| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this third installment in the Pretty Little Liars series stays on the "mean girl clique" gravy train. Sex, lies, murder, betrayal, cattiness, and shopping are recurring themes; teens drink and smoke. One high school student has an affair with her teacher; another is bulimic. The mystery is about the death of a seventh-grade girl found under a slab of concrete in her back yard.
Four ex-BFFs have typical privileged-girl problems and one more serious problem: the murder of the leader of their disbanded clique in the 7th grade is still unsolved. Ali was the meanest of them all and many admit they are happy she's gone. But did they have a hand in her death? It seems someone thinks so -- a mysterious "A" is stalking the girls that are left, exposing their deepest secrets to the world.
PERFECT is the third installment in the Pretty Little Liars series. Set against a backdrop of luxury and privilege, this novel has typical mean girls and their problems. Hanna's bulimic, Aria's having an affair with her teacher, Spencer's having flashbacks that make her look nuts, and Emily's having trouble coming to terms with being a lesbian.
The book had potential, the cliffhanger ending was great, and the scary omnipotence of the mysterious character called "A" could have been unnerving. Instead, "A" comes off as annoying and the book is so full of name brands that it detracts from the rest of the story. Many teen girls will love the drama and fashion of the book, while parents will probably roll their eyes and worry about the bad behavior and materialism on display.
Families can talk about commercialism. Does material wealth make you happy? Why is there so much emphasis on branding in this book? Does it help or hurt the story? What are the repercussions for behaving the way the characters do? What involvement do the characters' parents have? For more ideas, read our discussion guide.
| Author: | Sara Shepard |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Contemporary Fiction |
| Publisher: | HarperTeen |
| Publication date: | August 21, 2007 |
| Number of pages: | 320 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 14 - 14 |
| Read aloud: | 14 |
| Read alone: | 14 |
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