TOXIC: Pretty Little Liars #15 -- Book Review

Title: TOXIC (Pretty Little Liars 15)
Author: Sara Shepard
Rating: 3/5 
One A has been captured…but the most dangerous A of all is still out there in the penultimate installment in Sara Shepard's #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series.

High school seniors Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna barely survived their most recent encounter with A. And it's not over yet…. The police don't believe there's another, deadlier, A out there, but the girls know what-and who-they saw. If they don't track down this final tormentor soon, A will silence them forever.

Sara Shepard's fan base continues to grow as ABC Family's hit Pretty Little Liars TV show draws in new readers to the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Full of unexpected twists and shocking revelations, the second-to-last novel ramps up the stakes for the jaw-dropping series conclusion in Pretty Little Liars #16.

***

Seeing that I actually managed to read through the series and have just finished reading this 15th book days ago, you can say that I'm a fan of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. 

You see, there was a time (by book 12) that I felt like this series has gone on for FAR TOO LONG. But by book 14 (DEADLY), I felt like, hey Sara's back in shape! She's making sense and the series is finally good again, so yey and I waited a couple months for TOXIC so when I finally got my copy, I was ecstatic. 

I wanted so much to like this book. I wanted it to be as great as Deadly or as great as the first novels. But somehow, it lacked luster. It was just all over the place. Some plotlines were just a rehash of things that have already happened before and CREEPY ALI IS JUST CREEPY. Plus, it has a Gone Girl-esque thing to it (which wouldn't have been bad because I like GONE, GIRL, but is bad because I LIKE GONE GIRL, you know what I mean? ) and I'm not sure if Sara deliberately did that or if she was even aware. 

It's not a toxic book though. To be honest, I still enjoyed it. One of the best things I like about the PLL series is that Sara always gets you hooked. She makes you just want to crave for more so you'd end up finishing the book in just a couple of hours. And that's important to me because I have very short attention span.

I wish though that as a penultimate book (if it's really the penultimate one) that some ends were closed and that the questions have been lessened but well, there's book 16 (Vicious, out in December) for that. 

Sara Shepard - The Heiresses -- Review + Dreamcast

 

The Heiresses 

Sara Shepard

***Thanks to Edelweiss for the Net Galley copy***

The series follows one of the most prestigious and wealthy families on the Upper East Side who have built their entire fortune on the business of diamonds.

Due to a clause the grandfather placed in his will, only his granddaughters are set to inherit his massive fortune…these are the heiresses. After the death of their cousin, the remaining heiresses try to figure out if the family curse is real or not, and if not, who killed their cousin, and more importantly, which one of them is next on the hit list?

***

Sara Shepard is back with a brand new series that will surely entice you.

When I first heard about this book, I seriously said, "Omg, I NEED a copy". Not even "Want", it's definitely a need.

I'll admit that I'm one of those people who still reads the Pretty Little Liars Series because they're just too entertaining and mysterious and even if they have gotten so long, well, I still wait for the next book like a madwoman.

Anyway, The Heiresses is quite different from Pretty Little Liars in such a way that it deals with a more mature cast of characters and a more mature setting. See, it's set in New York City, and is the story of Rowan, Poppy, Corinne, Natasha and Aster Saybrook--the hottest, and most controversial set of cousins in the Big Apple. 

And, in typical Sara Shepard style, there are lies and craziness that go around in this place. You'll find yourself wondering who said what, who hurt who, and gasp--who killed who. But what's good about this is that you'd notice how Shepard's writing style has matured in some ways; this is pretty much more believable than PLL or The Lying Game combined, and I think that's why it will make you more excited for the next book.

With twists and turns that only Shepard can make, The Heiresses is a book that's certainly hard to put down. Be sure to get your copy once it's available.

Oh, and because I'm crazy for this book, I made a dream cast, too! *wink*

Dianna Agron as Rowan

Hayden Panatierre as Aster

Naya Rivera as Natasha

Rachel Mcadams as Poppy

***

Emily Blunt as Corinne

Pretty Little Liars Book 14: Deadly -- Review

 Title: Deadly (Pretty Little Liars Book 14)
Author: Sara Shepard

Deadly, the fourteenth volume in Sara Shepard's YA Pretty Little Liars series, delivers more juicy scandals, dark secrets, and shocking plot twists. This #1 New York Times bestselling series is also a hit ABC Family original TV show.

High school seniors Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer have all done horrible things—things that would put them behind bars if anyone ever found out. And their stalker "A" knows everything.

So far A has kept their secrets, using them to torture the girls. But now A's changed the game. Suddenly the girls are hauled in for questioning, and all their worlds begin to unravel. If A's plan succeeds, Rosewood's pretty little liars will be locked away for good...

***

Only the strong survive

Oh my god. Let me just say that I'm one of those people who have been reading this series since the first book and was also one of those who went ballistic when she realized that after book 12, there were 4 more books to be published. The thought that this series have gone on for far longer than it should but MY.GOD. This installment was very, very awesome.

I think my problem with the past two or three installments was the fact that they seemed rushed and everything was just too complicated. With this one, though, even though things were complicated, it's easier to grasp and it's more believable--in the PLL sort of way.

Another thing. That surprise turnout of events was really surprising--and that's saying something, considering this is PLL and there's always so many surprises involved. The way it was written is also at par with the first few PLL books and it has that same feel with its television adaptation.

If you're one of those people who have read this series from the beginning, then I should say that you have to give this installment a chance because it's really awesome. 

And now the wait for book 15 begins...

Yes, Ali, we missed you, you immortal bitch. :)