Book Allusions

This page is dedicated to books referenced or shown on the television show. Many of the allusions appear in the Pretty Little Liars' honors English class, but there are many books referenced throughout the show.

Season 1

 * "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee - required reading in Ezra's English class. Episode titled "To Kill a Mocking Girl" is a play on this book's title. There is much in-class discussion about this book in "Can You Hear Me Now?" The conversation gets quite awkward between Aria, Ezra, and Sperling, but before that, Spencer vindicates Boo Radley's character, which is quite similar to Toby's  character.
 * "A Portrait of Harper Lee" by Charles J Shields - In "To Kill a Mocking Girl", after Aria expresses how much he is enjoying reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" at breakfast, her parents suggest Aria read "the" author's biography. "A Portrait of Harper Lee" is arguably the most authoritative biography written about the author.
 * "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum - This children's novel gets many nods throughout Pretty Little Liars, though the references are identical to the adapted film references. "There's No Place Like Homecoming," is "A 's" fortune-cookie message to the liars, as well as the name of the episode; it is an obvious reference to Dorothy's line at the end of the book: "There is no place like home." Additionally, Mona and Hanna's banter in "The Perfect Storm" involves two references, namely Mona's mocking Lucas  telling him to ask the wizard to make him a man and Hanna's  rebuttal telling Mona  to take a trip to Oz for a heart.
 * "Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert - Title is written on the board when Ms. Shepard subs for Mr. Fitz in the "The Homecoming Hangover".
 * "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens - "A" sends a message to Emily in "The Perfect Storm" to see what's hidden in the school library's copy of the book. The big has special significance for Emily, because she once stumbled across Alison reading this book alone in the library. They had briefly discussed the book before Emily kissed Alison.
 * "The Perfect Storm" by Wolfgang Peterson- The same episode that showcased "Great Expectations" had the same title as the non-fiction book, The Perfect Storm. (Later, it was adapted into a film.) The book revolves around a dramatic disaster ensuing after a thunderstorm. The episode was similarly themed, though it is debatable whether the events were truly disasterous; on the one hand, Emily had a bad brush with "A" and was accused by Darren Wilden of murdering Alison ; on the other hand, the girls' SAT's were postponed.
 * "Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger - Toby is reading it in the Grille in "Reality Bites Me". Later, in "Je Suis Une Amie", Spencer gives Toby a copy of the book's French translation.
 * "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Book notes are on the board in "Know Your Frenemies" when Noel comes to blackmail Mr. Fitz into changing the grade on his paper. Mr. Fitz writes "Gatsby = the corruption of the American Dream" before Noel enters. Later, in "Blind Dates", a certain billboard near a pawn shop is very reminiscent of the one described in the book.
 * "Winesberg, Ohio" by Sherwood Anderson - In "Someone to Watch Over Me", Aria almost puts this book, which Ezra gave and dedicated to her - in her bag of Ezra paraphernalia to be hidden, but leaves it out in her room. When Byron enters Aria's room looking for clues as to the identity of his daughter's secret boyfriend, he holds the book and almost opens it until Ella criticizes him for snooping.
 * "The Bad Seed" by William March - The episode "The Badass Seed" is a cheeky reference to this book, which was adapted into a Broadway play by the same name. In the episode, Mr. Fitz puts chooses this play for a school production, in which all the Pretty Little Liars and Mona participate.
 * "1984" by George Orwell - Jenna makes a joke to Aria  in the girls bathroom during "A Person of Interest" that she should suggest to Mr. Fitz that he assign 1984, an appropriate reflection of their lives: There always seems to be a conspiracy, involving someone omniscient watching them like "Big Brother." What's really weird is that Jenna  addresses Aria without Aria announcing her presence. How did this supposedly blind girl know she was there?
 * "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Ernest Hemingway - The season 1 finale episode has the same title as this book, though there is little thematic connection between the two, aside from the book's preoccupation with death. The episode seems to have been named for its literal reference of Ian  seemingly dying while simultaneously ringing the church bells. Later, the same church bells toll for him in the normal way at his funeral.

Season 2

 * "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley - The second season's first episode title, "It's Alive" refers to what Victor Frankenstein said in the horror novel after creating an artificial monster.
 * "The Goodbye Look" by Ross MacDonald/Kenneth - The second episode of Season 2 appropriately shares a title with this American crime novel, involving a crime investigation, wherein the prime suspect, like Ian, is a missing person. It was a bestseller in its time.
 * "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers - Emily attempts to read this in "Never Letting Go", but is distracted by the thought of Ian's suicide note and its similarity to "A's" messages.
 * "Over My Dead Body" by Rex Stout (1940) - The episode by the same title alludes to a Nero Wolf detective novel involving a dangerous larceny and murder investigation.