Pretty Little Liars
by Sara Shepard
(Penguin, R120 each)
Aria, Emily, Spencer, Hanna and Alison have been best friends since the third grade.
The ringleader of the group is the manipulative, nasty Alison.
The other girls are in complete awe of her and cannot help but confide all their secrets to her.
But one night Alison goes missing. Her body is never found.
The girls mourn her death but move apart after time, assuming their secrets have disappeared along with Alison.
Three years later, the girls cross paths again.
Aria is having an affair with her teacher.
Emily is questioning her sexuality; Hanna is completely transformed and the new “it” girl at school; and Spencer is flirting with her sister’s boyfriend.
They all think their secrets are safe – until they start receiving messages from the mysterious “A”, who knows exactly what they are all up to and is threatening to take her revenge.
I’ve read the first four books in the series and must say I did find myself caught up in the drama and angst of the teenagers’ lives.
The books are very grown up and glossy – think Beverly Hills 90210 with a crime twist.
I can see a teen reader finding them completely addictive.
The level of maturity in these teenagers does not sit easily with me, but that may just be me betraying my age.
The television show of Pretty Little Liars has been a huge hit in the US and is seen in South Africa on Vuzu, DSTV channel 123.