“No one can wear a mask for very long.” -Seneca the Younger

PLL book number 4 did not disappoint. This book was a guilty pleasure at its finest and was a quick, fun read that kept me guessing until the end. The big “reve

This was intense at the end. I couldn't put it down.

So I have finally came to the end of arch 1 of PLL - And it has been a mediocre journey, that I have put up with for the sheer fact that I needed some nostalgia.

I will say that I didn't enjoy this 'reveal' as much as I did in the show, I felt like it was very much underplayed and just not really exciting enough to be the culmination of a mystery that has spanned 4 books. Like in the show Spencer pieces who A is together through deduction and Easter eggs that were planted earlier in the show, but in the book they girls find out who A is because Mona slips up and texts Hanna from her real phone.

Also while I have spoken about the creepy behaviour of adult men in this book, the creepy behaviour of teenage boys in this book needs to mentioned. Like Mike is actually gross AF, and I know he's a teenage boy but like some of the stuff he says and does, I think this boy should be on a register.

I know I'm not the target audience for this book, but as a HUGE PLL fan I put myself into my younger selfs shoes. If I got this reveal in the show (which I watched first) I think I would have been disappointed, Mona's reveal was better in the show simple as.

I also felt like Sara Shepard was getting better and better with her writing, but after this book it seemed like it regressed back to book 1. Just BLEGH a very disappointing entry.

'MONA'S A?????', everyone said. as if you all didn't see that one coming. she made it so obvious. what about our pretty little liars? emily's shoving her tongue down another girl's throat, melissa's taking a page from spencer's family disappointment book, aria's about to get another little sibling and hanna's back to being friendless. it all comes full circle, doesn't it? now, it's time for a new A to shine.

kisses!
- A

Even knowing what was going to happen at the end of this book, it’s such a fun ride to go on. UNBELIEVABLE is the thrilling conclusion to the first arc of A’s story, and the story of the four pretty little liars. The intrigue and the mystery is great but the fact that Sara Shepard just held back absolutely no punches in terms of what A will do, *chef’s kiss*. Considering how slow the first two books are in terms of actions, it can feel a little bit rushed as there’s so much happening in only a few hundred pages. I also have somewhat mixed feelings about their lives getting better before they find A, although it’s fair considering the fact that A has moved on from ruining their lives to seemingly ending their lives. Ultimately, however, especially as we get the reveal of who A is, this book does the best job of moving A beyond this sentient being torturing the girls to a person with flaws and desires. It’s not mechanical, it’s personal, and that may just be the scariest thing of all about A at the end of the day.