What I Enjoyed:
✨ Cold case + amateur sleuthing – Definitely gives AGGGTM vibes, though seasoned thriller readers may spot the twist coming.
✨ Messy, unreliable narrator – Greta, our FMC, is running from a troubled past while trying to solve a mystery. She’s flawed, young, and reads a bit immature at times, but that’s part of her charm.
✨ Slow-burn romance – Greta & Liam's relationship is sweet and gentle. Honestly? I might have enjoyed the romance more than the mystery 👀
✨ Strong friendship dynamics – Ivy, Mercy, Liam, and Gene were standouts. Their banter brought moments of humor and heart.
✨ Creepy-cute setting – A quirky theme park run by theater kids? Yes, please. It adds a fun but unsettling backdrop to the mystery.
🎧 Narration Note:
Valerie Rose Lohman brings Greta to life with the perfect amount of teenage angst, tension, and vulnerability. Her performance adds depth and emotion that really enhances the story.

Great YA Mystery!

One of my favorite movies is Adventureland with Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg. There have been a few theme park YA books (I even did a post about them) and it's a summery, evocative location I always enjoy!

Difficult Girls has a relatable protagonist. Greta is hiding from an event in her past that she keeps a secret. Shunned at school, she gets a job at a local theme park and is soon intrigued by a) a murder that occurred there twenty years ago and b) the star performer of the park, Mercy Goodwin.

When Mercy disappears, Greta is convinced that the two cases are connected and starts investigating.

Fun and surprising, and a book I think will please YA mystery fans!

You may want to swing into this one if you like messy FMCs, theme park settings, unsolved mvrders, angry girls fighting back, mysteries and missing girls, theatre drama, cinnamon roll love interest, probably questionable decisions being made.

I stumbled across Veronica and her book Difficult Girls months ago, and I think the thing that drew me in immediately was the fact that the FMC was described as being a messy female protagonist. She wasn’t being portrayed as a perfect FMC in a teen book, or someone that was going to make the right choices, in fact, one of the details was that questionable decisions would be made while investigating. I was sold. I loved being drawn into the imperfections of reinventing yourself when all you want to do is fit in. I remember struggling so much as a teen and Veronica captured the feelings perfectly.

Not only was I hooked on those details, but I loved the way the characters interacted with each other, the way I thought I had certain things figured out only to be swayed in another direction and hit with something out of left field. Veronica created a delightfully unique story with a mystery that sucks you in and keeps you guessing right to the end. And don’t forget, when in doubt, assume it’s blood.

"𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒕, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒓 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒊𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅."

Special thanks to @topplingstackstours @delcortepress @veronicabane and @netgalley for the #gifted eARC and physical copies.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

This one had me guessing 'til the very end!
I went into this completely blind and honestly didnt know what I was in for, but I was pleasantly surprised. This book had lingering suspense that kept me intrigued to find the culprit and find out how everything ended. I became completely immersed into the world that is Greta. I needed answers for why she needed validity with this job.

This one leaves so many little bread crumbs of things Greta went through, to get her to this mindset, which I loved. It adds to the suspense throughout. I did absolutely love the dynamic between Greta and Liam, they are just so cute.

Read this if you love ❤️

🩸 YA thrillers
🩸 Theme park setting
🩸 Unsolved murders
🩸 Young love

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
July 8, 2025

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#DifficultGirls #TopplingStacksTours #VeronicaBane #mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #delcortepress
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A disappearance, a recent murder, and an unsolved case from 20 years ago must be solved.

Greta Riley Green, a young woman, wants to make a new name for herself after an incident with a boy at school, and her new job at Hyper Kid Magic Land provides the perfect opportunity. At a party for the ushers (Greta's job) and the performers (Hyper Kid Magic Land hosts shows), Greta meets Mercy Goodwin, the most talented actress of Hyper Kid, and the two get along quickly despite Mercy looking scared and panicked by something. Mercy wanted to show Greta something the next day, but she never showed up. So, Greta wants to investigate, and when Liam, a technician helping her with the investigation, wants to show her something special, they both accidentally discover that Greta's boss, Neil, has been killed. Neil's death wouldn't be the first death at Hyper Kid, and so can Greta find out what really happened to Mercy, who killed Neil, and who really is the Gondola Killer that killed Hailey Portman.

This book stands out as my favorite thriller to date, a gripping tale that ensnared my attention and refused to let go from the very first page. The tension escalated rapidly. The intricate relationships and dark twists woven into the narrative were masterfully crafted, consistently keeping me on my toes and questioning every character's motives.

Greta emerged as a refreshingly genuine protagonist; I found myself fiercely rooting for her as she navigated the perilous events that unfolded. My heart ached for her during the harrowing incident that turned her life upside down. Mercy added an intriguing layer to the storyline, her enigmatic presence constantly pulling me deeper into the web of suspense. Then there was Ivy, Greta's straightforward and no-nonsense usher friend, whose candid personality and sharp wit were truly refreshing. And Liam, with his kind heart and empathetic nature, provided a comforting balance to the chaos, making him a character I couldn’t help but admire.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who craves a thriller that intricately weaves suspense and complexity, keeping you perched on the edge of your seat until the very last word.
Happy Reading, Paige ❤️ 📚

Thank you, @topplingstackstours for sending me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Greta's investigative and thought process. She doesn't let her past define her and acts bravely to solve the mystery. I also didn't expect the killer. This book had almost everything... a 20-year-old cold case to investigate, a disappearance of a girl, parts that made the reader question who the killer is and teamwork.
I didn't really feel that the theme park played a major part in the story. I love books set at theme parks and would have liked for it to play more of a part. Also, although this had all the right parts of a mystery thriller, I didn't feel invested. There was just nothing pushing me forward and I found myself putting this one down and picking it back up multiple times.
Overall, this was not a bad book, just not for me. This is a debut novel and I would give the author another read down the line.

Ok Veronica Bane, you win. You wrote a story with a mystery that I couldn't even come close to solving.
This book can be ranked up there with the best mystery writers. There are so many twists and turns - but all logical and possible - that it kept you guessing to the very last.
But that's not the best part! This story was also about facing your past, making new friends, and even had a boy girl romance thrown in. The relationships and dialogues were so on point. Sometimes funny, many times snarky but always sounding like you character in your mind. Really well done.
Having never worked at an amusement park, this setting was all new to me. It was interesting to see the back rooms of these places as well as the staff that inhabit them.
Great read.
Enjoy!

This amateur teen detective mystery is elevated by classic thriller tropes (why hello, creepy amusement park with unsolved murders!) and feminist themes. A bevy of cagy characters quickly turn into suspects while the protagonist's desire for social self-preservation buckles beneath her sense of justice when she realizes that another girl may need saving from abuse. The plot will satisfy thriller readers while thematic content provides fodder for book clubs.

Thank you Veronica Bane, NetGalley , and Delacorte Press for the eARC!

Difficult girls is a promising YA thriller debut for Veronica Bane! Set in a campy theme park, Greta’s hopes to restart her life with a new job get sidetracked when fellow employee and actress Macy goes missing.

Bane does well in building the cast of characters, specifically Greta. You can see her work ethic, anxiety, and teenage-prone responses and interactions. I liked learning park lore from her. Greta presented neurodiverse to me, wasn’t sure if that was intended. My one wish for this novel was for it slow down a bit. Some situations, I felt like we were thrown into the middle without explanation (her lust for the popular lead actor at the park) and others I wanted to several more scenes to fully flesh out. Liam and Greta’s relationship, is one such area. I liked their dynamic and personalities. Maybe a few more scenes between Macy and Greta before the disappearance too. I think this is a fun read for younger readers that love A Good Girls Guide to Murder and Nancy Drew. I look forward to Bane’s future releases!

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

TL;DR: this is an interesting YA mystery with a well rounded main character/narrator who honestly, I really liked. The story is well paced, and the mystery is fun. The ending wasn't my favorite though.

I will keep an eye out for more stuff by Veronica Bane. I loved Greta to be honest (although I'm not sure everyone will) and the characters as a whole in this. The story is about Greta working at an amusement park to escape something from the past - and she stumbles upon another dark past and a mystery while there.

The story is well paced, although there were some loose ends (I wanted more about certain side characters who had hard to describe relevance to the plot). There were a few areas where the plot did lag here and there with what felt like odd overexplaining, but on the whole I felt really motivated to keep reading the story. I can see teens really enjoying this.

I couldn't quite figure out how old Greta was (I thought she was 15 but she's driving, and working almost full time it seems, so maybe she just graduated? I tried to figure it out by figuring Liam was a year younger than Ivy who is graduated so 17 maybe? I have no idea). The ending was also a bit wild for me - but I didn't see the twist coming and I think teens will enjoy the wildness of it. I'm just not the the target audience.

Difficult Girls was a classic YA thriller delivered brilliantly.

This has a great concept - theme parks are wonderful places of escapism and thrillers, but have plenty of secrets. It’s that timeless thing of wanting to know how the magic happens, how the trick is pulled off. Hyper Kid has that slightly cheesy feel - a mix of nostalgia and shameless cash grabs. It is bright and overwhelming, you can instantly picture it and practically smell the popcorn. Bane takes us behind the curtain to expose an underbelly of lies and a dark history of murder. I liked how following Greta gave us an entry point into the lore of this place and the unsolved cold case that still haunts it. Bane includes some chilling scenes around this, including an incredible opener that still replays in my mind. There is a deft handling of both cases and timelines, slowly weaving this web around the central characters. It feels layered and interesting with something new to discover around every chapter. In short, it is a brilliantly delivered YA thriller with stellar pacing.

Greta was a fantastic protagonist - she is running from events she’s trying to bury in her past. This makes her constantly on edge and feeling like an outsider, especially in the shiny showbusiness of this theme park. She is kind and smart with a steel edge beneath her smile. Life has been a rollercoaster and we start to learn how much this has affected her as the pages turn. Through her storyline, Bane is delivering an important message that will resonate with readers. Her voice is captivating and relatable - we’ve all been that fish out of water. However she is fiercely loyal and has a keen sense of justice, leading to this investigation.

Difficult Girls delivers the fun and scares of a good fairground ride in this larger-than-life thriller that delves into topical issues with care and heart.

Thank you Toppling books and the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! If you want to keep up with the rest of the tour head over to toppling books website! https://topplingstackstours.com/#DifficultGirls #TopplingStacksTours

5🌟stars for Veronica Banes debut novel!!!! I am not normally a thriller/suspense reader but this book had me hooked from the first page. I loved the setting and the backstory of a girl trying to start over. I think we all remember being that age and wanting to fit in and be accepted and hyper-fixating on the mistakes we made in the past and this definitely brought me back to my high school years. Being from San Diego I love the Easter eggs that Bane dropped to show they the story was influenced by San Diego and socal life. My favorite character ? LIAM. Loved him so much. He was kind, funny, patient, understanding and so supportive. Yay for a great male lead! The plot twists were great too! Kept me on my toes and thinking what might happen next. Overall, I loved this and can’t wait to see what Lee Veronica has in store for us!

Greta's summer job at an amusement park quickly spirals into something darker. especially as secrets start to surface. With characters who are complicated, flawed, and impossible not to root for.

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.