Artsy and eclectic Aria has just returned to town after spending a year overseas and, while she tries to deny feeling hurt over her father Byron's indiscretion with one of his ex-students at the college, and keep her mom, Ella, from finding out, she can't ignore the intense chemistry with Ezra Fitz - Aria's English teacher. Once-chubby Hanna has transformed herself into the current "It girl," but still battles the urge to binge. Shoplifting gives her a less-fattening thrill, but when she gets caught, the charges are dismissed only because her mother, Ashley, takes matters into her own hands, eager to keep her own reputation and the image of her daughter untarnished. Spencer is a perfectionist and straight-A student whose pressure to stand out in her overachieving family leaves her feeling alone ... until she finds understanding in the unlikeliest of places - the arms of her sister's fiance. Emily, an athlete trying to sort out her place in the world, finds herself drawn to her new neighbor, Maya, a free spirit who recently moved into Alison's old house across the street. When each girl receives a message referencing these most private details that barely scratch the surface of what they are desperate to keep hidden, living in their picturesque suburban community suddenly seems far from perfect as secrets, lies and betrayals threaten everything they hold dear. Even after Alison's body is discovered, the messages don't stop...