I am enjoying my reading experience due to nostalgia from the TV shows. I will say that in the year of 2022 these books do not hold up well. The constant predatory behaviors of most of the male characters were terrible. While reading I kept thinking "the way these girls are brushing off these boys and men being predatory is too much." I found myself annoyed that not only did these four girls NOT HAVE support... their parents disregarded them and did not seem to care about their wellbeing. I KEPT WANTING TO SCREAM "THESE ARE TEENAGE GIRL, THEY ARE BEING KIDNAPPED EVERYDAY, CARE FOR THEM. Then I realized that I am passionate about this due to all the missing and murdered Black and Indigenous girls in the U.S.

The homophobia throughout the book is disturbing. I think if I didn't watch the show I don't think I would be able to continue the series. I will say that this book was definitely a product of its time. I wonder if Sara's books write like this in 2022.