Wicked (Pretty Little Liars, Book 5)

Sigh. I keep reading and reading, but nothing really changes. Isn't the point of a novel (or, at the very least, a series of novels supposed to show character change over time? Because isn't the reason we are interested in main characters because they are supposed to be dynamic?

What happens to the girls is dynamic, but in a limited way. There's someone out to get them, dogging their every step. They inevitably make a misstep, their stalker inevitably finds out about it, and holds it over their head while they make further missteps. A nice, long tumble down the rabbit hole. Unfortunately, there's only so much of the rabbit hole I can endure before I start to wonder if there is anything at the end of it. Are we ever going to get to Wonderland, where things are just as bizarre but at least different? It seems that the author had a singular good idea -- a creepy stalker -- and is just coming up with further situations to satiate that initial idea.

The girls don't grow. There is my problem.

SPOILERS




Aria continues to "unknowingly" flirt with all these handsome older men who are completely unavailable but totally willing to mack on a TEENAGER. WTF. You have to be the highest class of sleazeball to do that, and Aria seems to have run into every single one in Rosewood. And she keeps not telling people about it, because, why? She thinks it'll ruin her family more? Right, because keeping secrets has worked out so well. If you are being threatened, tell someone. This is not rocket science, but apparently the concept is as foreign as ancient Martian religious texts. Wow that was a bad analogy. But still, the point stands.

Hanna is a super bitch who keeps falling into traps and showing herself to be a bad human being. Has she never heard of the higher road? I am just really tired of Hanna being a horrible person. In the show, she becomes reasonable after a while, giving up on caring about popularity (though not giving up on caring about a deep-conditioning treatment), and becomes -- dare I say it? -- nice. I don't know how much longer I can wait for some nice.

Emily just needs a punch in the face. She is so wishy-washy and anxious and pathetic that I really want to slap her. She's like a yippy little dog that pees everywhere when it hears a loud noise. These qualities are not attractive, and I get that she's still young, but after a certain point, I want people to at least start facing some of their small fears. It's just weird when you're 30 and still afraid of the dark. You're a grown up -- seek professional help if it still bothers you enough that you can't live alone and still sleep with a light on. Emily needs to come to terms with some of these things, like people approaching her. Her default reaction to anyone coming up to her seems to be to squeal in fear and run. Guess what, sugarpie? Sometimes people approach you. I get that "A" is torturing them and whatever, but the puddle Emily has been reduced to is unbearable to read about.

Spencer, oh Spencer. Why do I care? You're life's too much of a mess for me to care and you are so changeable that I can't bring myself to follow it anymore with any measure of interest.



So, I'm coming to grips with some things. Plot devices that are okay the first couple of books in are no longer acceptable on the fifth, sixth, seventh book. I am looking for mild growth, change, and, if possible, elevation. I have found none of those and am becoming frustrated. There are only so many books I will put up with this for. It'll probably be at least six, but that's my problem. The problem with these books is that the cookie cutter formula is really starting to wear.