I love thrillers and this didnt disappointment! Veronica Bane’s Difficult Girls is darkly funny, sharp-edged thriller It's Fast-paced and unsettling, and a definite page turner. This book explores how far girls will go to fit in—and what horrors might be waiting when they do.

*Actual rating is 3.5 stars*

Difficult Girls follows a teenage girl trying to reinvent herself by working at a theme park. Things are going great until the star of one of the shows at the park, Mercy, seems to have disappeared after a party, and Greta was the last one to see her. Cue Greta entering her teen sleuth era in search for answers in a place where darkness loomed in the past.

The mystery was interesting and overall very engaging. It gave clues to not only Greta, but also the reader, in order to try to figure out what happened to Mercy as well as solving the murder mystery of the past. Greta was also a fun character to read, but I will never understand her borderline obsession with this guy - treating him like he can do nothing wrong despite having no real reason to do that. Especially when she’s being pretty rude to an actually kind guy. It was just frustrating to read. Even more so considering what Greta had to deal with in the past with teenage boys.

The ending was alright. Maybe a bit underwhelming considering the build-up throughout the book. With just some more pages to cook and it could have been great. But overall it was a quick and fun read, that would be good for a palate cleanser or a nice in-between more demanding books.

"Difficult Girls" is the debut novel from Vanessa Bane. It was a solid YA thriller and a quick, fast-paced read. The story is full of tension, suspense, and teenage drama. The bulk of the plot takes place in an amusement park, which is such a fun and unique setting. It took awhile for the action to really get started, and some of the story was a bit predictable, but there were still plenty of twists to keep me interested. I loved that in addition to the present day mystery, the characters also try to figure out an unsolved murder from twenty years earlier. Overall, a fun murder mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley, TBR & Beyond Tours, and Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content warning: murder, assault, cursing, blood

Omg, omg this book hit the spot with the thriller and mystery part. Veronica did a fantastic job. I love the book; it kept me on edge. Who has done it?! I will be reading any of Veronica's books again. However, I wish the book gave more details about the rest of the members, like Gene and Silvia. Overall, this book kept me on my toes, and I finished reading it at 2 in the morning because I couldn't stop reading it.

This book had as many twists and turns as a roller coaster and was twice as fun! And you'll never see that ending coming.

I can't wait to purchase this book for my high school library! My students are going to absolutely love it!

This was a cute YA mystery thriller. It was interesting enough to keep me going without demanding all of my attention. However, it was very slow in parts. Greta’s inner monologue drove me crazy at times, but that could be a me problem. I kept trying to figure out who was behind what, and honestly, I didn’t figure it all out before the reveal, so that was nice. I really enjoyed the theme park setting, as well. Felt very summer time, ya know? Like I could picture myself walking around as a teen going through all of these things. So that was pretty interesting. But sometimes it just felt like too much time lapsed between developments.

Short Summary:

🩶 A teen girl hiding from her past must choose what’s more important to her when her coworker goes missing: keeping her past a secret or finding out what really happened.

Best Parts:
🩶 Liam
🩶 Ivy
🩶 The idea

Worst Parts:

🩶 Grey
🩶 Detective Jerkface

Difficult Girls follows Greta as she begins her new life after an incident at school last year. Her new job is at Hyper Kid Magic Land and she works hard to make new friends while ensuring her past stays buried. When she’s pulled into the most popular actress’s orbit, Mercy confides in Greta and has a secret she wants to share. However, Mercy doesn’t show to their meeting and keeps calling in “sick” to work. Greta is concerned and suspicious, especially with the park’s dark history. As she starts investigating, her past threatens to surface and destroy her new friendships as things turn deadly.

This was a fun, enjoyable mystery thriller. I really enjoyed that it was set at a theme park—it just makes everything so much fun and amusing. The author did a great job of weaving sinister vibes and suspicion. It was quite fast-paced and kept me interested the entire time. I did find it a bit predictable but still enjoyed the ending.

Greta is a very interesting character and complicated character. I didn’t love reading from her perspective, but I do think a lot of other people will. For me, it just didn’t work fully. I enjoyed the side characters and found everyone to be very distinct and had believable motivations. I quite liked Ivy and Liam and Gene. There was also a lot of humour that was amusing.

Overall, if you love ya mystery thrillers with a fun settings and interesting characters, I’d definitely recommend checking Difficult Girls out!

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the arc

Difficult Girls is a gripping YA thriller that delves into themes of identity, trauma, and the quest for belonging. Set against the backdrop of Hyper Kid Magic Land, an amusement park with a dark past, the novel follows 16-year-old Greta Riley Green as she attempts to reinvent herself after a traumatic incident the previous year.

What a debut! I really enjoyed how DIFFICULT GIRLS unfolded. Pacing was taut and the twists expertly rolled out. This is going to be the YA thriller of the summer!!!

𝙴𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Difficult Girls is a YA (young adult) murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns. The book is set in an amusement park where plays are performed. Greta Riley Green is looking for reinvention—a fresh start—and a job at Hyper Kid Magic Land, the local amusement park. So when fate pulls Greta into Mercy Goodwin’s orbit, it feels like things are looking up. Until Mercy has a secret to share, if Greta will just meet her the next day. It’s a sign that Greta’s truly fitting in. Only, when the time comes, Mercy is a no-show—as she is every day after that—and Greta knows something’s wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time a talented young performer met a sinister end at Hyper Kid.

For a YA novel, it was easy to follow and understand, and it wasn't too predictable. I enjoyed it.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Random House Children's, for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I don't know what I was expecting, but this book exceeded whatever that was. It was fun and I can really see my teenager daughter enjoying this one. It gave me PLL vibes (and I devoured that series back in the day). The writing style was better though. ;)

Thank you NetGalley! This was a twisty Young Adult novel by a new author. I have not read anything similar to it before. I definitely could not predict what would happen next.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ DIFFICULT GIRLS by Veronica Bane

Difficult Girls by Veronica Bane is a dark, twisty YA thriller that blends coming-of-age themes with a theme park mystery. Set against the backdrop of Hyper Kid Magic Land, a quirky and slightly unsettling amusement park, the story follows Greta, a girl trying to escape her past by starting fresh at her summer job. But when the park’s star performer, Mercy, goes missing, Greta is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, lies, and long-buried trauma, forcing her to confront both the mysteries of the park and her own haunted past.

This is a fun, fast-paced read packed with twists that will keep readers guessing - some predictable, others genuinely shocking. The characters, especially Greta and her friends, are messy and flawed in ways that feel authentic for teens figuring out who they are. The amusement park setting adds a layer of nostalgia and eeriness, making it a unique backdrop for a thriller. The book also touches on important themes like the power dynamics between men and vulnerable women, self-reinvention, and the complexities of female friendship. However, the pacing can feel uneven, especially in the second half, where the plot tries to do a lot in a limited space, leaving some subplots (like the romance) feeling rushed or underdeveloped.

For educators, Difficult Girls is best suited for high school readers due to mature themes like trauma, murder, and brief mentions of violence and power dynamics in relationships. Some characters’ ages and relationships may raise questions, so it’s worth previewing to ensure it aligns with your classroom goals. That said, it’s an engaging mystery with a strong feminist lens, perfect for students who enjoy thrillers like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder or books with messy, complicated heroines trying to find their way.

Veronica Bane nails the voice of Greta—awkward, smart, and just angry enough to be interesting. I found myself rooting for her from page one. The mystery around Mercy’s disappearance builds steadily, and the creepy amusement park setting adds a deliciously weird vibe that keeps things tense.

What I liked most was how the story didn’t try too hard to be flashy—it leaned into emotional honesty and raw edges, especially in how it portrayed friendship and identity. Some of the twists were predictable, but I didn’t mind because the characters felt real, messy, and complicated in the best way.

Difficult Girls. Oh, where do I even start? This is a FANTASTIC debut from Veronica Bane, and I cannot wait to read more books that are explicitly from her (Recognising that she’s a ghostwriter, but I want more published with her name on them)!

First of all, Greta feels entirely unique as a character, from her name (I have never read a book where the main character is called Greta) to her past. I stand by the comment that she’s a badass (and that she deserved BETTER!!!!).

I like how twisty this book is, how I GENUINELY couldn’t predict the ending (I had an inkling about one part but the other bit? Ooooooo). I haven’t highlighted a book so much in a while. I genuinely, really, truly, love this book.

Another awesome YA thriller! Theme park setting. Main character with a secret in her past. I had so much fun with this!

It's been a while since I read a YA, so when given the chance to read this YA thrillers, I jumped on it.
Bane sets the story in a quirky amusement park with Greta, the teenage main character, who starts as annoying but grows throughout the book.
Greta has a troubled past, which is mentioned a few times and is finally revealed. She starts working at the theme park to create a new start for herself and is suddenly in the midst of a mystery involving murder and missing people.
It was a quick read. I loved the characters. The setting was great. Good read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Veronica Bane for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
ARC copy, ebook
Book: 4 stars

Difficult Girls is a fast-paced YA thriller that blends dark humor with the twisted underbelly of a seemingly innocent summer job. Veronica Bane sets the stage in Hyper Kid Magic Land—a kitschy amusement park hiding more secrets than smiles—where teen protagonist Greta seeks a fresh start after a mysterious past incident.

The book hooks you early with its eerie atmosphere and snappy prose, and Bane does a solid job of keeping the stakes high as Greta gets tangled in the mystery of her co-worker Mercy’s sudden disappearance. There’s an undercurrent of tension throughout, bolstered by themes of identity, reinvention, and the danger of secrets—both old and new.

That said, I’m giving this one 3.5 stars largely due to two factors: predictability and character likability. While the plot is sharp and moves briskly, some of the major twists felt telegraphed well in advance. As for Greta, she’s a complicated character, but I found her difficult to connect with emotionally. And Mercy—while integral to the story—never quite won me over, which made it harder to invest in the urgency of her disappearance.

Still, Difficult Girls is a compelling debut with plenty of style, a sinister setting, and a biting edge. Fans of teen noir and thrillers set in strange small-town corners will likely enjoy the ride—even if some of the turns are visible from a distance.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read Difficult Girls by Veronica Bane ahead of its July release. This was my first time reading anything by Bane, and while this one didn’t totally click with me, I can see the potential in her writing.

The setting was fun and original, and the premise had me intrigued, but the pacing was a bit slow and I didn’t quite connect with the characters the way I hoped. Still, I think Bane has a strong voice, and I’d definitely be open to checking out more of her work in the future.