Book Review: Pretty Little Secrets by Sara Shepard

After many, many months, I’m finally continuing my Pretty Little Liars re-read! This book is a companion novel that takes place between Unbelievable and Wicked. It isn’t a necessary book to read if you want to read the series, however, it is helpful if you’d like to gain more characterization on the four girls; and most especially, the second A and their motives. Just a quick note before I review: I’m reading the series in order of release date, not chronological order. There’s a prequel that was released between Burned and Crushed (chronologically it’s the first book), and this book was actually release between Ruthless and Stunning (chronologically as I said, it takes place between books 4 & 5). That being said, I decided to read Pretty Little Secrets in its chronological order, rather than by release date. Mainly, because once I get into the greatest ship of all time (a.k.a. Aria & Noel in book 7), I really don’t want to have to come back to a time before they were together. I’m not about that negativity. If there were spoilers in this book for the second arc (since it kind of helps you understand arc two more), then I would have done it by release date, but since it doesn’t really matter, I decided just to get it out of the way now. Plus, knowing what happens in books 5-8 makes this re-read more fun! (Side note: if you are reading the series for the first time, I would recommend until waiting after book 8 to read this book. I know there are no spoilers, but it’s just to be safe).

Trigger Warning: body image/eating disorders

Here's a pretty snow-globe scene for you: It's December of Hanna, Emily, Aria, and Spencer's junior year. Snow is falling, blanketing Rosewood's perfectly manicured lawns and dusting the tops of luxury SUVs. Christmas lights brighten every window, and cherub-cheeked kids are busy making their lists for Santa. The whole town is at peace, especially the pretty little liars. Now that Alison DiLaurentis's murderer is in jail and A is dead, they can finally relax. But little do they know that I'm going to pick up where A left off. I'm going to be the new A, and I've made a list of my own. Guess who's at the top of the naughty column? That's right: Hanna, Emily, Aria, and Spencer. 

— i.

It's only a matter of time before the pretty little liars get their hands dirty again—especially now that they think A is gone. So what trouble will they get into next?

Whew, what an opening to my review! I realized I should have said some of that stuff here, but oh well. I’ll quickly recap this book (without spoilers, of course) before diving into the girls’ arcs (which is how I do my reviews for this series). Pretty Little Secrets takes place during the time jump between books 4 and 5. I’ll review each of the girls arcs’ in order of how they appear in the book, since it’s kind of like four short stories, rather than an actual novel.

— ii.

As soon as she emerged into the chilly air, she let out a pent-up sob. The tears streamed hot and fast down her face. She staggered to her car and leaned on the hood, feeling like a huge water balloon inside of her had burst. She cried for Ali’s death. The horror of Mona. The nightmare that was her new family. That she hadn’t heard from Lucas at all. That she had pursued Vince at all, when who she really wanted was Lucas. Everything just felt so . . . wrong.

Oh boy, what an emotional journey for Hanna. When you read Wicked, you immediately notice how much Hanna has regressed. So much character development in Perfect for nothing. However, her arc in Pretty Little Secrets actually shows how how her regression is more her spiralling out of control. She has to deal with her father and his new family moving into her house, while her mother moves to Singapore. Her boyfriend is unexpectedly going on a trip for two weeks, and she feels insecure in that relationship, so she decides to throw herself at a gym trainer. She struggles with her eating disorder through the boot camp class. And of course, she’s still grieving for Mona—who was her best friend and her stalker that tried to kill her at the same time. She’s dealing with a whirlwind of emotions, and doesn’t know how to process them in a healthy way, which is why I think she takes it out on her body and her mental health. More than anything, I feel genuinely awful for her. She feels like she has no one to turn to, except for the other liars, and she wants a life outside of them, outside of their shared trauma. I think Hanna’s arc in this book beautifully demonstrates her complexity and how flawed she is as a character. Often, you might think that her character is just a two-dimensional popular bitch, but Hanna has always been so much more than that, and her arc here proves it. Her arc makes you feel so many emotions, I truly felt like I was experiencing everything she was beside her. Wow, I love Sara Shepard and her characterization.

— iii.

So why did she feel so . . . empty? Maybe it was crazy, but even after Ali’s body had been found in the concrete hole behind her old house, Emily found herself hoping against hope that her friend was still out there, alive and waiting for Emily to find her. She’d had so many dreams about Ali, and she’d even sworn she’d seen Ali the day of Ian’s arraignment in the back of a Lincoln Town Car. Even now, it felt like a presence lingered somewhere close, ghostlike, as though someone she’d known forever was watching from the cornfield.

For a character whose arc usually has the heaviest material, her storyline in this book was actually pretty light. At this point, her family has accepted that she likes girls, and Emily makes it clear she’s not looking for a relationship right now. And yet, Emily’s arc focuses on her loneliness and her need for friends. More specifically, her need for a friend to love the way she loved Ali. She finds a group of friends that are sort of like community outcasts. They’re frowned upon by most of the neighbourhood. I think Emily’s arc in the novel was really about her process for grieving Ali. Especially now that they have a suspect in custody awaiting trial, and that Emily’s stalker is dead. But despite the fact that Emily is grieving, I’m still happy in the sense that her arc wasn’t emotionally heavy. She got to take a break for a while. And it’s nice, especially when I know what’s coming.

— iv.

Aria might have been in Ali’s cool clique in Rosewood, but boys still hadn’t paid attention to her—they only wanted Ali. In Reykjavik, however, there was no Ali to make her feel like second best. More than that, there was no Ali telling her that she was being too kooky, too unapproachable, and too . . . Aria. Aria hadn’t changed a thing about herself in Iceland, even leaving the pink streaks in her hair and the fake ring in her nose, and Hallbjorn had liked her anyway. In fact, he seemed to like her more for her uniqueness.

Aria, as usual, is a hot mess. She’s impulsive, and I think the root of her impulsiveness is yes, in part personality, but also in part her emotions. When she gets super emotional or worked up about something, she kind of spirals in her own way, and this arc was no exception. Her first boyfriend, Hallbjorn, surprises her in Rosewood, and then they take a trip to Atlantic City to get married. The entire story is just Aria acting without thinking, which is also very her. I don’t think she’s particularly grieving the way Hanna and Emily are. I think she just wants to feel loved, because at this point in time, she still feels very insecure with her relationship with her dad, and Meredith. And because of that insecurity, she kind of just jumps onto the first ship that sails her way. In this case, it’s Hallbjorn. I think that this arc also demonstrates she still has a lot of growing up to do, and that love will find her when she least expects it.

— v.

When she finally found her way to the empty sidewalk behind the club, breathless and overwhelmed, the faintest giggle echoed through the trees. She was too weary to even look around around to see who it was. She deserved to be laughed at for this. She hadn’t won Colin at all. She hadn’t won anything. Like usual, Spencer Hastings had ended up with nothing.

Spencer’s story wraps up the entire book, and, considering recent events (i.e. her relationship with Melissa), her arc focuses on that. Throw in her usual insecurities about not living up to familial standards, and pushing herself to get what she wants at any cost, it’s very typical for her. I think her arc was the least interesting for me, mainly because, it didn’t really cover any new material. She has a long way to go, despite her character development in Unbelievable. I think her arc just reiterates that. So not much to say, this time around. She’s still my favourite, though!

— vi.

But as exciting as these holiday jaunts have been, my fun is only just beginning. My grand plans will make Mona's peeping-Tom act look more amateurish than Aria's DIY knitted bras. Thanks to me, Hanna's about to fall so far down the food chain she'll never be able to claw her way up. Aria's love life is going to get a whole lot messier. Emily will break her mother's heart into a million pieces. Spencer will destroy her family, once and for all. And soon enough, Ali won't be the only one in Rosewood to die tragically and too young. Sound harsh? Well, what can I say? These bitches ruined my life. And I believe in an eye or an eye. Or in my case, their lives for mine.

Overall, this book was great for more character insight on all four of the liars (and even A), but the series could have done without it. It’s a great companion novel though, and since Pretty Little Liars is my favourite book series, I’d still recommend to read it! But if you’re looking for plot development, you’ll probably be disappointed, since it’s not as plot motivated like the usual PLL book. I still loved it!

Just some final thoughts to wrap up this review. I would recommend reading this (if you’re reading the series for the first time) in order of publication date, because while there are no spoilers, it’s more rewarding to delve into (second) A’s psychotic mind after you find out who they are. I think I already mentioned this, but a reminder certainly doesn’t hurt. Now, on to the second arc of the series, starting with Wicked!

What are your thoughts? Have you read the Pretty Little Liars books? Have you read this companion? If so, would you recommend to read Pretty Little Secrets chronologically or by release date? If you haven’t read any of the books but you’ve watched the show, what difference(s) are you most surprised about? Let me know what you’re thinking in the comments!

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Rating: ★★★ | GoodReads