14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A jaw-dropping conclusion to an 'unbelievable' series!, May 27, 2008
It seems like only yesterday that Hanna Marin, Alison "Ali" DiLaurentis, Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery, and Emily Fields were carefree, fun-loving seventh graders at posh private school Rosewood Day. Planning sleepovers, gossiping about boys, braiding each others hair, sharing secrets. But like the flip of a switch, everything changed. Ali mysteriously disappeared, and the four other girls parted ways. That was years ago. Now the mysterious "A" has dredged up the past once more; barraging Hanna, Spencer, Aria, and Emily with painful memories of the past via text messages. It's obvious that "A" is Ali's killer; but if the girls tell, one of them will be the next to die.
Hanna Marin has always been so full of life. Shopping as much as possible, prancing around in sky-high platforms, and perusing fashion and gossip websites to get her daily fix of all things celebrity. Seeing her lying in a hospital bed, unable to speak, bruises dotting her face, in a coma seems completely out of the ordinary. Aria Montgomery, Spencer Hastings, and Emily Fields know Hanna, and this isn't her. But it is a reminder of just how close "A" truly is to them; and how "A's" threats are absolutely true. But Hanna isn't the only one in turmoil at the moment.
Emily Fields has suddenly been shunned by her family. The fact that she has come out of the closet, so to speak, shames her parents, and even her sister, and has landed her on a one way trip to Iowa to live with her strict aunt and uncle, along with their children. Iowa seems like the worst place on earth. But some of the people there are actually pretty cool; and very into Emily.
Spencer Hastings has finally come to the realization that she has black-outs at times, and can't help but wonder if she is the one responsible for Ali's death. With the Golden Orchid competition coming up, however, Spencer has no time to think about the past - only the future. After stealing her older sister's essay, and having it nominated for the Golden Orchid, Spencer can't believe that her family is supporting her in this competition. But it's up to her to do them proud. Too bad she has a strange feeling that somehow, her lying, stealing, cheating ways are going to come back to haunt her.
Aria Montgomery wants nothing more than to be with her older teacher, Ezra. But after "A" spilled the beans about Aria and Ezra's little affair to Aria's boyfriend, that's impossible. Suddenly, Ezra is under scrutiny, and Aria has been cast out of her temporary living space. The only thing left for her to do is to turn to her cheating father, Byron, and his artsy girlfriend, Meredith. But turning to the two of them is right up there with selling your soul to the devil, and Aria doesn't know if she's ready to do something so drastic.
It seems like decades since I completed PERFECT, and finally UNBELIEVABLE is here. Sara Shepard has outdone herself with this fabulous fourth book. After the cliffhanger in PERFECT, I didn't know that it would be possible for Ms. Shepard to concoct an even more perfect conclusion; but she has done just that. The suspense found in UNBELIEVABLE is, quite possibly, greater than any of the three previous books. Each word peaks the reader's interest, and with each page read, you can't help but find yourself dying to find out what will happen next. A jaw-dropping conclusion to an UNBELIEVABLE series!
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply...unbelievable!, June 2, 2008
Being an avid fan of the previous three books, I eagerly awaited "Unbelievable." When I finally got it, I devoured the book in one day!
Ms. Shepard's writing is excellent like always, and there are plenty of plot twists to keep you reading til the end. I thought I had figured out who A was several times in the beginning, but none of those theories were correct.
That being said, I figured out who A was right before the girls did, so that reveal wasn't as shocking as I hoped. However, the ending pages were filled with unresolved storylines and plot twists that left me on the edge of my seat.
I would definitely recommend this book, and the whole series, to anyone.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The End... or is it?, December 21, 2008
The answer is obviously not, as there are four more books in the series. When it was first put out this book was supposed to be the last, but the author agreed to put out more due to pressure from the publisher. (Thanks publishers!)
The now not so fab four have all new problems on their hands. Emily has been sent out to the country, only to find that her problems will follow her wherever she goes. Hanna's still in a coma, but will she still remember A's identity when she wakes up? Aria's trying to piece not only her life together, but also the pieces to the enigma that is A. Meanwhile Spencer still hasn't learned her lessons about cheating or forbidden fruit- lucky for her, A is an ever patient tutor in those matters...
I liked this book for the most part. I agree with many reviewers who felt that A's identity seemed a bit rushed & anti-climactic, so I was relieved that there were 4 more books in the series. This means that while you know who was A, there was undoubtedly someone in the back pulling the strings ensuring that "A" discovered the right secrets and sent the right texts. That being said, I was glad to finally see the humanity in many of the families. The whole "mean, ruthless, and competitive" thing made for good reading for a while, but it wasn't entirely believable that everyone would turn their backs on their kids. Whether that will continue into the next book is anyone's guess, but it was still nice to see that some of the parents really cared for their kids' well being.
4.9/5
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