8. Flawless by Sara Shepard

Flawless by Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars Book #2

ISBN: 978-0-06-088733-9

HarperTeen, New York, 2007

330 p.

Plot Summary

After attending Alison’s funeral, Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily discover that “A” was not who they originally believed.  It becomes even more evident that someone else knows everything about them, including their involvement in “The Jenna Thing.”  With Jenna and Toby back in town, A’s knowledge of the incident that led to Jenna’s blindness leads a few of the girls to suspect Toby of sending the messages.  After all, he was the only other person there when the incident happened and, although the girls don’t know why, he took the blame for the firework going off when Alison was actually the person who let it go.  A manipulates the girls into doing what he/she demands.  Hanna is forced to reveal her eating disorder to a couple of popular girls at school and Aria confronts her father’s mistress, in hopes that A will start to leave them alone.  Also, Emily receives a text from A acknowledging her romantic relationship with Maya and Spencer believes that A told her sister, Melissa, that Spencer was secretly seeing her ex-boyfriend.  Although the girls try to appease A, the messages and taunting does not stop.  Is Toby who they think he is, or is he just another pawn in A’s plot against them?

Critical Evaluation

In contrast with the first novel in the Pretty Little Liars series, Flawless allows for a much more in-depth look at each of the girls lives, making it possible for the reader to relate to them.  Whereas Pretty Little Liars introduced the distinct personalities that make each girl unique from the others, the second novel builds upon that to create a more sympathetic view.  For instance, Hanna is presented as one of the mean girls at school, as well as a shoplifter, along with her friend, Mona.  However, when her estranged father comes back into town, her insecurities are laid bare for the reader to experience.  With a look into her pained relationship with her father, the connect between seeking her father’s approval and Hanna’s struggle with bulimia and need for perfection is explicit.  Therefore, when her father once again expresses his disappointment in her, Hanna’s emotional and physical reactions help form a connection with the reader.  The theme of wanting to please parents continues with Spencer’s storyline, as she is always second best in her family and she strives to accomplish things that her older sister never did.  I found myself surprised at how much I was pulling for Spencer.  Even though she pursues a relationship with her sister’s boyfriend (and continues once they became exes), the heartache she experiences when she realizes that her sister stole him back resonated with me.  Spencer ruins her relationship with her parents in order to step out from her sister’s shadow, but in the end, it was just another instance of Spencer coming up short in her competition with her sister.  Although she excels in school and has multiple extracurricular activities, her sister always remains the perfect child in their parents’ eyes.  Overall, Hanna and Spencer share this inability to feel good enough and it is most exemplified through their interactions with their parents, the people who are supposed to love and accept them unconditionally.  There are many teen readers that I am sure can relate to this struggle and will find a part of themselves in this novel.

Reader's Annotation

Still shocked at the discovery of Alison’s body, Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily continue to be taunted by “A.”  With Toby back in town, the girls suspect he has more to do with the messages than they originally thought.

Information About the Author

Sara Shepard has been writing for as long as she can remember, though when she was young, the things she wanted to be when she grew up were a soap opera star, a designer for LEGO, a filmmaker, a claymation artist, a geneticist, and a fashion magazine editor. She and her sister have been creating joint artistic and written projects for years, except they’re pretty sure they’re the only ones who find them funny.

She got her MFA at Brooklyn College and now lives outside Philadelphia, PA with her husband and dogs. The Visibles/ All The Things We Didn’t Say is her first novel for adults. Pretty Little Liars, her bestselling young adult series, is loosely based on her experiences growing up on Philadelphia’s Main Line…although luckily she never had any serious stalkers. (Retrieved from author’s website: http://www.sarashepardbooks.com/bio.php)

Genre

Young Adult – Chick Lit/Mystery

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Discuss the lengths that some teens go to in order to be popular.

2. Focus on the intolerance for homosexuality that Emily experiences.

3. Compare A’s messages to the recent instances of cyber bullying.

Reading Level/Interest Age

14+

Challenge Issues

In the novel, the topic of eating disorders comes to the forefront.  Also, Emily’s identity as a homosexual is discussed further.  There is also an instance of suicide when one teen thinks that his or her secret is going to be revealed.

When confronted with complaints about this novel, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content.  Turn to reviews from publications such as Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, and Booklist, as well as reviews from teens that have read it.  Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom.  As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include Book in Selection? 

After reading the first in the series and getting caught by the cliffhanger, I decided to include the second novel in the series as well.