This digital collection contains the first eight novels in the bestselling series that inspired the hit ABC Family TV show, plus a sneak peek at The Perfectionists, the first book in a brand-new Sara Shepard series!
In Rosewood, majestic estates sprawl for acres, and Tiffany toggle bracelets dangle from every girl's wrist. But not all that glitters is gold, and the town harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine—like the truth about what really happened the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing. . .
Includes:
Pretty Little Liars Pretty Little Liars #2: Flawless Pretty Little Liars #3: Perfect Pretty Little Liars #4: Unbelievable Pretty Little Liars #5: Wicked Pretty Little Liars #6: Killer Pretty Little Liars #7: Heartless Pretty Little Liars #8: Wanted
Sara Shepard graduated from NYU and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. She has lived in New York City, Brooklyn, Tucson, Arizona, Philadelphia, and now lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Sara's Pretty Little Liars novels were inspired by her upbringing in Philadelphia's Main Line.
Even though I am most certainly not the targeted audience of these books (I’m 27), I really enjoyed the story. For me it was a real page turner and sometimes almost impossible to look down. I was first introduced to Pretty Little Liars when I started watching the series - which I enjoyed but definitely would not have ranked in my top ten. The novels, however, are great, the story has more depth and the characters are fleshed out much better. I’m sure my teenage- self would have enjoyed them even more. If you’re looking for something light and enjoyable to read I would recommend these books.
It’s really hard for me to rate these book individually, and a lot of that is because they have this irresistible quality to them, filled to the brim with with candy-sweet descriptors of Free People ruffled t-shirts and vanilla-scented hand cream. Shepard has this way of immersing you in the girl world, and we’re always treated to the knowledge of just what brand a character’s black boots are as she’s confronting her ex-best friend who she thought was dead but actually it turns out is not dead and currently attending her school pretending to be her secret twin (the boots were Marc Jacobs, by the way).
There’s a lot of doll imagery in these books (think about that iconic cover art!), which plays really well with how campy a lot of its plot threads are— the world of Rosewood feels like a game of play-pretend, like the kind of story you make up with your best friends in middle school, when you’re old enough to know what murder is but you don’t really know the ins and outs of how a police investigation would work, exactly. As such, the finer points of the plot can be easy to get hung up on, especially as an adult reader, and I wouldn’t blame anyone for griping about the details and pacing (eg Emily’s randomly able to go to an Amish village for a weekend and discovers that a Detective Wilden helped a girl escape from there, an incredible discovery that takes up 70 pages and has….literally 0 relevance to the story). If I were to look at each of these books on their own, I fear I would get really caught up in the details, too. With this series, though, the whole really is more than the sum of its parts. Read these in a frenzied blur if you’re curious, and see what sticks out.
I read these books as a love letter to suburbia in all its glory— name-brand clothes and private schools and cars and malls and PTAs and HOAs. It’s a little satirical at times (there’s a scene where Spencer’s dad asks her to brag about the fact that he personally knows Donald Trump. She’s like, “You do? Since when?” and he responds that they exchanged business cards one time at an event. LOL) but usually, the tone’s a lot more reverential. In the jacket of every one of these books, the author bio reads that Shephard based the fictional Rosewood on her experiences growing up in Philadelphia’s Main Line, where she lives today. That intimacy comes through so often in these books, down to the smallest descriptors. Everything in Rosewood has a smell, whether it’s the cinnamon gum in Melissa Hasting’s car or the eucalyptus dog toothpaste at the local car groomers or the mix of “fresh azaleas, citronella candles and bleachy pool chlorine” of the neighborhood in June.
At its core, PLL offers a profound peek into the psyche of the wealthy suburbanite and the expectations it wields against girls who are coming into their own. By the end of the book, we come to hate Alison DiLaurentis for everything she’s put our main characters through.
And yet, Shepherd asks, at the end of the day, wouldn’t any of us give anything to be her?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The first eight books of Pretty Little Liars are a thrilling dive into secrets, lies, and the dark underbelly of a seemingly perfect town. Centered on Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily, the series explores the mysterious disappearance of their friend Alison and the sinister “A,” who manipulates, threatens, and blackmails them from the shadows.
What makes these books addictive is the blend of suspense, teen drama, and mystery. Each installment keeps readers guessing, with twists, red herrings, and shocking revelations that make it hard to put the books down. Sara Shepard excels at creating tension while exploring themes of friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and the consequences of secrets.
The characters feel relatable—flawed yet sympathetic—and their interactions are as compelling as the overarching mysteries. Hanna’s insecurities, Spencer’s perfectionism, Aria’s creativity, and Emily’s vulnerability create a dynamic group that feels real, even amid the heightened drama of threats, schemes, and double lives.
While some storylines rely on teen melodrama, the pacing and suspense keep the narrative engaging. Each book ends on cliffhangers or tantalizing hints, encouraging readers to immediately reach for the next installment. This first half of the series effectively establishes the core mysteries, the psychological tension, and the high-stakes game of “A.”
Overall, Books 1–8 of Pretty Little Liars are a gripping, fast-paced, and suspenseful start to the series. They balance mystery, teenage drama, and thriller elements in a way that’s both entertaining and addictive. Perfect for fans of YA suspense and mystery, this collection will keep you guessing and reading late into the night.
I picked up the Pretty Little Liars book series out of pure curiosity—I had always wanted to know how the story played out in the original books and how it differed from the TV show. And I’m glad I did.
The first three books felt like a long introduction. They can be a bit repetitive at times, often rehashing plot points as if the reader might have skipped the previous one. It was a little frustrating, especially when the recaps got lengthy. But once I reached book four, something shifted. The pace picked up, the tension deepened, and I found myself fully immersed in the lives of the Liars. Sara Shepard has a talent for making you feel like you’re right there with the girls—experiencing their fear, confusion, heartbreak, and adrenaline firsthand. That emotional connection actually made me reconsider my feelings about the earlier books—they were simply the calm before the storm.
Even though I already knew some of the plot twists (thanks to the comparisons that floated around during the TV show’s run), I was still drawn in by how the mysteries unraveled. The layers of secrets, lies, and shocking reveals kept me turning pages, and by the time I got to book eight, I was completely hooked. The final twist is something you start to suspect, but it still hits hard when it’s finally revealed.
I devoured these books and now I can’t wait to read the remaining eight to see how the story of my favorite Liars truly ends. Thank you, Sara Shepard, for such a wild and addictive ride!
This is the series that started my passion for reading! While my taste may have changed as I have gotten older, teenage years aged me patiently waited every year for a new book to come out and even went to meet the author before! I owe my passion for reading to this series :)
The books were a perfect mix of mystery and rich teenagers that also made the characters very relatable as well- I truly did not know who "A" was early on and each book opened my brain to a different theory. I did not like the TV show at all but I encourage any young teenage girl to try this series!
esta super entretenido!!! nada que ver con la serie horrible y mal escrita, la verdad siento que estos libros si estuvieron bien pensados, los persones principales son una caca? Si. Se merecían todo lo que les pasó? También. Pero disfrute mucho la lectura, me acompañó en forma de audiolibros mientras lavaba los platos.
I haven't read these since I was quite a bit younger, but I know I was obsessed at the time. I'm sure if I re-read them, I wouldn't like them as much as I once did. That being said, they were a favorite of mine back then, so I will still give them 5 stars for that.
every book was a rollercoaster because they mentioned people that I've never heard before despite reading all the books including the .5's but this is on my memory so yup great series v fun plot twists were so good and like honestly the mcs have been thru so much shit i would've just died
Puedo decir sin lugar a dudas que la serie de televisión, que es tremendamente diferente, fue mucho mejor. Pero tal vez sea porque nunca he sido una lectora de misterio.
Ondanks dat er na dit boek nog 8 delen zijn gekomen van deze serie, was dit in eerste instantie Sara’s finale van de Pretty Little Liars serie. Daarom schrijf ik graag een review over deze bloedstollende boeken!
Ik ben fan van deze serie! Als je eenmaal begint, kun je het boek moeilijk wegleggen. De personages zijn uniek, ieder met een eigen karakter en geheimen. Het verhaal zit zó goed in elkaar. Sara schrijft gedetailleerd, waardoor het voelt alsof je de dreigende berichten van A zelf beleefd. Wanneer je denkt het allemaal op een rijtje te hebben, verwerkt Sara weer een nieuw mysterie waardoor je tot aan het einde van de serie op het puntje van je stoel en vol onbeantwoorde vragen zit. Zelfs na het uitlezen van de serie houd Ali’s dood mij nog steeds in zijn greep. Bloedstollend tot aan het laatste boek!
I'm not exactly sure where I stopped reading but the books are interesting and quite easy to get into. The only thing, the suspense and plot twists kind of start to get old, at least for me, when it's overdone.
Tbh this is a guilty pleasure of mine for the teenager in me, re-read some of the books recently 🤣 they really did everyone dirty in the show though, Aria and ofc Noel especially…tsk tsk.