‘Wanted’ Delivers Thrill After Thrill | Review of ‘Wanted’ (PLL, #8)

Cynthia Ayala ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

wanted

In Rosewood, everything looks perfect, but beneath the surface of the green lawns and picturesque houses lies deep dark secrets that will rock the foundation as they rise to the surface.  The secret of what happened the night Alison went missing is finally revealed and Hanna, Aria, Emily and Spencer are thrown into a whirlwind of events that make that will leave them with barely the skin on their backs.  A is not done with them yet and won’t rest until they’re dead.

The eighth book in the Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard’s brings a startling conclusion to the second arc in the ‘Pretty Little Liars’ series.  Published on June 8th, 2010 by HarperTeen, the novel interweaves mystery, thriller and the coming of age genres to bring together a novel that will push readers to the edge of their seats.

Wanted is bursting with amazing details that have the reader looking in every direction instead of the right one.  This is the key to Shepard’s talent and why Wanted is an exceptional addition to the series because it throw readers through a look with an unforgettable curve ball.  Following the last novel, these four girls have been branded with the name ‘Pretty Little Liars’ and they are trying, with all their might to deal with the loss and gain of their old friend and their old lives.  It picks up themes of competitiveness which is a grounder for the novel as it’s constructed in a believable way.  There is popularity contest of course, which socially allows for development but also allows for character development for these girls.

There is so much twisting and turning in the novel that keeps it fresh even though the subplot of the novel is the same as Unbelievable, the fourth novel in the series, as the culprit behind the stalking is revealed after many heartwarming moments between that person and the four main characters in the novel.  While it’s farfetched that these terrible things continue to happen to these four girls, Sara Shepard’s ability to throw curve ball after curve ball keeps the story fresh in its ability to captivate readers.  Another factor that ties into that is Shepard’s ability to really highlight the emotional rollercoasters these characters are going through as they face these events together and as a group of friends.  At times, events take a toll on these girls and it seems too good to be true and then “bam!”, they, alongside the readers, are thrown out of their seats and taken back by series of events that have been revealed to them.

The best part of this novel was the end though, and that’s not because it gives a sense of relief to the reader, but slowly pieces the plot together, small pieces that the writer and the main characters have overlooked throughout the second arc in the story.  The ending of this story was amazing because off all the detail Shepard put into it with her scene specifics, but also with her narrative that tied together the four distinct inside plots with the larger outside plot. Wanted, so far, is the best novel in the series.

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