I liked Greta from the moment we met her, she comes off as a bit timid, and eager to please. Wanting to reinvent herself after something that happened to her recently, that's alluded to, and we learn bits and pieces about throughout the story. I thought the setting of the park itself was pretty cool, with its different themes like Jungle Jam and the Rocket theater were pretty cool, and a great setting for what's about to go down.

When the star of the Jungle Jam show, Mercy, sees Greta at a party and tells her to meet her the next day to show her something, Greta kinda feels special and of course agrees. Only Mercy doesn't show, not for the meeting, and not to work at all. She doesn't show up for days, and Greta overhears some of Mercy's coworkers at Jungle Jam saying some very suspicious things that make her think something has happened to Mercy.

Right off the bat, there were characters I loved and ones I thought were going to be involved in what happened to Mercy. Greta has made a couple of friends, who are among the people I liked, and while I thought she could have opened up to one of them sooner, due to what we learn happened to her, I understand why she was hesitant.

There are some great twists and turns, a great plot that kept me guessing, and characters I could root for. I had a great time, and read this in one sitting. I will absolutely read whatever this author puts out next.

I was so excited to read this dark humor, thriller debut.
Difficult Girls by Veronica Bane kept me engaged and entertained throughout the entire novel.
From the very first chapter, I was completely hooked. It kept me guessing the entire time.
The author did an incredible job of pacing the reveals and weaving an intricate plot. I was on the edge of my seat until the last page!

difficult girls is a twisty roller coaster from start to finish, following greta as she begins to reinvent herself at her new job as an usher at a theme park, only to find herself working to solve the disappearance of her coworker. i had such a fun time reading this book!! i was LOCKED IN trying to theorize one what happened. while i predicted one twist, the other caught me by surprise!

i loved the blossoming friendships and found family greta had with everyone at hyper kid! and of course her friendship with liam!!! it was so fun reading about their reluctance to work with one another, but then becoming closer through it all!

this was such a thrilling mystery debut and i’m excited to see what else veronica has to offer!!

This book took a while to get into, but once the mystery kicks off it was hard to put down. Greta was a likeable character but I really like Liam and the romance was sweet. Once the pace picks up the story gets good and by the end I couldn’t wait to see how it all played out. This is definitely a book to check out. Give it time to get good and really immerse you in the characters and story. 3.5 stars rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

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.