Pretty Little Liars #4: Unbelievable [Paperback]

 

 

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Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily are back, some in a better state than others, and ready to bring down A. When we last left the pristine Rosewood, Hanna had just discovered who A was, but she knew too much and A made sure she couldn't say anything by "accidentally" hitting her with a car. Now, as Hanna fights for her life, the other three girls have to clean up the mess that A has made.

Spencer finally remembers what happened the night of Ali's death and what she remembers isn't good. Could she really have killed Ali? Not only does she have to deal with the thought that she could have really killed her best friend, but she's got to reason with the guilt of stealing her sister's AP Economics paper, which got Spencer nominated for an award her sister should have won. With the feeling that A is constantly breathing down her back, will Spencer be able to keep her
cool composure, or will she finally pop?

After A let it leak that Emily likes girls, Emily's been living on the edge of sanity. Her parents don't know what to do with her, so they send her off to her ultra-conservative relatives in Middle of Nowhere, Iowa. When she arrives, Emily knows she won't last long -- then she meets Trista, an interesting girl who seems to understand Emily and doesn't mind talking to her. Will Emily last, or will she flee back to Rosewood and hope that she is accepted by those who love her most?

Aria's been kicked out of her mother's house after her mom found out she had been keeping the fact of her father's affair a secret for the past three years. Once again, we have A to thank for unveiling this bit of information. With nowhere else to go, Aria moves in with her father and his horrifyingly peppy girlfriend, Meredith. All Aria wants is for her life to go back to normal. When she starts an art class over at the neighborhood college her partner is none other than Jenna Cavanaugh, the
girl who was the terrible victim of a nasty prank that Aria was a part of. Can Aria ever escape her past or will it keep catching up with her?

Then there's Hanna, who really is hanging on for dear life. She can't remember anything from the night of the accident, especially the identity of A. The rest of the group doesn't want to pressure her too much, but they really want to know who A is. If this isn't enough, Hanna has to deal with her feelings for Lucas. She remembers hanging out with him a couple of times, but that's it. It seems, though, that a lot more happened. Will Hanna be able to get her memory back and solve the mystery of who A really is?

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS has always been a favorite series of mine. I mean, who can resist the scandalous secrets of others, especially of those who live in Rosewood? UNBELIAVALBLE completely blew all three of the previous books out of the water. It could almost be a stand-alone book if all the information we learn in the preceding books wasn't crucial
to the plot.

It seems that the author finally became comfortable with the characters in this book. They felt like real people and some of their issues became more realistic. I also felt that it was much easier to relate the characters in this installment. They didn't seem as stuck up and it was easier to like them. In my opinion, this is a particularly important part of a book, because if you can't relate then it's hard to actually imagine the feelings that the characters in the story have. While I think this was a weakness in the other books, the author has completely redeemed herself with this addition to the series.

The plot itself was great. Suspense has a totally different meaning to me now! At no point did I find myself knowing what would come next. I eagerly turned the pages hoping to devour more secrets and uncover more answers. The author did a great job hanging the identity of A over our heads until the final chapters of the book. And just as you thought you knew who killed Ali, wham!, the author threw another curveball at you. Before I had even started the book I had known that A would be uncovered in this book and was truly wondering how the story would continue afterwards, as there will be a total of eight books. I found that as some answers were told more questions surfaced. Again, the author left us with too many questions left unanswered.

Now I simply cannot wait for the fifth book. In the meantime, I urge you to pick up UNBELIEVABLE, as it is simply impossible to put it down.

Reviewed by: Tasha

Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Personal Copy
Pages: 352

Spencer, Hanna, Aria and Emily were once best friends, the core of their friendship was Alison 'Ali' DiLaurentis. When Ali unexpectedly disappeared their friendships fell apart. The girls all dealt with her death differently, and separately. 'Unbelievable' picks up right after 'Flawless.' A's repeated threats have not stopped, the girls are perplexed and scared and Hanna is now lying in a hospital bed. The girls begin to bond together and try to figure out the missing pieces to this puzzle. The threats become more detailed and violent, and their fear has intensified.
The girls each have their own secrets, and 'A' is using this for leverage. The girls no longer have hope that 'A' might be Alison, since her body was found in a cemented-over hold in the DiLaurentis' backyard. Emily Fields has been 'outed' and her parents have packed her off to Iowa. She was given a one-way ticket to live with her very conservative Aunt and Uncle. Spencer Hasting is confused about lapses in her memory. At the moment she has to present her sister's stolen essay that's been nominated for a Golden Orchid award. After revealing her secret, her parents were aghast, but they want her to do them proud and win the award. Spencer's sister Melissa is fuming. Aria wants nothing more than to be with her high school teacher, their connection is nothing she has ever felt before. When 'A' reveals their secret, both Ezra and Aria has consequences. Aria's living situation is in disorder when her mother discovers secrets Aria has been hiding about the divorce. A has been working overtime in this novel, and the lives of four pretty little liars is nothing a normal teenager would have to deal with.
Pretty Little Liars is an amazing series. I never thought I would fall in love with this series, as much as I have. Sara Shepard has me on the edge of my seat, flipping pages as fast as possible. Character development, plot, suspense are all very well written. The characters begin to explore old memories, and they begin to question their friendship with Alison. Alison, had many secrets of her own and the girls are beginning to explore. All is reveled in 'Unbelievable' or is it really? When closing this book, you wondering what can possible come next. As this is only the fourth book in the series, and currently there are nine books there must be more to come. Is 'A' really who is discovered?

Alison DiLaurentis, 13, was a bright leader of a girls' clique. The members of said clique were more like satellites than actual friends as Alison's approval tended to give her peers a social leg up. These girls bandy designer names about at the drop of a hat. Alison has been discovered murdered some 4 years after the summer she completed 7th grade in Rosewood Day, a private school on Philadephia's Main Line.

Spencer Hastings, along with the other satellites discovers she has good reason to want to dim the sun around which she revolves. In this installment, readers learn that she has had a history of blackouts. She also has a habit of sputtering. Her older sister, Melissa, favored to the point of excess and indulgence treats her like dog droppings. To make matters worse, the Hastings have ostracized Spencer in the past for bird-dogging Melissa's boyfriends. Spencer literally has to pay admission into the family. One price she pays is to plagiarize Melissa's economics paper, which is nominated for a Golden Orhid Award. Many is the time she wants to come clean and when she tells the Hastings what she has done, they insist she go along with the ceremony and possible award to make their family name look good.

Aria Montgomery had been having an affair with her English teacher, Ezra Fitz. Her theme song is Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher." Back in town after a 3-year stay in Iceland, Aria reluctantly re-enters Rosewood Day School and the consequences of her father's infidelity. Aria's mother ousts her from the house upon learning Aria knew about the affair even before the family left for Iceland. Aria moves in with her father and the girlfriend in question. She has a habit of reaching into her yak-fur bag, a security blanket she brought back from Iceland. Her 2-years younger brother Mike straddles the post on where he stands and who he is aligned with in the family.

Emily Fields, a reknowned swimmer has finally become open about her sexual orientation. She is back with her partner, Maya, who is now living in the DeLaurentis house. Her irate parents ship her off to her unloving aunt and uncle in Iowa. The Weavers suffer from such a paucity of love that they don't even inform Emily she has an infant and two toddler cousins, ages 2 and 4. These three little girls are staying with their grandmother. This is never explained. Once in the Weaver house, Emily's "uber conservative, uber chaste and proper" cousin Abby, 16 insists Emily sneak out with her and her 17-year-old twin brothers to a dance with other kids. Liquor is served and it is there Emily meets a potential girlfriend named Trista.

Upon returning to the Weaver home, Emily's emotionally bankrupt aunt and uncle blame her for corrupting Abby and the twins. Emily explains that Abby took HER out and that other than Abby and the twins and their toddler sisters, she doesn't even KNOW anybody in the area! Resolute, her emotionally bankrupt aunt and uncle tell her they will leave her at the airport, but they won't pay for her passage home. Emily wisely sneaks out and hops a Greyhound out of town. You have to cheer at her departure.

Hanna, the former fat girl now femme fatale has been lying in a coma after being struck by an SUV. While recovering, she tries to figure out what happened prior to being struck. Lucas, a kind boy who has stood by her and helped her when she needed it the most remains at her side.

Someone else is at Hanna's side too and that someone else may mean her grave harm. Whoever it is has been hounding and stalking the girls and sending them messages outlining the darkest moments of their lives. The mysterious shadow figure is only identified as A, which makes the girls wonder if somehow Alison can contact them from beyond her grave. Each one of the girls has been targeted for some kind of danger! Hanna clings to life in the hospital after she is run over by an SUV. Her brush with death is the most extreme the girls have encountered to date.

Masks play an important part in this story. Hanna wears one over her battered face; people who appear to be friends wear masks concealing their true motives and the girls think they have unmasked "A" at last! Have they? Or is A still in a mask, moving behind shadows? Keep reading. This series gets more and more spellbinding with each installment!

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