Secrets and Lies

April 1, 2014
This sequel to Truth or Dare (2013) continues the same mystery, though with even more menace. Beauty-queen Tenley, model Emerson and budding photographer Sydney continue to receive anonymous, threatening messages. Apparently, the person making all the dares in the previous book wasn't killed after all. Tricia, who did die, must have had an accomplice who survived. That accomplice now continues to make life hell for the three girls, sending text messages and leaving typewritten notes--and even making actual attempts on Tenley's life. The girls learn that at least one actual murder has occurred and have little doubt that their tormentor will kill them and their family members if they go to the police. Plenty of suspects surface, with few eliminated until the book ends with a cliffhanger that nicely positions readers for the next installment. Possible boyfriends come and go as well, with real possibilities for romance, but the mystery plot keeps the girls and boys apart for now. As the story progresses, readers may begin to wish for better clues to the identity of the perpetrator, but the thrills keep pages turning. Green writes with ease, alternating chapters among the three girls. It's an undemanding chick-lit thriller, with gorgeous teens and designer clothes all around. An intriguing sequel, with more promised for the future for the Pretty Little Liars set. (Chick-lit/thriller. 12-18)

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May 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Readers who have an extraordinary ability to suspend disbelief will be the primary audience for this sequel to Green's Truth or Dare (Little, Brown, 2013). The novel picks right back up with main characters Emerson (a model who had an affair with the father of a classmate), Sydney (a talented photographer who is also an arsonist), and Tenley (a mean girl beauty who is afraid that her breast implants will become public knowledge) as they receive letters and texts threatening to divulge their secrets to the world at large: "Time for a new game, girls: Show and Tell. The only rule? Don't tell. Or I'll show your secrets to the world." Terrified of exposure, the teens are desperate to figure out who killed the five "Lost Girls" in their hometown of trendy Echo Bay, MA, and to avoid becoming the next victims. Red herrings abound as the clueless protagonists face attacks, such as glass bottles being thrown at their heads, being pushed underwater in a hot tub, locked into a club vault, and finding a murdered pet. A confusion of characters, unrealistic and overly dramatic plot, a completely unresolved ending, and choppy writing may further limit the potential audience. Casual drinking, sex, and some drug use make this book suitable for older readers. Suggest the YA classic Lois Duncan's I Know What You Did Last Summer (Little, Brown, 1973) as a better choice.-Susan Riley, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

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