Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

"Perfect Little Monsters" is a twisty thriller that dives into the dark underworld of high school social hierarchies and the deep, dark secrets of teenagers. The story kicks off with the murder of the "queen bee" and reigning cheer captain, Ella Moore, at her own house party, turning all of the party guests into suspects. Each suspect adds an intriguing layer to the plot, compelling readers to question every character's motive.

Before I get any further, I do want to know that it's important to heed the author's note regarding the trigger warnings. This book tackles some intense themes like bullying, eating disorders, fatphobia, depictions of suicide, depression, and more. While these aspects are necessary to the progression of the plotline, they still pack an emotional punch, especially for empathetic readers like myself. However, while the thematic elements are strong and well done, the dialogue occasionally hits a forced and/or cliché note, and some minor plot inconsistencies can be a bit distracting.

That said, the story had me completely hooked until I hit the 75% mark and figured out the big twist. After that, everything started to quickly unravel for me. The last couple of chapters no longer took you along on a journey, and instead rapid-fired bits of information at the reader just to quickly wrap things up. Ending things on a rushed note was a letdown and it felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the story.

Perfect Little Monsters is a thrilling and riveting blend of manipulative mean girls, zealous cheerleaders, and unexpected twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. These are all the essential ingredients that make up an engaging, captivating, and enthralling story.

Despite the surprising and shocking intensity of the mean girls' behavior, the narrative remains captivating. It's a well-structured and cleverly designed narrative that keeps you hooked from the first page to the last. The suspense, tension, and mystery are maintained and built up until the final reveal, keeping the readers engrossed and invested in the story.

Perfect Little Monsters is a book to pay attention to and appreciate. It's an impressive debut that showcases the author's storytelling prowess. The book is a solid 4.5 stars, which I'm rounding up to a perfect five because it's just that good. It's a book that will keep you guessing, reading, and wanting more. So, take advantage of this one. It's a must-read!

Thank you to SourcebooksFire and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

The "twist" was about as easy to spot as an elephant in a canary cage, but I don't get the impression it was meant to be a super suspenseful reveal, so. The "bas" characters were a bit one-dimensional, but, actually? Fuck them anyway - they don't deserve personalities.

This book honestly was just not for me. While it was fast paced, the twist completely ruined the entire book. I did not see it coming and for a good reason.

I did not expect that ending! God damn it has me reeling.
Dawn Foster is the new girl at school, she makes it onto the cheer leading squad and becomes friends with the Queen Bee of the school, Ella.
Few days later after a party Ella is dead. Everyone is a suspect including Dawn.
What follows is a thrilling story about revenge.
I can not stop thinking about this book. I really enjoyed how the different POV ended up trying into each other and how easy it was to read!
Definitely recommend and cannot wait to read more! Thanks to netgalley and Sourcebooks fire for the arc!!

I really enjoyed this book and DID NOT see the ending coming. I was shocked. Great YA Thriller with lots of twists.

thanks netgalley for the arc!

I think as a YA book this did exactly what it needed to do! such a fast read and keeps you hooked. While being a slow reader I wanted to finish this as fast I could because I wanted to know what happens next and I did lol!

I think this felt book felt very present and real, and author made a great job of portraying modern day teenage lives. Also lulu leggings? love to see it!
Also I wouldn't be true to myself if I say I didn't love this scene:
he's wearing a sweater vest and a pearl necklace.
"who are you supposed to be?" asks Naomi.
"Harry Styles" stays Scott.
and I ate that up!!!!!!!

I loved the dual timeline and it was such a good distraction from the plot twist because Hannah's story makes you think of a certain ending where as stuff clicks and boom!

I feel like some parts in the beginning felt a little bit too cliche, like when Dawn was talking about Ella, Lucy and Naomi in the beginning but I think with the whole mean girl trope, it can be very easy to be written that sort of scenario like that. Again circling back to this being for young adults, maybe it is normal to think like that as a teenager (it's been a hot minute!)

I am still not sure how I feel about the ending, maybe it did make sense what happened to Dawn, it could have been unrealistic if everyone got away with their actions. Also I wished theres a bit more on Gracie's character, maybe also a bit more on Isaac and his reaction afterwards!

This really reminded me of pretty little liars and the lying game and I can totally see this being adapted into a movie some day!

Thank you, Cindy R. X. He  and NetGalley for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

I have no words.... then I have so much to say! This was an amazing read. If not for real life having to keep pulling me away, I would have finished this book in a day or less. I loved how it was written and that we had more than one perspective of sorts. This was a who did it murder mystery a genre I'm coming to love in YA. I had no idea who the real killer was by the end of it, and it's such a twist that it will leave you gasping!

Cheerleaders are such horrible girls, am I right? I guess it depends on where you live, but from this book, they are horrible. They spread rumors, slept around, called each other and others horrible names... and even murder? The top cheerleader is found dead in her bed, and there are so many that would live to have seen her dead or worse. With so many having a motive to kill her, can you figure it out? Read and find out!

This was a great read, and honestly, I might read it again soon and see if I can piece things together quicker. I hope to read more from yhis author soon.

I do not publicly review books that I DNF or give fewer than 4 stars to, as it's not what my followers want to read.

This book was a DNF for me. Describing POC using food is dehumanizing, fetishizing, and offensive. The fact that you are allowing an author to engage in this kind of racist practice in a book for teens is truly horrendous.

This is not a book that my readers would find enjoyable, and I would get tremendous heat for recommending it. I also do not need covert racism cluttering my skull and impacting my emotions.

This is 2023, publishing houses should know this stuff, and not be distributing books with this kind of issue.

The fact that the author appears to be a POC as well does not matter. This is commonly considered offensive, and has been considered offensive for a couple of decades now. Why are you not on top of this???

Please do better.

Well that was a twist I did not see coming! Like, it literally came out of nowhere. She is really...her? But I thought that was his sister the whole time! MIND. BLOWN. Cindy R.X. He is a debut author who I cannot wait to see more from. Kudos for putting a brand new twist on the mean girl bullying trope.
And thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this fast-paced twisty riveting unputdownable debut novel.

This book is phenomenal. I binged it in a few hours. I was intrigued from the start and totally invested in Dawn's story. The twists just kept coming! It's hard to keep me in the dark in a mystery book, but Cindy R.X. He totally fooled me, and I so loved being fooled. I will automatically read anything else she writes. I love books that essentially read themselves, and it was so fun to immerse myself fully in Dawn Foster's world for a little while...even if it was a tad disturbing. *shudder* :-)

Pick up a copy of this on May 7th, 2024. You'll devour it, too.


Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for gifting me an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: frightening situations, profanity, trauma, death, fatphobia, bullying

#cindyrxhe #sourcebooksfire #yathriller #yamystery #mystery #thriller #whodunit #bullying #trauma #meangirls #highschool #cheerleading #perfectlittlemonsters

As a high school teacher I am always on the look out for bullying, I know how awful it can be for a young person to go through that and never want my students to deal with it in my watch. This books really looks at the darkest side of bullying, especially in this social media age, and how detrimental it can be. We never know what is going on in other people lives and the bullying that you think is “teasing” could be the last straw for them. For Dawn her new school is a chance for a new start, with new friends, until one of them ends up dead and everyone’s secrets start coming to the surface. A difficult book to read but important topics to discuss for sure.

I finished this one in just two sittings! A great option if you want a quick and thrilling read. Thank you to Sourcebooks for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the copy of Perfect Little Monsters by Cindy R. X. He. Wow, talk about a book that should be a Lifetime movie, this book would be perfect! Mean girls, cheerleaders, shocking reveal, what else can you ask for? This was a fun, well-paced, and skillfully plotted book even though I was shocked at how mean the mean girls were. It really kept me guessing until the end. Don’t miss this stunning debut! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

i really wanted to like this, but i just couldn't. the dialogue looks like it came straight from a 2010s anti bullying movie, and the pacing was not that great either. i think this book really had a chance to be a lot better, but felt pretty rushed and flat.

WOW I could NOT put this one down once I started it! Told in dual POVs, Dawn and Hannah share their high school experiences with the same bully. The storyline was well planned out, the pacing quick, and every time I thought I had an idea of what would happen next, something crazy kept being thrown into the mix! While reading, some parts felt a little random (like how Maddy kept calling Dawn "kid"), but I was pleasantly surprised with how well everything came together in the end. My only qualms were that some of the dialogue and thoughts sounded oddly formal and unlikely coming from high schoolers, and Dawn's friendship with Raquel felt underdeveloped and more like a filler - I don't think the story would have been much different without her. Other than that, this was a really enjoyable read and I look forward to hearing what my students think once I add this to my class library! Thanks so much for the ARC!

You had me at Red Solo Cup…

I spent many college evenings holding my fair of red shiners and many mornings regretting my previous nights endeavors.

The kids at Sierton High School are full of regrets too, but why?

My heart is still pounding

What just happened ? I’m an adult, how did a YA book shake me to my core ? Well, when you are He, you know how to skillfully craft a book that will consume and frighten even the coldest of folks.

I know I know. This is crazy . I can read Stephen King and not even bat an eye but I tell ya, this one is good, real good .

Check out this teaser from debut author, Cindy R.X He:

Someone has murdered the queen bee of Sierton High School…and all the dead girl’s friends are suspects. A twisty thriller from a talented debut author perfect for fans of They Wish They Were Us and One of Us is Lying.

Ella Moore was the most popular girl in school…and also the most hated. When she’s murdered at her own party, there are too many suspects to count. And too many people who think she deserved it.

The police’s prime suspect is the new girl, Dawn Foster. Dawn was the last to hand Ella a drink on the night she died. Plus, all of Ella’s friends with a motive for wanting Ella dead are more than willing to throw Dawn under the bus, if it means keeping the heat off themselves.

But Dawn refuses to go down without a fight. She’s determined to clear her name. As she delves deeper into the past, she discovers that Ella and her friends had major enemies, and someone is out for revenge. Dawn must uncover the truth before the police arrest the wrong suspect… and before the next person dies.

#perfectlittlemonsters #sourcebooksfire

This was mind-blowing, intense, and so relevant. I was hooked right from the beginning and binged it in one sitting. I was so sad and angry for Hannah and kept hoping for a different outcome. I only just barely started putting the pieces together when the twist happened and I was shocked, devastated, and in awe. This story was so well written, the plot kept me on the edge of me seat, with characters I both rooted to succeed and rooted to fall. It’s hard to believe this is a debut and I cannot wait to see what He writes next!

Perfect Little Monsters shines an important light on teenage bullying, the lack of consequences for the perpetrators, and the ways in which our actions have ripple effects. This story hit home for me and I hope anyone going through similar experiences reaches out and finds much needed resources. Know you are not alone.

Thank you to Cindy R. X. He for pouring your own experiences and heart into this story. Not only is it a great thriller, but such a relevant read.

Thank you also to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect Little Monsters is a fast-paced, easy read but don't let that fool you. . .because it has the wildest twists and turns! With an intriguing plot, deeply developed characters and relationship dynamics, this book is perfect for fans of YA thrillers as well as anyone who is new to the genre!

[check trigger warnings before reading this book]

This book is EASILY a five stars (six if I could)! I was sucked in right from the get-go. I literally read it all in one-sitting.

The writing style is very simple, but in a way that pays attention to the details and moments that actually matter. No fluff. And still, Cindy does not sacrifice those important moments that draw you deep into the story and its characters.

I am a sucker for high school settings and all of the things that come with that. We follow Dawn Foster, a beautiful girl who is still recovering from a traumatic car accident. She is automatically welcomed into the popular clique. However, unlike them she has such a huge heart and doesn't believe in labels and being cruel to others due to some "social status". But when a girl from the group is murdered, everyone begins turning on each other and Dawn finds herself caught in the middle. So she takes it upon herself to find out who truly did it.

At first, I thought the whole "mean girl" trope was really cliche but I stuck through, in hopes that it was being used for a good reason and...boy....am I glad I stuck through. The underlying themes and messages portrayed in this book are SO WELL DONE. Not to mention, extremely powerful! I am so happy that Cindy wrote this book, that she said what she said. These things need to be discussed.

My heart was racing the entire time but especially towards the end and GUYS, Cindy did not come to play. The plot twists were absolutely mind-shattering (at least to me). I literally did not get off the couch until the book was done, I was HOOKED.

---Overall---
My heart is aching from this book but it's a new favorite of mine and I am so eager to read all of Cindy's future works! Thank you SO MUCH to Sourcebooks Fire for my e-ARC!