A wildly exciting young adult novel!
High School can be tough. Especially if you don't fit in.
But, is it so bad you would kill?
The beautiful mean girls are dying one by one. Leaving students, teachers., parents and police baffled about who could possibly be leaving such horror behind. The Larks, an esteemed club, seems to be the chosen target of this sadistic murderer. Three of the senior Parks have been killed. Two are left. Who will be the next one dead?
Well written, entertaining.
5 Stars

I went into this book hoping for an intriguing young adult story that kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me guessing....and I got all of that and more!!

I always enjoy going back to reading Young Adult novels for a break from all the adult romance novels that are out there. This one was so much more than just a high school aged story...it was a thrilling, suspenseful and gripping ride. And there was even a little romance in here too.

I love when an author steps outside the box and gives us a new side to their writing and that is exactly what Monica Murphy has done. This is something completely different from anything I have read by this author before. Trying something new is a great sign of an excellent writer…in my opinion.

I won’t be able to talk about this storyline very much, because this is a story that you have to unfold for yourself. I will say this, it is a standalone novel with a completed story. NO cliffhanger!!!. It is told primarily in Penelope’s POV, but we do get some chapters from the suspects POV. You don’t have to read any other book by this author to enjoy this story. I know this is classified as a Young Adult novel, but I would even say that it borders on Mature Young Adult. There are some things I don’t think would be appropriate for readers under 15 years old.

As I said before this story will keep you guessing right until this end. Although some things are revealed early on, you really won’t know who did it until the very end. You may think you know who it is as the story goes on, but let me just tell you, not everything is as it seems. This story is based in a small community. Nothing bad ever happens there. The story focuses around Penelope and Cass. Penelope is a Senior in High School and the president of the Larks. The Larks are a small group of girls (junior and seniors) that kind of run the school. Being a Lark is a coveted spot!! Things are going well until one of the girls is found dead….murderered. The story then goes on to unravel what happens and to try to figure out who did it. There were many twists and turns to this story, which kept it very interesting for the reader.

Is Penelope a target too?? Can she trust anyone around her?? Read this captivating story to find out.

If you are looking for a gripping and suspenseful Mature YA romance story, then this is the book you should read. Although like I said earlier, the romance side of the story is really the secondary part to this book. This is definitely one I would recommend to all fans of Monica Murphy or Mature YA reads.!!!!

I have loved Monica Murphy's books for a long time and could not jump on this book fast enough. It reminded me so much of Pretty Little Liars, Scream Queens and my close personal favorite - Mean Girls. There is something about High School and the social hierarchy that does it for me. Add to that the glorious idea of a killer targeting the popular girls - and I.Was.Hooked!!

Penelope Malone is the head of the popular girls, also known as the "Larks". They are the best athletes, smartest students and the crém de la crém of their elite high school. But they are also the Mean Girls of the school. The girls who run the social hierarchy and the clique that can determine your whole high school existence. But now someone is out for revenge and the Larks are being killed off as fair game. The likely suspect? The mysterious loner Cass who lives with his grandmother. Can Pen figure out who has a target on her back before it's too late?

I really liked this thriller. It was fun and addicting and a definite page turner. An amazing read you could get lost in as you become consumed with the characters, snappy banter and the whodunit mystery. I did not want to put this down the minute I started it!

All in all this was fantastic and I look forward to reading more books like this from this author in the future. I would like to thank Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. Bravo! 4 stars! ~Ratula

3.5 stars

Beautiful. Perfect. Dead.
***They forgot to add MEAN...Beautiful. Perfect. Mean. Dead

"A secret is not a secret if you tell someone..."

In the seaside town of Cape Bonita, popular "mean" girls are being murdered. They were members of the "Larks", an exclusive club of seniors and juniors who are cheerleaders, team captains, man stealers, rude chicks, etc... you get the picture. They are the pretty, popular mean girls who rule the school. But then one day one of them if found dead. Their little universe gets turned upside down. Soon there is another dead Lark and every girl in town in town is worried and fearful that she may be next.

Penelope, a Lark member, is trying to stay alive while trying to figure out who the killer may be and more importantly, could she be the next victim? After all the murdered girls were her "friends' and fellow Lark members. There is only one other person in town who has a connection to all the dead girls and that is Cass. The strange teen who lives with his grandmother. He has an interesting and sad past and until recently, Penny really didn't notice him. But now she does, and she begins to wonder, why now is he on her radar?

This is a very past faced YA thriller which does not disappoint. I devoured it in one sitting. It's fun, entertaining, and hard to put down. This book is like a guilty pleasure. It's fun, it's light and it isn't much work. It's perfect for that day when you want to read something fun that doesn’t take much brain power. I'm not putting this book - it's perfect for what it is. It's a fun thriller. Perfect for teens and adults who want a quick entertaining book.

I also liked the writing and the characters. They were not the nicest of people but they were drawn very well and although predictable, they did not disappoint.

This book is about a serial killer killing 'pretty' high school girls that are part of this elite group called the Larks. The plot of the book is okay. Very over done. The main character was horribly annoying. Always starting fights over nothing and being very insecure even though she was head cheerleader. And the love interest was so over-played. The author made it seem like this one person was the killer then she switched it to another person and then she killed the person I thought was a the killer. So the plot was generic, the characters were bitch and generic and the murders were generic but I couldn't guess the killer straight away and I always can. So that's the only thing this book had going for it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book had me on the edge of my seat (or bed in this matter). I read this and finished the whole thing without stopping because that's how interesting it was. There was romance and thrill to this book. I'm very thankful to have been able to read such a book.

Excellent first chapter, got me thinking about the killer in exactly the wrong direction, very good!

However, after that it took me a while to warm to the main character Penelope. She keeps referring to Gretchen, Lex and Courtney as her friends, but at the same time calls them bitches.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgally for a copy of the book.

This book was a page turner from the get go. If you loved Scream Queens or the high drama of Mean Girls you have to read this book. When the ultra elite girls of the school start getting murdered, Penny's uber privileged life gets upended. Is the murderer someone she knows or could it be the hot loner guy she can't quite admit to liking...Loved this book. The snark. The voice. The back and forth between characters-and oh yes. The spicy scenes were just right but not enough to put off parents for this teen read. Loved!!

Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy is actually drawing comparisons to Pretty Little Liars! This YA book is a suspense, the premise sounds like its going to be a fun, creepy, entertaining story.

Here’s the premise:

In the peaceful seaside town of Cape Bonita, wicked secrets and lies are hidden just beneath the surface. But all it takes is one tragedy for them to be exposed.

The most popular girls in school are turning up dead, and Penelope Malone is terrified she’s next. All the victims so far have been linked to Penelope—and to a boy from her physics class. The one she’s never really noticed before, with the rumored dark past and a brooding stare that cuts right through her.

There’s something he isn’t telling her. But there’s something she’s not telling him, either. Everyone has secrets, and theirs might get them killed.

Also, if you are in the mood for a suspenseful, fun, YA story about popular rich girls, I suggest The Blondes of Bel Air!

I thought this was a great story. I enjoyed the mystery. It was suspenseful and fun at times and there was even a romance in the story. It is a great read. I will admit that it was a little predictable though. However, that being said, it held my attention. I read this in one setting as I was intrigued by the characters as much as I didn't like most of them, and the storyline. I love Monica's writing and I will read anything she writes and in any genre. She has me addicted to her stories.

Unfortunately - I struggled with this one. I should have known better. I do not do well when I don't have someone to...like. And pretty much all of these characters are unlikable (intentionally, I think - so, mission accomplished!). This one just didn't hook me or interest me the way I wanted it to.

I definitely think there's an audience for this one. I know it's going to likely hit a lot of people's sweet spots. Unfortunately - just not mine. I kept finding excuses to put it down. I may circle back at some point, but for now it's a DNF at 25%.

This was a quick read. One that would be good for someone into mystery. I am more of a Fantasy/Scifi reader but this was a good one to take a break from my normal genre. A little predictable, but there were a couple chapters that had me suspect several characters as the serial killer. 

Overall, i gave this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars. I liked the main character and the mystery love interest she had with Cass. Who doesn't love a mystery guy?

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

If you love a page-turner, this is it. Thank goodness for my kindle, because I took it with me EVERYWHERE, not wanting to put PRETTY DEAD GIRLS down. However, if you are looking for a novel where you connect with the characters and hope they don't end up dead...this isn't it.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this novel. I was constantly guessing who I thought was the killer, then second-guessing myself, and reading as fast as I could so I could find out if I was right. (I was.) But honestly, I couldn't stand any of the characters. Maybe it is because I couldn't relate to any of them, and they were self-proclaimed jerks. All of the characters are rich, snotty, and don't care about anyone except themselves. The main girls in the novel are part of an elite group at their school that focuses on volunteering at the hospital and stuff like that, except it is more of a resume builder so they can get into an Ivy League school, rather than actually caring about others. 

I know, that was the point of the book. The pretty, rich girls start being murdered, one by one. But would it be too much to ask to have one character that I liked? It almost got to the point that I didn't care who was going to be murdered next.  (Ok, there was one that was the least awful ...but still...)

Even though we get to be inside the head of the main character, Penelope, it doesn't help her case. She is rude, even to the guy she likes, and he's not much better. Maybe he's a little less rude, but just as controlling. 

But whatever my issue with the characters was, I couldn't help but be drawn in. Monica Murphy built the suspense in such a perfect way, that it had me thinking EVERYONE was the killer at times. (Oriental Express, anyone?)

Overall, I am giving PRETTY DEAD GIRLS 4 out of 5 Stars. 

WARNING: Although this is a book intended for teenagers, there is A LOT of language (including many uses of the F-word), and A LOT of sexual dialogue, situations, etc.

When I first started reading this book I immediately thought it was going to be a replication of a movie from the early 90's called Death of a Cheerleader . I thought this because the opening scene is a popular high school girl being murdered in a church parking lot by an unknown person who just wanted to be her friend (which is exactly like that movie). Additionally, one of the groups in this book- the Larks- is the exact same group (with the same name) in the movie. So i'll admit, I got a little nervous. However, I kept reading because I have really enjoyed Monica Murphy's books in the past and I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. THANKFULLY, my preconceived notions were quickly demolished. Monica Murphy writes the PERFECT book for those who like TEEN SCREAMS . It's a little Scream mixed with Scream Queens (one of my FAVORITE shows), and has enough mystery and suspense to keep any reader hanging by the edge of their seats. If you enjoy young adult horror, thrillers, and mysteries you don't want to miss this one. I read it (devoured it actually) in 2 sittings (only because I had to sleep).

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

This book was highly entertaining. Part PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, part MEAN GIRLS, part SCREAM, I couldn't put it down and ended up reading it from cover to cover. I had to go back to check if I had read anything from this author before but I have not. An oversight I will be correcting soon.

I found this one to be well written and well paced. The plot was engaging and kept me turning the pages. The murder mystery kept me guessing right until the end. Although because the gender of the killer is given away early in the book, I was sure I had it figured out, alas imagine my surprise when I had it wrong. I am usually fantastic at Sherlocking the baddie(s) out in these type of books so extra brownie points go to the author for catching me off guard. There is a romance that takes place through the entire book, but since all the main characters are high school age, it's pretty much kept PG. There is a lot of characters in this one and none of them are particularly likable. But that was the entire point. Some remained unlikable while others matured and grew. Last, and this is where the book lost a star for me, the ending was a bit rushed. I would have liked to have seen it drawn out more. All in all, this one was a very enjoyable read for yours truly and therefore it is getting two thumbs up.

Well written. I didn’t realize it was for teens but enjoyed it none the less.

Aaaand queue the awkward feeling of hating a book you were granted from Netgalley. Sorry guys, but thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. And what opinions!

Firstly, obvious mystery is obvious. Maybe years of mystery books has jaded me, but I picked this one so early on it's not funny, and even said it out loud to my partner as a test. Yep, I was right. There was no finesse, no real questions of anyone asked, and most of the characters behaved in such a weird, robotic way that nothing could be gained from it. Like the best friend, Dani. She didn't really DO or behave like a best friend should? and Penny. Dear Penny, coming out with her hates and selfies and completely just urgh. I knwo we weren't meant to LIKE any of the mean girls, but they all had absolutely nothing going for them. Nothing.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind reading about sex, and I know teenagers are doing it and I did at that age, so did most of my peers. No one I know was that well, experienced though? Prepare for the entire cast to have been with each other at some point. As I said, not weirded out, but it's hard to establish who relates to who in what way when well, they've ALL had relations. It doesn't make for much of a throw away motive.

I hated all the characters and <spoiler>thankfully most of them end up dead.</spoiler> I requested this thinking I'd get a high adrenalin rush, and instead I get a poorly put together mystery, and honestly, some of the worst writing I've come across since I was in high school myself. I figure the author is trying to appeal to the young, dumb, masses, but even they willcall out some of it. Oh well.

Hn. Going to read something else to wash out the bad flavour. This wasn't for me, but it might appeal to others. Hate one star reads!

Not bad for a YA suspense novel. I liked the killer's chapters the most - the narrator was very self involved, which is typical of a teenager that age, so not surprising but as an adult sort of grating.

ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Somebody is killing off the mean girls at school....and Penelope might be next.

This was a quick and easy read.. I read half of it at the hairdressers! I could easily see this as a teen movie. Thanks to Entangled Publishing via Netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review