Well written. I didn’t realize it was for teens but enjoyed it none the less.

Aaaand queue the awkward feeling of hating a book you were granted from Netgalley. Sorry guys, but thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. And what opinions!

Firstly, obvious mystery is obvious. Maybe years of mystery books has jaded me, but I picked this one so early on it's not funny, and even said it out loud to my partner as a test. Yep, I was right. There was no finesse, no real questions of anyone asked, and most of the characters behaved in such a weird, robotic way that nothing could be gained from it. Like the best friend, Dani. She didn't really DO or behave like a best friend should? and Penny. Dear Penny, coming out with her hates and selfies and completely just urgh. I knwo we weren't meant to LIKE any of the mean girls, but they all had absolutely nothing going for them. Nothing.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind reading about sex, and I know teenagers are doing it and I did at that age, so did most of my peers. No one I know was that well, experienced though? Prepare for the entire cast to have been with each other at some point. As I said, not weirded out, but it's hard to establish who relates to who in what way when well, they've ALL had relations. It doesn't make for much of a throw away motive.

I hated all the characters and <spoiler>thankfully most of them end up dead.</spoiler> I requested this thinking I'd get a high adrenalin rush, and instead I get a poorly put together mystery, and honestly, some of the worst writing I've come across since I was in high school myself. I figure the author is trying to appeal to the young, dumb, masses, but even they willcall out some of it. Oh well.

Hn. Going to read something else to wash out the bad flavour. This wasn't for me, but it might appeal to others. Hate one star reads!

Not bad for a YA suspense novel. I liked the killer's chapters the most - the narrator was very self involved, which is typical of a teenager that age, so not surprising but as an adult sort of grating.

ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Somebody is killing off the mean girls at school....and Penelope might be next.

This was a quick and easy read.. I read half of it at the hairdressers! I could easily see this as a teen movie. Thanks to Entangled Publishing via Netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review

2 stars.

Unfortunately I don't have a lot to say about this book. It was a crossover between Scream Queens and Pretty Little Liars, which in theory is great if you enjoy a bit of bloody twist on your PLL but reading it, it was anything but.

The main character is Penelope, she's the President of Lars, a high school group of "perfect" girls that volunteer, organize fundraises and other activities. When one of the Lars ends up dead, everyone starts to get suspicious of the other. And then another Lars ends up dead, and then another. Penelope thinks she's next.

Like most high schoolers, Penny and her not-so-boyfriend-yet boyfriend start investigating because they don't trust the police. Facepalm.

I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Actually, no. I didn't had a hard time, I gave up trying to connect with them two pages in. Penny and her "best friends" who aren't really best friends, more like the opposite, are a bunch of mean girls that bully everyone who's less than, and every time one of them died I legit didn't give a fuck.

Little to no character development.
The killer's POV read like a teenage girl. Which ugh really?!
The romance was forced and so out of place.
The girls were straight out of Scream Queens and I gave up on that show just by seeing the trailer.

Overall, nah.

When I usually read a thriller, I really want to get so engrosed in the story that I cannot stop reading it until I finish, and I think it accomplished that. It was easy to get into, and I flew through it, so it didn't take me too long to finish. I had mostly one theory and wanted to keep reading until I finished to see if I was indeed, right.

My main problem was the cast of characters. They were very unlikeable and hard to connect to, mostly because they were so mean towards each other that it was hard for me to feel sorry for any of them. It was equal parts frustrating and fastinating to read about the Larks. They kept so many secrets hidden that were revealed throughout the book that in some twisted way I want to keep reading to see what was the next bomb going to be, but at the same time they were really selfish and characters who could backstab each other if any had the opportunity. So I didn't really get why they were friends if they hated each other. 

However, I liked a few side characters a bit more than them. I wasn't a really big fan of the protagonist, but it's true that I liked the interactions she had with her love interest. It was a really funny hate-to-love relationship , and I think it was well done, because it wasn't insta-love-ish or anything. Mainly it had to to a bit with the fact that I liked Pen a lot.

Another thing that wasn't really explained and you had to figure out was the different POVs. It's told in two points of view, one being the killer and other our main character, Penelope. At first I thought she was the killer, because there wasn't anything that said otherwise (like one of those chapters being in italic or some type of explanation so you could know that you were reading the story through another character's eyes), so I was a bit confused at first with that while reading the first chapter. 

And unfortunately the ending was a bit predictable for me. Since I reached the half mark in the book I already knew who the killer was, and because of that it wasn't that surprising when everything is revealed at the end of the story, so I had to lower my rating a bit because of that.

Overall, I enjoyed the journey and the whole plot, but I didn't really connect much with the characters to feel sympathy for them. I liked the romance and that I wanted to keep reading until I finished but found the end quite predictable.

Pretty Dead Girls is a book exactly what its title says. There are a group of girls in HS called the Larks. It’s the most coveted group to be in. Basically this group opens doors for you if you’re a lark and not just anyone gets in. You either have to be a legacy and that still doesn’t guarantee you or you have to be someone who exceeds in school. So it’s a privilege to be accepted. That is until the senior Larks start getting killed one at a time.

From the first page until the last I could not stop reading it. It was just that addicting. I had to know who was going to be the killers next victim and find out who the killer was. I kept going back and forth between who I thought it was then Boom! Monica proved me wrong. It was a fun guessing game though.

The characters are likable some even lovable. I really loved Cass, Penelope and Dani. The others I wanted to strangle well except for some very minor characters. Pen did aggravate me at times and I had to remind myself that she was a high school girl who was being stupid and stubborn. Only thinking with her heart instead of her head. But that’s almost all hs girls, right?

Overall this book is fantastic! Pretty Dead Girls is a suspenful, thrilling read that will keep you on pins and needles until the last page and even then you’ll still be sitting there wandering what you just read. It’s a wild ride packed full of action so hang on tight it’s going to be a long night!

Lovely new mystery book! This is the story of the town of Cape Bonita and the way the deaths of popular senior girls rocks the community. Told in alternating viewpoints from Penelope, senior and leader of the Lark's (a community service group) and the killer who is causing chaos, the story grabs the reader from the start and it kept me till the end! As members of the Lark's are dying, Penelope finds herself reevaluating what she knows about her "friends" and those in her town. She is drawn to Cass, the mysterious boy in her physics class who seems to have connections to all of the victims. The story is focused on the mystery of who is killing these girls and what their motivation is, but it is also plays with the romance that seems to build between Pen and Cass. I loved the way their relationship grew and developed over the course of the story. It was interesting to watch them grow closer, even with the threat of a killer on the loose and an unsteady level of trust between them. I really enjoyed this story and I know my students will as well! Thank you to netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I look forward to reading more from Murphy!

This was a quick, easy read but not necessarily enjoyable.

The biggest thing that bothered me was the relationship between the characters. Penelope and Dani are best friends but had little interactions throughout the story. If it wasn't stated several times that "shes my best friend" you wouldn't have known. The other girls were the same, "shes was my friend" but the conversations they had said otherwise. I don't remember talking to my friends like that in high school. There just wasn't enough character back story to connect me to them or feel any sympathy when something happened.

As far as the mystery side of things, I think I was too busy getting frustrated with the characters and their actions to really care who the killer was. I will say, I guessed several times and was wrong, so, there's that.

The younger readers may find this more enjoyable.

As a senior at her high school in the seaside town of Cape Bonita Penelope Malone has worked her way up to becoming the leader of the Larks, an exclusive school club that only accepts five senior and five junior girls each year. The Larks consist of the popular girls at the school, the cheerleaders and team captains, and focus upon volunteering and giving back to their community which looks great on college applications.

One morning after school begins there’s an emergency meeting where it’s announced that one of the Larks own has been found murdered. Students are questioned and rumors begin to fly. Penelope and the other Larks don’t know how to feel, is it merely coincidence or are the Larks being specifically targeted?

Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy is a young adult thriller read. This is one that while the characters are generally unlikable the writing and ease of flow of the story made it still an enjoyable read. Most of the story is told from Penelope’s point of view but there are random chapters from the voice of the killer to build the clues as to who is behind the murders.

I think the biggest downside to this book will come in the fact that it’s really nothing new to make it jump out on it’s own. The killer seemed a little on the obvious side to me but even if not guessing early I’m sure by the reveal most will be able to think of something this book will remind them of. I still found that while one could call it predictable it was interesting enough to keep my attention and an likable enough read overall so in the end I’d rate this one at 3.5 stars.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

As a retired high school teacher, I was completely drawn in from the first page of this novel because of the "mean girl" mentality of The Larks, an elite group of juniors and seniors who volunteer, do charity work, and attempt to get into the best colleges. On the surface they appear perfect and other girls are typically envious of this beautiful and seemingly flawless group. However, lurking underneath are jealousies of their own toward each other and these secret emotions are deadly as the first of the ten Larks is murdered in the first chapter. Who is behind this brutality and who is the next target? Secrets, lies, betrayals run rampant and friendships are tested--as well as a budding romance between Penelope and the shy "outcast" who has some secrets of his own. Riveting and realistic, this novel is a fast-paced thriller that will remind you of Pretty Little Liars!

Pretty Dead Girls is told mostly by one person, Penelope, but there are some small chapters in the killer's voice. I really enjoyed those little glimpses into the killer's mind. It helped me eliminate certain people in the book. I'll be honest and say that I thought I had the killer figured out within 20 minutes of reading. But that person ended up dead later in the book. I was very wrong. After that, I had a pretty good idea, but wasn't 100% sure I had the right one until close to the end.

There really weren't a lot of characters to really like in this book. The girls are all kind of mean, selfish, and conceided. They are the smartest, prettiest girls in school. The group they belong to, The Larks, has 10 girls. There are 5 seniors and 5 juniors. In the beginning of the book, a senior lark is murdered. Penelope really only confides in her best friend Dani. She is friends with the other girls, but they are more like frenemies. She does meet a dark, quiet boy, Cass. He lives with his grandma because his mom killed his dad when he was 10. Penelope is attracted to him even though she often times worries about him being the killer. Especially when she finds out that he was close to some of the girls. Their relationship wasn't very healthy. He becomes very overprotective to the point that he seems controlling at times. I loved his grandma though.

Most of the book is Penelope and Cass trying to figure out who the murderer is while he/she keeps killing. My favorite chapters were from the killer's point of view. I actually felt a bit bad for this person.

"People at school will put me on a pedestal for killing off the mean girls. My hard work deserves a reward. I'm like the female Dexter, I swear."

I enjoyed the mystery in this book, but I think it will end up with a lot of mixed reviews like One Of Us Is Lying. I think that fans of Sara Shepard will enjoy this one.

This truly was similar to Scream Queens. It was an easy read. Not really gory or big on suspense. You could figure out who was going to get killed and who the killer ended up being was no surprise. Cass and Penelope's relationship was very off/on. I think I was just in a mind set it was going to be deeper than it was hence the 3 star. I received an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

If I were to use one word to describe this book I would use predictable which is a pity because it started so well.
When it started I was excited because it sounded so good, but once the relationship was introduced the book took a sharp nosedive.

The relationship was sooooo unecessary, and took away from the book. It was so instalovey and it just popped up out of nowhere and went from zero to 100 real quick.

Not only that, but there were so many plotholes in the book and there were so many loose ends that I couldn’t find myself getting into it.

This book was the Walmart version of PLL and it was a big disappointment as I enjoyed the PLL series.

Wow is all I can say! Pretty Dead Girls just rocked my world. I was on the edge of my seat trying to guess and figure out who the killer was. I admit, the killer was no one I expected. I really thought someone else that was closer to the Heroine sister was. Anyways it was a great story in the end. I loved all the twist and turns and also the relationship that grew between Pen and Cass. I loved how Pen grew as a person and realized that high school drama was overrated. That you needed to not focus on big dog in high school because once you got out into the real world, you would be nothing. There is always someone else out there that is bigger and badder that you in the real world. Cass was just an amazing character. With all that he has been through, he cared but didn't cared about how people felt about him. He knew that he was talked about but he really only had eyes on Pen this whole time. That's all he cared about was her noticing him and being able to get to know her. I loved this book. I'm way older than these kids, but I enjoyed this book to the max! It brought me back to my high school days and just imagining if it were me and my friends in this situation! Thanks for the opportunity.

Wow. Pretty Dead Girls is one outstanding read. Be prepared to hold on to your seats for this one. I know I did. I loved trying to figure out the who did it. And boy was not expecting that one. I love Cass and Penelope. They are just strong relatable teens. You get the typical teen drama and mean girls. But that is what I loved about this one. I love the mean girl aspect. This is one brilliant YA that i couldn't put down and kept me on my toes. Monica Murphy did a fantastic job with building up the suspense. Amazing.

I loved Monica Murphy's New Adult series' so I thought I would try out her YA book (I usually don't read YA). I really enjoyed the book however.
The one thing that was hard for me while reading this book was the fact that the main characters were not very likable. I could not really relate to any of them and was borderline hating some of them. That is something I'm not used to doing while reading.
I've never watched or read Pretty Little Liars but I know the gist of it, which makes me think this is a book for people who loved that series. It was not necessarily my forte but I enjoyed it for what it was.

This is a great book for people who are a fan of mean girls.... a very dark version of mean girls