Pretty Little Lairs:

"You know what they say about hope.
It breeds eternal misery!"

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Alison DiLaurentis played Rosewood like a master violinist on a stradivarius, until she dies.

After their best friend Alison DiLaurentis vanishes one night during a summer sleepover Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily royally drift apart. Now with Aria returning to Rosewood after three years of living in Iceland she isn't sure how her new European Aria fits in the posh countryside of Philadelphia. Hanna the newly remade over popular girl dropped fifty pounds shortened her skirts and became the new Ali. Whilst Emily won a swimming championship scored a hunky boyfriend, got confused and kissed a girl. Spencer was busy morphing into the super heightened A+ student superstar of her family, whose nights are spent inside text books and days alternate between shopping for Kate Spade back to school clothes and tennis playing at the Rosewood country club.

Now three years after Ali's disappearance the worst expectancy happens. Alison DiLaurentises' body is found, a funeral is planned, a murder investigation is launched by the police and a text message is sent. 

"You promised you wouldn't think about it, Aria thought,
glancing back over her shoulder."
Pg 101:
Aria says in regards to a secret about her dad.

Who'd have thought that a single text message could both eternally damn and reforge a thick friendship once lost?

Ali knew absolutely everything about her four friends but they knew nothing of her. From the grave it seems she is eternally committed to reminding her friends that fact, cryptic text messages making the four girls feel as if they are constantly being watched and when Ali's body is found the messages don't stop someone is out for the blood of the pretty little lairs and they aren't apposed to getting dirty.

I have caved, given in to conformity; whatever, the book is a glorious work of fiction. Better than the Gossip Girl series tenfold. Seven pages in and I was completely hooked. Captivated by the five girls and how I use to ache to be just like them, part of the in crowd and then how I felt when I had a year of it. Every girl wants it but when you have it: we'll there is nothing you won't do to keep it and nothing you fear more than losing it.

How the reviewing process works...

Shepard opens her enthralling book by introducing us to the little lairs, her detailing goes just far enough to state my thirst and then dives right back into the muck of the story. Just how I like my young adult books, simplistic and carefree.

Now normally I dislike it when point of views switch spontaneously between multiple parties, example being the horrifically challenged series of The Luxe, but Shepard pleasantly surprised me by capturing my attention of each characters lives. A fast paced read that left me clawing to start the next book.

Complaint launched: The dolls are freaky! Eight-six them from the cover, pronto. Seriously Shepard; why?