Those who get past the improbable premise of Shepard's (the Pretty Little Liars books) series debut will find a fun and fast-moving mystery. Foster kid Emma never knew she had an identical twin until she sees an online video of a girl named Sutton being choked by a masked figure. She tries to contact her, but a planned reunion goes awry when Sutton never shows up (readers know this is because she has been killed; Sutton narrates the book as a ghost, unable to communicate with Emma, but eager to "solve my own murder"). Kicked out of her foster home and mistaken for Sutton by Sutton's friends and family, Emma starts living her privileged life; the stakes rise dramatically when she learns her other half is dead. Clique lit fans will recognize the familiar mix of label-dropping and mean girl behavior, but the dark mystery adds a compelling layer. Readers may have a hard time buying the ease with which Emma slips into Sutton's very different life, but they will race through the pages as Emma pieces together clues and will have plenty to ponder as they anticipate the next installment. Ages 14–up. (Dec.)
Sara Shepard, author of the darkly addictive Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game series, gives us her recommendations for great YA reads—heavy on intrigue and perfect for summer: 1. Shadowlands, by Kate Brian. After escaping death at the hands of a serial killer, Rory and her family leave their life behind, entering the witness […]
No one knows what happens when we die. Religions, pyramids, and entire industries have cropped up in response to humanity’s quest to solve the mystery without, you know, actually dying. Arguably the entire institution of literature is a response to death—either to ruminate and philosophize on The End, or to snatch a piece of literary immortality. A few authors […]
It’s a tricky thing, picking out your favorite liars in YA. By definition, most of the time, the best liars are not the good guys (or gals). But what these 7 liars have in common is brilliant writing that makes them all characters you root for, even if they’re not aways “likable.” The authors of […]
The close of Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars series with the release of the sixteenth and final book, Vicious, means the end of an era for contemporary YA. Though the TV show lives on, without the promise of new books, those who prefer charismatic deception in written form might feel they have nowhere to turn. […]