I always love a good Mean Girls type story, and Perfect Little Monsters did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the twist in this one, even if it wasn't wholly believable. I'll definitely be looking for more from this author in the future.

Goddamn. Slapped me upside the head with that one, Ms. He. Truly. Great mystery. Great twists. Great settings and characters. I hated all the right ones and rooted for all the right ones. Had to stop twice to go, “oh, damn!” And I was so disappointed in myself that I didn’t figure that one thing out. Sssoooooo good.

Also, very important topics that are treated with compassion and kindness. I learned a great deal and I am grate for that. The trigger warning is for real, folks.

But a great read. Gonna have to check for other books by this author. 💜📚

I love YA thrillers and this one absolutely hit the spot for me.

When the most popular girl in school is murdered at her own party, there are too many suspects to count. People just loved to hate her. But the new girl, Dawn is the prime suspect, and determined to clear her name.

The book deals a lot with bullying and has some trigger warnings.

Overall, it was a fun ride. You have to keep in mind that it is a YA novel, so reading it as an adult, you will probably see the plot twist coming. You also have to put yourself in the mindset of a teenager.

But if you are looking for a fun and fast paced read, this is a good one.

Perfect Little Monsters was a classic queen bee who rubs everyone the wrong way. It just comes down to who has had enough?

Prefect Little Monsters I love so much. The cover, storyline and characters you love to hate. It has such crazy mean girls vibe. That crazy ending I never saw coming. I hope the aurthor continue this story.

Ummmmmmm what?!

Read this. I don’t know.

DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.

Again what?

Also, justice for Isaac! This poor guy. And her poor Maddy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Well done book that will keep the reader engaged and entertained the whole way through. I really enjoyed this one.

Actual Rating 3.5

TW: Bullying (Intense On-Page), Suicide, Mental Health Disorder

Dawn is new at Sierton High and soon finds herself drawn into the cheerleader clique, which is ruled by Ella Moore the most popular girl at school. Dawn soon attends a party thrown by the popular kids, and by the next morning she receives the news that Ella is dead. While she’s certain it must have been an accident, she and the other attendees soon find themselves suspects in the case. Dawn isn’t willing to sit back, though, and starts her own investigation to try and clear her name. But everyone seems to be lying about something, and the truth may just cost someone their life.

The characters overall were well written. Despite being set in a high school with cheerleaders, they mostly didn’t feel too cliched. And though some of them fell into familiar tropes, they still felt alive and unique enough to make them interesting.

One of the things I actually enjoyed about this one was the protagonist trying to solve who the murderer was rather than simply leaving it to the police. Reasonable motivation was provided for this, and it wasn’t the typical “the police are more incompetent than a teenager” excuse that is often used. The plot was also really well done, with the story told from dual POVs and timelines and coming together in a surprising and fascinating way. The ending was certainly OTT, but I enjoyed the ride so didn’t really mind.

This one is very YA and over the top, so keep that in mind before reading. If you’re interested in a YA mystery that’s entertaining and easy to read, then you should check this one out. My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I worte a review for this book as soon as I read it, but it keeps popping up on my list of books to be reviewed on NetGalley, so here we go again.
Dawn moves to a new school and joins the cheer squad. While navigating her life as the new kid with a group of cheerleaders who would give The Plastics a run for their money Dawn just wants to fit in and befriend those the cheerleaders may not approve. But, when Ella (their Regina George) dies everyone has a motive and Dawn feels them all trying to place the blame on her. Will she be able to clear her name?

First, thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this novel. This story being told from two different points of view was great, as you were getting a sort of before and after perspective of an important event to this story. What I didn’t see coming however, was the unreliable narration trope and I was here for it. I thought it was done very well, and I had no idea until right before it was revealed. I will definitely recommend this book to others.

Dawn Foster is the new girl at Sierton High. Being new and cute, she easily makes friends, and joins the cheerleading squad. At her first party with the "in" crowd, the most popular girl in the school dies. However, as the death is investigated more, all of the "it" crowd become suspects in the death. As the investigation continues it is clear that there is more to this story than meets the eye.

I appreciated this book, and thought the twist at the end would be great, however, I believe there was a writing error that caused a fair amount of confusion at the end. The book explains that Dawn did not move away, but then explained her moving back... so not sure how to interpret that. That being said I appreciated where the writer wanted to go with this novel, and I would have appreciated the reveal and twist at the end had the writing been more clear.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time getting into this. I'm giving it a 3 because I did like the twist on the end.

I loveddd this book. This is Mean Girls meets Pretty Little Liars and I’m here for it. I didn’t see the twist coming which is always a big plus for thrillers

When the mean girl of a high school, Ella, is murdered, Dawn becomes the number one suspect. She refuses to be blamed for something she did not do though and starts looking into Ella's past to find the true culprit.

I wanted to like this one, but I just could not get into the characters. It also has a lot of sensitive content, so I'd advise readers to be wary of that.

I had this really weird craving for a thriller and I couldn’t get rid of it. Out of nowhere i thought this might be the one to do it. And so I gave it a shot. And then I fell in love. That’s it. That’s the review. If only, if only I could write this and leave it that way lol

Ok so this one was actually really good. It’s been a really long time since I’ve read a book with an unreliable narrator that wasn’t like on drugs or drinking. This one had an interesting twist tho. The narrator was unreliable, but we didn’t actually know it until the end. And this is the freaky part lol Because I remember wondering why the hell she was so invested. I was like I’d leave them bitches right there. I don’t want to cheer THAT much. But the more I read, the more it made sense. And I was flabbergasted lol There’s no other word to explain it. I remember having to message a friend of mine so I could be like WTF because this shit legit caught me off guard. I can truthfully say I never saw this coming. And I can’t wait to see more people with reviews see if I was the only one who had no idea.

This book also deals wit some bigger topics as well. Bullying is a large part of this and I will gladly recommend this to people because they think it’s over now. Bullying is unfortunately still alive and well. And I also liked the way there’s numerous people who were the victims of the bullying, including their friends. (I mean not that I enjoyed it, but I liked the way that it was so realistic. Bullies are mean all the time and they’re even like that to their friends. ) People are quick to say it’s not what’s happening or that that person doesn’t mean it like that, but I this is a good way to look at and recognize that it IS like that. Another big topic this deals with is fatphobia and eating disorders, so please be kind to yourself if these are one of your triggers. Mental illness is also present, but it’s never given an exact name.

I really wish I could have seen my face once I finished this book. I know I was like wtf with my eyes wide open lol It was so outta there. And even though most times I hate when I don’t get all the details from the beginning, but this time I think it was warranted. I had my eye on someone else, but that was like the biggest red herring of all time. And I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book this author writes.

What originally drew me in to this book was the cover. Yeah it’s just a plain solo cup, but I think it was the Queen B of the school aspect that pushed it over for me. This book was so good! I couldn’t tell anyone about it, but you can bet I will be screaming it from the rooftop when I can. And you can bet I’m going to put it on all the book recs I can when people ask for a thriller or something lol

Thoroughly enjoyed this, great fast-paced YA mystery that wasn't predicable ! Can't wait to recommend this to borrowers

This is an absolutely riveting ya thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and gasping with each twist and turn!

Dawn Foster just transferred to Sierton High School from Santa Cruz, she's recovering from a horrific car accident that left her father disfigured, her mother paralyzed, and everyone needing to move in with her aunt. In an effort to prove to everyone she's doing okay Dawn tries out for the cheerleading squad where she falls in with the popular crowd. At a party one day the schools queen bee, Ella, is murdered and all eyes are on the popular clique, Dawn included. Someone at the party must have done it, but who? Between bullying, cattiness, backstabbing, and sleeping around, there's more than enough people who would have a good reason for wanting Ella dead, and all of them are willing to implicate Dawn. Dawn is determined to uncover all the secrets, to clear her name, and to keep this from happening again... At all costs.

OH MY GOODNESS.

I was hooked on this one from the very beginning and couldn't believe where I ended up by the end of the book! All im going to say is this- if you think you know what's going on, you don't. This book felt very reminiscent of many YA mystery thriller books at first and as a regular reader of the genre, I was so confident I had this one figured out really early on and boy am I happy to say that instead Cindy R.X. He took me on such a rollercoaster I couldn't be any happier that I didn't guess what was actually happening!

This book was twisty, exciting, engaging, and so smart! If you enjoy phycological thrillers that are fast paced and play out like an excellent movie or mini series in your head, this one is for you!!

Fair warning- it is YA but comes with some pretty hefty content warnings. Bullying, mental illness, eating disorder, and suicide are the most prevalent. I would only recommend this one to upper YA readers and more mature audiences!

Perfect Little Monsters is a rollercoaster ride of a YA thriller, full of vivid characters, surprising turns, and a bit of dark humor. A modern-day Heathers that will appeal to anyone who likes reading stories about revenge, jealousy, or popular girls with dark secrets.

Perfect Little Monsters kept me guessing the whole time. It's a story that begins with deadly hide and seek, that has dangerous car accidents, and plenty of flashbacks. It's a book with red herrings, false starts, and plenty of screams. If you are looking for a summer read that will completely devour you, obsess your free time, and keep you up late, this is for you!

Dawn is new to town. She makes friends with the "in" crowd, but it doesn't last for long. When Ella is murdered, everyone becomes a suspect-especially the new girl with secrets. Perfect Little Monsters opens with a strong first chapter that will pull you in. The rest of the book does not disappoint! I am very excited to add this to our library collection and will definitely recommend this to my high school students next year.