Pretty Dead Girls is a stand-alone novel by Monica Murphy. It's also the first YA book I have read in a year and I cannot say that it made me wanna re-visit the genre. It's one of the few books where I have hit the middle ground with them and I am neutral. I was disappointed because I was expecting a novel similar to Pretty little liars which I like, but it couldn't quite reach that level of excitement. I didn't like the heroine. She wasn't truly a friend to anyone on the cheerleading squad and all of them were simply mean. Actually, none of the characters was good. All of them were bad and some of them had issues that I think that were too much for a bunch of high school characters.

I liked the chapters which were narrated by the killer and how they gave us a little insight into the killer's thoughts. I always love when the authors do that so the book got some points for it. To be honest, I didn't guess the killer's identity, but I wasn't very excited when we found out because the motive wasn't so important and the killer could have gotten a better sense of satisfaction doing other things instead of killing those pretty girls.


As I mentioned before, I remain neutral when it comes to the book, so I won't say anything about a recommendation. The book wasn't very bad, but it wasn't able to hold my interest and I didn't care about it. I was reading it when I was between books (I must have read 4 books between the time I began and I finished this one).

P.S My actual rating is 3.5 stars, but I will round it to 3 when it comes to GR and Amazon because I don't think it should have a spot between my other 4 star rated books.

If mean girls got murderous...

Let me start by saying if "Pretty Dead Girls" by Monica Murphy is any indication of the quality of books that readers will get in 2018, then we are a lucky group. This book had my heart racing and I couldn't put it down. I tried several times and I kept coming right back because the story stayed with me that intensely. 

This story is set in the wealthy, northern California coastal town of Cape Bonita. It's wealth, beauty, and over-achievement in every corner. This includes the students at Cape Bonita Prep School. The school even has a special group for ten ambitious female students, called the Larks. Unfortunately,  the Larks seem to be targeted for a different reason these days. 

This story is told primarily from Penelope Malone's viewpoint. However, we do see glimpses of our killer. Our villain is cold and brutal. The girls of the Larks are ferocious in their pedigrees but this killer could care less. One aspect I really enjoyed about the villain here is how hard it was to figure out who it was. You aren't entirely sure if this is a male or a female, you never know what time frame in history the characters are talking about. It never becomes confusing, you only become more curious about the killer and their victim and how on earth they got to the position they are currently in. 

Penelope is the president of the Larks and has sometimes been called "the queen". I enjoyed her character a lot and I have to applaud the author for not only having the suspense and action in this story, but the characters were still exceptionally developed. When we initially see Penelope, she's so rigid and over-extended. She's got big plans and there is nothing getting in her way. When she sees her friends being rude, she takes it in stride. Seeing her character evolve throughout this story was enjoyable. There was one scene in particular where Penelope snaps back at someone and I admit I quietly cheered her on as I read along. 

Penelope isn't trying to solve the mystery alone, as she ends up teaming up with Cass, a guy from her class. He's mysterious but it's not necessarily in a bad boy, scary way. He's just unknown and somewhat misunderstood. Everyone in town has secrets and Cass happens to know about a lot of them. It was interesting to watch he and Penelope's relationship grow, as they are not only getting to know each other, but also trying to figure out who the killer is. 

If you enjoy Scream Queens, Pretty Little Liars, Riverdale, The Vampire Diaries (there is no paranormal but there is a similar vibe), I think you would love this book. I read this in a day because it was that captivating and I needed to know what happened. A fantastic book; I would definitely read this one again!

Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy is a full length, standalone, YA romance novel with thriller elements.
Come to Cape Bonita were secrets and lies are hidden and a horrible tragedy gets exposed.
Penelope Malone is one of the most popular girls in highschool. And when other in-girls turn up dead, she believes she´s next . Cass Vincenti, aboy from her physics class seems to be involved too. He´s a bit nerdy, geeky.
Let me tell you, this book sucked me in. I was captivated from the beginning. I read the book in one sitting, I had to know what happens to the characters. Pretty Dead Girls is full of unexpected twists and turns, written in a dual POV and Monica Murphy outdid herself.
I give 5 stars and say thank you, Monica Murphy !

*thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars.
This was a fairly light mystery story that was inspired but the TV show 'Scream Queens.' I haven't seen that show but it did remind me of 'Pretty little liars.' I'd had a rough idea from about the middle who the possible killers could have been and I was right but it still was a good read. Not great and I probably won't re-read it but I'm glad I did get to once. I liked that it did keep you guessing exactly who this person was. I also really like the cover. The colours mostly, it's pretty eye catching. This would be for more of the younger to middle aged teens, but there are parts that are more adult such as all the sex talk and a couple scenes. Nothing over the top but something I wouldn't let a 13 yr old read. But that's just me. Others might find it acceptable.

**“I can practically read your mind,” he says, his gaze locked on his feet. “You’re all the same.”
“Who are all the same?”
“All of your group. Your girls. Your squad.” He says the last word with contempt as he looks at me, his mouth tipped up on one side. “There’s not a single thing that’s different about any of you. You’re all cut from the same cloth.”
I glare at him, insulted by his assumption. “You don’t know me.”
“Ah, but I do.” His smile fades. “You just don’t realize it yet.”
My heart racing, I hurry out of the office before Cass Vincenti can say anything else to upset me.

Oh, I love me a good HS drama story and throw in a murder mystery? yes please!!

This story has it all, rich entitled poplar kids, jocks, mean girls, cliques, and the dangerous, sexy and mysterious ‘bad boy’ who keeps to himself and let’s not forget there is a killer in their mist. Someone is targeting the senior members of The Larks, the most prestigious group in school, ran by the head cheerleader. These girls are popular, they run the Larks doing charity works, volunteering and organizing school events. But there is more to these girls and this elite club than meets the eye. And someone isn’t happy with some of the members.

When one of the members of the Larks turns up Dead, it raises the question of who is out to get these girls, and why? Information from an unlikely source had Penelope second guessing all that she knows and suspecting those she considers friends.

Bonded by tragic events, Penny must rely on someone she never thought she would and someone who she can’t stop thinking about.

This YA has everything to keep you reading to the last pages trying to find out who done it. And there’s even a budding romance in there. A great way to start the new year of reading for me. I throughly enjoyed this book.

An interesting story that will keep you guessing, an entertaining story that had a Pretty Little Liars feel to it.

I quite enjoyed the dual perspective that this story is told in, the insight into what’s going on in the killers mind is very interesting.

If you’re looking for a YA novel with a good mix of suspense and drama, you won’t be disappointed with this book!

There are 5 seniors and 5 juniors all in a prestigious group called the Larks. They are all popular and are held in high standards in the social community. Penelope is the President of the larks aling with her 4 other friends but then they start being plucked off one by one. Will they find the killer before all the girl's are killed or will the killer achieve what they sweet out to do?

Holy woozer what a book! You are sucked in right from the vey first page! You think you have it all figured out and know who the killer is only to figure out it's not. I have been dying for a book like this for so long, this is one book where you know the minute you read the blurb you know this is going to be a really good book one that you can't put down!

Rating: 3.5/5

Well, the publishers have tagged this as being young adult romance, but personally I think it has significant murder, mystery and suspense in it, too, making it much more thriller than 'just' a romance IMHO! Set in the seaside town of Cape Bonita, life changes dramatically for the pupils at the local high school when the most popular girls start turning up dead . . . . Penelope Malone is a member of that elite group and is terrified she could be one of the murderer's next victims. . . . . What is it about one of her peers in physics - Cass Vincenti, too? Is he friend or foe - or just weird? Should she trust him?

This is a contemporary thriller, featuring elite, popular but very mean, often two-faced, high school students, complete with all the gossip, assumptions, peer pressure and drama associated with this age group. The murder should have helped bring the victim's peers together but they are such a dysfunctional group that is definitely not what happens! As more victims succumb to the serial killer, Penelope and Cass find themselves drawn to each other. However, the secrets, lies and mystery could result in more people dying. Can they trust each other? Can they survive?

Whilst the characters are generally not really likeable, the author's writing flows well, making this a engaging page turner. It isn't necessarily obvious just who the killer is, though I did suspect, and there are red herrings en route to throw readers off the scent. The story is well paced right until the big reveal, then things get a little rushed but still, it is definitely a thrilling read!

I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

I have read quite a few Monica Murphy's books and have fallen in love with her YA stories. When I heard about Pretty Dead Girls I wasn't sure what to expect; to say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I loved this book from beginning to end, it is as close to perfect as a book can be.

Penelope has it all, a senior she is a cheerleader, president of the exclusive Larks club and very popular. She has been friends with the same group of girls since grade school so life is as good as it gets. That is until someone starts killing off her friends one by one. These deaths shake up the small tight night northern California community down to its core - especially Penelope. When Cass an outcast reaches out to her to try and figure out whats going on she isnt sure she can trust him, but the more time they spend together Penelope comes to understand the Cass may be just the guy to help her through this horrific time.

Monica Murphy takes her readers on a mystery that anyone who loved Pretty Little Liars or even Riverdale would love. The story is well paced, great character builds up and fantastic dialog that seemed realistic to the age group Ms Murphy is writing about. Told from mainly Penelope's POV, but a great twist we get a few chapters from the killers POV which was well placed throughout the book. I also really loved Penelope and Cass's relationship - they both are so well suited for each its unfortunate it takes a tragedy to bring them together.

If you enjoy YA and are looking for a great read to start the new year then Pretty Dead Girls is a perfect place to start.

*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*

Pretty Little Liars meets Scream Queens, in a unique read by Monica Murphy where if you don't watch your back...you just might be next. Nothing captivates me more in a murder mystery than when I can't figure out who the killer is. And for the first mystery novel from Monica Murphy, she succeeded in just that, she blatantly tries to make characters look guilty, while you get glimpses inside the killer's head. It is dark, brooding, and unpredictable. I had no idea who the killer was up until the reveal and even then...I felt blindsided, I mean the killer wasn't even on my suspect list!

Now, aside from the murder mystery, let me move into the plot and romance. In terms of the story itself, Monica flawlessly captures the fickle friendships of high school and how hard it is to be a teenager. There is so much pressure to be perfect that teens often forget to just live and enjoy moments. In addition, most girls in high school at some point hate each other or are complete catty b*tches to each other...it is just the way things are.

In terms of romance, hello Cass...I am here for him! Mysterious, dark, quiet, ellusive...yes please. I love the absolute denial Penelope is in over her crush. While I would have liked to see more character growth for several people in the book, I found that Cass and Penelope complimented each other well. And while her parents are your typical annoying parental units, they for the most part are supportive. Overall, I liked the story and I hope Monica plans to expand on her mystery writing career...she seems to have a knack for it!

While writing up this post…I realized I had to lower my rating because it just didn't deserve what I originally gave it…this happens to me quite often.

⇝Ratings Breakdown⇜

Plot: 2/5
Main Characters: 2/5
Secondary Characters: 2/5
The Feels: 1/5
Pacing: 2/5
Addictiveness: 2/5
Theme or Tone: 2.5/5
Flow (Writing Style): 3/5
Backdrop (World Building): 2.5/5
Book Cover: 4/5
Ending: 2.5/5 Cliffhanger: Nope.
Steam Factor 0-5: 2.5
Setting: Cape Bonita
Source: I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Total: 2/5 STARS - GRADE=D

⇝My Thoughts⇜

This might appeal to a younger audience, especially if they like to read about sexually promiscuous teenagers being total bitches. Right from the beginning, I was skeptical of the mystery, the pacing felt off. The characters are completely unlikable, basically, all of them. The conversations between them are just over-the-top bizarre and contradictory. These girls are just so flipping mean and I kind feel like they got what they deserved, well sort of...

I was compelled to read this until the end, although I'm not sure why, just to see who it was, maybe. Which I more or less guessed.

⇝Will I read more from this Author?⇜ No, I will not. Her writing is just not for me.

What a fantastic first book of the new year. A murder mystery reminiscent of Scream Queens and Pretty Little Liars (the book series, not the TV show. We don't talk about the TV show). I was HOOKED from the first chapter. Completely blown away!

What made this book extra creepy was chapters from the killer in between chapters from the MC, Penelope. It added that extra level of scary and it completely threw me off everytime I thought I guessed who the killer was. Those chapters were what really gave this book all my stars.

This book reminded me of Scream Queens and Pretty Little Liars, like I mentioned above. Confession time: I've only seen the first half hour of the first episode of Scream Queens. Monica Murphy did mention in her acknowledgments that she got inspiration for this book from Scream Queens and I totally see it because of the mean girl trope. However, I much prefer this book over that show. And prefer you all get nervous about the mean girl trope, let me tell you, it was a different spin on it. I won't say how but it was really well done.

Penelope is a much more likable MC than those two and their MCs I mentioned above. She had a lot of growth in a short of amount of time, which is always a plus. But she still acted like a teenager, with her mood swings and attitude. But she was still kind and caring, under her facade of being a mean girl. I also liked the relationship between Cass and Penelope. It was adorable and there times I wanted to hit them in the head because well....they were being teenagers. I digress. They have worked their way into my heart.

Truly this was a GREAT start to 2018. I am going to find more books by this author and put this one on my Amazon wishlist. It was just that good! I hope my 2018 is filled with more books like this. So, in conclusion, if you are looking for thrillers set in a high school setting, this is the book for you!

ps- isn't that cover just gorgeous!

Thrilling! An amazing storyline, with twists and turns as well as a roller coaster of intrigue and high school drama, that sucks you into the secretive, spiteful and dangerous world of Cape Bonita Prep school.
Penelope Malone has been looking forward to her senior year, and finally being president of The Larks, her schools, small, prestigious group, of the smartest, most athletic and most respected girls. But, when her fellow Senior Larks, start getting murdered one by one, is Penelope next? Or is she the killer? Or is it the quiet, yet handsome Cass Vincenti who has suddenly become interested in her? Does he really like her? Or is it a rouse to get close enough to kill his next victim?
Monica Murphy brings it all! High school drama filled with romance, first love and spiteful mean girls that don’t care about anyone else but themselves! As well as danger and intrigue as the police and students try to catch a serial killer.
I couldn’t put this down! It had my heart pounding with fear as well as swooning from young love. Loved it!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not what I expected from Monica Murphy in this book. I didn’t know what to make of this book when I first read the blurb and didn’t know what to expect when I started reading it.

I did like Cass the best. But I was trying to figure out who the killer was from the beginning. I didn’t like the Lark girls much. Well except for Dani, I liked her. I wanted to slap both Penelope and Courtney trying to be the queen bee in school even while their friends were being murrdered. I could see why the killer did what they did. Some of the girls weren’t very likable. Not that murder is ok ever. These girls were just nasty even right before they died.

Great book. I figured out who the killer was about half way throgh the book. I highly recommend this book.

Shades of Pretty Little Liars meets Mean Girls. A whodoneit in a small town and the popular girls are turning up dead. Who did it? Who is next? Definitely a page turner with a good mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. I recommend this one for something different that what I normally read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

**Received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley**

I liked it although I expected more, it's a very entertaining book if you like the mystery genre, but I would recommend it for those who are just beginning with it, since it has been quite predictable for me. Maybe I' have great expectations with this one, but the characters seemed really flat and if you already know me, you know I can't let that happen. Even so, it's entertaining and the writing style is quite good. But even so I expected something more complex here and instead I found a quite simple mystery book, nothing that I haven't read before to be honest, but it can be entertaining if you're looking for a light reading and don't want to read a simple contemporaneous, you know?

What makes a good mystery is thinking you know where the author is headed, only to discover that you are delightfully wrong.

What does not make a good mystery is an author throwing out so many obvious red herrings that you figure out who didn't dunit.

With Pretty Dead Girls, Monica Murphy does a bit of both.

It's clear, based on how entrenched Penelope is in believing so, that the girl she believes is behind the murders of some of Penelope's peers is not the true perpetrator. You know this because you also know that Monica Murphy is not dumb. She is, however, writing from the perspective of a teenage girl, and teenage girls are, on occasion, dumb.

Penelope, rightfully so, is freaking out, even as she's trying to stay in control, both of herself and the Larks, a club whose members are being murdered. She also finds herself forming a surprising (to her) friendship with Cass, a mysterious sort of boy whom she has overlooked throughout high school. Cass has his own theories about the culprit, and the two team up to find out which of them is right. 

Murphy drops scant clues as to the identity of her killer, but that didn't bother me too much. I liked the element of surprise. The only thing I couldn't reconcile is that it takes someone with a certain amount of intelligence and cunning to do what this person did, and you see absolutely no evidence of that. Maybe that's the point? It's always the ones you least suspect? It's always the better actors?

I liked Cass so much. I liked his backstory, and I liked how he made himself vulnerable. I like how Murphy builds the romance and intrigue between him and Penelope. I also liked Penelope's relationship with her parents. Unlike many YA books, the parents aren't caricatures. They aren't one-dimensional. They love their daughter and support her, even as they also want to protect her. 

While this book may lack the emotional punch I've come to expect and enjoy from Monica Murphy's books, it's nonetheless a solid mystery, sure to please teen girls and YA mystery fans.

This book! Right from the very first page I knew I'd love it. I didn't give it much thought when I pressed the request buttonon NetGalley. Knowing it's a Monica Murphy book I was curious about what she'd make of this kind of genre. And wooop! I loved this story. Sure, everybody's right saying it reminds them of Pretty Little Liars or Scream Queens (though I haven't watched that show yet), but the author explains she was inspired by the second show and so I believe that settles it.

Truth be told, I think Monica is one of the most fabulous writers out there. I adore her writing style and she makes every single story so believable. I'm not lying when I say that Pretty Dead Girls hooked me right from the first page. There's just something about the way the author creates her characters that I instantly like them. The pace was perfect and I loved the point of views from the killer. The more pages I turned the more curious I got. Around 3/4 of the book, I had a feeling about who might have murdered all these girls and yay, I was right. But... The ending came a bit fast to me. The last three chapters flew by and when I finally finished the book, I still didn't feel like I was done. So that's the only 'bad' thing I have to mention. But as a teen who might read this book, I think it's a good example of showing you should always be your best self and treat others like you want to be treated. Bullying other people is not acceptable.

Other than that I liked that there's a character for everyone. Sure enough Penelope seems like this perfect teenage girl - no flaws, just beauty, smartness and the right amount of friends as well as enemies. Then there's Courtney who's a bitch (and a psycho) Penelope's best friend Dani is one of my favourite characters in the book. I adored her so much. She was this cute little thing, a bit too naive for her own good, but that's probably the reason I liked her so much. I felt so sorry for her, considering everything that happened (or didn't happen) with Brogan. The others girls, I didn't care about so much. But Pretty Dead Girls is mainly all about Penelope, Courtney and Dani anyway... And Cass. Let's not forget about Cass.

When the reader first meets Cass, he's this super weird guy. "Maybe it was him," I thought when we met him after the first girl, Gretchen, turned up dead. At some point of the story you just suspect everyone to be the killer. After a few more chapters I actually found myself liking the idea of him and Penelope together, I even wanted to encourage it. The two made perfect sense in my eyes. And I also liked his past, the way he was connected to the dead girls. It took some time for him to confess everything, though.

Since Cass was allowed to be a weirdo, I'll admit something, too: I liked the two cops. Yes, they are super annoying, or at least one of them is. There's nothing likeable about the two, spying, asking too many questions, etc. But I thought the scenes with them were mostly funny. I'm sure they weren't meant to be, which is why that's most likely only the way I see it and no one else.

I could go on and on about why I liked Pretty Dead Girls as much as I did. It surprised me since I'm not a fan of thrillers at all. I'd rather have you reading this book though instead of me rambling about it more. I can't recommend it enough, so if you're up for a young adult thriller, Monica Murphy is the perfect choice for you.

Reading this story reminded me of “Pretty Little Liars”, “Mean Girls” and “Scream Queens” all into one and I was not disappointed at all.This was the first book that I’ve read by Monica Murphy and I really enjoyed this story. It was well written, fast paced and kept me on my toes. I have to give the author points for catching me off guard with the killer. Murphy did a good job painting others as the potential suspects but as a horror movie fan, I had a feeling they were innocent. When the killer is revealed and the reasoning I wasn’t expecting that at all. I had one small issue with the story and that’s the way it ended. I would have liked to see what happened a few months down the road with the surviving characters. Overall, I was very impressed with this new to me author that is Monica Murphy. I will be sure to check out more books this author.