Okay, so I'm a little behind the curve. Pretty Little Liars was released in 2006, and since then has spawned ten follow-up books (with a eleventh scheduled for release on December 4, 2012), and a television series that airs on the ABC family network. With all of that said - I thought I should read the book. The first book in the series introduces us to Alison, Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna, all of whom are BFFs and in the seventh grade. Alison is the ring leader, and as such, she knows all of the girl's secrets. All of the girls bend to her will, not always agreeing with her, sometimes even hating her, but all equally dying for her approval. Then one day Alison disappears.
The book picks four years later when the remaining girls are juniors in high school. They have gone their separate ways, as girls will sometimes do. Each girl is dealing with issues of her own, each struggling with a secret or a secret pain. These issues range from the seemingly benign - lust for an older sister's boyfriend, to the intense - eating disorders and affairs with much older men.
As the story moves along each girl starts receiving startling and somewhat threatening messages from a person known only as "A". Since the girls no longer speak to each other each of them feels isolated and afraid. A shocking development starts to mend the relationship of the remaining girls toward the end of the book, making the reader salivate for the next in the series.
As far as chic lit goes this book is far more interesting and complicated than say the Gossip Girl series, and tackles much heavier subject matter. While it certainly can not be considered great literature, the story is interesting and will be an easy sell to most teenage girls, hence the popularity of the books and the television show.
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