Perfect Girl is a fast-paced YA thriller great for readers who want to see an inversion of the Final Girl trope.

My problems with Perfect Girl both have to do with character work. Firstly, and most glaringly for my enjoyment of the story, there was one too many girls. I understand Banghart's desire to depict multiple avenues of girlhood and the ways that societal pressures manifest differently in each, but in the attempt to do this, each girl ended up feeling unidimensional (Alexis the Closeted Queer Athlete, Kellan the Outspoken Social Media Queen, Tiny the Troubled One, and Jessa the Quiet Academic), and we didn't get to explore the ways that varying pressures often intersect. I found myself thinking while reading about how much more nuanced and interesting each girl's personal arc would be if they just blended some of their characteristics. What if Jessa had been a closeted lesbian? David's desire to possess her and disregard for her autonomy would have gained additional dimension by intersecting Jessa's femaleness with her disinterest in existing as an object of male desire. And what if Kellan, the former star of a family social media page, was also a woman of color? Her pushback against both her mother's and her audience's expectations of her existence as a product rather than a person would have been more interesting to explore, I think. In terms of just moving the plot along, I found that one of the quartet of best friends was often missing from the narrative altogether, and in such a way as though she took no action outside of the scene on page (or even worse, while she was on page). When her best friends were all kidnapped, I'm expected to believe Kellan would be making out with an annoying boy? And Alexis's role in also being in the creepy dollhouse basement seemed mainly to be making it physically harder to get all the girls out of there (not necessary given Jessa's missing glasses presenting impediment enough); she was an afterthought in the climax, where David had to physically leave Jessa's living room to go back and get Alexis in the middle of his mother's monologue. Trimming the four down to three would clean up those logistical problems, and leave room for expanding upon the remaining girls' characterization in a way I feel the narrative coPerfect Girl is a fast-paced YA thriller great for readers who want to see an inversion of the Final Girl trope. In addition, the narrative is an exploration of femininity and the societal expectations placed on young girls, and the way those expectations fail girls when things get dangerous: what happens when a girl socialized to be docile and demure is put into a situation where survival depends on her fighting? Perfect Girl combines classic YA themes of discovering one's own identity and puts it on a clock, which our protagonist Jessa can't afford to let run out.

I really enjoyed Perfect Girl's atmosphere. The environment around Jessa and her friends acted as threat and impediment as the story went on, but also set a tense, frightening emotional mood. I found the storm to be a useful tool to remove the modern day crutch of cell phones as an avenue for communication. The way it was introduced was clever and didn't feel like authorial hand so much as natural consequence to the actions set forth by the plot prior, actions which would've been innocent and harmless under different circumstances. I also loved the themes brought up by Perfect Girl; the entitlement of patriarchy is one of my favorite threats to explore in a story. In classic thriller fashion, I found it to strike the exact balance of over-the-top but technically believable/possible, which is always fun and helps keep the pages turning. I also like what Banghart did in terms of grounding the story in a specific time; the COVID19 pandemic is real and it happened and it's interesting to see the way the anxieties around illness and memories of masking were tackled in a story about kids whose educations and senses of safety were interrupted by this global phenomenon.

My main problem with Perfect Girl is this: there was one girl too many in the main narrative. I understand Banghart's desire to depict multiple avenues of girlhood and the ways that societal pressures manifest differently in each. However, in the attempt to do this, each girl ended up feeling unidimensional and underexplored: Alexis the Closeted Queer Athlete, Kellan the Outspoken Social Media Queen, Tiny the Troubled One, and Jessa the Quiet Academic. The greatest downfall of this choice is that the narrative didn't get to explore the ways that varying pressures often intersect. I found myself thinking about how much more nuanced and interesting each girl's personal arc would be if they just blended some of their characteristics. What if Jessa had been a closeted lesbian? David's desire to possess her and disregard for her autonomy would have gained additional dimension by intersecting Jessa's femaleness with her disinterest in existing as an object of male desire. And what if Kellan, the former star of a family social media page, was also a woman of color? Her push-back against both her mother's and her audience's expectations of her existence as a product rather than a person would have been more interesting to explore, I think.
In terms of just moving the plot along, I found that one of the quartet of best friends was often missing from the narrative altogether, and in such a way as though she took no action outside of the scene on page (or even worse, while she was on page). When her best friends were all kidnapped, I'm expected to believe Kellan would be making out with an annoying boy? And Alexis's role in also being in the creepy dollhouse basement seemed mainly to be making it physically harder to get all the girls out of there (not necessary given Jessa's missing glasses presenting impediment enough); she was an afterthought in the climax, where David had to physically leave Jessa's living room to go back and get an unconscious Alexis in the middle of his mother's monologue. Trimming the four down to three would clean up those logistical problems, and leave room for expanding upon the remaining girls' characterization in a way I feel the narrative needed to increase my personal engagement.

My secondary problem was my overall inability to suspend my disbelief at times when the narrative demanded it if I wanted to stay immersed in the story. The most glaring example of this comes in the form of Johnny, Tiny's boyfriend. I could, perhaps, have gotten over his anachronistic name (hello, 80s!) if his overall description didn't also feel very much out of touch with modernity, and if his role in the story had felt more grounded. After his introduction where he appeared at Jessa's house with a knife, beat up the boys, and acted erratically to demonstrate that Tiny is In Trouble with him, but then was summarily frogmarched back out again by Alexis and Kellan, I expected Johnny to come back into the story as more than a name mentioned in passing. I figured he would come back at the end and be crucial for stopping David and his mom, perhaps getting hurt in the process himself, but he just... stopped existing after the dramatic reveal that Tiny was being abused.
Another example is the flashback scenes featuring a different group of girls. Once the conceit of the story became clear and the twist became known to the reader, I thought these scenes would reveal that David was secretly way older than he pretended to be, because it feels insane that a teenage boy would mastermind the whole kidnapping Jessa operation, and his emotional control over his mother would make more sense that way too. Plus, it would make more sense that he'd have had practice kidnapping other girls, and it would be far more chilling to me if Jessa was just the latest in a long line of false perfect girls who'd "disappointed" him once he realized they had personality and dimension outside of his weird fantasies about them. This proved not to be the case, and the flashback scenes thus felt 1. less realistic and 2. less deserving of the page space they got. I would rather the space dedicated to them have been used for character work for the main narrative, where the information presented in the flashbacks could have been summarized on the news/in conversations between people/etc.
Finally in terms of susupension of disbelief, I'm supposed to believe there were no fatalities? Really? A group of less than capable teenagers gets themselves into this situation and none of them are permanently injured at least? I found the ending to be too happy, and closed off too cleanly for my liking. I wanted Jessa's backbone to grow sharp, and for her to stand up to her mom by the end.

Overall, a fast read with just enough chillingness to the plot that you can handwave any tropiness of the characters. While it wasn't for me personally, I'd recommend it to readers of Holly Jackson looking for a new voice in YA thrillers to spend a few hours with this spooky season.

This is a cute ya book perfect for those who want to try horror. The plot was predictable but I still had fun while reading and was excited to see what would happen next. The character's were slightly dynamic but there really wasn't enough information about anyone to get me to care too much.

Jessa’s always been the "perfect girl," following the rules and staying out of trouble. But during a sleepover at her creepy old house, a freak storm knocks out the power, and everything spirals out of control. Friends turn on each other, unexpected visitors arrive, and a killer targeting "the perfect girl" is on the loose. To survive the night, Jessa will have to abandon her good girl ways. Who knew being perfect could be so dangerous?

This was a fast-paced young adult horror! It has a fun teen slasher vibe with a twist of ghosts, though I wish the ghost element had been used more to increase the horror factor. It’s a great pick for readers who lean more towards thrillers than straight-up horror and is perfect for readers looking for a suspenseful, not-too-dark read.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me this complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I like this book. Its a fun mystery Thriller. I don't have too much to say without spoiling the entire plot unfortunately. I cannot wait for more readers to get a chance to read this.

Okay I loved this story. I am pretty picky about YA books because some can fall flat, and others are so well written you are getting the story and emotions and you are so sucked in, the world becomes one with your own. They way I felt the terror of the characters, the uncertainty with their situation, and the need to speak out on her (FMC) anxieties but not sure based on her preconceived notions of being "Respectful" and "Polite".

This was easy to read, and easy to jump into and understand where the story was going.

Jessa Morgan has consistently embodied the ideal girl: kind, courteous, and obedient to the rules. However, during a sleepover at her home with friends, a storm strikes. The lights go out, and unsettling events begin to unfold, escalating from that point onward.

This novel is an engaging young adult thriller that maintained my suspense throughout. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a captivating YA thriller.

I appreciate NetGalley for providing the ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Perfect Girl (ISBN: 9781250902863) by Tracy Banghart is a 304-page YA horror novel that leaves you on edge until the end. It comes out on 11/19/2024 and will be available from major retailers for $19.99.

Jessa is the “perfect girl,” or at least she tries to be. She’s the “good girl,” the “sweet girl,” and the “girl with a plan.” Her friend Tiny was much the same way until she started dating Johnny - now she’s the bad girl in danger.

The main events start with Jessa’s parents going out of town, having let her have a sleepover with her girlfriends. Her brother and his best friend (her crush) crash the event as a brutal storm rages outside. Things get dangerous when the power goes out and unexpected visitors arrive. To make matters worse, girls have gone missing in the area.

Featuring multiple POVs (a flashback to a prior abduction victim and the present with Jessa), this book has that perfect Goldilocks zone of pacing between a slow burn and a potboiler. 5/5 Stars!


The review on gmpotter.com will be live on 9/20/24 and the YouTube review will be live on 9/26/24

this was a fast paced and well written YA Thriller, Perfect Girl struck all the right chords and held my interest throughout. The author’s choice to set a horror story around a girls' sleepover is both refreshing and reminiscent of the suspenseful vibes of Pretty Little Liars blended with the tension of I Know What You Did Last Summer. It was not at all what I expected, so thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Thank you for the Ark!!
I enjoyed this thriller, at points it was a bit predictable and cheesy for me but it didn’t stop me from liking it!!! I’m excited to read more from this author

Enjoyable read - perfect for the teens and young adult audience. Even at my age, I resonated with the struggles that the main character Jessa has… feeling like you have to be perfect and make everyone happy.

While a sleepover turned into a night of terror isn’t new ground, it’s told in a way that kept my interest.

Maybe don’t use an overdone stereotype for your villain, though…

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan for an ARC copy.

A great thriller with plenty of twists and turns. I will definitely recommend to my students who love this genre.

The cover of this book is SO cute. I can not wait to have it on my shelf. I loved this book a lot. I will suggest this book to everyone.

Read quickly over one night of insomnia, this book had me wondering:
Was I having trouble sleeping, or was this book keeping me from sleeping...in the dark...alone..during a storm.

Thats the stage set for this YA horror/thriller. It's not too much spook, but I would recommend NOT reading in it the dark...alone..in a storm. (Like my dumb ass did)

Jessa, our "perfect girl" is at a sleep over when a storm hits, friends argue and the night goes off the rails. When an unexpected visitor arrives and the body count starts, Jenna needs to shed her perfect girl persona.

Maybe I'm showing my age, but this is straight out the 2000s teen thriller flick era and I ATE.IT.RIGHT.UP.

So fun, it's set for release mid November 2024. Perfect for a cold, stormy night...
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing for the opportunity to read and review prior to release.

This novel was a quick and easy read. I definitely think I would’ve enjoyed it when I was younger. As I don’t feel I can really relate to the protagonist as I am now (an adult who’s graduated from college), I don’t think I can give this a rating higher than 3 stars. But really I don’t think the book was bad, by any means. I just don’t think I’m the target demographic for it anymore. Which is totally okay. I think for younger readers, maybe 13 - 16, this would be a great novel.

This is not my usual type of book - it is a thriller/ horror story with young protagonists. Nevertheless the story grabbed me and did not let me go until it was finished. I had to restrain myself from flicking to the end to see what happened. I received this as an advance copy from the author via Net Galley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a fun thriller.
It had a lot of horror flick vibes.
The characters sometimes made those crazy dumb decisions that makes you mad. lol

It’s an okay read for fall.
I didn’t feel it had much meat, but it wasn’t bad.
Characters are in highschool so it’s hard to relate at times.

It’s good.

WOW! I read a lot of thriller novels and this one might deserve a top spot on the list. It is full of twists and turns around every corner.
Jessa, a perfectionist, throws a sleepover for her friends in her old creepy and possibly haunted house. Also, it comes a big storm. This sets up the perfect setting for a classic YA thriller novel. Jessa and her friends encounter all sorts of unexpected things from unwanted guests to power outages. Also, a killer has been hunting girls in the area. Jessa is next on the killer's list. Jessa and her friends have to stick together and step up if they want to survive the night.
This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was constantly trying and failing to correctly guess what was going to happen next. In the end, the whole book made sense once I had the big picture. Also, I found somewhat of a kinship with Jessa in her need for perfection. This adds something to the novel that pulls out a deeper layer than just a mystery novel. Keep in mind that this is a YA horror novel so it has YA themes. However, I loved them. This book is the epitome of a classic sleepover movie with a thriller plot twist. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of YA thrillers.
Thank you to NetGalley for my early copy. These are my own opinions.

Tracy Banghart's "Perfect Girl" offers a brisk, fast-paced read that feels surprisingly swift for its 300 pages. The narrative moves quickly, but unfortunately, it feels overstuffed with thriller tropes, which might overwhelm readers looking for a more focused plot.

The story throws a multitude of classic thriller elements into the mix: a murderer targeting teenage girls, a freak storm, isolation in the woods with no cell service, a stalker, an abusive boyfriend, and even a haunted house. While these components can create tension, their sheer number in this book felt excessive and diluted the impact of each element. The primary plot line of a murderer on the loose could have carried the story effectively without the additional layers.

Some plot points stretch believability, such as the protagonist's mother turning off her phone during a severe storm with her children home alone, and the lack of concern from other parents about their kids in such dangerous conditions. These choices pulled me out of the narrative, making it hard to stay fully engaged.

Additionally, the shift in narrative focus to a different group of abducted girls seemed unnecessary. Their story arc didn’t contribute significantly beyond a brief encounter with the protagonist, making it feel like an extraneous addition rather than an integral part of the plot.

Despite these issues, "Perfect Girl" does have its merits. The quick pace kept me turning the pages, and the tension was palpable, though the overall execution fell short for me. While the book ultimately didn’t hit the mark, readers who enjoy a fast-moving thriller with multiple layers of suspense might still find it engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of Perfect Girl by Tracy Banghart.

There was so many components of this books that I loved, the plot, the dual storyline that overlaps, and the imagery she weaves throughout. Although I'm not considered a YA, this book hit all the right notes and kept me interested. I loved that she used a girls sleepover to set the stage for a horror book. It gives me Pretty Little Liar vibes mixed with I Know What You Did Last Summer. It's a easy and quick read but entertaining.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Great read! The cute, pink cover is what initially drew me in with picking this ARC. I’m glad I did! I didn’t realize it was YA, but I still very much enjoyed reading it!