What reading level is the Pretty Little Liars series?

Pretty Little Liars books are at a grades 4–5 reading level (average grade level 4.9), and HootRated recommends the series for ages 13+. There are 14 books in the series.

What order should I read the Pretty Little Liars books?

Series numbers aren't available for most Pretty Little Liars books, so HootRated lists them by publication date: Pretty Little Liars (2006); Flawless (2007); Pretty Little Liars #6 (2009); Wicked (2009); Heartless (2010); and 9 more.

What age is the Pretty Little Liars series appropriate for?

HootRated recommends Pretty Little Liars for ages 13+. Content is moderate to intense (HootRated intensity 3–4 out of 5). Intensity stays consistent across the series, so a reader who can handle the first book can generally handle the rest.

Pretty Little Liars Books in Order

Pretty Little Liars is a 14-book series by Sara Shepard for ages 13+, at a grades 4–5 reading level, with moderate to intense content (HootRated intensity 3–4 out of 5).

Books: 14; By publication date
Reading level: Grades 4–5; Average grade level 4.9
Recommended ages: Ages 13+; From HootRated age ratings
Content intensity: Moderate to intense; HootRated 3–4 out of 5 · avg 3.4

Pretty Little Liars Reading Order

Series numbers aren't available for most Pretty Little Liars books, so they're listed by publication date (oldest first).

#	Title	Reading Level	Ages	Content
1	Pretty Little Liars 2006	Level 4-5	13+	Moderate
2	Flawless 2007	Level 4-5	13+	Moderate
3	Pretty Little Liars #6 Killer Book 6 · 2009	Level 5	13+	Moderate
4	Wicked 2009	Level 5-6	13+	Moderate
5	Heartless 2010	Level 5-6	13+	Intense
6	Wanted 2010	Level 5	13+	Intense
7	Ruthless 2011	Level 5	13+	Moderate
8	Twisted 2011	Level 4-5	13+	Moderate
9	Burned 2012	Level 4-5	13+	Intense
10	Pretty Little Secrets 2012	Level 5-6	13+	Moderate
11	Ali's Pretty Little Lies 2013	Level 4-5	13+	Moderate
12	Crushed 2013	Level 4-5	13+	Moderate
13	Deadly 2013	Level 4-5	13+	Intense
14	Vicious 2014	Level 5-6	13+	Intense

Content Intensity Across the Series

Consistent

Content stays at a steady intensity level throughout the series.

First book Latest book

Series books grow with readers — but that's also the trap. Most series start at one reading level and one content intensity and drift upward over the course of the run. Pretty Little Liars (14 books by Sara Shepard) lands at a grades 4–5 reading level, with average content intensity 3.4/5. Intensity stays consistent across the series, so a reader who can handle the first book can generally handle the rest.

The reading-order table above lists every book with per-volume reading level, age and intensity ratings so you can spot any escalation before it catches your reader off guard. For a deeper dive into how we score text difficulty vs. emotional weight separately — and why series readers especially benefit from that split — see our methodology page.

All Pretty Little Liars Books

Pretty Little Liars

Sara Shepard