Title: Unbelievable: A Pretty Little Liars Book Author: Sara Shepard
ISBN: 9780060887414 Pages: 335
Publisher: HarperTeen, New York, 2008
ISBN: 9780060887414 Pages: 335
Publisher: HarperTeen, New York, 2008
Readers Annotation:
Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer still miss their murdered best friend, Ali. In this fourth book of the Pretty Little Liars series, their lives seem to spiral into chaos when they try to figure out who killed Ali, once and for all.
Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer still miss their murdered best friend, Ali. In this fourth book of the Pretty Little Liars series, their lives seem to spiral into chaos when they try to figure out who killed Ali, once and for all.
Author Information:
Sara Shepard is a graduate of New York University, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Brooklyn College. Sara got her idea for the young adult bestselling Pretty Little Liars series from her own experiences in Philadelphia's Main Line. Shepard's newest novel The Visibles/All the Things We Didn't Say is her first book for adults.
Sara has been writing since she was a little girl, although she never thought she would grow up to be an author. Sara and her sister had been collaborating on joint artistic and written projects for years, without ever being published. Sara presently lives outside Philadelphia, PA, with her husband and dogs.
http://sarashepardbooks.com/bio.php
Plot Summary:
Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer were best friends with Ali back in the seventh grade. That summer Ali disappeared, and her body was discovered when the girls were in tenth grade. To add to their grief over their friends' disappearance and murder, the four friends have been haunted by threatening text messages signed by "A". This mysterious sender seems to know a lot about their lives, even their unknown and dark secrets. Due to "A's" manipulation, the girls become afraid of telling the police about the texts, or about any information relevant to Ali's murder.
Now Hanna is in a coma, because 'she knew too much' and was run over. Emily's secret lesbianism was announced to the world without her permission, and her parents send her off to live with her unloving Aunt and Uncle. Aria is still unwelcome in her mother's home, after her mother found out that Aria knew of her own father's infidelity and kept it a secret for three years. Spencer starts having flashbacks of the night of Ali's disappearance, and doubts her own sanity. Although the four girls have gone their separate ways, they band together to nab "A", and search for Ali's killer.
Sara has been writing since she was a little girl, although she never thought she would grow up to be an author. Sara and her sister had been collaborating on joint artistic and written projects for years, without ever being published. Sara presently lives outside Philadelphia, PA, with her husband and dogs.
http://sarashepardbooks.com/bio.php
Plot Summary:
Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer were best friends with Ali back in the seventh grade. That summer Ali disappeared, and her body was discovered when the girls were in tenth grade. To add to their grief over their friends' disappearance and murder, the four friends have been haunted by threatening text messages signed by "A". This mysterious sender seems to know a lot about their lives, even their unknown and dark secrets. Due to "A's" manipulation, the girls become afraid of telling the police about the texts, or about any information relevant to Ali's murder.
Now Hanna is in a coma, because 'she knew too much' and was run over. Emily's secret lesbianism was announced to the world without her permission, and her parents send her off to live with her unloving Aunt and Uncle. Aria is still unwelcome in her mother's home, after her mother found out that Aria knew of her own father's infidelity and kept it a secret for three years. Spencer starts having flashbacks of the night of Ali's disappearance, and doubts her own sanity. Although the four girls have gone their separate ways, they band together to nab "A", and search for Ali's killer.
Critical Evaluation:
This novel weaves a juicy and thrilling plot of intrigue and deception in a wealthy suburb. Unbelievable: A Pretty Little Liars Book seemed reminiscent of popular teen television shows such as 90210 and Gossip Girl. The narrative oscillates between the four main characters in order to get an idea of what each girl is going through in relation to the murder of Ali. The reader will be thrilled by the suspense, doubt, and mystery surrounding the death of Ali permeates the narrative. The reader also gets a glimpse into the pampered life of a high school girl in a wealthy suburb, and the "mean girl" attitude that can often be present. The plot twists keep the reader in suspense, and the unresolved ending creates a perfect hook for the next book in the series.
This novel weaves a juicy and thrilling plot of intrigue and deception in a wealthy suburb. Unbelievable: A Pretty Little Liars Book seemed reminiscent of popular teen television shows such as 90210 and Gossip Girl. The narrative oscillates between the four main characters in order to get an idea of what each girl is going through in relation to the murder of Ali. The reader will be thrilled by the suspense, doubt, and mystery surrounding the death of Ali permeates the narrative. The reader also gets a glimpse into the pampered life of a high school girl in a wealthy suburb, and the "mean girl" attitude that can often be present. The plot twists keep the reader in suspense, and the unresolved ending creates a perfect hook for the next book in the series.
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Thriller
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Booktalking Ideas:
1. Emily has been sent away by her parents who are embarrassed of her lesbianism. Do you know anyone who's been through a similar predicament?
2. Popular and beautiful Hanna has a crush on the more nerdy Lucas, despite their differences. Have you ever dated anyone that, although different than you, still seems perfect?
1. Emily has been sent away by her parents who are embarrassed of her lesbianism. Do you know anyone who's been through a similar predicament?
2. Popular and beautiful Hanna has a crush on the more nerdy Lucas, despite their differences. Have you ever dated anyone that, although different than you, still seems perfect?
Reading Level/Interest Age: 15+
Challenge Issue: Lesbianism, Infidelity
- These are real life issues that teens are dealing with on a daily basis and therefore should not warrant removal from a library
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy
- These are real life issues that teens are dealing with on a daily basis and therefore should not warrant removal from a library
- Compilation of teen reviews and the average reader reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com
- Library policy
Why I chose this item: I also wanted to include a book that is based on the scandalous and mysterious side of teen life. This book particularly encapsulates many of the thematic elements found throughout the popular Pretty Little Liars series. In fact, the book has inspired a hit ABC Family original series.
Further Reading: Pretty Little Liars, Flawless, Perfect, Wicked, Killer, Heartless, Wanted, Twisted, Ruthless
Further Reading: Pretty Little Liars, Flawless, Perfect, Wicked, Killer, Heartless, Wanted, Twisted, Ruthless
