Pretty Little Liars 1 & 2 : Mooie meisjes hebben soms gruwelijke geheimen / Zijn je beste vriendinnen te vertrouwen?

by Sara Shepard, Sabine Mutsaers (Translator), Karien Gommers (Translator)

Deze omnibus bestaat uit de eerste twee delen van de verslavend spannende Pretty Little Liars-serie. In het rijkeluisstadje Rosewood viert het geroddel hoogtij. En dat is niet vreemd, want iedereen heeft wat te verbergen. De vier vriendinnen Spencer, Aria, Emily en Hanna niet uitgezonderd. Zij delen een gruwelijk geheim dat hun prettige leventjes kan ruineren. Nu krijgen de meiden dreigende berichtjes van iemand die zich ‘A’ noemt en die weet wat hun geheim is. Wie is deze geheimzinnige ‘A’ en waarom wil die de vriendinnen kapot maken?

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Fiction

479 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Miguel Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a very solid introduction to a series. The mystery was interesting, the plot-twists were intriguing and the characters promised a very enjoyable series (even if they were a bit lacking in the thinking area). Basically, my friend made me read this series while she read Star Wars and I am afraid to say it turned into a guilty pleasure series. It WOULD have been one of my favorites if the series didn't drag on after book 8, which was a fantastic wrapping up point for this promising mystery.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hi! I think this might be my first goodreads review for the year. If you like lots of thoughts and ramblings about the books I read, then welcome! If not, that's okay I'll still have fun writing this and you can skip it.

Okay...so... I have been absolutely devouring the Pretty Little Liars TV show and figured it was time for me to get back into the books. I can't remember just how long ago I read this book, but based on the 2nd & Charles sticker on the back, it was probably around 2018-2019. Just enough time for me to forget most of what happened.

Right off the bat, I want to start by saying that the books are drastically different from the tv series. A simple google search + reading the first two books in the series is enough to tell me that. The character names are the same, and for the most part, their personalities are too, but that's just for the main 4. The character descriptions very different from the tv series, but I think both visions work in their own ways. Another thing is that the tv series changed character roles, personalities, etc. for the sake of it's own plot points, so it's like watching a set of fraternal twins grow up. They're related at heart, but each take their own paths. With that being said, major plot points such as who is A and certain relationships between characters are still present in both.

Like I said before, I read this ages ago. I was looking through my goodreads and saw that I have actually read up to book 9. As I'm watching the show (currently on S4), I'm starting to remember some of the details, but they're pretty fuzzy. I remember who the first A is, some of who does and doesn't die, etc. I *think* S4 is close to where I left off in the books.

Now onto the 1 & 2 book combo!
Compared to all the books I've been reading now that I'm older, this writing style feels more like it's targeted towards someone younger than 21. However, a majority of of the themes within the story is something that you don't realize just how serious they are until you're an adult. When I was younger, I loved a good murder story, but I was unaware of just how serious this different situations are that the characters go through-- or how triggering it can be for people that have been in their shoes. I won't get into it, but before starting the book, there is no "warning" for these themes. My guess? It wasn't common for books from the early 2000s to have such things.

Anyways, I am really enjoying the fact that the tv show took a different turn from the books. This way, I can enjoy the same world and *mostly* the same characters, but essentially as two different stories. Now, I'm not sure which one is going to turn out to be the darker of the two. On my one google search (I wasn't trying to get spoiled), I found where someone said that the books take a much darker turn. I can sort of see it already with just the first two books because you get more detail into each of the liar's lives rather than only seeing so much on screen. I love that in the books, their school is a private school where all the rich kids go because it's really selling to me the whole notion of "oh, nothing bad ever happens here". What really gets me is the endings of the books where it's like you're reading a letter from A to the reader. It's so witty and full of attitude and really adds to the story. By comparison, in the TV show, you just "see" A doing something, but have no insight into who they are as a person. What's fun for me is that since I know who A is, I am picking up on hints and clues faster than the characters are. It's making it really enjoyable.

Overall, this is a very easy read. I downed like 200+ pages of this book the other day just killing time for an appointment. Realistically, this book very well could have happened, especially with the limited access to technology compared to what we have today. And as much as I enjoy reading fantasy, sometimes I like to be able to dip my toes back into reality.

My rating: I gave this book 4 stars because it's well written and I really enjoy the premise of it. Would it ever be a 5 star read? No. Why? I reserve those for my all time favorite books, books that completely blew my mind, and usually books that I see myself rereading over and over again. Pretty Little Liars as both a book series and tv series is rapidly becoming a new favorite of mine, but we'll see just which of the books really stands out to me with that WOW factor I'm looking for.

With classes starting again, I don't think I'll get to read as much as I am hoping to, but we'll see!
Until next time,
A

You see what I did there? Huh? Anyways let me have my fun :)

[Carlly W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have seen the series on Netflix years ago, so when I found this book at my value village I was curious to see the difference between the show and book. It is a great introduction to the series, getting to know the girls and the back story of everything. I found there is a lot of filler/rambling that could have been cut. That is the only reason I give 4 stars is the filler, the plot and storyline is good, sometimes a little difficult to follow as it’s a third point of view of the girls, so sometimes it can be tricky to remember who they’re talking about per chapter. There is I believe a crazy 16 books in this series! So I’m interested to continue reading. I would recommend this book if found second hand, I would not purchase brand new to read

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, finished it in a short amount of time. It definitely has some short and thriller aspects that hook you in. I will say that it has some mature concepts that may not be fit for early teens. But generally really nice. I also love that they made a show based on the book a while back and i can’t wait to get on it 🙌

[Wenda Dohmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aardig tussendoor boekje 😊
Komt wel erg overeen me de serie vind ik.
Ook al heb ik de serie heel lang geleden gezien, ik herkende alles in het boek en dat vond ik wel echt leuk

[Dylan Morelock · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW. Let me just say off of the bat, the tv show is garbage compared to the books so far. They go into way more detail and the characters are built (shocker) way better here so far. This is a mash up of the first two books so the page count feels long, but if you read it as one book then the other, I feel like that encourages you to read at a better, more encouraging pace. The story is beautiful and if you aren’t reading this, honestly you’re missing out. Highly would recommend, especially if you love drama

[Lady Biblio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe the first book – Pretty Little Liars - was a great introduction into the series. While heavy on the buildup; it was what I expected having watched the show. The mystery of A begins, the mystery of Alison’s disappearance starts and the not so forgotten friendships are very much alive. Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily all have different sides to the same story. They just need to put their pieces together to find who A is. Even though Shepard really makes us believe A is in fact, everyone. Another thing Sara Shepard has done nicely, (slightly maddening as well) is give us, secrets, crumb by crumb, while adding more questions, secrets, and little answers. A real mystery to figure out.

The show has the same characters, and overall plot of the books with a few differences. Small things being character development with Aria being a complete knitting freak, or cough my boy Toby cough, to Emily’s parents being racists. As a whole the show is following closely, so far, to the first two books. I’m excited to see if and where they detach into two different paths. I believe they must at some point.

So far, I’m enjoying the series and these two books are a great start to it. My vote is A isn’t one person but a group of people. Ezra Fitz and Melissa Hastings being a part of the A group.

[Taylor Troncin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me forever to finally finish this book - but I really did enjoy it! I think I had started it too soon after watching it on Netflix and it was all just a bit too much. But now I'm ready for more!! On to book 3!!

[Mirjam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manipulation, obsession, confusion, friendship, miscommunication, crushes, sexuality, self-esteem issues and a heavy-handed dash of entitlement and ta-dah!
I thought the first book - Pretty Little Liars - was a bit heavy on the build-up side, but it contributes to what I liked modt about the tv show: the large and varied set of characters. And none of them are just props, they all contribute to the story. I like most of the MCs, especially Hanna. I'm not a big fan of how they've dumbed her down in the tv show, but Iit's fair because she's still portrayed fairly and respectfully. I'm not sure about the Sean - Aria thing, it seems a bit far-fetched. Flawless was full of twists and turns and I raced through it. I enjoy how the story progresses and I cringed at the start of many chapters for the sheer drama that was about to ensue. Strong cast of female characters, intriguing central mystery, I'll be reading on.

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK .. I know what you are thinking.. this girl gives 3 and 2 stars to Gayl Jones and William Faulkner and 5 stars to a book for 12 year olds.. YES! I cant help it. I rate books by how they make me feel and when I would rather read than watch tv or sleep it deserves 5 stars! I definitely get the fandom surrounding Pretty Little Liars now. At first there are so many characters thrown at you it was hard to keep track but by the end of the book I knew each one and their respective drama filled family. The chapters are short and keep you thinking.. just one more. Emily, Spencer, Hanna, and Aria all must reunite to help solve who is harassing them from their past. The stalker, "A" is thought to be their old friend who mysteriously disappears, Alison. PS the theme song for the tv series is so creepily awesome.. "because two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead"..

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really loving this series so far! There are only minor differences between the books and the TV show and I am eager to see if they diverge majorly at any point. In the first two books, the mystery of who A is is still alive and well, the girls don't know who to trust and are kind of flailing around, suspicious of almost everyone.

What's fascinating (and a little infuriating at the same time) is that while some secrets are revealed little by little, more questions and more secrets keep coming up! What you think you know turns out to be wrong! You just never know what to expect from this series :-)

The books are just fun to read, the characters are interesting, and the mysteries are compelling!

[Krystle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really liking the series so far. I love reading the series because they are differences compared to watching the series which makes it even more enjoyable. I can't wait to start bind up #2!

[Tianna Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the two books put into one. It's really nice that the first two books are together, that way I can continue onto the next book! Fantastic!