4.5/5 ⭐️

In the aftermath of the murder of Sierton High School's queen bee, Ella Moore, suspicion falls on her friends, each with a motive for her demise. The police focus on the new girl Dawn Foster, who was the last to give Ella a drink. Despite the damning accusations from Ella's friends, Dawn is determined to prove her innocence. As she investigates, she uncovers a web of enemies and a quest for revenge, racing against time to find the real culprit before more lives are lost and the wrong person is arrested.

Let me start by saying that Ella's character gave me Regina George vibes from Mean Girls. She was the villain of the story not the killer.

Hannah has truly captured my heart and I wanted to give her a hug (until you found out the truth). As for the friendship dynamic between Raquel and Dawn, their bond exudes warmth and sincerity throughout the story and even till the end. Also, I found myself wanting the emergence of the romance between Isaac and Dawn. Their interactions sparked a sense of anticipation, leaving me eagerly hoping for their relationship to evolve into something more but it never happened sadly.

As the story unfolded, I held onto the hope of a happy ending, only to be blindsided by the unexpected twist that shattered my expectations, leaving me reeling in disbelief.


Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sending me an arc!

Why are books about mean girls so enjoyable? I think it is because I always wait for the moment they will get their just desserts! I never had to deal with mean girls and in these days with social media and cell phones, it must be horrendous . The girls in this story are definitely monsters including the girl who was the initial victim. I really did not see all the twists coming but the suspense was never ending!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Quick, one sitting read. New girl Dawn gets swept into a whirlwind friendship with the school's top Mean Girls--and she's torn between wanting to fit in and wanting to be a good person. Soon, Top Girl Ella winds up dead and everyone is suspicious. This one had me thinking I had it figured out pretty early on, so I appreciated when I realized the red herring.

Characters aren't all likeable--which I think is the purpose, based on the plot. I struggled most with the Aunt who just seemed to totally lack any sort of backbone, and the all-too-convenient friend Raquel who has skills and connections that sit a little too seamlessly into making the plot feasible.

Still, it's a strong book that the YA audience will devour---as long as everyone can set aside the MIA adults throughout the story.

Overall: 4 stars (I really liked it)

I'll tell my students about: language, alcohol, drugs, poison, bullying, abuse, attempted suicide, parental death, trauma

**Thank you to NetGalley & SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

This book was SUCH a page turner. I finished it in a little over 24 hours. I was hooked from the beginning. It was a roller coaster ride, and the ending had me SHOOK. I need more books like this. It was so sad in parts, but the author is such a great story teller.

I don’t even know where to start with how good this book was! I was hooked within the first few sentences and read it in one sitting because I could NOT put it down! My heart broke for Hannah because I was her once, and dealt with all the bullying like her too. Also, the twists in this book were completely unpredictable which I love! My only complaint half way through was that I wish we had known more about Dawn’s accident, which obviously we find out more about towards the end! Speaking of the end, I’m still in shock with how it ended and did not see it coming! Overall this was such a great YA thriller and I hope Cindy RX He plans on writing more!

Perfect Little Monsters is a quick read. It started off positively for me, but lost me somewhere 3/4 of the way through. I just didn’t really like any of the characters. Maybe it didn’t really click with me because I am older than the target audience. That being said, I do work in a middle school and have teenage kids, so I could also be reading it with a more critical eye. I just really couldn’t get into the plot of this one and did not enjoy the twist. I think a lot of the target audience will enjoy this book, but it just was not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and The Sourcebooks Fire team for an arc of this book in return for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an eArc!

4/5 stars!

Read this in one sitting, it had me hooked from start to finish. It was very fast-paced, gripping and a bit dark, delving into the horrowing reality and the psychological effects of bullying. The author's use of foreshadowing was also done well, dropping subtle hints and building the narrative through the dual pov.

Overall a very quick, twisty and well done debut that fans of mystery/thriller will enjoy. And I look forward to reading more works by this author!

YA thrillers can be hit or miss. This one was an absolute HIT. My mind is still blown after reading this! The author has now got my attention and I will absolutely read future work from them.

Dawn is in her senior year, just moved to WI with her parents into her Aunt Mandy's home, and starting a new school. She is ready for a fresh start after a devastating car accident made her and her parents move to WI from Cali. But she makes the cheerleading team and is soon part of the popular kids clique. Ella, is the cheer captain and ultime mean girl queen bee of the high school. She is notorious for her mean streak along side her two best friends Lucy and Nora. Things take a dark turn when Ella is found dead after a party. Now being the new girl, Dawn is under suspicion of murder. She decides to do her own investigation of who would want Ella dead. She starts to uncover dark secrets and enemies of Ella. Could someone have enough motive to murder Ella?

What I enjoyed:
- the pacing was SO good! I started the book before bed and finished it upon waking up. So less than 24 hours and I devoured it!
- I was bullied in school and the bullying in this book was so realistic. I felt compassion and empathy for those who were bullied by the mean girl trio.
- Dual POVS and time lines
- UM the twist of all twists! Did not see that one coming. What a wild ride!


Seriously, I really enjoyed this book. I felt like it was a true portrayal of high school bullying. I loved how twisty, and fast paced it was too. 4 stars out of 5! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Propulsive and thrilling, this book is Mean Girls but make it *murder* in the most addictive way! It was one of those books where you tell yourself, "I'll just read a little bit more before I go to bed," and then you look at the clock and it's past 1 AM and you don't know where the time went. I loved the writing, loved the twist, and can't wait for what else Cindy R.X. He comes up with after this!

If I were to compare it to other titles, it definitely belongs with Good Girl's Guide to Murder and The Final Girl Support Group. Overall, the best part is how the teenagers are depicted and how they speak. Sometimes, it feels like authors just put slang and other words to be like yes, I know what teenagers are saying...when it comes out corny instead. But, here, the plot? good. The characters? good. Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Ella is the school's queen bee. When she's murdered at her party, suspicion turns to the new girl, Dawn. Dawn knows there's more to the story, and starts her own investigation. Told from different points of view, this book is a wild ride.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read. It kept me engaged throughout and even though I had a good idea about what was happening, there was one twist that got me. I'd definitely read this one again.

This reminded me of Mean Girls, but make it a thriller. Twisty and tense with a great cast of characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Really entertaining. I feel like the portrayal of teenagers here was really on point. Young adult readers will love this one.

This was stupidly good!! I inhaled this book, not stopping once. It was so freaking entertaining!

This was a new girl in town gets suspected of killing the queen bee situation. Dawn joins the cheerleading squad in her new school, and it comes with a new group of friends… friends with history… and secrets.

At a pool party, Ella is reigning supreme. Dawn hangs for a while but goes home only to find out the next morning that Ella didn’t survive the night. What seems like an alcohol poisoning death is proven to be murder and Ella’s friends claim that Sawn was the last one to bring her a drink that night…

Dawn, in order to protect herself, and also due to an increasing curiosity of the friend group dynamic, does her own investigating to find out who really killed Ella. Ella’s past is filled with people who people who have reason to hate her… and her friends have their own personal demons.

This book totally blew me away! There were so many things I didn’t see coming. It was wild and far fetched and so so freaking fun! I loved every single second!

Perfect Little Monsters is the classic mean girl trope with a KILLER of a twist! Ella, Lucy, and Naomi are the cheerleading trio that rule the school. They have the best parties, carefully curated friend lists, and the hottest boyfriends. Sound familiar??? Don’t worry there are no bursts of song in this plot, only murder.

The queen bee of the trio is Ella, who is found dead in her room after her latest party. At first the belief is alcohol poisoning, but the autopsy reveals foul play. Lucy, Naomi, Scott, and even the new girl Dawn are considered suspects. Each has something to hide, in particular their complete dislike for Ella. Who has the most motive though? In order to clear their names a couple will pair up to pin Ella’s murder on someone that Dawn cares about. Will Dawn be able to save him?

What about the last girl the trio bullied? How does Hannah play into all of this? These are the questions that are literally not answered until the final scene plays out. And oh man…that scene is a doozy. Be expecting this YA psychological thriller to be on par with The Wives and The Silent Patient by its conclusion. There is just so much I didn’t see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this amazing book.

This book is fantastic. I highly, highly recommend. It gave me mean girls vibes, but it is so much more.

I could not put it down. I was totally invested in the story and the lives of all the characters!

Had me guessing at every turn. It was exciting right to the end!

The author did a fantastic job. Hoping for more great books.

Five stars.

Highly recommend.

Mean Girls meets Diana Urban in this fun twist on the YA murder mystery genre.

This was an intriguing read, beautifully balanced with a deep, honest portrayal of depression and suicide. Initially, the stereotypes of teen girls gave me pause and made me wonder if I already knew whodunnit and why--but I had the sneaking suspicion that Cindy He had a twist up her sleeve, and boy did she. Most of my theories were proved wrong a little over halfway, and she did a great job keeping me guessing in the last half of the book. The writing is also slick and perfect for the genre.

Highly recommend this fast-paced mystery with a thoughtful examination of mental health, and the things that drive us to our worst selves. Would recommend to lovers of YA mysteries.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for this arc.

4.5 stars out of 5!

Cindy R.X. He KILLS with her dark, twisty debut YA Thriller!

When Dawn and her parents move in with her aunt back in their hometown following unfortunate events in sunny California, Dawn is nervous to start over. She knows who she's been in the past, and she desperately wants to be a better version of herself. After joining the cheer squad, she's force into friendship with Ella, the queen bee, and her clique of cheerleaders. Dawn knows these girls. She's been around girls like these before, and she keeps her friendships at surface level, but with a desire to fit in, she hangs around them. Following a party at Ella's house, everything starts going wrong. Now, one of her new friends is dead, and everybody is a suspect.

Dawn meets Isaac, who's got a hidden past of his own, and finds herself drawn to him and his story, believing it's connected to her new, so-called, friends. As Dawn and her friend Raquel embark on an investigation of their own to figure out who killed the queen, she grows closer and closer to the dangers of being "in" with the popular girls. Someone is a killer, and everyone has secrets.

Told through two points of views, this story follows two girls who know the consequences of bullying, and takes a deep dive into heavy topics. This YA Thriller is dark, twisty and unpredictable. Truly, an impressive debut novel by Cindy. R.X. He.

Let me start my thoughts out with: WOW.

Seriously, WOW.

I love debut authors with a passion. YA Thrillers, in general, are my absolute favorites, so when going into any new book, I have high expectations for both the book and myself. I love trying to solve the mystery.

Within seconds, I believed I had this one figured out. I thought to myself, "if this is anything like what I've read in the past... this might just be a very predictable book."

BUT I WAS WRONG.

This book does give you that shock factor that will have you gasping towards the end once the truth is revealed, and I won't spoil it for you, but it was a damn good twist. I didn't see it coming at all.

This book is mean girls meets murder, and I'm HERE for it. Similarly to The Burning by Laura Bates, this book touches on very important, heavy topics that are faced by many. High school can be rough. This book has trigger warnings in the front of the book, which isn't something you always see in YA Thrillers, but I would definitely recommend that they are read before going into this book. With heavy topics like S*icide, this book is definitely one of the heavier YA novels I've read, but also one of most courageous pieces I've read in a long time.

Other topics include depression, mental illness, eating disorders, body image, and more. I highly recommend reading the author's note before reading.

I don't think there were many likable characters in this story, which may deter some of you, but it's one of my favorite styles when reading YA. The truth about teenagers is that they are, mostly, unlikable, even if they're good. Teenagers have unlikeable traits, and I find that it makes the book feel more authentic.

I loved Cindy's style of writing. Going back and forth between the two POVs heightened the experience, and thoroughly added into the fun of trying to figure out "who done it." Even though I was wrong. The whole time. Every time I changed my answer. Wrong. Wrong. and wrong again.

All in all, this book was extremely heavy, dark and twisted, and incredibly well written. Cindy R.X. He is going to SMASH this release and show all of YA Thriller readers HOW. IT's. DONE. Seriously, this is an impressive book that I know deserves and will receive lots of attention and phenomenal conversations. Well done.

I'm looking forward to reading more work by this author. Fans of Josephine Angelini, Laura Bates, and Holly Jackson are sure to love this outstanding debut by Cindy R.X. He.

Thanks to Cindy R.X. He and Sourcebook Fire for this advanced reader's copy of Perfect Little Monsters.

Perfect Mean Girls meets suspenseful thriller! Read like an adult book, or rather captured my attention unlike most YAs! Very well written, loved the characters & the plot so much. Would definitely read more by this author!

This was a book about mean being doing mean things.

I had fun and enjoyed myself, but it just has this air of misery to it.

Nevertheless, it is spectacularly written and and wild ride!