REVIEW: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

*REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars #1)
by Sara Shepard

Alison, Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer were best friends, until Alison disappeared. Three years later, the remaining girls, now juniors at Rosewood Day, are leading separate, but charmed lives.

After living in Iceland, Aria returns home sophisticated and worldly. Emily is a champion swimmer, Hanna is the most popular girl in school, and Spencer's accomplishments make the average type-A valedictorian look like a slacker. But in Rosewood, appearances are deceiving, and when the girls start receiving mysterious texts signed by someone named A, the past threatens to ruin their perfect present. A claims to know all of their secrets—but who is A? How much does A really know? And what can four pretty little liars do to protect themselves from the truth?



I've been watching the Pretty Little Liars TV show since it started and I absolutely love it! So I decided that it was about time that I read the book series.
I noticed the huge differences between the books and the TV show in the first couple of chapters, but I loved both of them. Admittedly, I prefer the TV show. I think there's a lot more suspense and surprise twists, but I think I'll really enjoy the rest of this series.
I liked that each chapter was told from a different Liars perspective and we also got to see each of their relationships with Ali from their flashbacks.
Aria and Hanna are  my favourite two characters in the books and the TV show. I just really love their characters and I can't wait to see their development in the books.
The only thing that annoyed me about this book was that the Liars seemed kind of dense and full of themselves, especially Aria. And Spencer's character in the book is made out to be kind of a boyfriend stealer. 
At the end of the book when they were all at the memorial, their friendship starts to re-develop and then they find out they are all receiving texts from A. So I think that's the start of the Liars friendship again, because they all have this in common.
I really enjoyed the story progression in the first book and I can't wait to see what A has in store for the Liars.
I gave this book:

I just felt that the characters lacked the depth they have in the TV series, but I'm hoping to see some more character development in the rest of the series!