This book was okay, I loved the characters! It was just a little too slow for me. I felt like I was confused most of the time.

Jessa is know as the "perfect" girl but being perfect has its downfalls and Jessa is at her breaking point. Jessa's parents are going out of town and she begs to have a few friends over. She's anxious about being alone as a few girls have gone missing is nearby towns. Her parents break their own rules and allow her to invite her friends over. Kellan, Alexis and Tiny join Jessa for a sleep over but things quickly get out of control. A few uninvited guests show up, the power goes out and a game of Truth and Dare turns into a game of life or death.

The story is told in alternating points of views and flashbacks. It's predictable in an an enjoyable way. Be prepared to be engaged and entertained.

Jess’s, the perfect girl, known to her, friends, and family. This book was all vibes and a very nostalgic read.

Jess hosts her friends for a sleepover and thing start to get interesting. An unexpected thunder storm hits and emotions run high throughout the events of the night. What will happen of the Perfect Girl?

I enjoyed Jess’s character, relatable high school girl. Similar to myself in my high school years. The voices of the other characters were well done on the page. The relations between the friend of girls was so relatable of my own friendships in high school.

The pace of this book was well done and played well into the plot. Intriguing and curious enough to see how Jess would handle things.

Tracy Banghart's Perfect Girl is a fast-paced, spine-chilling thriller that explores the dangers of perfection and the consequences of living up to the expectations of others. The story follows Jessa, a teenage girl who has spent her life cultivating an image of flawless behavior—always polite, never confrontational, and deeply obedient to the rules. Jessa prides herself on being the “perfect girl,” content with her role in her family and society, but she soon learns that being perfect comes with deadly consequences.

When a freak storm knocks out the power during a sleepover at Jessa’s eerie, old house, the fun quickly takes a dark turn. As tensions rise among her friends, strange guests arrive, and sinister forces begin to unfold, Jessa finds herself trapped in a nightmare. Her perfect life is shattered as a killer targeting the “perfect girl” sets their sights on her, turning what should have been a harmless night into a fight for survival.

The narrative cleverly uses Jessa's perfectionism as both a strength and a vulnerability. Her adherence to rules and societal expectations has kept her safe, but when the situation escalates, she must challenge everything she’s been taught to protect herself and her friends. The juxtaposition of her idealized behavior with the brutal reality of the situation makes for a compelling character arc, as Jessa learns to shed her perfect persona in order to fight back against the terror closing in on her.

Banghart builds tension masterfully, creating a creepy atmosphere in Jessa’s house, which seems to come alive with secrets and dangers lurking at every corner. The interactions between Jessa and her friends, filled with jealousy, conflict, and betrayal, are just as compelling as the external threat they face. The author keeps the readers on edge, twisting expectations and keeping the mystery of the killer’s identity hidden until the final moments.

At its core, Perfect Girl is a commentary on the pressure to meet impossible standards—whether from family, friends, or society. Jessa’s struggle to break free from the constraints of perfection reflects a universal desire for agency and authenticity, and her transformation from a dutiful “perfect girl” to a survivor is both gripping and empowering.

While the book excels in suspense and thrills, it also explores deeper themes of identity, control, and the cost of trying to meet others’ expectations. Banghart has crafted a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, delivering a fast-paced thriller with emotional depth.

Fans of psychological thrillers with a dash of horror will find Perfect Girl to be a page-turner that keeps them guessing until the very end. With its blend of tension, suspense, and dark reflections on societal pressures, it’s a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a story that’s as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to honestly review.

This book was not what i expected. I really wanted a twisty YA thriller and this was quite honestly a little bit boring

Perfect Girl is a teenage slasher novel. Its a sleepover gone wrong. The characters are pretty one-dimensional except for one character who is in a domestic violence relationship. Also the main character is dealing with the pressure of being a perfect girl. There are themes around gender oppression and the roles women and girls are supposed to fulfill. The book was fast paced and mostly plot driven. While the twists were predictable, this is definitely a book for the fans of campy horror. In the end, it a forgettable book. But if you are looking for a mindless good time try the perfect girl.

Fans of Natasha Preston will definitely enjoy this book. Jessa has always been the perfect daughter, sister, student, and friend. While her parents go out for the night Jessa has a sleepover with her friends because they need time together, their relationship has been strained as of late and Jessa feels onebof the reasons why is that they have painted her in this box of perfection. She also wants the company as a few girls in the area have disappeared. This book isn't perfect, there were a few times that I rolled my eyes or said aloud exactly what was going to happen. But, if you are looking for a quick thrill then go for it.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview.

The perfect girl was a book that was okay in my opinion. It was enjoyable but not one that I would necessarily recommend or reread. It did give off pretty little liars vibes which I enjoyed!

I thought this was a solid book but kind of predictable. The main character was so incredibly innocent that sometimes it was frustrating for me.

Thank you for the eARC, Feiwel & Friends!

Perfect Girl was perfectly surprising, in the end. With easy-to-read, clear and concise prose and typical teen angst, Tracy Banghart's Perfect Girl is a fast-paced thriller for readers who enjoy interesting twists and imperfect characters.

Jessa's curse is one many of us can relate to: perfectionism. The pursuit and expectation of presenting the perfect exterior to the world and to ourselves. Her house is less than perfect, with its isolated location, horrible cell service, and resident ghost. So when she's faced with the possibility of being home alone on a Friday night she begs her parents to let her friends sleepover, with the promise that they'll be perfect angels.

A storm, a power outage, and a pack of hormonal teens with no supervision on a Friday night. What could go wrong?

So many things. What doesn't go wrong is the twist. And the stakes continued to raise all the way through. This story is a slow build but when the action pops, it takes off like a bullet train. So keep reading!

I recommend this book to lovers of a good old teen slasher/thriller like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, amusing banter, and happy endings.

Jessa was raised to be perfect, and while her friends tease her about this, she likes knowing what is expected of her. However, things become more serious when a killer targets her for being perfect during a storm.

I generally like YA thrillers, but this one was just ok for me. I think part of it was the way that the author wrote Jessa was really annoying. The plot overall wasn't bad, but the characters, especially Jessa, were just annoying for me.

I listen to the audio version of this book in about three days, I couldn’t stop. The plot was a continuous twist that you didn’t see coming. It was definitely an easy read, but in a good way. I felt like the author did a good job with keeping you on your toes while reading as well is not dragging out the book more than needed. This book was filled with romance, drama mystery, and suspense. I highly recommend reading this book, especially if you love a good quick read filled with all the needs of a book lover.
4.5/5

I love a creepy, stranded during a storm story. Jessa has been perfect all of her life, but sometimes, perfection can hinder us. While this story is a thriller/suspense, it's also a beautiful story about overcoming the mold we place ourselves into and transforming into who we are meant to be.

I loved this one. I started it not knowing much about it. I actually picked the book on NetGalley because the cover and brief description had me intrigued. I devoured it in two days.

I don’t usually read YA but this was a great fun horror/thriller read. It was fast paced and didn’t drag. I loved the ending and how it didn’t feel like it went on and on but also didn’t feel rushed. I loved all the characters. Each character was diverse and had their own story but it didn’t feel like too much.

This book is very relevant to today and felt relatable. Very intriguing coming of age type story. I usually don’t like when talk of the pandemic and COVID-19 is mentioned at all, but in this story it made sense and didn’t bother me at all and made sense within the story line.

I really don’t have any feedback on anything I didn’t care for because I loved it so much. I couldn’t put it down. I kept telling myself, “okay, one more chapter.” And found myself still reading chapter after chapter.

This was a great can’t put down YA thriller and well done. I’m giving it five stars because I had so much fun reading it. 👍🏼

I liked this book. It was similar to other books like it that I’ve read, but enough was different that I was able to enjoy it instead of thinking it was the exact same as everything else.

Perfect Girl is a fast-paced story featuring several teens in a remote home during a tumultuous storm. Really, it's the perfect recipe for a teen thriller. Throw in a recent string of missing girls, an odd neighbor, and a power outage.

For me, the story was a lot of fun. The twists weren't super surprising, but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless..

I feel like this book is a great example of a YA book made for older YA who are newer to reading. It had that easier flow and sentences that are great for new readers and is also a good introduction to this kind of genre. Yet this book uses some more adult language here and there that makes it almost seem like it should be for some older readers at times. Books like this are great and do exist out there, but as a person who is a big reader, this book gave me whiplash.

At times it felt a little bit on the younger side of YA and then would suddenly drop the f-bomb, which just felt like it was contradicting the writing style.

I do like the concept of this book, and the idea of a killer on the loose looking for the perfect girl was super eerie. I don't want to spoil anything but the killer was such an interesting situation. However, I do wish we saw more character growth from the side characters, as they were shoved in and out of the story a lot with little progress.

Overall I think the concept and idea of this book were great. It started off pretty strong but got a little muddled and lost on its way there. There could have just been a few things cleaned up or further developed to make this a super compelling read.

Thank you to Macmillian for allowing me to read and review this book <3

This is a ya thriller, it was definitely fast-paced, I read it in one sitting. I loved the characters, I loved the diversity. Overall this was a great YA novel.

What a wild ride

First 50%- im mildly interested in what’s happening but im mostly just bored

Middle 50-75%- wtf is happening do I love this or hate this

Last 25%- wait this EATS, on the edge of my seat, invested in each character and what’s going to happen

I just wish that that first 50% has me more intrigued, I really was invested by the characters at the end but feel I probably missed a lot because the first half was lackluster

Perfect Girl is a young adult thriller. If this a genre you haven't read a lot of, I think you will enjoy it. It seemed very predictable to me, but I still enjoyed my time reading it and will look for more books by Tracy Banghart in the future.