I’m back my pretties with the second book of the Pretty Little Liars series. Like I said before, someone was taking their sweet old time reading and returning it. Anyway, I sped through it and it suspensefully takes off from the cliffhanger Shepard left in the first book.

Shepard does an excellent job weaving the distrust the Liars have. Not only from the burgeoning paranoia as they realize this new A has been stalking all of them but also their unease around each other. They haven’t hung out for years and even in this new danger, they’re still uncomfortable to hang out and confide with one another. So they spend most of their time dealing with their A notes on their own.

Like Spencer who continues to see Wren after her family’s silent treatment towards her. It creates a bit of a condundrum as her nights with Wren and snooping to figure out A leaves her with little time to do her work and gets her first B-. Which leads her to commit a drastic act to save her GPA and more blackmail for A.

Aria manages to stay away from Ezra, TG, but still struggles with the huge secret she is carrying and A is giving her a deadline to spill or else. However, there is a sweet moment as she finds an unexpected confident in Sean Ackard.

Whom Hanna still wants even though he’s pledged to V Club. Hanna seems to sliding down the loser pole, at least she hallucinates she is as glimpses in the mirror give her major flashbacks. But Hanna’s heart also belongs to her Dad whom she is willing to ditch the Foxy benefit dance and Mona in order to spend some time with him. If A doesn’t force Hanna to humiliate herself first.

Finally, Emily is on her very last nerve as A taunts her about Maya but Emily is still deep in the closet and decides to take her chances with Toby Cavenaugh.

Yeah, that Toby Cavenaugh. The one who went away for The Jenna Thing. While the previous book focused on the sleepover, the night where Ali died, this one focuses on their first major secret that bonded them for life. The Jenna Thing-a harmless prank that went wrong, blinding Jenna and sending a semi-innocent guy to reform school. With Toby back, he fits the means, motive and opportunity.

But it’s only the second book in the series so of course, he’s the first red herring. Though Shepard does a thrilling job in depicting a misleading yet convincing menace in the form of Toby and the danger he possibly possessed as A.

Overall, Flawless is a good sophmore book that maintains the momentum of mystery and paranoia for the Liars.