even deeper, but will "A" succeed in ruining everything she cares about in life, including her family?

~Hanna: She's quitting V Club, and is finally over Sean. "A" is still watching her every move, though, threatening to reveal her secrets from before she was popular.

~Emily: Her parents aren't happy with her new friend. Then she is unwillingly forced to go public with the biggest secret of all. Can her life get any more terrible?

"A" is still out there, and they're determined to ruin these four girls' lives forever. Will they ever stop? If they do, it won't be anytime soon; that's for sure. . . .

Rating:


Quotes from the Book:

"Allen drove at least fifteen miles under the speed limit -- even a frail old woman squinting over her steering wheel passed them."

"Once, Ali had tried to teach her field hockey, but she'd stopped the lesson five minutes in because she said Aria ran like a pregnant gorilla."

"Of course if she told anyone about A, A would make sure that Emily really didn't exist."

"Her head hit the ground with a crack...and her eyes fluttered shut."


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Flawless by Sara Shepard

Flawless (Pretty Little Liars, #2)
By Sara Shepard
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2008
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Date Finished: 7/11/2010
Genres: Young Adult, Chick Literature, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Coming of Age

First Line of Book: "You know that boy who lives a few doors down from you who's just the creepiest person alive?"

Review: Flawless was even better than the series debut, Pretty Little Liars. Even more thrills, more romance and friend prob's, and mystery after mystery. Who is "A"? Could they alwys be right around the corner? Is their anyway to solve the girls' personal problems??

This book ... wow. That's basically the rest of that sentence. If you loved PLL, you're really going to kiss Flawless all over (Caution: if, like myself, you are reading an eBook, this might be a little difficult; please -- don't injure yourself).

I have to say, this took me a little less time to read than the first book, probably because there was always something that I wanted solved. Then: WAM! I finished the book. I immediately bought and started the next book.

Like I said before, Flawless gives readers more thrills that I think are the best I've ever read; a little more teen romance that keeps the ball of "hate" rolling; the constant gaining/losing friends cycle; and more mysteries that might lead directly to "A." You're always trying to figure out who knows what, if that means what you thin that means, why she's acting like a baby. Believe me, if you love drama, you gotta get into this series before it's too late!

Rating:


Quotes from the Book:

"One of Melissa's nerdy friends, Liana, had a crush on him, and once made Spencer deliver a secret admirer note to him at the espresso bar where he worked. Spencer recalled thinking that Darren had biceps the size of Chunky Soup cans."

"Sean had tucked her in. She'd blown snot on his shoulder. She'd wailed like an insane person. What better way to lose the guy you like than slobber all over him?"

"Back inside the tent, some of the boys were having a break-dancing contest. Noel Kahn was trying to do a kickworm, and Mason Byers was doing some sort of butt-spin. Wasn't this supposed to be a civilized function?"

"He swung into his car and put the siren on. If the neighbors didn't know he'd been there before, they sure did know."

"And then, ... she'd woken up here, in her bed. Someone must have carried her in, and Aria, who slept like the dead, hadn't noticed a thing."


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars, #1)

By Sara Shepard

Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2006

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Date Finished: 7/3/2010

Genres: Chick Literature, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Young Adult, Coming of Age

First Line of Book: "Imagine it's a couple of years ago, the summer between seventh and eighth grade."

Review: I started this series at the beginning of July because of the new TV series on ABC Family (check it out, Tuesdays at 7pm CST!). So far, the TV show is great, but back to the book:

Sara Shepard's done an awesome job to start off the series. This book was a good series opener. Thrilling, some action, and a little bit of romance. :).

There are four main characters. Actually five ... if you count the dead girl.

~Aria: She's just come back from Iceland for a year, and she has to get used to Rosewood again. On her first night back, she's started an affair with a surprising figure.

~Emily: She's a swimmer, and that's basically her life. It's what her parents expect her to do. But when the new girl moves into Alison's old house, her parents don't want her hanging out with her at all. If only they knew she was hiding part of who she is.

~Spencer: The smartest female at Rosewood Day. She's always battling it out with her sister, the nefarious Melissa, for the higher seat of honor. But then Melissa brings home her fiance. And the wall goes tumbling down.

~Hanna: She used to be a fat, unwanted dork. Now she and her best friend have changed themselves dramatically, and their the it girls at school. But she can't stay at the top if everyone finds out she's getting busted around every corner.

~Alison: She's dead. The last time any of her BFFs saw her was the last day of school. They were out in Spencer's barn, having their first welcome-summer sleepover. Now, she reappears after having "disappeared," in the backyard of her house ... buried under concrete.

The four still-living girls all have secrets to hide, and let me tell you, they're very juicy. And someone knows everything. Someone named "A." And they're threatening to tell everything to everyone in Rosewood. But who is "A"?

To make a long story short for eager readers, if you're either watching the new TV series, or you're into drama-filled Chick-Lit Mystery books, this is the book (and series) for you. Not only does Shepard keep you intrigued, always trying to figure out who "A" is, but she's made everything happen and everyone say something in such the perfect moments that the storyline isn't off-key at all. Every little word of the book had to have been paid close attention to so that everything would make sense in the end. A great read, and def a good mystery. :). I can't wait to find out who "A" is. Could it be you?

Rating:

Quotes from the Book:

"She tossed the key ring next to the car. It hit the pavement hard, and the alarm started wailing again.

Hanna quickly bent down and hit the deactivate button. The alarm stopped. 'Does it have to be so loud?' she complained.

'Totally.' Mona put her sunglasses back on. 'Sean's dad should really get that fixed.' "

"In tandem, the girls read their texts out loud. Each said the exact same thing:

I'm still here, b--ches. And I know everything. ---A"


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly