Book Review: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

I usually try to avoid novel series. I hate not having a proper ending in the first book, I hate having to go out and buy the rest of the series in order to get answers to my questions.
When I saw Pretty Little Liars though, by Sara Shepard, I couldn't resist. I judged the book by its cover, and it reminded me a lot of the Lindsay Lohan movie, Mean Girls. After reading the books back description, Pretty Little Liars seemed juicy, secretive, and a read that I myself would enjoy.
I guess judging a book by its cover sometimes can bring good things.
At first I was a little lost when I began reading Pretty Little Liars, and it took me awhile to get comfortable with the characters, and each of their individual dilemma's...after about 3 chapters in though, it was clear who was who, and who had what issue.
The book surrounds a group of girls who were once friends in 7th grade. It's a few years later now though, and they have all fallen apart...but something; something from their past is back to haunt them, and the girls all think it is their friend Allison, who went missing in 7th grade.
You see Allison knows everything about them, every dirty little secret that each of the girls have hidden in their past. When weird text messages, and emails begin popping up though, they girls are led to believe that Allison is back; perhaps hiding somewhere, and she is for some reason pissed at them. The text messages are revealing their secrets.
The girls believe that Allison is trying to scare them, to keep their mouths shut about her own, dirty, little, secret.
As the book moves on, you as a reader get caught up in the story, and you are just itching to find out who is sending the evil messages. Is it Allison? Why would Allison want to hurt her friends? Is it Allison's ghost? Or is the person someone else? Perhaps someone the girls didn't even think about?
Throughout the book you do not know who is sending the messages, but as it goes chapter through chapter you are led into believing it is Allison, back for some sort of sick revenge...however something happens towards the end of the book that totally wipes Allison clean from being the one sending the texts and emails.
You will need to pick up the second book in the series to get some questions you have answered. Pretty Little Liars is sort of an introduction to what is about to happen; and what already happened in the past.
The next book in the series will take you back to what already happened to get a better understanding of 'Allison's secret'.
My Opinion:
I loved it!
Sara Shepard put Pretty Little Liars together in an almost genius of ways. She managed to keep me anticipating more, she kept the story running, and there was not a single boring chapter. I truly got into the story, and cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment of the series.
Each character in the book was interesting, had a gruesome yet believable secret, and everything about the book seemed real.
I highly recommend this book to those looking for a good mystery filled with juicy secrets at every turn.
Pretty Little Liars keeps you on your toes. You can pick it up at any local book store. I found my copy for six dollars and change at a local Walmart.