Pretty Little Things

Pretty Little Things is a 2010 novel by Jilliane Hoffman. It was released in the USA on September 7th, 2010, and deals with the topics of internet crime and missing and exploited children and is set in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale area. In addition to the US release, the book has enjoyed a considerable success on the German market, titled Mädchenfänger, with a #5 rank among new novel releases.^[1]

Hoffman wrote the book based on her own professional experience; before her career as a writer, she worked in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement consulting with special agents.

Plot summary

13 year old Elaine Emerson, nicknamed Lainey, meets a boy on the internet while hiding behind a profile indicating her age as 16. She goes on a date with Zach, 17, nicknamed El Capitan, and never returns from the date. Special Agent Bobby Dees, head of the department's Crimes Against Children Squad, tries to find her.

Main characters

Zachary M. Cusano: Zachary M. Cusano is the son of Violet and Thomas Cusano. He’s residing at 124 Poinciana Lane, Jupiter; Florida. He is 17 years old, 190 pound weighty and 6 feet, 1 inch tall. He has blond hair and blue eyes. Zachary is the Team Capitan of the football team from the Jupiter High school and doesn’t know Elaine.

Elaine Louise Emerson: Elaine Emerson is the daughter of Debbie LaManna and the stepdaughter of Todd LaManna. She has a sister Liza and a brother Bradley. She lives in Columbus, Ohio and goes at Sawgrass Middle school. Elaine has brown hair, brown eyes and is five feet tall and about ninety-five pound weighty. She likes Twilight especially Edward and she has an account in My Space in which she is lying about her age. Above all she likes El Capitan and has a date with him.

Bobby Dees: Bobby Dees is a special agent, who was working for the NYPD. He is 40 years old and he wants to find every missing child.

Debbie LaManna: Debbie LaManna, mother of Elaine, Liza and Bradley, is always stressed after work, because the children don't follow her instructions at home. She's more angry about the behaviour of her husband Todd than on Elaine's disappearance. Her oldest child Liza became criminal and doesn't show up often at home, Debbie doesn't want Elaine to become like this. Her mother died of lung cancer and she doesn't like to have the cops involved in her life.

Todd LaManna: Todd LaManna is the father of Bradley and stepfather of Elaine and Liza. So he doesn't care of Elaine's and Liza's problems. He has a job as a used-car salesman at CarMax Regional. He cheats his wife with another woman.

A year before Elaine was kidnapped, Todd was arrested for lewd and lascivious conduct, because he was peeing against a wall nearby a playground.

Molly: She is the best friend of Elaine.

Liza: Liza Emerson, 16 years old, is Elaine’s sister. She has always problems with the police because of drugs or drinking alcohol. Liza is a runaway.

LuAnn: LuAnn is the wife of Bobby. She loves her daughter and is very sad that she went away from home.

Katherine: Katy is the daughter of the special agent Bobby. After a conflict with her parents she ran away from home, because of this Bobby have a feeling of guilt.

Places and locations

The book is largely set at real-world locations. Elaine's former school is Ramblewood Middle School in Coral Springs, FL. Her new school is Sawgrass Middle School.

External links

• The official web site of Jilliane Hoffman
• The official web site of Pretty Little Things

Sources

• http://www.prettylittlethingsbook.com/about.php
• http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593156073/
• http://www.killerreads.com/books/pretty-little-things/
• http://www.jillianehoffman.com/the_author.html

References

1. ↑ Börsenblatt, Jul. 23, 2010. http://www.boersenblatt.net/390511/