‘Pretty Little Liars’: How Does The Final Book In Sara Shepard's Franchise End? 'Vicious' Spoilers

Sara Shepard’s “Pretty Little Liars” novel franchise is over. On Tuesday, Dec. 2, the author published “Vicious,” the 16th and final book in the series that started the hit ABC family show.

The “Pretty Little Liars” young-adult novels began in 2006. Readers were introduced to Spencer Hastings, Hanna Marin, Aria Montgomery and Emily Fields, four girls who were dealing with the aftermath of the mysterious disappearance of their friend, Alison DiLaurentis. While life tore the friends apart, they reunited a couple years later when they began receiving messages from a person named “A.” To make the story more complicated, Alison resurfaced … dead.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! Do NOT continue reading unless you want to find out what happens in the books.

Like the ABC Family show, the girls tried to solve the mystery of “A” throughout the series. There were numerous suspects over the years, but in the end the girls realized it was Alison herself who was torturing them with threatening messages.

Many TV shows based on books don’t follow the text, and “Pretty Little Liars” was no different. So, how did Shephard’s books wrap up?

According to the book description on Amazon, the start of “Vicious” finds the four girls standing trial after being accused of killing Alison. But as fans of both the books and show know, the liars have been framed.

“Ali is still out there, laughing as she watches the girls go down for her murder,” teases the plot description.

As usual, no one believes Spencer, Hanna, Aria and Emily. With the evidence piling up against them and the trial looking grim, the girls will look toward a different route to help them. For Aria, that involves living “life on the lam.” Spencer, like Aria, wants to disappear – however she changes her mind when “a guy from her past reemerges.” Hanna on the other hand “decides she’ll hear wedding bells chime before she serves time,” but it’s Emily who might be risking everything. The synopsis teases that she’ll do “something truly drastic – something that will change her friends’ lives forever.”

What is that drastic action? Turn back now before we reveal what happens in “Vicious.”

Alison and the trial took a mental toll on Emily. By episode 6, Emily went into the ocean during a big storm … and never resurfaced. The girls were devastated by the loss of Emily and didn’t see much good luck after that. Despite Hanna having a moment of happiness by marrying Aria’s brother Mike in a quickie wedding, the jury found the girls guilty. Aria, Hanna and Spencer were sent to jail; however, the series delivered a major twist – Emily was revealed to be alive and well!

Emily had faked her death to track a lead on Alison. Traveling to Cocoa Beach, Florida, Emily discovered that Alison’s mom had been hiding her daughter. The police caught Alison, freeing Aria, Spencer and Hanna from jail.

“I’m not sure I knew how I wanted to end each girl’s story, but I knew I wanted to end their story with [frenemy] Alison,” author Sara Shepard dished to TV Guide. “I never wanted to write about them going away to college or moving away, but you see where they are going to go from there.”

Are you happy that the “Pretty Little Liars” books are done? Do you want to read more in the series? Tweet your thoughts to @AmandaTVScoop.