Penelope is president of the Larks, a group of elite female students at a private school. When one of the Larks shows up dead, rumours fly and suspects abound, as she was a typical mean girl. When another member of the Larks is found murdered, Penelope thinks it might be more than just a coincidence. What is the murderer’s motivation and who will be next?

The story is a mix of "Pretty Little Liars", "Beverly Hills 90210", and "Scream Queens". It’s told in two first-person accounts, one by the murderer and one by Penelope. Unfortunately, it's sometimes difficult to tell who's narrating. The writing is good, the tone is conversational, and the speech and teenage behaviors are realistic. The beginning is a bit slow and repetitive, but the author maintains the tension and manages to build the suspense. Even though I guessed who the killer was, I was still interested to see how it played out.

Warnings: coarse language, sexual references, violence.

I really enjoyed Pretty Dead Girls; it was my first Monica Murphy book, but I’m interested in checking out some of her new adult books, too. This book was along the lines of Pretty Little Liars and the like, with popular girls turning up dead, and suspicion coming to rest on their possibly-backstabbing friends. I think she definitely brought the sexy factor from her NA books to this first YA, because Cass was a hot, hot dude! (There is nothing inappropriate for young adults, though, don’t worry.) I did find the story somewhat formulaic, and I thought I had figured out the bad guy around halfway through (I was right), but it was a lot of fun to get to the end! Monica’s writing is great, and the characters were written really well, with the big (sometimes distasteful) personalities you’d expect from girls who rule the school.

I think anyone who likes YA mysteries will enjoy this book, and certainly those already fans of Monica’s should give it a try!

Rating: 4 stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Entangled Teen for purposes of this blog tour, but this review is written voluntarily and is my honest rating and review for this book.

A ya horror book by murphy!!! Wow I didn't know the author had it in her!! I don't like either of those genres but this book actually had my attention. It is a super vapid group of girls named the larks. It's a book written so well you hate everyone and you are super suspicious of everyone .

Who can you trust when everyone around you suddenly winds up dead ?

I received this as an arc and I am thankful!!!

Come hang out with me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

Mean girl Gretchen was found murdered, causing her small town to be shocked. But this is just the first in a series of gruesome acts, all unpredictable and devastating. Penelope, a classmate of Gretchen's, is trying to put together the pieces of what happened, of how Gretchen would be a target of murder. But all Penelope has are dead ends-and lots of suspicion...

May I present you with a teen murder mystery with suspense, drama, tension, suspicion, mean girls and a dab of romance- the perfect combination for an engaging afternoon.

The story was narrated predominantly by Penelope, but occasionally there where chapters thrown in that were from the killer's point of view (and a different font was used, I appreciate the small details!) The book actually starts from the killers point of view as they speak with the victim aka Gretchen and based on the tone I had a suspicion as to what kind of person I was dealing with, which helped me to pick a suspect. I liked that there was one character who was set up right from the second chapter where Penelope was narrating to be the killer, but I was doubtful. As the book progressed so many others were shown to possibly be responsible, or at least have some motive and I loved the guessing and second guessing the story caused. I was a little surprised by the actual murderer, but the motivation made me a little bit disappointed, especially when there were so many other excellent options!

​I did have some questions about Penelope and her personality. At times I questioned her personality and found her hard to like. For example, she meanly and totally uncalled for snaps at the Junior Larks- so they remember their place- I guess ruling by fear is more her approach. Also, she says disdainful and bitchy comments to Cass for no real reason, just because he is in her space or she is having a bad moment. But other times she was really insightful and respectful.

I found the writing style to be so effortless, the words flowed so smoothly that I could sit down and lose myself in the story without realizing it. The book was a quick read, perfect snowy day thriller mystery to escape into.​ As per the usual with my reviews of mysteries, no spoilers to ruin the fun, so a nice short and sweet review! I do happen to be a sucker for a good murder mystery full on tension and LOTS of suspects and I found this to be just what I wanted. I would love to check out more from Monica in the future since this was my first book by her.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I gave this book 4.5 stars. I’m not much of a mystery reader as I have terrible patience, but I loved this book.

I really enjoyed this book, a lot more than I thought I would. I mean, I guessed who the killer was about halfway through the book, but this didn’t diminish my enjoyment. What made me love it more was the fact that the author says she was inspired by Scream Queens, a show I love.

I originally thought this book was going to go in the direction of Heathers, because, if you’ve ever seen Heathers and read the synopsis of this book, you know it’s not a hard conclusion to jump to. There’s also the fact that we saw some moments from the murders point of view, but it’s in first person along with our protagonist, so at first, you think they are the same person. At least I did as there was no indication of any shift in perspective, that is maybe the one thing I disliked about this book. You don’t know that the perspective has changed until someone dies.

I’ve read Monica Murphy’s books before, but only ever her romances. I have to say that her transition into Young Adult was well done. I may even like this book more than any of her other novels.

Cass had so much past and I loved hearing about it, I do wish we could have found out more about what happened with his parents, but I guess they never had time to fully breach the subject so I will forgive them. Cass was also very adorable. He had these moments where he would get so excited or smug or just have these bursts of charisma that I found engaging.

I still can’t decide if I like Penelope. I don’t dislike her, but she definitely isn’t my favorite character. She had moments that I found unreliable as she is supposed to be this spoiled rich girl, but she still managed to be down to earth at the same time. It really depended on what was happening in her life.

I would highly suggest reading this if you love YA contemporary romances and maybe want to try reading more mysteries. It’s not a cozy read mystery, more like a thriller mystery, but it’s still a good one.

An ARC has been kindly given by Entangled Teen via Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.
Somebody is killing off the mean girls at school....and Penelope might be next.
This was a quick and easy read, I could easily see this as a teen movie.
I found this one to be well written and well paced. The plot was engaging and kept me turning the pages. The murder mystery kept me guessing right until the end.

This books seemed like it was going to have so much potential. Unfortunately, this book fell incredibly short. I had seen some reviews on previous Monica Murphy books that spoke so highly, but I'm just going to assume this one missed the mark.

Although this is a YA, the characters were SHALLOW. Shallow to a fault. Spoiled rich kids with parents who could get them out of anything. Making decisions and doing unsavory things without any consequences. Not to mention this is essentially a murder mystery with no angst. Nothing to make my emotions sit on edge. It was just slow.

I was able to make it through. The words flowed well enough, but there wasn't a single character I liked. There were no decisions I liked. And I felt it missed an overall theme or lesson learned that most YAs always have.

I will most definitely try another Monica Murphy book, but this one was most definitely not for me.

I totally felt like I was watching Heathers unfold in book form, in a good way. I enjoyed the romance and all the mean girls were well written. The ending felt a bit like a quick decision. The story moved quickly and held my interest. This could have been a five star if it had a different ending.

'Pretty Dead Girls' is a fantastic YA thriller to kick off the new year, and is one that fans of the genre are definitely going to want to pick up. Last year, Entangled Teen really blew me away with their titles - almost all of the ones I read ended up being 5 star ratings - and it seems like they're starting off the new year with another hit. I'm a huge fan of YA thrillers and I have to admit that it's pretty hard to come up with wholly fresh ideas with so many out there. This book wasn't completely original, the structure is one I've seen many times before, but the author added some great new twists and originality to make it stand out from others like it. Some of the major aspects that stood out for me:

Characters: I really enjoyed getting to know these girls - the Larks - even though it meant going back in time to my past to the mean girls of high school. Penelope was a wonderful main character and I liked watching her change and grow throughout the story. She starts out as the "It Girl" at her school, and by the end she's much more down to earth, empathetic, less judgemental, and self-aware. I like that we get to see these changes happen to her, even though the circumstances were horrible. The secondary characters were pretty flat for me - mostly stereotypes with some realistic issues and complexities mixed in. Enough to keep you guessing at why these girls are being murdered, what secrets everyone was hiding, and the big question of who the villain was. I can't not mention the love interest - Cass - who was a great complementary character to Penelope. I really loved watching them meet and seeing their relationship bloom throughout the story. I don't normally do the whole "book boyfriend" thing, but I have to admit that Cass stole my heart and I kind of wish I could pluck him out of the story for myself. :)

Plot: Although it wasn't really anything new - popular girls being murdered, lots of secrets surrounding basically everyone, twists to keep you on your toes, and the romance aspect - I really enjoyed the book. I ended up reading it in one sitting because I wanted to figure out who was behind it all (and see what happened with Cass and Penelope). The author added some great twists and turns that gave the story originality - obviously including some red herrings that made me keep adjusting my theories. It was well written, fast paced, easy to get lost in, and an overall fun read.

Writing Style: This is a huge aspect for me, and if you've read any of my other reviews, you know that it definitely makes or breaks a book - in my opinion. The author told the story from the first person point of view - from Penelope's perspective. First person is by far my favorite writing style because of the deep connection it allows between the reader and the narrator. This book was no different, and I loved being inside Penelope's head - knowing all of her thoughts, emotions, dreams, hopes, fears, questions and theories, and everything in between. It would have been great if the author stopped with this, but she gave us some real gems thrown in. There were a few short chapters that were told from the killer's POV. I loved this so much. It let me see what they were thinking, why they were murdering these girls, and all the other information I could get. It definitely helped to figure out who the killer was, at least for me. The author putting in these chapters from the killer totally rocked my world and put the book up a lot in my opinion. It was a fantastic surprise that most authors don't do, and I think it was a perfect fit for the book.

Overall: I highly recommend this book for fans of YA thrillers, mysteries, suspense, contemporary, and even romance. Get read for a great thrill ride!

It took me a long time (about 20 chapters or so) to get into this book. I’m glad that I stayed with it! This book has some great twists and turns!

Penelope & Cass could not be more opposite, but some how they fit together. I liked them together and the journey they go on to find the killer.

I enjoyed the suspense as the book went on.

A good read!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Another terrific book from Entangled Teen! With great writing and a fascinating storyline, Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy had me hooked from the very first page. It’s entertaining, addictive, and just so much fun.

This book completely intrigued me the entire time. The plot was fast-paced, suspenseful, and utterly thrilling that I actually finished reading in less than 12 hours. With catty popular girls, gruesome deaths, and a budding romance between two unlikely characters, there was definitely enough drama that had me turning the pages. I LOVED the mystery aspect and while Murphy certainly kept me guessing until the end, I did have my theories and 2 suspects in mind. There was a part that made me think it was a certain character. Just something about the scene gave me the feeling and I’ll have you know… I was correct! I loved playing detective and had such a blast solving the mystery. Although if I’m going to be honest, I never could do this in real life. I’d be too anxious, scared, nervous, and just a total mess.I do have to mention that the ending felt just a tad bit rushed. Don’t get me wrong, it was still awesome, but I felt like there could have been more.

The characters, while infuriating and not very likable, were developed and written very well. They were fantastic in their own ways and acted their part quite convincingly. However, I have to admit that I had a difficult time relating with any of them – even Penelope. Their personalities were just strong and so intimidating that I could not see myself being friends with them. (I’m an introvert and very shy so I would not do well in their group). Nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from rooting for Penelope and the rest of her friends to have some kind happy ending.

Oh and can I just say that Cass’s grandmother was just precious!!! She’s super adorable, genuine, and so sweet. Yup she’s definitely my favorite character!

The romance, while interesting, was kind of weird and I still don’t really know how I feel about it. I’m a romance junkie so to feel this way about a love story — specially one of my favorite tropes — is really throwing me off. I just felt that the relationship between Cass and Penelope was a bit forced at times and just so awkward. I think the story would have been just as good without their romance. BUT… there were a few moments between Cass and Penelope that made me swoon. My favorite scene involved a closet, some music, and one steamy spine-tingling kiss that I wished would have happened to me when I was a teen (minus the uncomfortable situation which you’ll find out once you read this book). Maybe if some of their interactions played out differently, their pairing would have been more believable.

Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy is a fun thriller that’s perfect for anyone looking for a quick and exciting read. There’s plenty of drama and action, suspense to keep you on edge, and murder mysteries to solve. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and appreciated that Murphy addressed and showed the scary and devastating effects of bullying.

I can't remember now where I read it, but I read somewhere that Pretty Dead Girls has a Pretty Little Liars meets Vampire Diaries vibe, but personally, I got more of a Scream/Scream Queens meets Pretty Little Liars vibe.
I enjoyed reading this book but admittedly the pacing did frustrate me a little.
I've read a number of Monica Murphy's adult novels and I think I'd come to expect a somewhat similar pacing to her stories, but to me, the book (or rather), the action in the book felt as though it took a little while to really get underway.
While the book was a good read with action, suspense, mystery and romance, it's probably not a book that I'm going to re-read.

An early copy of this book was provided to me by Entangled Publishing via Netgalley.

That was sooooooo gooood!! Not what I usually read but I really enjoyed the drama, twist and suspense! Monica Murphy had me at the title- I knew that the story was going to be addictive, full of angst and mystery. I was not disappointed! Pretty Dead girls was like a guilty pleasure- I love watching PLL and Mean Girls is one of my favourite chick flick with Clueless! I WAS HOOKED and devoured it because I wanted to know who did it? and I was so so wrong!
" Everyone's been jumpy lately. It's freaky, thinking there might be a murderer in our midst"

Loved this book! I love the different view points and how tightly wound the mystery was. I didn't figure out the killer until the very end. I've never read this author before but will definitely look out for her in the future!

Members of a high school girls club, the Larks, are being murdered. Penelope is the leader of the Larks and a cheerleader who starts a friendship with a loner, Cass who lives with his grandmother as his mum is in prison for murdering his dad. Penelope and Cass form an unlikely pair but together try to solve the murders yet Penelope isn't certain she can trust Cass. An enjoyable book with lots of high school in-fighting, drama, bad girls and teenage angst.

Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy
Absolutely love this book! For once I couldn't predict the killer or how this book was going I end!!! It was fast pace and kept me guessing the whole time!!! I can't wait to read more books by this author!!!
5 stars

This book kinda reminded me of a teen slasher film (think I Know What You Did Last Summer) mixed with part Mean Girls and maybe a bit of Gossip Girl. I don't really read YA so it took me a bit to get into the high school/drama that there was in this book. But you quickly get wrapped up in the events and helping solve the mystery, plus finding out who Penelope ends up with.

don’t know what to say about this book without giving anything away but I’ll try my best. Here it goes.

This book shook me to my core, as dramatic as that sounds, it really did. I dove into this adventure not thinking I’d love it, I’m a contemporary romance sucker and those books are the ones that steal my heart most of the time, so from this book I expected: a lot of mystery, drama, something like Pretty Little Liars, which I’m not really into, but I was also really excited to branch out from my usual romance route. And oh boy was it worth it.

Pretty Dead Girls is all about a series of murders that take place in a very small town, it’s narrated from Penelope’s and the murderer’s points of view and it’s really freaking amazing! I truly couldn’t put it down, I had to know who was the murderer and it just sucked me right in. My favorite character was, by far, Cass, he’s just so sweet, caring and protective, you can tell he really wants Penelope to be okay and I just loved that.

I did find Penelope a little bitchy sometimes, but that’s kind of the thing with the Larks, so it wasn’t too bad. I still loved the book, it’s filled with murders, candlelight vigils and very cute romance. I will admit, at the very very beginning, I did get confused with the pov’s since one is the murderer’s and the other one is Penelope’s but it wasn’t hard to get into the rhythm of things soon after.

All that’s left for me to say about this book is… read it, it’s great and I highly recommend it to anyone.

I absolutely love everything that Monica Murphy writes. Pretty Dead Girls is a YA novel with lots of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. This book is filled with angst, drama and lots of suspense. I love how it is told mainly from the main characters POV but there are chapters from the killer's POV which made it more interesting.

Penelope is the leader of a popular group at her high school called The Larks. When the girls in her group start to end up dead she gets nervous that she might be next. She makes friends with Cass, an outcast that has a connection with couple of the girls who are dead. The two of them go on a mission to try figure out who the killer is. Penelope has some suspicion that Cass is involved and it takes alot for him to prove her wrong. Will these two be able to figure out who is kiling all the popular girls?

I loved the connection between Penelope and Cass. The secondary characters added lots of depth to the storyline. I can't wait to see what Monica is working on next!!

First of all, I found it extremely hard to connect with the main character, which was probably the biggest issue I had with this book. Penelope came off as very privileged and cold-hearted, which made it even harder for me to relate to her in any way. At the beginning that is. As the story progressed, she did grow on me. I could definitely see where she came from and why she acted that way. Being raised in a particular way is very difficult to shake off as you grow older and having her life controlled by her family was probably not the easiest thing for a seventeen year old who wants to let got for a bit and relax. Her true self was slowly revealed and I got to know her a bit better through her relationships with everyone else and how she chose to deal with the tragedies that took place throughout the majority of the book. She grew as a person throughout the novel and started caring about more than just being an over-achiever and following the rules. She came to realize how important is is to care about people, which is always important!

Second of all, I fell in love with Cass. His story is extremely complicated and what her went through is revealed from the very beginning but, the details are slowly unraveled and not just given along with the facts. I loved his non apologetic way of dealing with this over achieving community and how he did not conform to its ridiculous ways. I feel like he was everything Pen needed to finally find her own path in life and start making her own decisions along the way. The secondary characters were also very interesting and played a big part in how the story progressed. Their actions were inexcusable at times but, they did not deserve to be brutally murdered.

The story itself was very engaging and suspenseful, which I really enjoyed. I couldn't stop reading and had to reach the ending in order to discover the truth and who the actual killer was. Its fast pace kept me at the edge of my seat and made the experience of reading it even more enjoyable. I also really liked the writing style and the fact that, we got a couple of chapters from the killer's perspective, without really knowing his or her identity, which was very clever and added so much more to the mystery of the story. I immensely enjoyed the romance part of the book because of how it started out and didn't feel like it overshadowed everything else. It was extremely swoon worthy and I'm a hopeless romantic so, the combination will never stop being addictive!

The ending was definitely unexpected but, I feel like not all questions were answered and some parts felt a bit rushed. Even though the main character was flawed and had her priorities in the completely wrong order, I really liked the fact that, Monica Murphy managed to make me like her in the end. The character development was truly impressive and starting off disliking a character and finishing a book having positive feelings about their development isn't something that happens much in YA novels or any Genre, for that matter. At least for me, personally.

Overall, Pretty Dead Girls is an unpredictable, entertaining and fast paced story that fans of Mystery combined with a bit of swoon worthy Romance will definitely enjoy! It does have its flaws but, I really think it's a story worth reading!