A fast paced thriller perfect for autumn. I found the story to have some lose points I wish had been tied up, but overall really enjoyed my experience and look forward to sharing it with others!

**CW: Abuse, kidnapping, violence, and a few instances of racism.

I could easily see Perfect Girl by Tracy Banghart as the perfect teen slasher movie, like Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer. The story follows Jessa, who has lived her entire life following her parents’ plan to be successful. Though she hates her goody two shoes reputation, she can’t break free from it — not even at a parent-free sleepover with her friends. But when innocent jump scares turn into serious dangers, including a raging storm and an actual killer, Jessa will have to break out of her comfort zone if she wants to protect herself and her friends.

The key to a good slasher, for me, is a protagonist you actually want to root for. And here, with Perfect Girl, I was definitely rooting for Jessa to make it out alive. I was mostly invested in her journey, cheering her on as she gradually loosened up and went into some tough decision-making. She really stood up as the leader of the pack, and she even built up the courage to pursue her longtime crush. (Yes, there’s a killer out there, but there’s still time to flirt. There’s always time to flirt.)

As the storm goes on, there’s a lot of decent build-up that results in some satisfying scares. But as the book wrapped up, I realized that I didn’t care as much for Jessa’s brother or her friends. They’re pretty two-dimensional, and at times, sound like they should be in middle school rather than high school — the only thing that saved them for me was that Jessa cares. So maybe this wasn’t the perfect teen slasher, but a fun Halloween read nonetheless.

My one good thing to say about this book is it reads pretty fast paced. Other than that there was not much that I enjoyed. There are several ‘before’ flashback chapters that were completely irrelevant.

The story is centered around Jessa and how she is the ‘perfect girl.’ Her neighbor David is weirdly stalker-ish and seems to know things about her he shouldn’t. So we then find out that him and his mom are kidnapping and drugging all these missing girls in hopes of finding him the ‘perfect girl.’ Which coincidentally he believes is Jessa.

Also, can we talk about how crazy the ending is…you mean to tell me an explosion happens and only the 2 villains are injured or killed, and the other 6 are fine?

This was such a fun read that had me hooked from the very beginning. I really enjoyed the setting of this one with the storm and the secluded house. This one had the perfect creepy vibes for a YA thriller and was a bit surprised with how this went in some ways while I had a good idea early on what would most likely happen. That didn't take away from the story though. I thought the author also did a good job of describing Jessa's internal struggle of being "perfect" and not wanting to let people down. Overall, I would definitely recommend this one!

⭐️2.5/5

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC!

Perfect Girl is a YA thriller/horror in the POV of Jessa, a girl who’s a wound-too-tight-type-A-perfectionist because of her toxic mother putting way too much pressure on her—type of girl.

There’s been some disappearances and missing girls in the next town over and Jessa wants to have some friends over when her parents are out of town because tbh she’s scared. The sleepover quickly turns into a Misery meets Stepford Wives horror movie when the power goes out from a storm and the friendly neighbors make an appearance.

I like that this was a really quick and easy read with quick pacing and no boring lulls. The story overall was interesting and had me wanting to find out more.

The author captured the true horror of this book so well — that’s the horror of losing your glasses and not being to see in a horrifying situation like getting kidnapped. As a fellow glasses wearer, that is my actual nightmare.


What I didn’t like:

- The “before” chapters involved characters that had no connection to the MC and didn’t add to the story that much. It was just some confusing filler at times.

- The main character: she was so insufferable at times. The way she leaned into the “nice, perfect girl” was just so unrealistic. If you’re a nice perfect girl and some old woman is trying to drag you into a basement but you don’t want to push her and run away because “that would be rude”, you need to have your head examined. And if you don’t want to break the lamp to create a weapon because “the lamp is just so nice” again. Head. Examined.

- The conclusion of the story. They get to the climax, they’re all in an impossible situation in the final confrontation, and then a supernatural element swoops in and saves the day? It cheapened the “real-life horror” of the situation and made everything tie up too nicely in a bow.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of Perfect Girl!

• 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋

1. Are you a fan of slashers? Then this book is for you!
2. Do your friends and family often refer to you as a perfectionist? You and Jessa already have something in common!
3. People who enjoy scary sleepovers will get a kick out of this one!
4. Did your parents ever leave you on your own for the night? Same for Jessa.
5. If your house is also haunted, read this!

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Jessa has been raised to be the “perfect girl.” She is unfailingly polite, never rocks the boat, and always follows the rules―no matter what. Her friends love to give her a hard time for being such a goody two-shoes, but Jessa likes it this way. She knows what's expected of her, and she's happy to be the person her parents (and society) want.

When a freak storm takes out the power during a sleepover at Jessa’s creepy, old house, things go south before the pizza gets cold. Her friends are at each other’s throats, unexpected guests keep showing up (some more welcome than others), and it’s not just her brother serving up jump scares. A killer looking for the perfect girl has targeted Jessa, and she’ll have to reject everything she’s been taught if she wants to keep herself―and her friends―alive until sunrise.

Who knew perfection could be so dangerous?

The Perfect Girl looks at the trope of the "perfect" character and how the way in which they interact with the world affects themself as well as the people around them. I think the book did a fantastic job of setting up Jessa as the idea of the perfect girl, as in she knows everyone sees her this way and she does her best to keep herself this way much to her won detriment. ie she won't go after the boy she likes, try new and risky things with her friends, change her dreams and career paths. It goes even as down to the detail as she won't run around in the woods with her brother because she did once and her mother was upset at her ruining her clothes. They do a great job of showing through out the book how this has not only stifled Jessa but also her relationships, the people close to her, and their relationships too.

This book had me on the edge of my seat. I knew it was thriller/horror and I kid you not it had me changing my mind on who I thought would be the killer every step of the way. The twists and turns and eerie feelings this gives you will have you eating it up. There's a certain twist that genuinely I didn't see coming at all. I don't want to speak too much on it as it could potentially spoil things but I was not expecting the lifestyle to play such a massive part in the psychosis of the way this thriller is revealed and I loved every bit of that. Over all this was the perfect spooky season read. It filled my horror flick book vibe perfectly and I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a good book in the genre.

This book started out strong and it seemed promising for a YA thriller. I really had high hopes! Finished it within a couple of days because it was quite the page turner for me. However, I’m sad to say it started to become disappointing nearing the end of the book. Im sorry but if I was kidnapped and about to be murdered, I don’t know that I would be kissing my crush? And I don’t know that I’d be hooking up with my best friend’s brother while she was missing during a storm (prank or not)?!?! But maybe that’s just me. I think the last 20%ish of the book could’ve been tidied up a bit but overall I’d say it was a decent and quick read!

⭐️ Thank you NetGalley, Tracy Banghart, Feiwel & Friends for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I could not get into this book & dnf’d 55% through. The story sounds really great but I could not connect with it. As always- this is my personal experience. I always recommend people read for themselves and see how they feel about each book!

This book was so engaging and fast paced! It exceeded my expectations. I think ya horror is so underrated and this book is delivered. Jessa is a badass and I’m so proud of her growth throughout the book, though the circumstances suck for her and her friends. But overall this is well done, the before chapters were super intriguing and I enjoyed the dynamic between Jessa and her friends, even when they weren’t getting along. Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

This was a quick, fun thrilling read full of high school nostalgia, quirky characters, and a seriously creepy baddie. Though I struggled a bit with some of the choices made by many of the characters, I was intrigued enough by the story that I wanted to see how it was going to end.

The slightly cliched but classic sleepover-gone-wrong trope was still enjoyable and though I didn’t necessarily like Tessa as a protagonist (I found myself eye-rolling many a time), I was rooting for her and her friends the entire time.

If you want a page-turner about the worst sleepover ever that will make you laugh, cringe, and get the creeps, this is the book for you! Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Very mid. Some of the dialogue felt juvenile even for a YA novel. Maybe it will be better after some editing. Could see this being a movie

This a quick and easy read. I love survive the night thrillers and this story had the perfect backdrop of a creepy, haunted house in the middle of nowhere all while a thunder storm is raging outside.

There isn’t a large cast of characters/suspects, so it was easy to figure out who the “bad guy” is, but I didn’t mind it. I still enjoyed settling in for the ride. I especially enjoyed the main characters internal arc as she went from feeling the pressure of having everything figured out and being “perfect” to allowing things to get a little messy and owning up to the fact “perfect” is an illusion.

One thing that did bother me. There’s a bisexual side character who was characterized as not “being honest” since she wasn’t out to her parents and was hesitant to tell them. Look, you’re not a liar/dishonest for not coming out. People aren’t owed your sexuality especially given how horribly unsafe some people can be. Parents disown their kids/kick them out. Some people are violent in their response. And the list goes on and on. So if and when a person comes out is completely their choice and they should never be considered as dishonest for not coming out.

High tempo and captivating thriller!
I had so many jump scares (I’ve never experienced that before) and had goosebumps. This thriller is easily on the top of my thriller reads!
Thank you netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Super cute. I know that sounds wrong to say about a thriller, but here I am. I loved the girl empowerment and the true teenage drama. A perfect YA version of the classic troupes. The two girls' POV to explain the plot was thoughtful and intriguing. The conclusion was fire!

This book was so good. While I did not like Jessa at the beginning of the book I loved how she had to adapt her personality throughout the book. There were time when side characters were annoying but overall the book had me hooked.

If you love jump-scare and keep them guessing books or Movies, then this is for you. I know I’m not the age group this is aimed at, but I Loved It. I was hooked after the first page. I finished it in one sitting. LOVE IT!!!

Jessa (our Perfect Girl) just wants a night with her friends. Their lives are changing, and the groups have been having some issues. Her Parents don't want her out running around because of some missing girls in a neighboring town, so they will let her have a sleepover while they are away. Things start out fine, but then the friends start arguing, the power goes out, and there's someone outside. It is the perfect mix for a horror movie or spine-tingling book.

If all of that didn’t hook you, did I mention the missing girls are all Perfect Girls?


Thank You to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about a group of friends having a sleepover during a thunderstorm. The power goes out and people start to go missing. This book had all the twist and completely shocked me. I feel like I was reading something new. I really enjoyed this book. Do not read home alone at night like I did, it’s that spooky! I did not enjoy the pop culture and pandemic references, which brought my rating down.

Happy Sunday Netgalley! We are so close to release day. Its around the corner and I am so excited for this author. Because this thriller was pretty good. I wasn't on the edge 0f my seat but it was good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for an early release copy of Perfect Girl by Tracy Banghart.

Perfect Girl was a disappointing for me, I went into this kind of expecting sleepover slasher vibes but the direction the book went just didn’t give me the thriller/horror vibes that I was looking for. I didn’t mind these characters, while I wasn’t fond of them these teen characters were written in a enjoyable way that didn’t make them feel cringy (I’ve noticed a lot of young adult books have been using cringy teen/hip dialogue lately). I like the way they were written, I didn’t mind the friendships, and the writing itself was enjoyable.

The relationship felt rushed, I didn’t feel for Jessa or Ryan. I don’t understand why the two even likes each other to begin with, I think I would have liked the idea of their blooming relationship more if we would have gotten some flash backs to show the connection forming between them. There were also some scenes mentioning that the house they are living in is haunted, I would have loved to see more of the haunted house elements.