Publishers Weekly
09/15/2014
After several dissimilar girls discover they have suffered at the hands of rich, popular bully Nolan, they drug him at his own party and scrawl mean messages on his face, which they share online. When Nolan is discovered dead the next day, the girls become the central suspects and must work together to figure out what really happened. This scintillating series kickoff from Pretty Little Liars author Shepard employs a similar formula, mixing archetypical girls—the popular one, the musician, etc.—with an array of scandals. A slimy teacher suggestively offers beautiful, brilliant Ava “extra credit,” while soccer star Caitlin becomes attracted to her boyfriend’s younger brother. Meanwhile, police are uncovering clues that further implicate the girls, especially after a second murder occurs in their tony town. There’s a lot going on, and some of it—like a suspicious therapist who seems to have only two teen girls as patients—defies believability, even for an outrageous story. But Shepard expertly crafts characters that are morally complicated, yet sympathetic. An Alloy Entertainment property, in development for a CW television series. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Fans of Pretty Little Liars will line up for this new-but-familiar guilty pleasure.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
A “scintillating series kickoff. Shepard expertly crafts characters that are morally complicated, yet sympathetic.” — Publishers Weekly
“Suspenseful and juicy.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Thoroughly unputdownable. Fans of the author’s Pretty Little Liars series and the Lying Game series won’t be disappointed.” — Booklist
“This novel contains an in–depth, multifaceted plot….Well written and interesting.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Praise for PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: “An intriguing tale full of provocative exploits and adventure…It will not disappoint the fans.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“Shepard writes a suspenseful page–turner that will have teens thirsting for more.” — School Library Journal
“Expect this teenage soap opera to fly off the shelves.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Praise for THE LYING GAME: “The Lying Game is a stay–up–past–your–bedtime type of thriller…full of amazingly believable plot twists and turns.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“A fun and fast–moving mystery…[readers] will race through the pages as Emma pieces together clues.” — Publishers Weekly
“A thrilling mystery with just the right doses of romance and danger.” — School Library Journal
Booklist
Thoroughly unputdownable. Fans of the author’s Pretty Little Liars series and the Lying Game series won’t be disappointed.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
This novel contains an in–depth, multifaceted plot….Well written and interesting.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Fans of Pretty Little Liars will line up for this new-but-familiar guilty pleasure.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Fans of Pretty Little Liars will line up for this new-but-familiar guilty pleasure.
Booklist
Thoroughly unputdownable. Fans of the author’s Pretty Little Liars series and the Lying Game series won’t be disappointed.
School Library Journal
08/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—Image is everything at Beacon Heights High, where only the best is good enough for the ultracompetitive teens of this affluent Seattle suburb. The highest grades, the chicest clothes, the wildest parties are part and parcel. In this bubble of pressure and privilege, no one is more popular—or more feared—than Nolan Hotchkiss. Cruel and hypnotic, he seems to know everybody's dirty little secret. And everybody seems to have one, including Parker Duvall, Ava Jalali, Caitlin Martell-Lewis, Julie Redding, and Mackenzie Wright. Each girl has her own reason to hate Nolan, and each one has something to hide. When his dead body is discovered with the words "Monster" and "Liar" scrawled in Sharpie on his face, the five emerge as murder suspects. Did they really do it—or are they being framed? Fans of the author's "Pretty Little Liars" series (HarperCollins) will recognize that certain plots (deceit, secrets, murder) and structural elements (chapters rotate among the lead female characters) have been recycled; unfortunately, the new series feels derivative by comparison. An additional purchase, based on the strength of the author's popularity.—Susan Wengler, Saint Dominic Academy, Jersey City, NJ
Kirkus Reviews
2014-08-06
In a gossipy thriller from the creator of Pretty Little Liars, a prank on a powerful and popular boy turns deadly. At Beacon Heights High in Beacon Heights, Washington, Nolan Hotchkiss reigns supreme. Or at least he did, until a blowout party he hosted ended in his death. At the party, five girls come together to enact a shadowy revenge. The particulars of the girls' plan are revealed slowly—as slowly as anything can be revealed in short chapters littered with plot twists, forbidden kisses and name-dropping fashion descriptions—and readers are kept guessing as to who might be responsible for Nolan's demise. Alongside the Nolan mystery, each girl has her own high-stakes story arc: Mac competes with a frenemy over a boy and a Julliard audition. Julie struggles to hide the truth about her home life. Caitlin develops feelings for her boyfriend's younger brother. Ava struggles to live down rumors spread by the dead boy. Parker starts seeing a therapist with a hidden agenda. The landscape of suburban affluence is described in deliciously shallow detail ("The stone fountain [at a party] was already full of discarded red Solo cups, along with someone's iPhone"). As police investigate Nolan's death and the girls work underground to clear their names, tension rises. The resolution leaves loose ends tantalizingly untied, leaving readers eager for the promised sequel. Suspenseful and juicy. (Suspense. 14-18)
