If You Love "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists," Read These Books
We’re barely halfway into the first season of Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists and the secrets are already piling up and the murder mystery is gettin’ twisty. Needless to say, we’re hooked. But what to do while you anxiously await each week’s new episode? How about read a book that captures the same kind of feeling as the show does?
No matter what it is you love about Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists — the murder mystery, the secrets and lies, the blackmail, the elite school setting, the revenge fantasies, the connections to the original Pretty Little Liars — there’s something on this reading list for you. So read on! And on and on and on.
The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard
The show will depart from the plot of the books, but it’s still worth reading the source material. Because if you like the show, you’re probably going to like the book(s), right?
Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
The Pretty Little Liars television show also broke away from the Pretty Little Liars books that served as the show’s source material, so you can bet that The Perfectionists show won’t be sticking too closely to anything from the PLL books either. But if one of your favorite things about The Perfectionists is the glimpses into the classic PLL world we all love so much (anyone else kind of miss A?), then you should try going back and dipping into the original PLL series.
The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
Just stick with the Sara Shepard oeuvre and you’ll be entertained and possibly driven to distraction trying to figure out the mysterious webs Shepard so expertly weaves. In this series, long-lost twins Sutton and Emma find each other, but when Sutton no-shows at their arranged meeting, Emma slips into Sutton’s life to figure out who could’ve wanted her sister to disappear. Turns out, there are quite a few suspects.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
This Agatha Christie classic is discussed in the pilot episode of The Perfectionists, when Alison T.A.’s her first BHU class, and the atmospheric mystery totally jives with the PLL/Perfectionists mood, tone, and ruminations on murder and murderous motivation(s). Plus, it’s a classic with a truly cool twist, and your teachers might be impressed you read it.
Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
One word: R-E-V-E-N-G-E. This trilogy, by BFF authors Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian, is all about three teenage girls out to get theirs. In fact, they team up to get even. But are their secrets enough to bind them together when their quest turns deadly? If you like your stories about revenge with a side of female (sort of) friendship, the Burn for Burn trilogy is for you.
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Meet Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson. They solve mysteries at their elite New England boarding school and delicately and not-so-delicately deal with their own personal relationship, the complex connections between their families and the Moriartys (of original Sherlock Holmes fame), and more. The books may take place on the opposite coast from The Perfectionists, but the clever mystery, complicated secrets, interpersonal dynamics, and cool school setting make these the perfect books to pick up for a read-alike.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus
This book was compared to Pretty Little Liars and The Breakfast Club by Entertainment Weekly and it’s a natural next read if you’re hooked on The Perfectionists. Everyone has secrets, and the characters in One of Us Is Lying are no exception. But how far would these four high school students go to protect their secrets from Simon, who runs the school’s anonymous gossip app, About That? Would they...kill? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
Endangered by Lamar Giles
What happens when the one who watches becomes the one being watched (like, what if A #2 starts stalking A #1—oh, wait, that did happen on PLL)? This engaging mystery-thriller involves a twisted game of dares, blackmail, nearly Beacon Heights-level surveillance, and an A-like stalker who’s full of taunts—meaning, it’s perfect for fans of both PLL and The Perfectionists. Plus, it was nominated for an Edgar Award, so you know it’s got mystery cred.
People Like Us by Dana Mele
A dead girl, a private school, characters with lots of secrets — sounds like the next book on your TBR pile! People Like Us has all this and more (like a murder-suspect-scavenger-hunt) and, like The Perfectionists, plays with the idea that nothing is ever as perfect as it seems. There’s a dead body found in the first three pages, and if that doesn’t suck you in right away, what will?
Truly Devious By Maureen Johnson
This book, the first in a trilogy, involves kidnapping, murder, a teenage detective, and riddles. So the Mona “I work in game design” Vanderwaal in you should gobble the gripping mystery right up — while trying to solve it before the answers are revealed within the book’s pages, naturally. Can you do it? Mona probably could, tbh.
