Twisted

October 1, 2011
Grades 9-11 In the newest Pretty Little Liars book, Aria, Hanna, Emily, and Spencer return in a flurry of designer labels, pursued by uncertainties regarding Ali's death. Ali, however, seems to be watching, and she threateningly texts each of them. In this ninth episode of the ongoing saga of bad girls running amok, we watch Emily gain and lose a new friend, Spencer almost gain and then lose a new stepbrother, Aria take on an exchange student who threatens to move in on her longtime boyfriend, and Hanna pay a big bribe after she falls into the clutches of a predatory photographer. You know, everyday stuff.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2012
Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily are back and hiding a secret from a spring break trip. Of course, an all-knowing (different?) "A" threatens to expose them. Twisted focuses on the PLL's crime, while Ruthless identifies a possible "A." The twists are familiar--it's now expected that nothing is as it appears--but Shepard still delivers conclusions that makes readers want more.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)