There was a time, back in the seventh grade, when Alison "Ali" DiLaurentis, Hanna Marin, Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery, and Emily Fields ruled Rosewood Day school. Together, these five girls determined what, and who, was hot, and what, and who, were so yesterday. They were the girls everyone wanted to be - especially Ali - and the ones every guy wanted to date. Even Hanna, Spencer, Aria, and Emily felt jealousy towards the perfect Ali. Still, the five girls spent every waking moment together, trading secrets, gossiping about their classmates, and hanging at the mall where they shopped 'til they dropped, their parents credit cards in tow. But then, everything changed. At the end of seventh grade, Ali suddenly up and disappeared without a trace, and each of the girls slowly went their own ways. That is, until "A" came into the picture, threatening to reveal each of their deepest, darkest secrets; and an unlikely discovery was made, that of Ali's body, buried under the cement in her old backyard. Suddenly, it became evident, that secrets don't always stay buried.
After Ali disappeared, Hanna Marin dropped Spencer, Aria, and Emily, and picked up a new friend in the dorky Mona Vanderwaal. Together, they vowed to drop the extra weight, and become the most beautiful girls in school. Now, at the age of sixteen, they have both accomplished just that. But they want more. With Mona's Sweet Seventeen quickly approaching, there's no doubt in their minds that this won't be the bash of the century. But thanks to "A," there's trouble a-brewing between the two besties. Trouble that could set them at odds with each other forever. Spencer Hastings knew that it was wrong to steal her sister, Melissa's, essay for economics class. But it was so perfect, and there's no harm in a little fib now and then. Unfortunately, the essay has been entered into the Golden Orchid competition, throwing Spencer into the midst of semi-fame. Spencer just wants to ignore the congratulations surrounding her, but "A" is making that difficult with the constant threats of revealing her wrong-doing. Emily Fields knows that being gay would make her family hate her for life. She also knows that, if she doesn't report "A" to the police, she, or one of her old friends, could end up dead. She just never realized that coming forward with information would make her the target of "outing" her to the whole town. Aria Montgomery thought that her troubles were over when her family moved to Iceland for three years. But, upon return, her father, Byron, continued the affair he had left behind with his student, Meredith; and, due to the fact that Aria knew all about it, her mother wants nothing to do with her. Luckily, she has Ezra to run to. Unfortunately, with "A" around, he may not be able to claim the title as her "knight in shining armor" for much longer. As if dealing with "A" weren't enough, of course, there's some peeping tom-like nutcase running around the pretentious Philadelphia town of Rosewood peering into windows, and creeping everyone out; and the girls think that the newfound stalker may somehow be related to "A."
Not many book series get better with each installment. However, with Sara Shepard's PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, the series can be comparable to a fine wine - it only gets better with age. Or, in this case, with each new addition to the collection. PERFECT is no exception. From page one, I was hooked, and found myself incapable of putting down this amazing new novel. Hanna is still my favorite character. Her struggles with an eating disorder, and feelings of loneliness, as she finds herself on the outs with her superficial best friend, Mona, truly make you feel emotional towards her; while Aria's current situation regarding her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Ella, her difficulties with her father, Byron, and her growing feelings for her English teacher, Ezra, only work to invoke the same feelings. While Spencer isn't necessarily stealing Melissa's boyfriends, as she was in the previous installments, the new insight she gains into her childhood and current lifestyle thanks to a few sessions from her new therapist, Dr. Evans, are extremely gripping, and hard to ignore. And Emily...well, the fact that she's suddenly faced with kissing Maya goodbye, or just plain kissing her, is enough to throw her off her game. While PRETTY LITTLE LIARS and FLAWLESS were slightly more light and fluffy; PERFECT brings in an extremely emotionally charged storyline that leaves you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, contemplating what will happen in the fourth, and final chapter of the saga. The PERFECT blend of mystery and scandal.
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
