Pretty Little Liars, Book 1

Book review by Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media
Pretty Little Liars, Book 1 Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

First book in cliquey girls' series shows off bad behavior.

Sara Shepard Coming of Age 2006
Rate book

Parents say

age 13+

Based on 42 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 181 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate book

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this book features all kinds of bad behavior. One character hooks up with a teacher, another with her sister's boyfriend. There's bulimia, drunk driving, shoplifting, pranking, swearing, smoking -- and the big secret: what happened to their best friend. This is the start of a series and also inspired a popular TV show.

Community Reviews

gossipgirl13
gossipgirl13 Adult
December 29, 2021
age 13+

Love it!

Pretty Little Liars is a fictional book about five beautiful teenage girls... and one day, queen B Allison disappears... when the girls start getting threatening text messages from mysterious "A", it's up to them to decide who is behind this... but "A" doesn't want them digging for answers, and soon, it begins to seem like it's a matter of life and death. I loved this series. I thought it was developed and well-written. As for the age rating, however.... It's easy to tell this is a mature book just by hearing the basics about each character: Hanna Marin, the beautiful girl with the acting disorder, who steals jewelry even though she's rich. Emily Fields, who's in love with another girl - and her parents don't know. Spencer, who's dating her sister's fiancé, Wren. Aria, who's dating her English teacher, Ezra. There's a ton of language. There's a lot of romance. There's lots of underage drinking. There's some violence, but not too much. But in all, it's an amazing book and you should read it!
MerryMother82
MerryMother82 Adult
November 21, 2018
age 13+

SUPER EASY TO READ, BUT LOTS OF SEX AND LANGUAGE

It's a good book, but maybe not for your kids. There's sexy stuff and bad language. Also there's bad relationships/relationships that shouldn't exist, and it could scare some kids. Also there's some smoking and drinking.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 42 parent reviews

What's the Story?

This is basically Desperate Housewives for the teen set. The book centers on former friends, each with her own set of issues -- one crushes on a girl, another struggles with her weight/self-esteem, etc. What they share now is a mystery in their past: One night, during the summer before eighth grade, their leader, Allison, disappeared without a trace. They've drifted apart but come back together when they start receiving strange messages from someone named "A" who seems to know all their secrets, past and present.

Is It Any Good?

This is pure guilty pleasure that's hugely popular with teens: The average rating among nearly 100 of Common Sense Media's young readers is 5 out of 5 stars.

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS is the launch of yet another series about pretty, privileged girls who do all sorts of naughty things. This book has a mystery at its heart -- a former friend disappeared one night before the start of eighth grade. Ali's disappearance gives readers something to guess about in between the protagonists' student-teacher sex scandals and bouts of bulimia.

Inspired parents can use this story to get kids thinking about why books about rich, popular female frenemies have struck such a chord with readers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the appeal of this book -- and the crop of clique series that have appeared on bookstore shelves in recent years. Are these books simply an escape, or do they promote dangerous values?

  • Do books like this one affect the way girls treat one another -- or themselves?

Book Details

Our Editors Recommend

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate