Pretty Little Things
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
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 children.
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.
1. Thoughts:
The narrator shows the reader with some cursive written sentences what the characters think about. (e.g. page 25)
Dialogue
1. Questioning:
Bobby asks Lainey´s family and friends about her disappearance (e.g. page 99-102)
2. Interview:
Reporter wants to know information about Lainey and interviews Bobby (e.g. page 123-128)
3. Phone call:
Lainey tells Molly about her “Chatroom-friend“ Zach (e.g. page 11-16)
4. Chat room:
Lainey talks to her friend Zach on special chat rooms (e.g. page 14-18)
Past:
⇒ Bobby thinks about special events in his past, for example when his daughter disappeared. The text is written in italic font. (e.g. page 123-124)
Description
1. General description of situations:
One big part of the book considers of descriptions e.g. when Special Agent Bobby Dees wants to talk to Zach (a suspect who could have kidnapped Elaine). In this scene the narrator describes the location (page 119).
2. Abbreviation:
A lot of names and places are mentioned in short letters e.g. FDLE means Florida Department of Law Enforcement (page 55)
3. Description of a case:
Sometimes we can read Bobby‘s memories. In one situation he is thinking about the special case with Makala Jarvis when the police didn’t work carefully (page 73).
Music and TV
1. During some scenes you can hear the radio in the background e.g. when Elaine meets Zach and they are sitting in the car the song “Thriller” sounds in the background (page 47).
2. When Elaine is kidnapped, she can only hear one voice. That’s the voice of a person who is talking on the television (page 88).
→ Music and sounds are always written in cursive letters
is an American writer of legal thrillers. She was born on Long Island
and attended both undergraduate and law school at St. John's University (New York) (Queens).
Jilliane Hoffman
writes in her book “pretty little things” about the most personal theme she has ever written.
One of her inspiration for this book was her biggest fear as mother of two young teenage daughters. Her eleven year old daughter has made an experiences like this with her classmate. The girl was chatting with a sixteen year old teenager, but in truth this guy was a 43 year old man. The connection to her book is in this experiences very clear.
Another factor for Jilliane Hoffman
to write this book was her work as a felony prosecutor in Miami. So the most of the book is written in prospect from the Special Agent Bobby Dees.
Jilliane Hoffman
was a lawyer while working as an assistant state’s attorney prosecuting felonies in Miami , Florida
. From 1996 to 2001, she was a regional advisor for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
consulting with special agents in complicated investigations including homicide, narcotics and organized crime.
In 2001, she published her fist novel Retribution
, followed by Last Witness in 2001. Her third Book Plea of Insanity was released in Europe in July 2008.
2010 in literature
The year 2010 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February - The Wheeler Centre, Australia's "literary hub", officially opened.*April 3 - First release of the Apple iPad, electronic book reading device....
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Jilliane Hoffman
Jilliane Hoffman
Jilliane Hoffman is an American writer of legal thrillers. She was born on Long Island and attended both undergraduate and law school at St. John's University in Queens, New York.-Career:...
. 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.
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
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is a Florida government agency. FDLE is composed of five programs: Executive Direction and Business Support, Criminal Investigations and Forensic Science, Criminal Justice Information, Criminal Justice Professionalism, and the Florida Capitol Police...
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 children.
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.Literary techniques
Monologue1. Thoughts:
The narrator shows the reader with some cursive written sentences what the characters think about. (e.g. page 25)
Dialogue
1. Questioning:
Bobby asks Lainey´s family and friends about her disappearance (e.g. page 99-102)
2. Interview:
Reporter wants to know information about Lainey and interviews Bobby (e.g. page 123-128)
3. Phone call:
Lainey tells Molly about her “Chatroom-friend“ Zach (e.g. page 11-16)
4. Chat room:
Lainey talks to her friend Zach on special chat rooms (e.g. page 14-18)
Past:
⇒ Bobby thinks about special events in his past, for example when his daughter disappeared. The text is written in italic font. (e.g. page 123-124)
Description
1. General description of situations:
One big part of the book considers of descriptions e.g. when Special Agent Bobby Dees wants to talk to Zach (a suspect who could have kidnapped Elaine). In this scene the narrator describes the location (page 119).
2. Abbreviation:
A lot of names and places are mentioned in short letters e.g. FDLE means Florida Department of Law Enforcement (page 55)
3. Description of a case:
Sometimes we can read Bobby‘s memories. In one situation he is thinking about the special case with Makala Jarvis when the police didn’t work carefully (page 73).
Music and TV
1. During some scenes you can hear the radio in the background e.g. when Elaine meets Zach and they are sitting in the car the song “Thriller” sounds in the background (page 47).
2. When Elaine is kidnapped, she can only hear one voice. That’s the voice of a person who is talking on the television (page 88).
→ Music and sounds are always written in cursive letters
About the author
Jilliane HoffmanJilliane Hoffman
Jilliane Hoffman is an American writer of legal thrillers. She was born on Long Island and attended both undergraduate and law school at St. John's University in Queens, New York.-Career:...
is an American writer of legal thrillers. She was born on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and attended both undergraduate and law school at St. John's University (New York) (Queens).
Jilliane Hoffman
Jilliane Hoffman
Jilliane Hoffman is an American writer of legal thrillers. She was born on Long Island and attended both undergraduate and law school at St. John's University in Queens, New York.-Career:...
writes in her book “pretty little things” about the most personal theme she has ever written.
One of her inspiration for this book was her biggest fear as mother of two young teenage daughters. Her eleven year old daughter has made an experiences like this with her classmate. The girl was chatting with a sixteen year old teenager, but in truth this guy was a 43 year old man. The connection to her book is in this experiences very clear.
Another factor for Jilliane Hoffman
Jilliane Hoffman
Jilliane Hoffman is an American writer of legal thrillers. She was born on Long Island and attended both undergraduate and law school at St. John's University in Queens, New York.-Career:...
to write this book was her work as a felony prosecutor in Miami. So the most of the book is written in prospect from the Special Agent Bobby Dees.
Jilliane Hoffman
Jilliane Hoffman
Jilliane Hoffman is an American writer of legal thrillers. She was born on Long Island and attended both undergraduate and law school at St. John's University in Queens, New York.-Career:...
was a lawyer while working as an assistant state’s attorney prosecuting felonies in Miami , Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. From 1996 to 2001, she was a regional advisor for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is a Florida government agency. FDLE is composed of five programs: Executive Direction and Business Support, Criminal Investigations and Forensic Science, Criminal Justice Information, Criminal Justice Professionalism, and the Florida Capitol Police...
consulting with special agents in complicated investigations including homicide, narcotics and organized crime.
In 2001, she published her fist novel Retribution
Retribution
Retribution may refer to:* Retributive justice* Retribution Engine, a video game engine* Retribution , a novel by Jilliane Hoffman* Retribution , a poem by Longfellow...
, followed by Last Witness in 2001. Her third Book Plea of Insanity was released in Europe in July 2008.
External links
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