Wanted by Sara Sheppard | Rating: ★★★★★ 

“Or perhaps all those things you missed upon first glance mean much more than you could ever guess.”

In the eighth novel in the bestselling Pretty Little Liars series loose ends begin to tie themselves up as revelations are put front and center. Wanted is one of the best of the seemingly never ending series; as questions are answered regarding the murder and disappearance of Alison DiLaurentis, four little liars are more than ready for the chance to put their dramatic pasts behind them and start fresh. Little do they know that A is only just getting started--and they're about to be blindsided by a secret none of them saw coming.

Shepard crafts, again, a deliciously dark tale of luxury, mystery and lies. Pretty Little Liars is known--and beloved--for the way the plots are woven in quick, but still neat, tell-alls and secrets. As always, it's equal parts to the point and dancing around the inner-workings to keep readers on their toes. What I, personally, liked most about Wanted was the tone it set and how the plot unraveled a bit differently in comparison to past installments. Still soap-opera-friendly, Wanted has more of a trail to explore than its predecessors and Sara Shepard crams a world of questions, answers and intrigue in this one.

Oh, yes. It's time to discuss some of my favorite shows currently on air--and let out all the love... or hate towards each program. Summer time means most shows are on a hiatus, with the exception of Pretty Little Liars and Aquarius. I'm perfectly fine with this, given my state of mind in good weather--I seem to be lazy and scatter brained when it comes down to keeping up with television this time of year, but this week I was kind of on fire. I traded in my lack of energy for a bit of entertainment on the good 'ole tube (is that even a saying?) and kicked back to enjoy the show. Aquarius was sadly off this Thursday in order for NBC to air coverage of the various political conventions (don't even get me started...) and while I didn't get my weekly David Duchovny fix, it did give me time to check out two new shows: Guilt, Freeform's latest dishy mystery, and the newest addition to every Netflix junkies binge list Stranger Things. Lastly, in a #THROWBACK to end all throwbacks, I found myself watching an episode of Degrassi for the first time since high school--how could I say no to a longly anticipated reunion with some of my generations characters? Thanks a lot, Netflix. I'm weak, I tell you! Weak!

Sometimes, a family is like an ear of summer corn: It might look perfect on the outside, but when you peel the husk away, every kernel is rotten. With the DiLaurentises, the girl who seemed like the victim might just have been the tormentor. Sending Courtney away might have just been Ali’s master plan. And maybe, just maybe, all Courtney wanted was what she deserved–a happy life. 


Original posted to my Tumblr.

Unbelievable (PLL #4) by Sara Shepard | Rating: ★★★★★

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the naughtiest of them all?

Sara Shepard’s bestselling series Pretty Little Liars continues on with its fourth installment: Unbelievable – with more drama and revelations than the last. It should be noted, too, that a good chunk of our questions are finally answered and the identity of the notorious anonymous texter is revealed.

And with every answer, with every turn, the title proves to be a proper fit. As with the last three books from the series, we pick up right where we left off in the residents lives of Rosewood. Now, answers are near the point of being revealed when it comes to discoveries on who killed Alison and who is tormenting the girls anonymously.

Aria, Spencer, Emily and Hanna have all suffered from the harassment of A and in Unbelievable we can sense that this was only the beginning. A’s little game is far from over. Each girls lives have been changed drastically over the years and the gap between them all has only grown since the death of their clique leader all those years ago and now the wrath of A.

Can they escape this vicious circle? Is it possible?

Hanna is currently in the hospital after finding out the identity of A; who had promptly hit Rosewood’s resident It-Girls with a vehicle to shut her up. Life as Hanna knows it had already been on the rocks, as she lost everything she’d worked so hard for.

Flawless (PLL #2) by Sara Shepard | Rating: ★★★★☆

"Sometimes I feel kind of wrong here. I used to be normal, but now... I don't know. I feel like I should be one way, but I'm not."
Toby stared at her. "I hear that." He sighed. "There are all these perfect people here. And... it's like, if you're not one of the,. then you're messed up. But I think, inside, the flawless-looking people are just as messed up as we are."

In Flawless, the second installment of the hugely popular Pretty Little Liars series, we are welcomed back to Rosewood, PA, where the houses are huge, the fashion is on point, the girls are pretty and filled to the brim with secrets and lies. We pick up right where we left off in Pretty Little Liars -- Alison DiLaurentis body was found, and these little liars who were once upon a time best friends are being stalked and threatened by an unknown source. A.

But who is A, and how do they know all these secrets?

Better yet, how does A know secrets only Ali knew? Each girl carries the weight of more than a few secrets and the further they get into the plot, the more isolated they become from everything. With each chapter, we see more and more just how dangerous A is getting. And the suspect list continues to grow with every discovery.

Spencer Hastings is in some hot water over having affair with her sisters ex fiance, Wren. But will things heat up only to fizzle out? And where does this leave Melissa? Things are only going to get trickier here on out in her home life, something she is so not looking forward to. Emily Fields is struggling even more with her sexuality and having to keep it all inside. There's no way her parents will ever accept or understand this part -- and things only get more complicated in this book.

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard | Rating: ★★★★☆

“When someone covets something they desire and lust over it. Usually it’s something they can’t have. You’ve always had that problem…”

Before the hit television series graced our screens, Pretty Little Liars was a wildly popular novel hailed as Desperate Housewives for the younger crowd, much like the Gossip Girl novels were referred to as Sex and the City for teenagers. Similarities between both series don’t end there and although plots and characters are explicitly different, both read in the same style.

They are light, fun and an easy way to pass the day. Neither series are serious business. Captivating and juicy? Absolutely. Life changing? Not so much — unless you count the desire to turn up the notch on your style after hearing the descriptions of what our girls wear in the series. Which, to be honest, I totally found myself in need of a shopping trip after reading the first of the series.

I read the first Pretty Little Liars novel while relaxing and trying to tan on the beach all those years ago. I’d already devoured what was released of Gossip Girl, The It Girl and The A-List, so I was looking for the next juicy and stylish read. Naturally, this series was the next on my list — everyone loved these books; everyone lumped each series into the same category. It wasn’t rare to be utterly obsessed with each of these at the same time.

First thing you should know about PLL: Sara Shepard writes in a relaxing manner, making the first book a fast and thrilling read. It won’t take you long to finish it. There’s so much mystery within the first installment that it instantly captures your attention. Who is A? What happened to Alison? What secrets have yet to unfold — and just how fast will they hit you in the gut?

It’s the perfect start to a phenomenal series.