"Confessions of a Dangerous Girl" by Dan Birk is a gripping thriller with a darkly intriguing plot and a sharply drawn protagonist. Its suspenseful twists and layered storytelling keep readers hooked from start to finish.

In this book, we follow Emma, a young woman qualified as a psychopath since she tried to kill her brother at the age of 6. Her parents decided to place her in a special institute where she could study with other children like her. But under the appareance, the institute is actually working for governements and forms the next assassins and spies.

One day, Emma has to go back home with her parents and her brother for a mission. She has to work has a normal hisghchool teenager and make her first murder. But what she's going to discover make her realized she was lied to. Maybe she's not the monster she thinks she is.

It was a really nice book, funny and well written. The plot was interesting and the friendships were beautiful. I loved the relationship between Emma and Suzy and i'm a bit disapointed than there not together at the end ahah... I really enjoy my time reading it and i highly recommend this novel to spend a good time !

Really enjoyed this book!! I got into it super quickly and I sped through it, reading at every chance I got! The characters were written so well and I love Emma's development over the course of the novel and how Maeve and Susie encourage her to show her empathy and teach her to be a better person. I highly recommend it if you fancy reading about a teen psychopath who's been trained as an assassin!

I remember almost finishing this book, getting at least halfway, and just not liking the writing. The premise of the book was very intriguing and I wished I could push through, but there is just not enough good for me to continue.

"Confessions of a Dangerous Girl" by Dan Birk is a gripping and darkly humorous coming-of-age story that explores the complexities of identity, friendship, and the search for belonging. Birk's sharp wit and authentic voice create a narrative that is equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking, offering readers a glimpse into the mind of a troubled yet resilient young woman.

At the heart of the novel is the protagonist, Lizzy, a rebellious teenager with a penchant for trouble and a sharp tongue to match. As she navigates the tumultuous landscape of high school, Lizzy grapples with her own demons while forming unlikely alliances with fellow misfits and outcasts. Birk deftly portrays Lizzy as a complex and relatable character, blending her brash exterior with vulnerability and depth.

One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its exploration of teenage angst and rebellion. Birk captures the raw emotions and insecurities of adolescence with honesty and authenticity, allowing readers to empathize with Lizzy's struggles and triumphs. From her snarky commentary on social norms to her moments of self-doubt and introspection, Lizzy's journey is both relatable and empowering.

The humor in "Confessions of a Dangerous Girl" is dark and irreverent, adding an extra layer of depth and complexity to the narrative. Birk's sharp wit and clever wordplay create moments of levity amidst the darker themes of the story, keeping readers engaged and entertained throughout. The result is a compelling blend of comedy and drama that strikes a perfect balance between light-hearted entertainment and poignant reflection.

The pacing of the novel is brisk and engaging, with each chapter propelling the story forward with energy and momentum. Birk keeps readers guessing with unexpected plot twists and turns, weaving together multiple narrative threads to create a rich tapestry of intrigue and suspense. The result is a gripping page-turner that will leave readers eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth behind Lizzy's dangerous antics.

In conclusion, "Confessions of a Dangerous Girl" by Dan Birk is a captivating and entertaining read that offers a fresh take on the classic coming-of-age story. With its sharp wit, authentic voice, and compelling characters, it is sure to resonate with readers of all ages. Birk's insightful exploration of teenage rebellion and self-discovery offers a poignant reminder that, no matter how dangerous life may seem, there is always hope for redemption and growth.

This is a good story and has an interesting twist on things! I. Couldn't put it down.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this review copy

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Loved the premise, however the character development fell a bit short for me.

Overall, the sentence structure and plot flowed really nicely.

This was a super cute YA spy novel. I got lost easily in the story and the characters really connected with me. A great fun read.

ARC Rating 4/5 ⭐️

This was a really enjoyable YA thriller/mystery that was fast-paced and full of interest and tension.

The story follows Emma, a sixteen year old assassin and child psychopath. And she goes undercover at Grover Cleveland High School.

I really enjoyed this book, and and felt the world building and the characters were well written. This has such great twists, which just kept me guessing!

Overall, this was a really good read, and I would definitely read any future books by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, H.R. Wallace Book Marketing, and Dan Birk for sending this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

✨ 4 STARS ✨

emma is a teenage psychopath. she was born a psychopath and sent to an institute for other teenage psychopaths to be under a watchful eye and treated for their issues. what the outside world does not know is that the institute actually trains those teenage psychopaths to be assassins.

emma ends up back at home with her family, attending a real high school, and being a normal teenage girl for the first time in a while to prepare for a special mission. except it ends up being a mission that changes all that emma has known, who she is, and who she ends up becoming.

i ended up reading this book in about three days. it was a very quick, enjoyable read and captures your attention from the very beginning. following the rules of friendship and self awareness, it is super easy to root for emma's character and want to keep reading to know what happens next. while i know most people expect a romance subplot in most stories, i liked that this story followed emma's character development rather than focusing on what her love life would be like, especially since dating as a teenage psychopath assassin would obviously be a complex dynamic that would be difficult to write correctly.

this was a fun little YA read and i have never read a book like this before, i enjoyed it a lot more than i initially expected when i first read the synopsis.

Great story! Here are some facts/tropes:
😐psychopath (mental health representation)
🗡trained assassin school
👭friendship
🔥thriller
😎undercover mission

I really enjoyed this book, it is so different to the books i am used to and the story really was unique. What i liked most was to see how Emma learns empathy during the book, and you see how she develops more into a good person. I also like that it shows how important friendship is!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review.

I knew this book was one for me as soon as I read the blurb. It was as good as I hoped it would be with a fantastic and fascinating main character, Emma. I also really liked Susie and enjoyed watching Emma form friendships with her and the others. The ending was great and I feel like it's left an open door for a book 2. At least I really hope so!

Thank you to Netgalley and William Rookwood for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

There were things I really liked about this book and there were things that I didn't care for. First for the things I liked. I actually really liked Emma's character. It was really interesting reading a psychopathic character which I don't think we see very often, the humanising of someone with a different kind of brain than our own. I also really liked Emma's grandma Ray, she was a little over the top, but in a fun way so it was okay. Also the thing with the dog Bella was cute too. The actual spy bits were a bit hit or miss, but fun enough to keep reading.

Now for a few things I had issue with. The first thing was the middle-grade style narration. I could really do without the MC talking to the audience. I get that the book was supposed to be a "confessional" but I think this could have been achieved differently. I've read many YA books with a diary narrative that weren't so directly breaking the fourth wall for no reason. Especially with a sixteen year old character who is shown hooking up with her ex in the first part of the book. It felt a bit incongruent, like trying to be innocent and edgy at the same time.

Another issue which I've seen echoed in other reviews is that whenever Emma is with Susie and Maeve they are always talking about boys, like almost the entire book. I think this really messed with my believing their friendship dynamic. If they're such good friends why can't they talk about anything else? Next was Emma's character growth. It felt too easy, and a lot it happens off page. All the assignments that Susie gives Emma to become a better person are just forgotten about in favour of talking about (you guessed it) boys.

Another thing I bothered me is kind of superficial, but it's very clear that Birk doesn't keep up with teenagers or fashion, like at all. The book felt very dated to me. This book could have easily been set in 2010 with all the mall and fashion references. Stuff that was dated even when I was a teenager. Even the text messages felt dated. Nobody has texted like that since smart phones were invented lol. Again, very random, just bothered me as a fashion and culture lover.

This is another random thing but, Brayden, the only known asian character, has a scene where he cries about getting a B+ because his parents are going to be disappointed in him. I don't know. It's not that this is unrealistic, but maybe a little cliche and stereotypical. Maybe I'm thinking about it too much though. What are your thoughts other reviewers?

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5843895147

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I found myself laughing an intrigued at the same time. You can read my full review at the posted link.

*Thank you to William Rookwood and NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review*

Ok I wanted to love this book but I didn't. Hear me out. CIA, girls. Yes to that. But 16years old? No. Also, she can't be 16years old and have so many brands of shoes that she knows and be in CIA. Does she have time for shoes? Psychopathy is a dangerous subject and it has to be treated carefully which in this case it didn't. It felt immature and at sometime pointless. The writing story needed...more depth. Don't get me wrong, it had potential, but overall is a no for me.

Emma wants to become the best spy she can and when she is sent on a mission, she may discover truths to secrets that will change her life. Confessions of a Dangerous Girl heavily leans on stereotypical tropes and a surface-level depth of all characters, especially the protagonist. When there is a conflict and especially a social/racial the author leans into the protagonist being a psychopath to push through instead of resolving the issue. This was a very thin-plotted book and not much depth.

This was an easy read that you can carry on reading for a long time.

I'm glad that there wasn't too much romance in this book to over shadow the spy story. I liked the character development of the main character with how she adapted to real life outside of the assassin school and trying to make allies for her mission that turned into friends.

I think this book suits a young audience of teenagers, I would have enjoyed it more if I read it when I was younger with how much it focused on school. The action at the end is what I think saved it.

Six year old Emma Garthright tried to kill her little brother.
Her family hoped she would get the help she needed under the care of Dr. Early at his school for children who exhibit psychopathic behaviour.
However the school is a ruse and is really a CIA training ground for would be teenage assassins'. When Dr. Early sends Emma on a mission at a local highschool, Emma finds herself back at home and questioning the only life she has ever known.

This book was a ride.
I went into it this thinking it would be a cutsy thriller, and it was exactly that.
The storyline and writing were enjoyable and it was fun seeing where Emma's adventure would take her.
Kind of sounds like this might be a series, definitely enjoyed this enough to check out any subsequent books.

This book started out strong for me, but I'm sorry to say that it didn't finish as well. I had high hopes for the way the author introduced the topic, but I felt like halfway through, it was forgot the type of a character the MC was supposed to be. Someone who has studies psychology, I may be a little more picky on these things than most. I just didn't enjoy the book as much as I hoped. Thank you so much for giving me a chance to read it!