Pretty Little Liars Books Series Order

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Looking for the Pretty Little Liars book series in order?

I love Pretty Little Liars. The show (most of it) and the books. I will read anything Sara Shepard writes thanks to this series and The Lying Game.

One thing I didn’t like about her book/series is that it’s so hard to figure out what order to read them in and find that list without spoilers.

Well, today I’m sharing with you a spoiler-free list of Pretty Little Liars books in order. It includes sixteen novels for the main story and two other books that are sort of like novellas, not crucial to read, but add to the story.

They aren’t novella-length though, they’re actually pretty long. Sometimes longer than the main books. Moore like side books with bonus stories.

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Pretty Little Liars books in order

Here I’ve listed the the whole Pretty Little Liars book series in order with notes by the two novellas/extras of when I would read them (after book sixteen).

And I know there’s a book seventeen set in the future but it feels weird saying it’s part of the series, even though it is. I might listen to it eventually but who knows.

Ali’s Pretty Little Lies – PLL book 0.5 (I would read this at the end)
Pretty Little Liars – PLL book one
Flawless – PLL book two
Perfect – PLL book three
Unbelievable – PLL book four
Pretty Little Secrets – PLL book 4.5 (I would also read this at the end, but after 4 is fine, too)
Wicked – PLL book five
Killer – PLL book six
Heartless – PLL book seven
Wanted – PLL book eight
Twisted – PLL book nine
Ruthless – PLL book ten
Stunning – PLL book eleven
Burned – PLL book twelve
Crushed – PLL book thirteen
Deadly – PLL book fourteen
Toxic – PLL book fifteen
Vicious – PLL book sixteen – Final Pretty Little Liars book
The Liars – PLL book seventeen, audible exclusive
Pretty Little Love – Emison stories

How many PLL books are there?

Seventeen main books plus two novellas and a few short stories about Emison (Ali and Emily love stories) that I have no interest in.

Do you have to read the Pretty Little Liars books in order?

Yes, the only ones I would read in chronological order are book 0.5 and book 4.5 I would read them after book sixteen. Then I would read book seventeen and any other stories you want.

When were the Pretty Little Liars books written?

The first book was published in 2006 and book sixteen was published in 2014. The Liars, the newest book and audible exclusive, was published in 2022. There were usually two published each year.

What are the Pretty Little Liars books about?

Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hannah are best friends held together by secrets and Ali. But when Ali mysteriously vanishes one night at a sleepover, they drift apart.

As their secrets begin being brought to light by a cyber-stranger, they come back together to get to the bottom of it.

And that’s the easiest way to describe this wild series without giving anything away. So, is it worth reading the Pretty Little Liars books if you’ve seen the show?

Definitely.

It will be two totally different experiences and I’d personally say the books have a better ending than the show.

Are the Pretty Little Liars books and show the same?

The first two seasons are pretty much the first couple of books, but after that, they are wildly different. There are some small similarities or parallels but overall expect very different things.

The physical descriptions of the girls are also different, especially Emily. She’s basically described the opposite of Shay Mitchell (who played her in the show).

It’s hard to share differences without major spoilers so I won’t share much, but here are some of the main differences between the Pretty Little Liars books and show:

The liars aren’t really friends in the books. They talk but don’t hang out like in the show.
Caleb isn’t in the books at all. And neither are a lot of other characters like Shower Harvey and Paige.
There are also a lot of book characters not in the show.

Mona and Jenna are friends in the books.

Were the Pretty Little Liars books rewritten?

The first four have been updated, but I’m not sure exactly what’s been changed. I know Mona mentions TikTok in them which I think is weird.

I don’t think I would like reading the updated first four then the original ones for the rest of the series. I will say though, the originals are very much a product of their time.

They would probably not fly now written as they were and homophobic/problematic language was changed. That said, I would try to get the originals with the doll covers for the full experience.

Was Pretty Little Liars a book before a show?

Yes! The show was coming out around the same time as book eight.

How scary is Pretty Little Liars?

I wouldn’t say the books or show are scary but they can be dark (especially the books) and tense but they’re nowhere near horror.

What is the best book in the Pretty Little Liars Series?

I think book eight (Wanted) is the best. I may have a different (or additional) answer once I finish my reread but Wanted is the best so far.

Are the Pretty Little Liars books worth reading?

Yes!! They’re so different than the show and a lot darker than the show. They’re easy reads and easy enough to find cheap. I love them, particularly in a nostalgic way. I read this series and The Lying Game series in one summer I think.

I’ve been wanting to re-read these for so long and writing this post made me want to even more. I started rereading them in the summer of 2021 but stopped around book eight so I’ll have to pick them back up now.